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COUNTY

Kershaw County

South Carolina · 73,166 residents (2025 est.) · 727 sq mi
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Part of the Columbia metro area
The short version

Kershaw County is home to 68,314 people in South Carolina. 82% of homes are owner-occupied. 24% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher. Growth has run 30% since 2000, or 15,667 more people. The foreign-born share is 3%. Home values have roughly tripled since 2000, reaching $217,100.

At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $82,259
Mid-age
median age 40.4
US median: 38.9
Less educated
24% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 55%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
68,314
+30%since 2000
from 52,647 in 2000
73,166 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
1990 – 2025
Population density
94 / sq mi
+17%since 2009
from 80 / sq mi in 2009
US average: 281
Median age
40.4
+8%since 2000
from 37.4 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Land area
727 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
41K49K56K63K71K19902000201020202024Kershaw County
202468K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2024
Under 55.7%(3,880)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 96.6%(4,517)
US avg: 6%
10 to 146.6%(4,502)
US avg: 6.4%
15 to 196.6%(4,529)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 245%(3,390)
US avg: 6.5%
25 to 3411.8%(8,052)
US avg: 13.7%
35 to 4412.8%(8,772)
US avg: 13.2%
45 to 5412.4%(8,442)
US avg: 12.2%
55 to 6413.6%(9,306)
US avg: 12.7%
65 to 7411.6%(7,893)
US avg: 10.2%
75 to 845.9%(4,037)
US avg: 5.1%
85 and over1.5%(994)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$68,231
−3%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $38,804 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$35,560
+94%since 2000
from $18,360 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
45.6%
+20.7 ptssince 2009
from 24.9% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Poverty rate
13.2%
+0.4 ptssince 2000
from 12.8% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.454
+6%since 2010
from 0.430 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Retail trade14.6%
US avg: 9.9%
Information9.2%
US avg: 10.8%
Other services8.6%
US avg: 6.7%
Wholesale trade7.5%
US avg: 6.9%
Public administration6.9%
US avg: 4.8%
Finance & insurance5.3%
US avg: 5.9%
Professional, scientific, technical4.3%
US avg: 5.1%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing2.7%
US avg: 1.6%
Construction1.5%
US avg: 1.2%
Transportation & warehousing1.4%
US avg: 2.2%
Manufacturing1.1%
US avg: 0.4%
Education & health services1%
US avg: 0.9%
Arts, entertainment, food1%
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$217,100
+55%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $77,000 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$971
+17%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $455 in 2000
US average: $1,442
Owner-occupied
82.0%
Unchangedsince 2000
from 82.0% in 2000
18.0% rent
Vacancy rate
10.7%
−0.9 ptssince 2009
from 11.7% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
Persons per household
2.53 people
Unchangedsince 2009
from 2.53 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
Owner cost-burdened
16.9%
−4.8 ptssince 2009
from 21.7% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
Renter cost-burdened
43.3%
+2.7 ptssince 2009
from 40.6% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
Afford Score
3.2
+31%since 2009
from 2.4 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
Gentrification Score
61
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic70.7%(37,226)
Black26.2%(13,780)
Hispanic / Latino1.7%(886)
Asian0.3%(162)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic65.8%(44,979)
Black23.7%(16,195)
Hispanic / Latino5.9%(4,057)
Asian0.7%(474)
Other3.8%(2,609)
Diversity Score
63
+13%since 2009
from 56 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
Segregation Score
17
−17%since 2020
from 21 in 2020
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means White and non-White residents are more separated across neighborhoods.
Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Hispanic origin
Mexican2.8%(1,881)
Puerto Rican1.3%(906)
Honduran1%(680)
Bolivian0.2%(159)
Cuban0.1%(63)
Salvadoran0.1%(58)
Dominican0.1%(54)
Uruguayan0.1%(44)
+ 4 more hispanic origin groups with data
Asian origin
Asian Indian0.3%(173)
Filipino0.1%(77)
Thai0.1%(76)
Vietnamese0.1%(55)
Cambodian0.1%(44)
Hmong0%(33)
Korean0%(16)
Pacific Islander origin
Ancestry
English10.9%(7,416)
Irish7.7%(5,262)
American7.5%(5,151)
German6.8%(4,661)
Italian2.9%(1,981)
Scotch-Irish2%(1,385)
Scottish1.5%(1,035)
French1.2%(811)
Polish0.7%(463)
Greek0.6%(414)
Welsh0.5%(370)
British0.4%(261)
+ 28 more ancestry groups with data
Dutch0.4%(257)
Norwegian0.3%(228)
West Indian0.3%(225)
Haitian0.3%(186)
Swedish0.3%(173)
Arab0.3%(172)
Finnish0.2%(152)
Hungarian0.2%(133)
Canadian0.2%(132)
Lebanese0.1%(94)
Russian0.1%(79)
Portuguese0.1%(72)
Danish0.1%(66)
Nigerian0.1%(45)
Belgian0.1%(41)
Lithuanian0.1%(38)
Swiss0.1%(36)
Ukrainian0%(34)
Jamaican0%(30)
Latvian0%(20)
Slovak0%(11)
Syrian0%(8)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
24.0%
+7.8 ptssince 2000
from 16.3% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
89.1%
+13.7 ptssince 2000
from 75.4% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Graduate degree
8.9%
+4.0 ptssince 2000
from 4.9% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
30.0 min
+52%since 2000
from 19.7 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
Drive alone to work
81.1%
−2.2 ptssince 2009
from 83.2% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
Carpooled to work
8.7%
−3.2 ptssince 2009
from 11.9% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
Public transit
0.0%
−0.6 ptssince 2009
from 0.7% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
Worked from home
9.2%
+6.6 ptssince 2009
from 2.6% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
Walked to work
0.2%
−1.0 ptssince 2009
from 1.2% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
Biked to work
0.2%
+0.2 ptssince 2009
from 0.0% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
No vehicle available
4.1%
−2.0 ptssince 2009
from 6.1% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
4.7%
−4.6 ptssince 2011
from 9.3% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
Labor force participation
59.9%
−2.1 ptssince 2011
from 62.1% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
72.2%
+2.8 ptssince 2020
from 69.4% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
Self-employed
13.5%
−0.1 ptssince 2009
from 13.6% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
Management & professional
35.2%
+6.1 ptssince 2009
from 29.1% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08

