Laurens County, South Carolina

SC · FIPS 45059 Republican

Located in South Carolina, Laurens County has a population of 68,666 residents and a median age of 40.9 years, making it the #799 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 18.1%. The median home value is $170,600, and the median household income is $57,623, which is 23% below the national median.

68,666
Population
#799 of 3,222
$57,623
Median Income
-23.3% #2,295 of 3,222
40.9 years
Median Age
+5.1% #1,842 of 3,222
18.1%
Poverty Rate
+43.9% #2,467 of 3,222

Demographics

Laurens County has a population of 68,666, making it the #799 most populous county in the US. The median age is 40.9 years, which is 5.1% above the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

96.2%
Native Born
3.8%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Laurens County is $57,623, ranking #2,295 out of 3,222 counties — 23.3% below the national median. The poverty rate is 18.1% and unemployment stands at 4.5%.

Income#2,295
$57,623
-23.3%
vs nation
29th percentile
Per Capita#2,629
$28,695
-30.5%
vs nation
18th percentile
Poverty#2,467
18.1%
+43.9%
vs nation
23th percentile
Unemployment#1,657
4.5%
-15.4%
vs nation
49th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Laurens County is $170,600 (-39.5% vs national). Renters pay a median of $880/mo and the homeownership rate is 71.5%.

Home Value#1,799
$170,600
-39.5%
vs nation
44th percentile
Rent#1,550
$880
-24.3%
vs nation
52th percentile
Homeownership#2,094
71.5%
+11.0%
vs nation
35th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Laurens County, 17.6% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 47.8% below the national average, ranking #2,416 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
17.6% −47.8% vs nation
Rank #2,416 of 3,222
25th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Laurens County is 71.5 years. 18.9% of adults report poor or fair health and 12.7% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#2,610
71.5
-4.8%
vs nation
15th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#1,585
18.9%
-3.4%
vs nation
50th percentile
Diabetes#2,217
12.2%
+9.6%
vs nation
30th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#1,087
35.6%
-4.6%
vs nation
65th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#2,462
6.1
+7.9%
vs nation
22th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#1,788
4.5
+1.6%
vs nation
43th percentile
Uninsured Rate#2,273
12.7%
+21.5%
vs nation
28th percentile
Physical Inactivity#1,562
25.9%
-1.8%
vs nation
50th percentile
Food Insecurity#1,814
14.9%
+3.4%
vs nation
42th percentile

Substance Use

19.0% of adults in Laurens County smoke , 41.0% are obese , and 19.2% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 48.6 per 100,000.

Adult Smoking#1,993
19.0%
+5.8%
vs nation
37th percentile
Adult Obesity#2,366
41.0%
+8.2%
vs nation
25th percentile
Excessive Drinking#1,262
19.2%
-3.4%
vs nation
60th percentile
Drug Overdose Deaths#1,796
48.6
+50.3%
vs nation
15th percentile

Safety

The homicide rate in Laurens County is 7.8 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 21.2 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 28.6 per 100,000.

Homicide Rate#994
7.8
-2.0%
vs nation
35th percentile
Suicide Rate#1,720
21.2
+7.6%
vs nation
33th percentile
Firearm Fatalities#1,571
19.2
+7.5%
vs nation
36th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#2,320
28.6
+41.3%
vs nation
18th percentile

Families & Children

24.0% of children in Laurens County live in poverty and the infant mortality rate is 7.1 per 1,000 live births. The teen birth rate is 32.9 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Infant Mortality#856
7.1
+5.0%
vs nation
37th percentile
Teen Birth Rate#2,516
32.9
+50.7%
vs nation
16th percentile
Child Poverty#2,417
24.0%
+26.4%
vs nation
23th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Laurens County is 59.5%. The mean commute time is 27.9 min, which is 1.2% above the national average.

Voter Turnout
59.5% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
27.9 min +1.2% vs nation
Rank #1,277 of 3,222
60th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Laurens County voted Republican with a margin of 40.9%. The vote was 29% Dem / 69.9% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 8.6 toward Republicans .

2024 REP +40.9%
29% 69.9%
Dem 30,213 votes Rep
2020 REP +32.3%
33.3% 65.6%
Dem 30,488 votes Rep
2016 REP +29.9%
33.4% 63.3%
Dem 26,474 votes Rep
2012 REP +17.4%
40.6% 58%
Dem 25,373 votes Rep
2008 REP +18.1%
40.2% 58.3%
Dem 26,282 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Laurens County, South Carolina

Laurens County, South Carolina has a total population of 68,666, making it the 799th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Laurens County is 40.9 years, which is 5.1% above the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Laurens County is $57,623, which ranks #2,295 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 23.3% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 18.1%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 4.5%.

The median home value in Laurens County is $170,600, 39.5% below the national median. Renters in Laurens County pay a median gross rent of $880 per month. The homeownership rate is 71.5%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Laurens County, 17.6% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 47.8% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 87.6% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 27.9 min.

Laurens 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) (22.9%) and Hispanic or Latino (6.7%).

All data for Laurens 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.