Richland County, South Carolina Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Richland 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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B
Health Around averageHealthier than 82% of counties in South Carolina
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C
Income Below averageWealthier than 82% of counties in South Carolina
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B
Education Around averageAmong the top 3 best educated counties in South Carolina
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Richland County | South Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 422,111 | 5,295,781 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 547.2 | 165.5 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.62% | 1.16% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 33.1 | 40.4 | 37.3 |
| Households | 167,959 | 2,118,015 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Richland County grew by 17.5% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 422,111 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Richland County is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 27.6% of residents. That is 6.5 points above South Carolina as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 116,713 27.6% +6.5 pts
- Millennials 29–44 91,256 21.6% +0.6 pts
- Gen X 45–60 77,776 18.4% -1.7 pts
- Boomers 61–79 60,000 14.2% -4.3 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 52.0% of the people living in Richland County and men 48.0%.
- Women 52.0% South Carolina 51.2%
- Men 48.0% South Carolina 48.8%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Richland County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Richland County has a the economy index of C, which means it is somewhat prosperous.
| Metric | Richland County | South Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $64,219 | $69,383 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 2.92% | 5.01% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 6.2% | 4.8% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Richland County is about 7% lower than in South Carolina.
Housing
| Metric | Richland County | South Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $184,903 | $239,609 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,227 | $1,179 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 60.3% | 71.9% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Richland County is about 12.6 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,227 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Richland County spend about 42 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 174 hours, about 7.2 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Richland County | South Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 20.9 | 22.3 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 41.7 | 44.5 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 174 | 186 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $5,387 | $5,753 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 12.6% | 11.5% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 13,391 | 9,507 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 2,194 | 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 Richland County is 21 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
Richland County has a education index of B, which means it is quite educated.
| Metric | Richland County | South Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 34.6% | 28.2% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.35 | 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
Richland County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Richland County | South Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 77.0 | 75.8 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 17.1% | 19.6% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 17.2% | 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).
Richland County, SC Compared With Nearby Counties
Richland County, SC is the largest of the 5 counties compared here, 422,111 residents against a local median of 86,513. Richland County, SC's median home price, at $184,903, runs 22% below the $238,117 typical of the counties around it.
Commute tells the same story from another angle: 20.9 min against a local median of 26.5 min, 21% below it. The one measure here that carries a verdict is commute, and at 21% below the local median it puts Richland County, SC at the better end of the local range. The counties themselves spread $476,294 on median home price, so Richland County, SC sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Richland County, SC has the 4th highest median home price of the 5 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Richland County, SC | 422,111 | $64,219 #3/5 | $184,903 #4/5 | 20.9 min #2/5 |
| Lexington County, SC | 304,957 | $77,064 | $260,113 | 22.9 min |
| Fairfield County, SC | 20,550 | $47,611 | $580,357 | 30.8 min |
| Kershaw County, SC | 68,312 | $69,050 | $104,062 | 30.1 min |
| Sumter County, SC | 104,715 | $56,802 | $216,121 | 18.2 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Richland County, South Carolina.
How big is Richland County, South Carolina by population?
About 422,111 people live in Richland County, South Carolina, in 167,959 households of 2.4 people on average. The median age is 33.1, so residents are younger than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 4 years.
Is Richland County, South Carolina mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Richland County, South Carolina has 547 people per square mile, a density typical of a mix of suburbs, small towns and farmland. That is about 6.3 times the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Richland County, South Carolina?
The median home costs 2.9 times the median household income ($184,903 against $64,219), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $1,227 a month takes about 23% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
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