Fairfield County, South Carolina
Located in South Carolina, Fairfield County has a population of 20,550 residents and a median age of 47.4 years, making it the #1,848 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 15.6%. The median home value is $151,200, and the median household income is $47,885, which is 36% below the national median.
Demographics
Fairfield County has a population of 20,550, making it the #1,848 most populous county in the US. The median age is 47.4 years, which is 21.9% above the national median.
Population Trend
Rankings →Year-over-Year Population Growth
Age & Sex Distribution
Race & Ethnicity
Nativity
Geographic Mobility (Past Year)
Economy
The median household income in Fairfield County is $47,885, ranking #2,877 out of 3,222 counties — 36.3% below the national median. The poverty rate is 15.6% and unemployment stands at 5.5%.
Median Household Income Trend
Rankings →Income Distribution
Industry of Employment
Occupation
Housing
The median home value in Fairfield County is $151,200 (-46.4% vs national). Renters pay a median of $938/mo and the homeownership rate is 74.6%.
Median Home Value Trend
Rankings →Household Type
Education
In Fairfield County, 15.2% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 54.8% below the national average, ranking #2,784 out of 3,222 counties.
Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend
Rankings →Health & Wellbeing
Life expectancy in Fairfield County is 68.8 years. 24.9% of adults report poor or fair health and 9.8% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).
Life Expectancy Trend
Substance Use
22.3% of adults in Fairfield County smoke , 41.1% are obese , and 16.8% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 38.0 per 100,000.
Adult Smoking Trend
Safety
The homicide rate in Fairfield County is 20.9 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 12.2 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 45.0 per 100,000.
Homicide Rate Trend
Families & Children
33.1% of children in Fairfield County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 23.2 per 1,000 females age 15–19.
Teen Birth Rate Trend
Civic & Transportation
Voter turnout in Fairfield County is 67.2%. The mean commute time is 32.9 min, which is 19.3% above the national average.
Voter Turnout Trend
Mean Commute Time Trend
Rankings →Elections
In the 2024 presidential election, Fairfield County voted Democratic with a margin of 13.3%. The vote was 56% Dem / 42.7% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 9.4 toward Republicans .
Vote Share Over Time
About Fairfield County, South Carolina
Fairfield County, South Carolina has a total population of 20,550, making it the 1,848th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Fairfield County is 47.4 years, which is 21.9% above the national median of 38.9 years.
The median household income in Fairfield County is $47,885, which ranks #2,877 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 36.3% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 15.6%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 5.5%.
The median home value in Fairfield County is $151,200, 46.4% below the national median. Renters in Fairfield County pay a median gross rent of $938 per month. The homeownership rate is 74.6%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.
In Fairfield County, 15.2% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 54.8% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 93.0% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 32.9 min.
Fairfield County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is Black (non-Hispanic) at 54.5% of the population, followed by White (non-Hispanic) (38.9%) and Two or More Races (3.5%).
All data for Fairfield 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.