Richland County, South Carolina
Located in South Carolina, Richland County has a population of 422,117 residents and a median age of 34.4 years, making it the #175 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 17.2%. The median home value is $242,800, and the median household income is $63,784, which is 15% below the national median.
Demographics
Richland County has a population of 422,117, making it the #175 most populous county in the US. The median age is 34.4 years, which is 11.6% below 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 Richland County is $63,784, ranking #1,723 out of 3,222 counties — 15.1% below the national median. The poverty rate is 17.2% and unemployment stands at 6.2%.
Median Household Income Trend
Rankings →Income Distribution
Industry of Employment
Occupation
Housing
The median home value in Richland County is $242,800 (-13.9% vs national). Renters pay a median of $1,228/mo and the homeownership rate is 60.3%.
Median Home Value Trend
Rankings →Household Type
Education
In Richland County, 40.7% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 20.8% above the national average, ranking #261 out of 3,222 counties.
Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend
Rankings →Health & Wellbeing
Life expectancy in Richland County is 75.5 years. 16.8% of adults report poor or fair health and 9.6% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).
Life Expectancy Trend
Substance Use
14.9% of adults in Richland County smoke , 33.9% are obese , and 18.3% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 27.5 per 100,000.
Adult Smoking Trend
Safety
The homicide rate in Richland County is 13.3 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 11.2 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 15.9 per 100,000.
Homicide Rate Trend
Families & Children
19.9% of children in Richland County live in poverty and the infant mortality rate is 7.3 per 1,000 live births. The teen birth rate is 13.0 per 1,000 females age 15–19.
Infant Mortality Trend
Civic & Transportation
Voter turnout in Richland County is 61.7%. The mean commute time is 25.1 min, which is 9.1% below the national average.
Voter Turnout Trend
Mean Commute Time Trend
Rankings →Elections
In the 2024 presidential election, Richland County voted Democratic with a margin of 34.6%. The vote was 66.4% Dem / 31.8% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 3.7 toward Republicans .
Vote Share Over Time
About Richland County, South Carolina
Richland County, South Carolina has a total population of 422,117, making it the 175th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Richland County is 34.4 years, which is 11.6% below the national median of 38.9 years.
The median household income in Richland County is $63,784, which ranks #1,723 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 15.1% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 17.2%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 6.2%.
The median home value in Richland County is $242,800, 13.9% below the national median. Renters in Richland County pay a median gross rent of $1,228 per month. The homeownership rate is 60.3%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.
In Richland County, 40.7% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 20.8% above the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 91.3% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 25.1 min.
Richland County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is Black (non-Hispanic) at 46.9% of the population, followed by White (non-Hispanic) (39.4%) and Hispanic or Latino (6.4%).
All data for Richland 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.