Darlington County, South Carolina Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Darlington 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 78% of counties in South Carolina
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D
Income Well below average
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D
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Darlington County | South Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 62,559 | 5,295,781 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 110.5 | 165.5 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.96% | 1.16% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 42.2 | 40.4 | 37.3 |
| Households | 25,554 | 2,118,015 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Darlington County declined by 6.3% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 62,559 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Darlington County is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 21.5% of residents. That is 1.3 points above South Carolina as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 12,851 20.5% -0.6 pts
- Millennials 29–44 11,847 18.9% -2.0 pts
- Gen X 45–60 13,437 21.5% +1.3 pts
- Boomers 61–79 12,159 19.4% +1.0 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 52.7% of the people living in Darlington County and men 47.3%.
- Women 52.7% South Carolina 51.2%
- Men 47.3% South Carolina 48.8%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Darlington County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Darlington County has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Darlington County | South Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $48,955 | $69,383 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.45% | 5.01% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 6.6% | 4.8% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Darlington County is about 29% lower than in South Carolina.
Housing
| Metric | Darlington County | South Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $115,885 | $239,609 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $895 | $1,179 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 70.9% | 71.9% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Darlington County is about 10.8 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $895 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Darlington County spend about 41 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 170 hours, about 7.1 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Darlington County | South Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 20.4 | 22.3 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 40.7 | 44.5 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 170 | 186 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $5,260 | $5,753 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 4.8% | 11.5% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 6,993 | 9,507 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 1,085 | 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 Darlington County is 20 minutes, shorter 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
Darlington County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Darlington County | South Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 17.9% | 28.2% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.40 | 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
Darlington County has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Darlington County | South Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 73.5 | 75.8 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 21.5% | 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).
Darlington County, SC Compared With Nearby Counties
Darlington County, SC is the 2nd largest of the 5 counties compared here, 62,559 residents against a local median of 35,822. Darlington County, SC sits close to the middle of its own neighbourhood. No measure below is more than 15% off the local median, so the choice between these counties turns on things this data does not capture.
The largest of those small differences is median home price, 11% below the local median at $115,885 against $130,741. Darlington County, SC has the 3rd highest median home price of the 5 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Darlington County, SC | 62,559 | $48,955 #3/5 | $115,885 #3/5 | 20.4 min #2/5 |
| Chesterfield County, SC | 43,782 | $49,072 | $244,705 | 20.8 min |
| Marlboro County, SC | 25,963 | $34,094 | $96,855 | 22.3 min |
| Florence County, SC | 137,115 | $58,597 | $164,627 | 18.3 min |
| Dillon County, SC | 27,862 | $46,591 | $57,413 | 21.1 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Darlington County, South Carolina.
How many people live in Darlington County, South Carolina?
About 62,559 people live in Darlington County, South Carolina, in 25,554 households of 2.4 people on average. The median age is 42.2, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 5 years.
Is Darlington County, South Carolina mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Darlington County, South Carolina has 111 people per square mile, a density typical of a mix of suburbs, small towns and farmland. That is close to the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Darlington County, South Carolina?
The median home costs 2.4 times the median household income ($115,885 against $48,955), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $895 a month takes about 22% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How strong is the job market in Darlington County, South Carolina?
Unemployment in Darlington County, South Carolina is 6.6%, 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 Darlington County, South Carolina?
17.9% of adults in Darlington County, South Carolina hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 6), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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