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COUNTY

Richland County

South Carolina · 434,956 residents (2025 est.) · 757 sq mi
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The short version

Richland County is home to 422,117 people in South Carolina. The median age is 34.4, younger than the US median of 38.9. The population is up 32% since 2000. 6% of locals were born outside the United States. Home values have more than doubled since 2000, reaching $242,800. People stay put here: 80% were in the same home a year ago.

At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $82,259
Younger
median age 34.4
US median: 38.9
More educated
41% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 40%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
422,117
+32%since 2000
from 320,677 in 2000
434,956 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
1990 – 2025
Population density
557 / sq mi
+18%since 2009
from 474 / sq mi in 2009
US average: 281
Median age
34.4
+6%since 2000
from 32.6 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Land area
757 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
272K313K354K395K436K19902000201020202024Richland County
2024422K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2024
Under 55.5%(23,271)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 95.8%(24,344)
US avg: 6%
10 to 146.3%(26,706)
US avg: 6.4%
15 to 198.4%(35,336)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 2410.4%(43,749)
US avg: 6.5%
25 to 3414.4%(60,758)
US avg: 13.7%
35 to 4412.6%(53,131)
US avg: 13.2%
45 to 5411.4%(47,929)
US avg: 12.2%
55 to 6411.2%(47,425)
US avg: 12.7%
65 to 748.8%(37,156)
US avg: 10.2%
75 to 844%(16,949)
US avg: 5.1%
85 and over1.3%(5,363)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$63,784
−12%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $39,961 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$37,859
+82%since 2000
from $20,794 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
43.3%
+13.6 ptssince 2009
from 29.7% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Poverty rate
17.2%
+3.5 ptssince 2000
from 13.7% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.485
+5%since 2010
from 0.462 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Information10.9%
US avg: 10.8%
Other services7.8%
US avg: 6.7%
Retail trade7.7%
US avg: 9.9%
Public administration6.1%
US avg: 4.8%
Finance & insurance5.8%
US avg: 5.9%
Professional, scientific, technical4.9%
US avg: 5.1%
Wholesale trade4.8%
US avg: 6.9%
Arts, entertainment, food1.8%
US avg: 1.9%
Transportation & warehousing1.7%
US avg: 2.2%
Education & health services0.9%
US avg: 0.9%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing0.6%
US avg: 1.6%
Construction0.5%
US avg: 1.2%
Manufacturing0.1%
US avg: 0.4%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$242,800
+40%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $95,000 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$1,228
+18%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $570 in 2000
US average: $1,442
Owner-occupied
60.3%
−1.1 ptssince 2000
from 61.4% in 2000
39.7% rent
Vacancy rate
10.5%
+0.2 ptssince 2009
from 10.3% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
Persons per household
2.35 people
−2%since 2009
from 2.41 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
Owner cost-burdened
22.1%
−2.8 ptssince 2009
from 24.9% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
Renter cost-burdened
54.3%
+10.2 ptssince 2009
from 44.2% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
Afford Score
3.8
+28%since 2009
from 3.0 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
28
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic49.2%(157,843)
Black44.8%(143,773)
Hispanic / Latino2.7%(8,713)
Asian1.7%(5,441)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic39.4%(166,175)
Black46.9%(198,097)
Hispanic / Latino6.4%(27,169)
Asian3%(12,528)
Other4.3%(18,148)
Diversity Score
77
+7%since 2009
from 72 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
Segregation Score
42
−4%since 2020
from 44 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
Mexican2.4%(9,946)
Puerto Rican1.4%(5,798)
Central American1.1%(4,496)
South American0.6%(2,505)
Honduran0.5%(2,230)
Cuban0.2%(976)
Panamanian0.2%(964)
Colombian0.2%(858)
Dominican0.2%(856)
Spaniard0.2%(803)
Venezuelan0.2%(758)
Salvadoran0.1%(450)
+ 9 more hispanic origin groups with data
Ecuadorian0.1%(343)
Nicaraguan0.1%(340)
Guatemalan0.1%(321)
Peruvian0.1%(301)
Argentine0%(107)
Bolivian0%(77)
Uruguayan0%(35)
Chilean0%(26)
Asian origin
Asian Indian1%(4,198)
Chinese0.5%(1,954)
Korean0.4%(1,757)
Filipino0.4%(1,664)
Vietnamese0.2%(1,041)
Pakistani0.1%(339)
Bangladeshi0.1%(294)
Japanese0%(205)
Sri Lankan0%(174)
Taiwanese0%(160)
Nepalese0%(127)
Burmese0%(111)
+ 6 more asian origin groups with data
Laotian0%(74)
Cambodian0%(54)
Hmong0%(53)
Thai0%(24)
Malaysian0%(17)
Pacific Islander origin
Chamorro0.2%(637)
Samoan0%(90)
Ancestry
English7.9%(33,417)
German7.4%(31,136)
Irish5.8%(24,463)
American4.4%(18,582)
Italian2.6%(11,046)
Scottish1.7%(7,248)
Scotch-Irish1.5%(6,227)
French1.4%(5,741)
Polish1.3%(5,326)
West Indian1.1%(4,841)
Jamaican0.7%(3,003)
+ 45 more ancestry groups with data
Arab0.5%(2,270)
British0.4%(1,598)
Dutch0.4%(1,556)
Welsh0.3%(1,237)
Russian0.3%(1,222)
Norwegian0.3%(1,201)
Swedish0.2%(1,010)
Nigerian0.2%(976)
Greek0.2%(876)
Czech0.2%(787)
Ukrainian0.1%(626)
Lebanese0.1%(567)
Croatian0.1%(558)
Iranian0.1%(538)
Canadian0.1%(512)
Hungarian0.1%(503)
Swiss0.1%(488)
Ghanaian0.1%(451)
Haitian0.1%(410)
Finnish0.1%(388)
Portuguese0.1%(342)
Lithuanian0.1%(330)
Moroccan0.1%(314)
Brazilian0.1%(289)
Austrian0.1%(245)
Cape Verdean0.1%(222)
Iraqi0.1%(220)
Armenian0.1%(218)
Romanian0%(204)
Danish0%(164)
Ethiopian0%(151)
Israeli0%(141)
Belgian0%(134)
Slovak0%(114)
Syrian0%(101)
Turkish0%(98)
Slovene0%(89)
Guyanese0%(65)
Barbadian0%(59)
Latvian0%(38)
Serbian0%(30)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
40.7%
+8.2 ptssince 2000
from 32.5% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
92.2%
+7.1 ptssince 2000
from 85.2% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Graduate degree
17.3%
+5.4 ptssince 2000
from 11.9% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
23.1 min
+71%since 2000
from 13.5 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
Drive alone to work
71.3%
−5.1 ptssince 2009
from 76.4% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
Carpooled to work
7.9%
−2.2 ptssince 2009
from 10.1% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
Public transit
0.7%
−0.9 ptssince 2009
from 1.5% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
Worked from home
12.5%
+4.6 ptssince 2009
from 8.0% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
Walked to work
5.4%
+3.4 ptssince 2009
from 2.0% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
Biked to work
0.1%
−0.1 ptssince 2009
from 0.2% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
No vehicle available
7.2%
−0.7 ptssince 2009
from 7.9% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
6.4%
−3.3 ptssince 2011
from 9.8% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
Labor force participation
64.6%
−4.1 ptssince 2011
from 68.7% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
76.6%
+0.2 ptssince 2020
from 76.4% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
Self-employed
15.9%
−0.3 ptssince 2009
from 16.2% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
Management & professional
43.7%
+3.9 ptssince 2009
from 39.8% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08

