Kershaw County, South Carolina

SC · FIPS 45055 Republican

Located in South Carolina, Kershaw County has a population of 68,314 residents and a median age of 40.4 years, making it the #802 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 13.2%. The median home value is $217,100, and the median household income is $68,231, which is 9% below the national median.

68,314
Population
#802 of 3,222
$68,231
Median Income
-9.2% #1,319 of 3,222
40.4 years
Median Age
+3.9% #2,006 of 3,222
13.2%
Poverty Rate
+4.4% #1,569 of 3,222

Demographics

Kershaw County has a population of 68,314, making it the #802 most populous county in the US. The median age is 40.4 years, which is 3.9% above the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

96.8%
Native Born
3.2%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Kershaw County is $68,231, ranking #1,319 out of 3,222 counties — 9.2% below the national median. The poverty rate is 13.2% and unemployment stands at 4.7%.

Income#1,319
$68,231
-9.2%
vs nation
59th percentile
Per Capita#1,511
$35,560
-13.8%
vs nation
53th percentile
Poverty#1,569
13.2%
+4.4%
vs nation
51th percentile
Unemployment#1,769
4.7%
-12.1%
vs nation
45th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Kershaw County is $217,100 (-23.0% vs national). Renters pay a median of $971/mo and the homeownership rate is 82.0%.

Home Value#1,222
$217,100
-23.0%
vs nation
62th percentile
Rent#1,100
$971
-16.5%
vs nation
66th percentile
Homeownership#362
82.0%
+27.4%
vs nation
89th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Kershaw County, 24.0% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 28.7% below the national average, ranking #1,363 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
24.0% −28.7% vs nation
Rank #1,363 of 3,222
58th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Kershaw County is 73.2 years. 17.7% of adults report poor or fair health and 10.1% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#2,188
73.2
-2.6%
vs nation
29th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#1,280
17.7%
-9.5%
vs nation
59th percentile
Diabetes#1,923
11.5%
+3.3%
vs nation
39th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#2,230
39.7%
+6.4%
vs nation
29th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#2,028
5.8
+3.7%
vs nation
36th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#1,357
4.3
-3.3%
vs nation
57th percentile
Uninsured Rate#1,724
10.1%
-3.3%
vs nation
45th percentile
Physical Inactivity#1,920
27.6%
+4.6%
vs nation
39th percentile
Food Insecurity#1,028
12.6%
-12.5%
vs nation
67th percentile

Substance Use

17.3% of adults in Kershaw County smoke , 36.5% are obese , and 21.8% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 46.2 per 100,000.

Adult Smoking#1,420
17.3%
-3.7%
vs nation
55th percentile
Adult Obesity#1,029
36.5%
-3.7%
vs nation
67th percentile
Excessive Drinking#2,314
21.8%
+9.8%
vs nation
26th percentile
Drug Overdose Deaths#1,752
46.2
+42.8%
vs nation
17th percentile

Safety

The homicide rate in Kershaw County is 6.7 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 16.4 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 28.5 per 100,000.

Homicide Rate#869
6.7
-16.3%
vs nation
44th percentile
Suicide Rate#991
16.4
-16.8%
vs nation
61th percentile
Firearm Fatalities#1,606
19.5
+9.0%
vs nation
35th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#2,312
28.5
+40.9%
vs nation
18th percentile

Families & Children

17.8% of children in Kershaw County live in poverty and the infant mortality rate is 6.3 per 1,000 live births. The teen birth rate is 24.8 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Infant Mortality#658
6.3
-7.3%
vs nation
52th percentile
Teen Birth Rate#1,928
24.8
+13.5%
vs nation
36th percentile
Child Poverty#1,566
17.8%
-6.3%
vs nation
50th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Kershaw County is 67.3%. The mean commute time is 32.5 min, which is 17.9% above the national average.

Voter Turnout
67.3% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
32.5 min +17.9% vs nation
Rank #527 of 3,222
84th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Kershaw County voted Republican with a margin of 28.2%. The vote was 35.3% Dem / 63.5% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 5.1 toward Republicans .

2024 REP +28.2%
35.3% 63.5%
Dem 33,533 votes Rep
2020 REP +23.1%
37.8% 60.9%
Dem 33,629 votes Rep
2016 REP +24.9%
35.6% 60.5%
Dem 28,875 votes Rep
2012 REP +18.6%
40% 58.6%
Dem 27,026 votes Rep
2008 REP +18.7%
40.1% 58.8%
Dem 27,985 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Kershaw County, South Carolina

Kershaw County, South Carolina has a total population of 68,314, making it the 802nd most populous county in the United States. The median age in Kershaw County is 40.4 years, which is 3.9% above the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Kershaw County is $68,231, which ranks #1,319 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 9.2% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 13.2%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 4.7%.

The median home value in Kershaw County is $217,100, 23.0% below the national median. Renters in Kershaw County pay a median gross rent of $971 per month. The homeownership rate is 82.0%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Kershaw County, 24.0% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 28.7% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 91.4% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 32.5 min.

Kershaw County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 65.8% of the population, followed by Black (non-Hispanic) (23.7%) and Hispanic or Latino (5.9%).

All data for Kershaw 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.