Sumter, South Carolina Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Sumter, 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 average
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D
Income Well below average
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D
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population
| Metric | Sumter | South Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 30,384 | 5,295,781 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 911.6 | 165.5 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.12% | 1.16% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 35.5 | 40.4 | 37.3 |
| Households | 12,002 | 2,118,015 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Sumter declined by 2.6% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 30,384 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Sumter is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 23.8% of residents. That is 2.6 points above South Carolina as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 7,221 23.8% +2.6 pts
- Millennials 29–44 5,642 18.6% -2.4 pts
- Gen X 45–60 5,564 18.3% -1.9 pts
- Boomers 61–79 5,325 17.5% -0.9 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 51.2% of the people living in Sumter and men 48.8%.
- Women 51.2% South Carolina 51.2%
- Men 48.8% South Carolina 48.8%
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Economy
Sumter has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Sumter | South Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $53,685 | $69,383 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 3.92% | 5.01% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 6.3% | 4.8% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Sumter is about 23% lower than in South Carolina.
Housing
| Metric | Sumter | South Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $220,432 | $239,609 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,012 | $1,179 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 59.7% | 71.9% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Sumter is about 18.2 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,012 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Sumter spend about 32 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 134 hours, about 5.6 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Sumter | South Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 16.1 | 22.3 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 32.2 | 44.5 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 134 | 186 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,154 | $5,753 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 5.7% | 11.5% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 5,214 | 9,507 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 1,921 | 1,499 | 1,355 |
The average commute time in Sumter is 16 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
Sumter has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Sumter | South Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 24.8% | 28.2% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.43 | 2.44 | 2.53 |
Health
Sumter has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Sumter | South Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 74.7 | 75.8 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 21.9% | 19.6% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 21.7% | 21.5% | 19.0% |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Sumter, South Carolina.
How many people live in Sumter, South Carolina?
About 30,384 people live in Sumter, South Carolina, in 12,002 households of 2.4 people on average. The median age is 35.5, so residents are younger than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 2 years.
Is Sumter, South Carolina mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Sumter, South Carolina has 912 people per square mile, a density typical of a mix of suburbs, small towns and farmland. That is about 11 times the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Sumter, South Carolina?
The median home costs 4.1 times the median household income ($220,432 against $53,685), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $1,012 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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