Census Bureau Data Release: Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates for 2022
By Taylor Hendrix, Workforce Insights Analyst
Introduction
The Census Bureau recently released its 2022 Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE) data, which provides the only single-year income and poverty statistics for the nation’s 3,143 counties and 13,146 school districts. SAIPE statistics are used to calculate funding to states, school districts, and several other federal education programs under Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act.[1]
Nationwide vs. South Carolina Stats
Across all counties nationally, the estimated poverty rate ranged from 3.1 percent to 42.4 percent, with a median poverty rate of 13.6 percent. The estimated poverty rate for children ages 5 to 17 ranged from 2.1 percent to 55.2 percent, with a median rate of 17.1 percent. The median household income ranged from $29,000 to $168,000, with an overall median income of $61,833. How do these numbers compare to South Carolina?
The estimated poverty rate for South Carolina counties ranged from 8.3 percent to 36.7 percent, with an overall median rate of 14.0 percent, down 0.5 percent since 2021. The estimated poverty rate for children ages 5 to 17 ranged from 10.0 percent to 49.7 percent, with a median rate of 18.4 percent which is also down 0.4 percent since 2021. The median household income ranged from $35,000 to $84,000 with an overall median income of $64,000.
Below are a few tables portraying the counties in South Carolina based on poverty estimates by age and median household income.
County |
All Ages |
County |
All Ages |
County |
All Ages |
|||
Poverty Estimate |
Poverty Percent |
Poverty Estimate |
Poverty Percent |
Poverty Estimate |
Poverty Percent |
|||
Abbeville |
4,011 |
17.0 |
Dillon |
8,272 |
30.3 |
McCormick |
1,531 |
17.0 |
Aiken |
29,144 |
17.0 |
Dorchester |
17,484 |
10.7 |
Marion |
8,923 |
31.6 |
Allendale |
2,423 |
36.7 |
Edgefield |
4,048 |
16.4 |
Marlboro |
6,709 |
28.7 |
Anderson |
31,607 |
15.3 |
Fairfield |
3,644 |
18.1 |
Newberry |
6,384 |
17.4 |
Bamberg |
3,471 |
28.4 |
Florence |
27,332 |
20.4 |
Oconee |
13,261 |
16.7 |
Barnwell |
4,222 |
21.2 |
Georgetown |
9,713 |
15.2 |
Orangeburg |
19,422 |
24.6 |
Beaufort |
18,794 |
10.0 |
Greenville |
54,179 |
10.1 |
Pickens |
19,849 |
16.0 |
Berkeley |
21,513 |
9.0 |
Greenwood |
12,235 |
18.4 |
Richland |
63,715 |
16.2 |
Calhoun |
2,127 |
15.2 |
Hampton |
3,665 |
21.9 |
Saluda |
2,963 |
15.8 |
Charleston |
47,690 |
11.6 |
Horry |
46,928 |
12.5 |
Spartanburg |
49,261 |
14.6 |
Cherokee |
9,482 |
17.3 |
Jasper |
5,310 |
17.2 |
Sumter |
14,610 |
14.4 |
Chester |
5,678 |
17.9 |
Kershaw |
8,257 |
12.3 |
Union |
4,852 |
18.4 |
Chesterfield |
8,439 |
19.6 |
Lancaster |
10,876 |
10.6 |
Williamsburg |
7,479 |
26.3 |
Clarendon |
6,008 |
20.3 |
Laurens |
11,924 |
