Ranked from official statistics; every city opens its own guide.
Click any dot to open that city: jobs, pay, rent, commute, county economy and climate. Dot size follows population; colours follow the state flag.
By AtiveSite · Published 07/11/2026 · Updated 08/11/2026 · Every figure is linked to its source below.
Among the 80 largest places in South Carolina, Charleston has the most residents (154,338), followed by Columbia and North Charleston. Click any column to sort; click a city for its guide.
Across the 80 places in South Carolina that we cover, the median is 15,920 and the average 25,366; the figure runs from 154,338 (Charleston) to 7,665 (Sans Souci). That is a spread of 20.1 times between the two ends.
The first five are Charleston, Columbia, North Charleston, Mount Pleasant, Rock Hill. A high or low position is not good or bad on its own: size brings more employers and services but also longer commutes and more competition for housing. Use the Compare tab on each city page to see how two places differ across income, rent, commute and education, and check the county page for the local job market.
| # ⇅ | City ⇅ | County ⇅ | Population ⇅ | Median household income ⇅ | Median rent ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Charleston | Charleston County | 154,338 | $92,414 | $1,722 |
| 2 | Columbia | Richland County | 139,643 | $55,529 | $1,204 |
| 3 | North Charleston | Charleston County | 119,913 | $62,956 | $1,430 |
| 4 | Mount Pleasant | Charleston County | 93,993 | $124,755 | $2,159 |
| 5 | Rock Hill | York County | 75,259 | $68,771 | $1,341 |
| 6 | Greenville | Greenville County | 72,935 | $71,472 | $1,312 |
| 7 | Summerville | Dorchester County | 51,654 | $81,046 | $1,526 |
| 8 | Goose Creek | Berkeley County | 48,078 | $88,178 | $1,690 |
| 9 | Sumter | Sumter County | 43,053 | $55,592 | $1,076 |
| 10 | Greer | Greenville County | 41,536 | $82,626 | $1,198 |
| 11 | Florence | Florence County | 40,408 | $56,143 | $992 |
| 12 | Spartanburg | Spartanburg County | 38,910 | $51,964 | $1,099 |
| 13 | Myrtle Beach | Horry County | 38,371 | $60,394 | $1,261 |
| 14 | Hilton Head Island | Beaufort County | 37,911 | $94,657 | $1,479 |
| 15 | Bluffton | Beaufort County | 33,157 | $111,281 | $2,256 |
| 16 | Aiken | Aiken County | 32,521 | $76,746 | $1,180 |
| 17 | Fort Mill | York County | 30,775 | $121,823 | $1,503 |
| 18 | Anderson | Anderson County | 30,051 | $46,933 | $975 |
| 19 | Conway | Horry County | 27,263 | $56,650 | $866 |
| 20 | Mauldin | Greenville County | 27,055 | $82,331 | $1,490 |
| 21 | Carolina Forest (unincorporated) | Horry County | 26,263 | $74,436 | $1,668 |
| 22 | Simpsonville | Greenville County | 26,144 | $82,457 | $1,415 |
| 23 | North Augusta | Aiken County | 25,653 | $86,092 | $1,169 |
| 24 | Easley | Pickens County | 24,841 | $66,299 | $947 |
| 25 | Lexington | Lexington County | 24,585 | $87,126 | $1,545 |
| 26 | Taylors (unincorporated) | Greenville County | 24,505 | $77,144 | $1,337 |
| 27 | Socastee (unincorporated) | Horry County | 23,796 | $62,257 | $1,246 |
| 28 | Greenwood | Greenwood County | 22,536 | $41,150 | $839 |
| 29 | Hanahan | Berkeley County | 21,452 | $87,984 | $1,412 |
| 30 | Wade Hampton (unincorporated) | Greenville County | 20,898 | $77,449 | $1,115 |
| 31 | St. Andrews (unincorporated) | Richland County | 19,868 | $46,511 | $1,088 |
| 32 | North Myrtle Beach | Horry County | 19,855 | $72,722 | $1,263 |
| 33 | Five Forks (unincorporated) | Greenville County | 18,656 | $141,786 | $2,178 |
| 34 | Clemson | Pickens County | 18,072 | $49,520 | $1,007 |
| 35 | West Columbia | Lexington County | 17,963 | $56,912 | $1,201 |
| 36 | Berea (unincorporated) | Greenville County | 16,862 | $49,829 | $1,076 |