People & community

Male
48.0%
−0.1 ptssince 2009
from 48.2% in 2009
Female
52.0%
+0.1 ptssince 2009
from 51.8% in 2009
Foreign born
6.0%
+0.9 ptssince 2009
from 5.1% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
Veterans
9.7%
−3.2 ptssince 2009
from 12.8% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
With a disability
14.3%
+3.2 ptssince 2012
from 11.1% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
Uninsured
8.7%
−4.8 ptssince 2013
from 13.5% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Broadband at home
90.4%
+13.2 ptssince 2017
from 77.2% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
96.7%
+2.3 ptssince 2020
from 94.4% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
Same house as last year
80.0%
+2.7 ptssince 2020
from 77.3% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
English only at home
91.3%
−0.5 ptssince 2016
from 91.7% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
Spanish at home
4.3%
+0.3 ptssince 2016
from 4.0% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married45.3%(74,710)
Married44%(72,530)
Widowed2.5%(4,052)
Divorced8.2%(13,536)
Women 15+
Never married41.2%(75,460)
Married38.8%(71,064)
Widowed7.5%(13,665)
Divorced12.4%(22,779)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09

Health coverage

Uninsured
8.7%
−4.8 ptssince 2013
from 13.5% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Employer-based
53.6%
−2.2 ptssince 2020
from 55.8% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
15.3%
+1.4 ptssince 2020
from 13.9% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
Medicare
16.4%
+1.6 ptssince 2020
from 14.8% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
Medicaid
20.3%
+2.1 ptssince 2020
from 18.2% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
4.9%
+0.6 ptssince 2020
from 4.3% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
69.7%
−1.8 ptssince 2020
from 71.5% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
35.9%
+3.6 ptssince 2020
from 32.3% 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)40.5%(12,658)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)33.5%(10,463)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era23.7%(7,395)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War2.1%(659)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II0.4%(115)
US avg: 1%

Share of the 31,245 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 Richland County to nearby counties

RICHLAND COUNTY VS
Lexington County
Income$77,408+21%
Home value$234,500−3%
Population317,588−27%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
RICHLAND COUNTY VS
Calhoun County
Income$58,682−8%
Home value$172,100−29%
Population14,188−97%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
RICHLAND COUNTY VS
Kershaw County
Income$68,231+7%
Home value$217,100−11%
Population73,166−83%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
RICHLAND COUNTY VS
Fairfield County
Income$47,885−25%
Home value$151,200−38%
Population20,340−95%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Richland County, South Carolina?

Richland County, South Carolina has about 422,117 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.

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

The typical household in Richland County, South Carolina earns about $63,784 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Richland County, South Carolina expensive?

In Richland County, South Carolina, the median home is worth about $242,800, and the typical rent is about $1,228 a month.

How educated are people in Richland County, South Carolina?

About 40.7% of adults age 25 and over in Richland County, South Carolina hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

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

About 17.2% of people in Richland County, South Carolina live below the federal poverty line.

Has Richland County, South Carolina grown since 1990?

Yes, Richland County, South Carolina has grown since 1990. The population has added about 136,397 residents, a change of about 48 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 →