South Carolina earns a composite livability score of 42.8, placing it below the national median of 50.0. While all 46 counties provide data, the state struggles to keep pace with national averages across several key quality-of-life categories.

A Haven for Low Taxes and Affordability

The Palmetto State excels in fiscal policy with a high tax score of 80.6, offering significant relief to residents. A cost score of 54.8 further bolsters its appeal, indicating that day-to-day expenses remain more affordable than in many other regions.

Environmental Risks and Health Outcomes Lag

A low risk score of 29.3 signals vulnerability to natural hazards, which represents the state's primary headwind. Poor health outcomes (36.2) and modest income levels (34.3) also weigh down the overall composite, suggesting room for improvement in social infrastructure.

McCormick and Edgefield Counties Set the Bar

McCormick County leads the state with a score of 59.4, powered by an impressive 86.7 for cost efficiency. Edgefield follows at 59.0 with a near-perfect tax score of 90.5, while Abbeville ranks third at 51.0 due to its strong balance of low costs and low taxes.

Best for Budget-Conscious Residents and Retirees

South Carolina is an ideal destination for retirees and households that prioritize low tax burdens and housing affordability. While residents must weigh these savings against lower health and income scores, the state's financial advantages remain a powerful draw.

All County Rankings in South Carolina

Search, sort, and filter all 46 ranked counties

Showing 1–25 of 46 counties

Rank
1	Edgefield County	63.2	90.9	76.2	69.1	67.1	34	35	78	86	48.3	16.1	36.8
2	McCormick County	59.9	76.9	85	23	63	41.7	40.1	90.5	12.8	46.3	21.9	36.2
3	Saluda County	50.5	83.3	73.3	13.6	54	32.7	15.1	59.9	24.2	51.2	21	42.6
4	Pickens County	50.2	94.9	44.8	36.9	48.4	43.8	27.5	22.4	63	66.7	13.6	37.2
5	Abbeville County	49	90.4	76.8	17.1	17	37.7	36.4	54.7	26.8	56.5	23.4	42.7
6	Dorchester County	48.4	76.9	10.9	79	57.1	58.5	47	6.3	62.3	47.3	25.8	22.7
7	Calhoun County	48.3	92.8	55.3	29.8	11	33.9	46.6	77.4	86	38.6	9.6	32.4
8	Oconee County	48	94.7	55.5	40.9	10.5	49.4	42.6	14.4	67.8	71.5		50
9	Marion County	45.8	87.1	94.4	1.1	5.2	14	37.3	19.3	86	56.3	24.2	31.2
10	Fairfield County	45.5	83.1	61.5	8.5	8.9	21.6	62.8	59.2	56	59.3	18.7	44.1
11	Beaufort County	45.1	86.5	7.7	87.7	21.8	74.8	50.9	2.9	59.3	36.3	24.2	36.1
12	Darlington County	45	92.3	64.8	9.3	2	28.2	52.9	27.7	86	49	22.5	31.9
13	Aiken County	44.8	92.5	39.5	63.2	11.7	41.5	51	15.8	59.2	41.9		24.1
14	Lancaster County	44.5	84	33.4	80	15.3	58.1	24.7	20.6	86	62.7	20.2	22.6
15	York County	44.4	85.9	12.7	89.7	19.8	65.8	43.6	11.3	61.3	62.3	17.4	39.7
16	Chesterfield County	44.2	91.9	83.8	10.5	5.4	26.4	30.3	26	28.8	54.6	12.7	30.1
17	Cherokee County	44.1	90.8	71.3	12.3	9.1	29	32.9	30.3	43.7	66.8	22.5	52.2
18	Newberry County	44	64.3	64.7	39.1	19.5	33	37.2	38	63.8	55	19.2	40.3
19	Laurens County	43.9	92.8	62.6	27	9.6	30.8	32	23.8	68.4	58.9	21.1	44.2
20	Allendale County	43.7	44.6	92.7	0.3	15.8	11.5	46.8	64.6	86	47.8	20	25.2
21	Charleston County	43.6	93.8	6.8	89.3	13.7	74.9	42.6	1.4	63.2	45.9		33.8
22	Lee County	43.5	75.4	79.1	5.5	7.1	15	38	64	86	53.6	11.4	38.5
23	Clarendon County	42.8	77.4	82.6	16.1	3.2	22.9	32	23.5	86	48.5	21.3	25.8
24	Chester County	42	76.8	69.7	16.2	10.8	26.1	19.4	56.9	86	63.9	20	44.6
25	Georgetown County	41.9	92.6	32.5	59.1	12.2	43.4	40.8	7.5	52.7	52.8	28	26.5

