Colleton County, South Carolina

SC · FIPS 45029 Republican

Located in South Carolina, Colleton County has a population of 38,783 residents and a median age of 42.0 years, making it the #1,233 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 19.6%. The median home value is $162,500, and the median household income is $51,114, which is 32% below the national median.

38,783
Population
#1,233 of 3,222
$51,114
Median Income
-32.0% #2,712 of 3,222
42.0 years
Median Age
+8.0% #1,507 of 3,222
19.6%
Poverty Rate
+55.4% #2,635 of 3,222

Demographics

Colleton County has a population of 38,783, making it the #1,233 most populous county in the US. The median age is 42.0 years, which is 8.0% above the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

96.6%
Native Born
3.4%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Colleton County is $51,114, ranking #2,712 out of 3,222 counties — 32.0% below the national median. The poverty rate is 19.6% and unemployment stands at 9.8%.

Income#2,712
$51,114
-32.0%
vs nation
16th percentile
Per Capita#2,557
$29,122
-29.4%
vs nation
21th percentile
Poverty#2,635
19.6%
+55.4%
vs nation
18th percentile
Unemployment#3,085
9.8%
+85.6%
vs nation
4th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Colleton County is $162,500 (-42.4% vs national). Renters pay a median of $949/mo and the homeownership rate is 73.3%.

Home Value#1,971
$162,500
-42.4%
vs nation
39th percentile
Rent#1,185
$949
-18.4%
vs nation
63th percentile
Homeownership#1,828
73.3%
+13.8%
vs nation
43th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Colleton County, 17.4% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 48.3% below the national average, ranking #2,439 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
17.4% −48.3% vs nation
Rank #2,439 of 3,222
24th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Colleton County is 68.6 years. 22.3% of adults report poor or fair health and 13.5% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#2,972
68.6
-8.7%
vs nation
3th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#2,305
22.3%
+14.0%
vs nation
27th percentile
Diabetes#2,678
13.5%
+21.3%
vs nation
15th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#2,128
39.4%
+5.6%
vs nation
32th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#2,381
6.0
+7.1%
vs nation
24th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#1,858
4.6
+2.5%
vs nation
41th percentile
Uninsured Rate#2,422
13.5%
+28.9%
vs nation
23th percentile
Physical Inactivity#2,540
30.9%
+17.1%
vs nation
19th percentile
Food Insecurity#1,307
13.4%
-7.0%
vs nation
58th percentile

Substance Use

21.3% of adults in Colleton County smoke , 44.8% are obese , and 17.8% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 32.3 per 100,000.

Adult Smoking#2,588
21.3%
+18.6%
vs nation
18th percentile
Adult Obesity#3,009
44.8%
+18.2%
vs nation
4th percentile
Excessive Drinking#792
17.8%
-10.5%
vs nation
75th percentile
Drug Overdose Deaths#1,282
32.3
-0.1%
vs nation
39th percentile

Safety

The homicide rate in Colleton County is 26.8 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 20.6 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 47.9 per 100,000.

Homicide Rate#1,498
26.8
+234.4%
vs nation
3th percentile
Suicide Rate#1,622
20.6
+4.2%
vs nation
37th percentile
Firearm Fatalities#2,426
41.1
+129.8%
vs nation
2th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#2,777
47.9
+136.3%
vs nation
2th percentile

Families & Children

33.6% of children in Colleton County live in poverty and the infant mortality rate is 9.3 per 1,000 live births. The teen birth rate is 36.2 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Infant Mortality#1,197
9.3
+36.5%
vs nation
12th percentile
Teen Birth Rate#2,690
36.2
+65.9%
vs nation
10th percentile
Child Poverty#2,976
33.6%
+76.9%
vs nation
5th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Colleton County is 67.2%. The mean commute time is 38.9 min, which is 41.1% above the national average.

Voter Turnout
67.2% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
38.9 min +41.1% vs nation
Rank #90 of 3,222
97th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Colleton County voted Republican with a margin of 18.1%. The vote was 40.4% Dem / 58.5% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 8.6 toward Republicans .

2024 REP +18.1%
40.4% 58.5%
Dem 18,276 votes Rep
2020 REP +9.5%
44.6% 54.1%
Dem 19,283 votes Rep
2016 REP +8.5%
44.2% 52.7%
Dem 17,231 votes Rep
2012 DEM +0.2%
49.6% 49.4%
Dem 17,077 votes Rep
2008 DEM +0.5%
49.7% 49.2%
Dem 17,321 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Colleton County, South Carolina

Colleton County, South Carolina has a total population of 38,783, making it the 1,233rd most populous county in the United States. The median age in Colleton County is 42.0 years, which is 8.0% above the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Colleton County is $51,114, which ranks #2,712 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 32.0% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 19.6%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 9.8%.

The median home value in Colleton County is $162,500, 42.4% below the national median. Renters in Colleton County pay a median gross rent of $949 per month. The homeownership rate is 73.3%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Colleton County, 17.4% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 48.3% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 85.0% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 38.9 min.

Colleton County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 56.5% of the population, followed by Black (non-Hispanic) (33.6%) and Hispanic or Latino (4.6%).

All data for Colleton County, South Carolina comes from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates. These figures are estimates based on survey sampling and are subject to margin of error. For the most detailed and up-to-date data, visit the Census Bureau's official data portal.