Oconee County, South Carolina

SC · FIPS 45073 Republican

Located in South Carolina, Oconee County has a population of 80,469 residents and a median age of 47.3 years, making it the #723 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 17.6%. The median home value is $237,100, and the median household income is $62,388, which is 17% below the national median.

80,469
Population
#723 of 3,222
$62,388
Median Income
-17.0% #1,857 of 3,222
47.3 years
Median Age
+21.6% #434 of 3,222
17.6%
Poverty Rate
+39.4% #2,391 of 3,222

Demographics

Oconee County has a population of 80,469, making it the #723 most populous county in the US. The median age is 47.3 years, which is 21.6% above the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

95.8%
Native Born
4.2%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Oconee County is $62,388, ranking #1,857 out of 3,222 counties — 17.0% below the national median. The poverty rate is 17.6% and unemployment stands at 5.9%.

Income#1,857
$62,388
-17.0%
vs nation
42th percentile
Per Capita#902
$39,360
-4.6%
vs nation
72th percentile
Poverty#2,391
17.6%
+39.4%
vs nation
26th percentile
Unemployment#2,477
5.9%
+10.9%
vs nation
23th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Oconee County is $237,100 (-15.9% vs national). Renters pay a median of $881/mo and the homeownership rate is 76.2%.

Home Value#1,022
$237,100
-15.9%
vs nation
68th percentile
Rent#1,545
$881
-24.2%
vs nation
52th percentile
Homeownership#1,322
76.2%
+18.3%
vs nation
59th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Oconee County, 28.7% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 15.0% below the national average, ranking #865 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
28.7% −15.0% vs nation
Rank #865 of 3,222
73th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Oconee County is 75.0 years. 15.8% of adults report poor or fair health and 13.3% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#1,606
75.0
-0.2%
vs nation
48th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#747
15.8%
-19.2%
vs nation
76th percentile
Diabetes#1,279
10.2%
-8.4%
vs nation
59th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#1,280
36.4%
-2.4%
vs nation
59th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#1,769
5.7
+1.6%
vs nation
44th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#1,151
4.2
-6.0%
vs nation
63th percentile
Uninsured Rate#2,383
13.3%
+27.0%
vs nation
24th percentile
Physical Inactivity#870
23.1%
-12.4%
vs nation
72th percentile
Food Insecurity#1,815
14.9%
+3.4%
vs nation
42th percentile

Substance Use

14.9% of adults in Oconee County smoke , 31.6% are obese , and 19.9% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 30.5 per 100,000.

Adult Smoking#632
14.9%
-17.0%
vs nation
80th percentile
Adult Obesity#297
31.6%
-16.6%
vs nation
91th percentile
Excessive Drinking#1,546
19.9%
+0.2%
vs nation
51th percentile
Drug Overdose Deaths#1,198
30.5
-5.7%
vs nation
43th percentile

Safety

The homicide rate in Oconee County is 7.6 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 19.4 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 18.5 per 100,000.

Homicide Rate#967
7.6
-4.8%
vs nation
37th percentile
Suicide Rate#1,467
19.4
-1.7%
vs nation
43th percentile
Firearm Fatalities#1,594
19.4
+8.4%
vs nation
35th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#1,422
18.5
-8.6%
vs nation
50th percentile

Families & Children

20.1% of children in Oconee County live in poverty and the infant mortality rate is 9.1 per 1,000 live births. The teen birth rate is 23.8 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Infant Mortality#1,177
9.1
+33.2%
vs nation
14th percentile
Teen Birth Rate#1,846
23.8
+9.2%
vs nation
39th percentile
Child Poverty#1,927
20.1%
+5.8%
vs nation
39th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Oconee County is 66.1%. The mean commute time is 26.2 min, which is 5.1% below the national average.

Voter Turnout
66.1% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
26.2 min −5.1% vs nation
Rank #1,650 of 3,222
49th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Oconee County voted Republican with a margin of 51.6%. The vote was 23.6% Dem / 75.2% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 4.2 toward Republicans .

2024 REP +51.6%
23.6% 75.2%
Dem 42,264 votes Rep
2020 REP +47.4%
25.6% 73%
Dem 40,668 votes Rep
2016 REP +48.1%
23.8% 71.9%
Dem 33,530 votes Rep
2012 REP +42.6%
27.9% 70.5%
Dem 30,613 votes Rep
2008 REP +37.5%
30.5% 68%
Dem 31,132 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Oconee County, South Carolina

Oconee County, South Carolina has a total population of 80,469, making it the 723rd most populous county in the United States. The median age in Oconee County is 47.3 years, which is 21.6% above the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Oconee County is $62,388, which ranks #1,857 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 17.0% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 17.6%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 5.9%.

The median home value in Oconee County is $237,100, 15.9% below the national median. Renters in Oconee County pay a median gross rent of $881 per month. The homeownership rate is 76.2%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Oconee County, 28.7% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 15.0% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 89.1% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 26.2 min.

Oconee County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 83.1% of the population, followed by Hispanic or Latino (6.2%) and Black (non-Hispanic) (5.2%).

All data for Oconee 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.