People & community

Male
48.9%
+0.7 ptssince 2009
from 48.2% in 2009
Female
51.1%
−0.7 ptssince 2009
from 51.8% in 2009
Foreign born
3.2%
+0.7 ptssince 2009
from 2.6% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
Veterans
10.1%
−5.1 ptssince 2009
from 15.2% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
With a disability
16.5%
+1.5 ptssince 2012
from 15.0% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
Uninsured
8.6%
−7.8 ptssince 2013
from 16.4% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Broadband at home
90.1%
+26.0 ptssince 2017
from 64.1% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
95.7%
+6.6 ptssince 2020
from 89.1% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
Same house as last year
91.4%
+0.5 ptssince 2020
from 90.8% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
English only at home
94.9%
−1.6 ptssince 2016
from 96.5% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
Spanish at home
4.4%
+1.9 ptssince 2016
from 2.5% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married29.8%(7,937)
Married57.2%(15,249)
Widowed3.9%(1,044)
Divorced9.2%(2,444)
Women 15+
Never married24.2%(6,965)
Married54.4%(15,636)
Widowed9.4%(2,697)
Divorced12%(3,443)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09

Health coverage

Uninsured
8.6%
−7.8 ptssince 2013
from 16.4% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Employer-based
49.1%
−2.9 ptssince 2020
from 52.0% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
16.2%
+3.3 ptssince 2020
from 12.9% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
Medicare
21.4%
−0.9 ptssince 2020
from 22.3% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
Medicaid
21.7%
+1.0 ptssince 2020
from 20.7% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
4.2%
−1.3 ptssince 2020
from 5.5% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
67.5%
+0.4 ptssince 2020
from 67.1% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
41.6%
+1.0 ptssince 2020
from 40.6% in 2020
US average: 36.7%

Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.

Section 09 · Service history

Veterans

Veterans by period of service, 2024
Gulf War (2001 or later)30.9%(1,621)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)33.8%(1,773)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era30.3%(1,590)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War1.9%(99)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II0.4%(19)
US avg: 1%

Share of the 5,243 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.

BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Drill deeper

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Head to head

Compare Kershaw County to nearby counties

KERSHAW COUNTY VS
Lee County
Income$44,760−34%
Home value$104,600−52%
Population15,730−79%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
KERSHAW COUNTY VS
Lancaster County
Income$78,869+16%
Home value$329,900+52%
Population114,296+56%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
KERSHAW COUNTY VS
Richland County
Income$63,784−7%
Home value$242,800+12%
Population434,956+494%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
KERSHAW COUNTY VS
Fairfield County
Income$47,885−30%
Home value$151,200−30%
Population20,340−72%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Kershaw County, South Carolina?

Kershaw County, South Carolina has about 68,314 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.

What is the median household income in Kershaw County, South Carolina?

The typical household in Kershaw County, South Carolina earns about $68,231 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Kershaw County, South Carolina expensive?

In Kershaw County, South Carolina, the median home is worth about $217,100, and the typical rent is about $971 a month.

How educated are people in Kershaw County, South Carolina?

About 24.0% of adults age 25 and over in Kershaw County, South Carolina hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Kershaw County, South Carolina?

About 13.2% of people in Kershaw County, South Carolina live below the federal poverty line.

Has Kershaw County, South Carolina grown since 1990?

Yes, Kershaw County, South Carolina has grown since 1990. The population has added about 24,715 residents, a change of about 57 percent over that period.

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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →