Darlington County, South Carolina

SC · FIPS 45031 Republican

Located in South Carolina, Darlington County has a population of 62,558 residents and a median age of 41.3 years, making it the #869 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 21.1%. The median home value is $158,200, and the median household income is $48,581, which is 35% below the national median.

62,558
Population
#869 of 3,222
$48,581
Median Income
-35.4% #2,851 of 3,222
41.3 years
Median Age
+6.2% #1,723 of 3,222
21.1%
Poverty Rate
+67.4% #2,768 of 3,222

Demographics

Darlington County has a population of 62,558, making it the #869 most populous county in the US. The median age is 41.3 years, which is 6.2% above the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

98.1%
Native Born
1.9%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Darlington County is $48,581, ranking #2,851 out of 3,222 counties — 35.4% below the national median. The poverty rate is 21.1% and unemployment stands at 6.6%.

Income#2,851
$48,581
-35.4%
vs nation
11th percentile
Per Capita#2,188
$31,476
-23.7%
vs nation
32th percentile
Poverty#2,768
21.1%
+67.4%
vs nation
14th percentile
Unemployment#2,724
6.6%
+25.1%
vs nation
15th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Darlington County is $158,200 (-43.9% vs national). Renters pay a median of $896/mo and the homeownership rate is 70.9%.

Home Value#2,070
$158,200
-43.9%
vs nation
36th percentile
Rent#1,466
$896
-23.0%
vs nation
54th percentile
Homeownership#2,178
70.9%
+10.1%
vs nation
32th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Darlington County, 19.9% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 41.1% below the national average, ranking #2,024 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
19.9% −41.1% vs nation
Rank #2,024 of 3,222
37th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Darlington County is 69.9 years. 20.1% of adults report poor or fair health and 11.2% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#2,878
69.9
-7.0%
vs nation
6th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#1,859
20.1%
+2.8%
vs nation
41th percentile
Diabetes#2,379
12.6%
+13.2%
vs nation
24th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#2,007
38.9%
+4.3%
vs nation
36th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#1,704
5.7
+1.0%
vs nation
46th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#1,512
4.4
-1.5%
vs nation
52th percentile
Uninsured Rate#1,967
11.2%
+6.8%
vs nation
37th percentile
Physical Inactivity#1,942
27.7%
+5.0%
vs nation
38th percentile
Food Insecurity#1,625
14.3%
-0.7%
vs nation
48th percentile

Substance Use

18.6% of adults in Darlington County smoke , 41.4% are obese , and 17.1% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 30.3 per 100,000.

Adult Smoking#1,867
18.6%
+3.6%
vs nation
41th percentile
Adult Obesity#2,489
41.4%
+9.2%
vs nation
21th percentile
Excessive Drinking#597
17.1%
-13.8%
vs nation
81th percentile
Drug Overdose Deaths#1,185
30.3
-6.4%
vs nation
44th percentile

Safety

The homicide rate in Darlington County is 20.0 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 13.2 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 30.0 per 100,000.

Homicide Rate#1,449
20.0
+150.2%
vs nation
6th percentile
Suicide Rate#457
13.2
-32.9%
vs nation
82th percentile
Firearm Fatalities#2,320
32.3
+80.7%
vs nation
6th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#2,397
30.0
+48.3%
vs nation
15th percentile

Families & Children

30.1% of children in Darlington County live in poverty and the infant mortality rate is 8.0 per 1,000 live births. The teen birth rate is 27.3 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Infant Mortality#1,017
8.0
+16.9%
vs nation
26th percentile
Teen Birth Rate#2,140
27.3
+25.1%
vs nation
29th percentile
Child Poverty#2,852
30.1%
+58.5%
vs nation
9th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Darlington County is 63.0%. The mean commute time is 24.7 min, which is 10.5% below the national average.

Voter Turnout
63.0% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
24.7 min −10.5% vs nation
Rank #2,006 of 3,222
38th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Darlington County voted Republican with a margin of 13.3%. The vote was 42.8% Dem / 56.1% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 8.4 toward Republicans .

2024 REP +13.3%
42.8% 56.1%
Dem 30,331 votes Rep
2020 REP +4.9%
47% 51.9%
Dem 32,417 votes Rep
2016 REP +3.7%
46.8% 50.5%
Dem 29,636 votes Rep
2012 DEM +3.4%
51.3% 47.9%
Dem 30,140 votes Rep
2008 REP +0.2%
49.4% 49.6%
Dem 29,334 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Darlington County, South Carolina

Darlington County, South Carolina has a total population of 62,558, making it the 869th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Darlington County is 41.3 years, which is 6.2% above the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Darlington County is $48,581, which ranks #2,851 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 35.4% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 21.1%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 6.6%.

The median home value in Darlington County is $158,200, 43.9% below the national median. Renters in Darlington County pay a median gross rent of $896 per month. The homeownership rate is 70.9%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Darlington County, 19.9% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 41.1% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 91.0% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 24.7 min.

Darlington County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 53.1% of the population, followed by Black (non-Hispanic) (40.6%) and Two or More Races (2.8%).

All data for Darlington 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.