Colleton County, South Carolina Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Colleton County, SC Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
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C
Health Below averageLess healthy than 80% of counties in South Carolina
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D
Income Well below average
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F
Education Well below averageLess educated than 71% of counties in South Carolina
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Colleton County | South Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 38,792 | 5,295,781 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 34.3 | 165.5 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.30% | 1.16% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 43.7 | 40.4 | 37.3 |
| Households | 16,410 | 2,118,015 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Colleton County declined by 0.9% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 38,792 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Colleton County is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 20.8% of residents. That is 0.6 points above South Carolina as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 7,613 19.6% -1.5 pts
- Millennials 29–44 7,417 19.1% -1.9 pts
- Gen X 45–60 8,063 20.8% +0.6 pts
- Boomers 61–79 7,762 20.0% +1.5 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below South Carolina, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 52.5% of the people living in Colleton County and men 47.5%.
- Women 52.5% South Carolina 51.2%
- Men 47.5% South Carolina 48.8%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Colleton County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Colleton County has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Colleton County | South Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $51,815 | $69,383 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 5.48% | 5.01% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 9.8% | 4.8% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Colleton County is about 25% lower than in South Carolina.
Housing
| Metric | Colleton County | South Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $202,900 | $239,609 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $949 | $1,179 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 73.3% | 71.9% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Colleton County is about 17.8 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $949 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Colleton County spend about 61 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 254 hours, about 10.6 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Colleton County | South Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 30.5 | 22.3 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 61.0 | 44.5 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 254 | 186 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $7,885 | $5,753 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 6.3% | 11.5% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 8,981 | 9,507 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 485 | 1,499 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
South Carolina:
Greenwood County (16.5 min), Sumter County (18.2 min), Florence County (18.3 min).
Slowest:
McCormick County (33.9 min), Fairfield County (30.8 min), Chester County (30.6 min).
The average commute time in Colleton County is 31 minutes, longer than the 22 minutes in South Carolina.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Colleton County has a education index of F, which means it scores poorly in education.
| Metric | Colleton County | South Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 14.8% | 28.2% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.33 | 2.44 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
South Carolina:
Charleston County (0.4), Beaufort County (0.3), Richland County (0.3).
Lowest:
Allendale County (0.1), Marlboro County (0.2), Chesterfield County (0.2).
Health
Colleton County has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Colleton County | South Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 73.5 | 75.8 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 21.3% | 19.6% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 22.4% | 21.5% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
South Carolina:
Beaufort County (0.8), Charleston County (0.8), Dorchester County (0.8).
Lowest:
Dillon County (0.8), Allendale County (0.8), Marlboro County (0.8).
Colleton County, SC Compared With Nearby Counties
Colleton County, SC is the 3rd largest of the 4 counties compared here, 38,792 residents against a local median of 166,443. Where Colleton County, SC breaks from the counties next to it is median household income, sitting 34% below the local median of $78,650 at $51,815. That is the weaker end of the local range on this measure.
Median home price tells the same story from another angle: $202,900 against a local median of $275,000, 26% below it. The counties themselves spread $23,005 on median household income, so Colleton County, SC sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Colleton County, SC has the 4th highest median household income of the 4 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colleton County, SC | 38,792 | $51,815 #4/4 | $202,900 #4/4 | 30.5 min #4/4 |
| Dorchester County, SC | 166,443 | $78,650 | $229,758 | 30.3 min |
| Beaufort County, SC | 195,246 | $88,120 | $356,655 | 20.2 min |
| Jasper County, SC | 32,186 | $65,115 | $275,000 | 30.3 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Colleton County, South Carolina.
How big is Colleton County, South Carolina by population?
About 38,792 people live in Colleton County, South Carolina, in 16,410 households of 2.3 people on average. The median age is 43.7, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 6 years.
How densely populated is Colleton County, South Carolina?
Averaged over its land area, Colleton County, South Carolina has 34 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 40% of the U.S. average of 86.
Is Colleton County, South Carolina an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 3.9 times the median household income ($202,900 against $51,815), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $949 a month takes about 22% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is unemployment high in Colleton County, South Carolina?
Unemployment in Colleton County, South Carolina is 9.8%, well above the U.S. rate of 5.2%, so job seekers may face more competition than elsewhere.
How common is a college degree in Colleton County, South Carolina?
14.8% of adults in Colleton County, South Carolina hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 7), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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