| 37 | Ladson (unincorporated) | Berkeley County | 16,140 | $78,760 | $1,785 |
| 38 | Lake Wylie (unincorporated) | York County | 16,006 | $112,097 | $1,710 |
| 39 | Seven Oaks (unincorporated) | Lexington County | 15,921 | $62,955 | $1,246 |
| 40 | Red Hill (unincorporated) | Horry County | 15,920 | $68,250 | $1,179 |
| 41 | Port Royal | Beaufort County | 15,579 | $74,870 | $1,726 |
| 42 | Moncks Corner | Berkeley County | 15,485 | $91,500 | $1,307 |
| 43 | Gantt (unincorporated) | Greenville County | 15,401 | $47,316 | $1,062 |
| 44 | Dentsville (unincorporated) | Richland County | 15,209 | $45,473 | $1,250 |
| 45 | Beaufort | Beaufort County | 13,747 | $61,220 | $1,212 |
| 46 | Cayce | Lexington County | 13,741 | $62,045 | $1,360 |
| 47 | Tega Cay | York County | 13,615 | $142,000 | $1,408 |
| 48 | Orangeburg | Orangeburg County | 13,253 | $38,635 | $848 |
| 49 | Boiling Springs (unincorporated) | Spartanburg County | 12,936 | $72,068 | $1,266 |
| 50 | Parker (unincorporated) | Greenville County | 12,898 | $40,043 | $1,099 |
| 51 | Gaffney | Cherokee County | 12,596 | $41,089 | $887 |
| 52 | Oak Grove (unincorporated) | Lexington County | 12,256 | $74,554 | $1,045 |
| 53 | James Island | Charleston County | 12,198 | $104,217 | $1,695 |
| 54 | Fountain Inn | Greenville County | 12,020 | $73,585 | $1,184 |
| 55 | Irmo | Richland County | 11,813 | $80,489 | $1,477 |
| 56 | Little River (unincorporated) | Horry County | 11,771 | $65,786 | $1,528 |
| 57 | Garden City (unincorporated) | Horry County | 11,591 | $47,249 | $1,472 |
| 58 | Red Bank (unincorporated) | Lexington County | 11,314 | $68,004 | $1,160 |
| 59 | Hardeeville | Jasper County | 10,871 | $78,365 | $1,406 |
| 60 | Newberry | Newberry County | 10,790 | $51,260 | $831 |
| 61 | Powdersville (unincorporated) | Anderson County | 10,771 | $84,910 | $1,232 |
| 62 | Forest Acres | Richland County | 10,530 | $78,306 | $1,263 |
| 63 | Murrells Inlet (unincorporated) | Georgetown County | 10,044 | $77,438 | $1,751 |
| 64 | Lugoff (unincorporated) | Kershaw County | 9,786 | $69,485 | $915 |
| 65 | Woodfield (unincorporated) | Richland County | 9,465 | $45,526 | $1,169 |
| 66 | Laurens | Laurens County | 9,336 | $49,246 | $833 |
| 67 | Litchfield Beach (unincorporated) | Georgetown County | 9,044 | $76,351 | $1,704 |
| 68 | Seneca | Oconee County | 8,993 | $52,022 | $807 |
| 69 | York | York County | 8,969 | $56,176 | $896 |
| 70 | Lancaster | Lancaster County | 8,921 | $46,311 | $868 |
| 71 | Sangaree (unincorporated) | Berkeley County | 8,681 | $77,673 | $1,419 |
| 72 | Georgetown | Georgetown County | 8,565 | $56,981 | $780 |
| 73 | Travelers Rest | Greenville County | 8,370 | $54,583 | $1,033 |
| 74 | White Knoll (unincorporated) | Lexington County | 8,310 | $80,246 | $1,180 |
| 75 | Camden | Kershaw County | 8,267 | $63,576 | $956 |
| 76 | Valley Falls (unincorporated) | Spartanburg County | 8,239 | $55,661 | $1,021 |
| 77 | Union | Union County | 8,079 | $31,914 | $832 |
| 78 | Bennettsville | Marlboro County | 7,751 | $37,115 | $671 |
| 79 | Clinton | Laurens County | 7,676 | $44,522 | $899 |
| 80 | Sans Souci (unincorporated) | Greenville County | 7,665 | $45,069 | $999 |
Cities With the Cheapest Rent · Cities With the Highest Household Income · Cities Where Rent Takes the Smallest Share of Income · Cities With the Lowest Unemployment · Cities in the Highest-Paying Counties · Most College-Educated Cities · Cities With the Most Homeowners · Cities With the Most Remote Work · Cities With the Shortest Commutes
Unincorporated places are census-designated places: they have no city government but are counted as communities. Figures describe the city itself.
Charleston, with 154,338 (among the 80 largest places; ACS 2020–2024).
The 80 largest places in South Carolina by population.