Edgefield County

90.976.269.167.13435788648.316.136.8N/A

63.2

McCormick County

76.985236341.740.190.512.846.321.936.2N/A

59.9

Saluda County

83.373.313.65432.715.159.924.251.22142.6N/A

50.5

Pickens County

94.944.836.948.443.827.522.46366.713.637.2N/A

50.2

Abbeville County

90.476.817.11737.736.454.726.856.523.442.7N/A

Dorchester County

76.910.97957.158.5476.362.347.325.822.7N/A

48.4

Calhoun County

92.855.329.81133.946.677.48638.69.632.4N/A

48.3

Oconee County

94.755.540.910.549.442.614.467.871.5N/A50N/A

Marion County

87.194.41.15.21437.319.38656.324.231.2N/A

45.8

Fairfield County

83.161.58.58.921.662.859.25659.318.744.1N/A

45.5

Beaufort County

86.57.787.721.874.850.92.959.336.324.236.1N/A

45.1

Darlington County

92.364.89.3228.252.927.7864922.531.9N/A

Aiken County

92.539.563.211.741.55115.859.241.9N/A24.1N/A

44.8

Lancaster County

8433.48015.358.124.720.68662.720.222.6N/A

44.5

York County

85.912.789.719.865.843.611.361.362.317.439.7N/A

44.4

Chesterfield County

91.983.810.55.426.430.32628.854.612.730.1N/A

44.2

Cherokee County

90.871.312.39.12932.930.343.766.822.552.2N/A

44.1

Newberry County

64.364.739.119.53337.23863.85519.240.3N/A

Laurens County

92.862.6279.630.83223.868.458.921.144.2N/A

43.9

Allendale County

44.692.70.315.811.546.864.68647.82025.2N/A

43.7

Charleston County

93.86.889.313.774.942.61.463.245.9N/A33.8N/A

43.6

Lee County

75.479.15.57.11538648653.611.438.5N/A

43.5

Clarendon County

77.482.616.13.222.93223.58648.521.325.8N/A

42.8

Chester County

76.869.716.210.826.119.456.98663.92044.6N/A

Georgetown County

92.632.559.112.243.440.87.552.752.82826.5N/A

41.9

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Frequently Asked Questions about Counties in South Carolina

Common questions about county rankings and scores in South Carolina.

What is the best county in South Carolina?

Edgefield County is the top-ranked county in South Carolina with a CountyScore of 63.2/100. It leads the state across the available scoring dimensions, which include Property Tax, Cost of Living, Income & Jobs, Safety, Health, Schools, Disaster Risk, Water Quality, Weather & Climate.

How many counties are ranked in South Carolina?

South Carolina has 46 counties in total. Of those, 46 have been ranked with a composite score based on available data dimensions. The remaining 0 counties do not yet have enough data for a full score.

What factors determine a county's score?

Each county is scored 0–100 across up to nine baseline data dimensions: Property Tax, Cost of Living, Income & Jobs, Safety, Health, Schools, Disaster Risk, Water Quality, and Weather & Climate. The composite score is a weighted average of whichever baseline dimensions have data. Currently available baseline dimensions are: Property Tax, Cost of Living, Income & Jobs, Safety, Health, Schools, Disaster Risk, Water Quality, Weather & Climate. Higher scores are always better — a score of 100 represents the best possible performance for that dimension.

What is the average county score in South Carolina?

The average composite CountyScore across all ranked counties in South Carolina is 43/100. The national average is 50/100, so South Carolina counties score 7 points below the national average.

How does South Carolina compare to other states?

South Carolina's average county score of 43/100 is 7 points below the national average of 50/100. You can compare South Carolina counties to counties in any other state using the county detail pages or the CountyScore compare tool.

Explore County Data by Category

Dive deeper into specific dimensions for counties in South Carolina.

TaxByCountyEffective property tax rate vs national benchmarks CostByCountyMedian rent, home values, and housing affordability IncomeByCountyMedian household income and per capita earnings CrimeByCountyViolent and property crime rates per 100K residents HealthByCountyLife expectancy, uninsured rates, and health access SchoolsByCountyGraduation rates, per-pupil spending, and attainment RiskByCountyFEMA National Risk Index — flood, fire, tornado, and more WaterByCountyEPA drinking water health violations and safety grades WeatherByCountyAverage temperatures, precipitation, and extreme weather events SoilByCountySoil composition, pH, drainage, and organic matter content LawnByCountyLawn difficulty score based on climate, soil, and grass suitability MarketsByCountyExperimental standalone signal for market density and SNAP/EBT access

Data: U.S. Census Bureau ACS, FBI UCR, CDC, FEMA NRI, NCES, EPA SDWIS, 2019–2023 ACS — Informational only. Not financial or legal advice.

Best Counties in South Carolina — 2026 Rankings

Top Counties in South Carolina

Understanding County Scores in South Carolina

South Carolina Trails the National Livability Median