18.0 |
York |
23,957 |
8.3 |
Colleton |
7,753 |
20.3 |
Lee |
4,098 |
27.9 |
|
|
|
Darlington |
12,842 |
20.9 |
Lexington |
33,295 |
11.0 |
|
|
|
County |
Age 5-17 |
County |
Age 5-17 |
County |
Age 5-17 |
|||
Poverty Estimate |
Poverty Percent |
Poverty Estimate |
Poverty Percent |
Poverty Estimate |
Poverty Percent |
|||
Abbeville |
796 |
22.8 |
Dillon |
2,049 |
41.0 |
McCormick |
253 |
34.6 |
Aiken |
6,079 |
22.7 |
Dorchester |
4,053 |
13.9 |
Marion |
2,196 |
47.1 |
Allendale |
493 |
49.7 |
Edgefield |
756 |
21.9 |
Marlboro |
1,304 |
34.6 |
Anderson |
6,172 |
17.8 |
Fairfield |
762 |
28.3 |
Newberry |
1,387 |
23.2 |
Bamberg |
683 |
40.6 |
Florence |
5,208 |
22.0 |
Oconee |
2,215 |
19.4 |
Barnwell |
1,033 |
29.2 |
Georgetown |
2,010 |
24.8 |
Orangeburg |
4,100 |
31.4 |
Beaufort |
4,426 |
18.4 |
Greenville |
11,506 |
12.8 |
Pickens |
2,477 |
13.8 |
Berkeley |
5,035 |
12.2 |
Greenwood |
2,579 |
23.0 |
Richland |
11,529 |
17.7 |
Calhoun |
462 |
23.5 |
Hampton |
797 |
29.2 |
Saluda |
678 |
22.9 |
Charleston |
8,575 |
15.3 |
Horry |
9,122 |
19.4 |
Spartanburg |
11,990 |
20.7 |
Cherokee |
2,085 |
22.8 |
Jasper |
1,156 |
29.6 |
Sumter |
3,818 |
21.7 |
Chester |
1,351 |
25.9 |
Kershaw |
1,950 |
17.0 |
Union |
1,017 |
25.2 |
Chesterfield |
1,799 |
25.7 |
Lancaster |
1,974 |
12.2 |
Williamsburg |
1,490 |
34.2 |
Clarendon |
1,197 |
29.6 |
Laurens |
2,573 |
24.3 |
York |
5,202 |
10.0 |
Colleton |
1,883 |
29.9 |
Lee |
920 |
40.3 |
|
|
|
Darlington |
3,066 |
30.4 |
Lexington |
7,767 |
15.2 |
|
|
|
County |
Median Household Income |
County |
Median Household Income |
County |
Median Household Income |
Abbeville |
$50,325 |
Dillon |
$37,752 |
McCormick |
$56,636 |
Aiken |
$67,728 |
Dorchester |
$74,730 |
Marion |
$37,244 |
Allendale |
$35,249 |
Edgefield |
$61,318 |
Marlboro |
$39,160 |
Anderson |
$62,708 |
Fairfield |
$50,743 |
Newberry |
$55,050 |
Bamberg |
$37,952 |
Florence |
$52,650 |
Oconee |
$61,716 |
Barnwell |
$45,080 |
Georgetown |
$59,457 |
Orangeburg |
$42,209 |
Beaufort |
$83,687 |
Greenville |
$71,833 |
Pickens |
$55,333 |
Berkeley |
$79,259 |
Greenwood |
$49,867 |
Richland |
$61,010 |
Calhoun |
$55,642 |
Hampton |
$43,987 |
Saluda |
$57,291 |
Charleston |
$79,969 |
Horry |
$61,375 |
Spartanburg |
$58,535 |
Cherokee |
$50,403 |
Jasper |
$61,838 |
Sumter |
$56,937 |
Chester |
$53,488 |
Kershaw |
$61,015 |
Union |
$46,461 |
Chesterfield |
$44,574 |
Lancaster |
$70,113 |
Williamsburg |
$39,757 |
Clarendon |
$46,202 |
Laurens |
$53,847 |
York |
$83,692 |
Colleton |
$47,933 |
Lee |
$41,583 |
|
|
Darlington |
$50,427 |
Lexington |
$73,022 |
|
|
[1] United States Census Bureau, Census Bureau releases small area income and poverty estimates for states, counties and school districts, https://www.census.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2023/saipe.html?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery