HomeSouth CarolinaColleton County
Colleton County, South Carolina: commercial real estate data.
Colleton County, South Carolina has a population of 38,783 across 1,056 square miles, up 1.7 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $1.50 bn in 2024, 793 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 26 7(a) approvals worth $29.3 m.
121 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Colleton County
How many people live in Colleton County
- Population38,783
- Households16,408
- Average household size2.36
- Median household income$51,114
- Median age42.0
- Median gross rent$949 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$162,500
- Home value to household income3.2 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income22.3 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher17.4 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree5.8 percent
- Adults 25 and over27,192
- Population under 188,792
- Share under 1822.7 percent
- Population 65 and over7,929
- Share 65 and over20.4 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6422,062
- Civilian labor force17,178
- Unemployment rate9.9 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over57.3 percent
- Rank by population among South Carolina counties26th of 46
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents1233rd
Colleton County is the 26th largest of 46 South Carolina counties by population. A median home costs 3.2 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 22.7 percent against 20.4 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Colleton County
Is Colleton County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base1.70 percent
- Census 2020 base population38,601
- Births, 2024405
- Deaths, 2024619
- Natural change, 2024-214
- Net domestic migration, 2024250
- Net international migration, 2024184
- Total net migration, 2024434
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 20241,176
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents1272nd
The county has grown 1.70 percent since the 2020 census base. Deaths exceeded births in 2024, so all of the growth came from people moving in. A market held up by migration alone is more sensitive to a change in relative cost than one growing from household formation.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Colleton County
Where people moving to Colleton County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving918
- People arriving, from those returns1,714
- Adjusted gross income arriving$56.0 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$61,014
- Largest single originColleton County Non-migrants (13,865 households)
- Largest single destination (13,865 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Colleton County Non-migrants | 13,865 | 27,562 | $735.2 m |
| Other flows - Different State | 329 | 583 | $22.8 m |
| Other flows - South | 188 | 335 | $13.8 m |
| Charleston County | 151 | 280 | $8.2 m |
| Dorchester County | 128 | 255 | $6.3 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 118 | 212 | $6.0 m |
| Berkeley County | 94 | 196 | $8.4 m |
| Other flows - Northeast | 62 | 108 | $4.0 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Colleton County Non-migrants, which is the catchment a retail or multifamily study should look at first.
US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Colleton County
What the Colleton County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$1.50 bn
- County GDP, 2023$1.36 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 202410.3 percent
- GDP change over five years48.4 percent
- Rank by GDP among South Carolina counties29th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents1519th
- GDP per resident$38,603
Output grew 10.3 percent in the latest year and 48.4 percent over five, which is the trend line a lender will read behind any single year figure.
US Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional, table CAGDP2, CAGDP2, through 2024.
Colleton County
Who employs people in Colleton County
- Covered employment, annual average10,285
- Establishments reporting916
- Average annual pay$48,150
- Average weekly wage$926
- Sector 44-45, employment1,576
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$32,870
- Sector 62, employment1,565
- Sector 62, average annual pay$50,817
- Sector 72, employment1,173
- Sector 72, average annual pay$22,498
- Sector 31-33, employment785
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$54,694
- Sector 56, employment617
- Sector 23, employment580
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 44-45 | 1,576 | 138 | $32,870 |
| Sector 62 | 1,565 | 104 | $50,817 |
| Sector 72 | 1,173 | 90 | $22,498 |
| Sector 31-33 | 785 | 37 | $54,694 |
| Sector 56 | 617 | 43 | $38,670 |
| Sector 23 | 580 | 98 | $61,290 |
| Sector 42 | 262 | 30 | $122,781 |
| Sector 52 | 228 | 42 | $70,413 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 1,576 jobs, 15.3 percent of covered employment. Average pay per job sits below median household income, so households here typically need more than one earner.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Colleton County
What businesses operate in Colleton County
- Establishments, all industries793
- Employment at those establishments7,333
- Annual payroll$341.6 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents20.4
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Colleton County
What is being built in Colleton County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 202448
- Declared construction value permitted$25.9 m
- Single family units authorised42
- Multifamily units authorised6
- Multifamily share of units12.5 percent
- Average declared value per unit$539,241
- Units authorised per 1,000 households2.9
Multifamily is 12.5 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Colleton County
How much SBA lending happens in Colleton County
- 7(a) approvals recorded26
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$29.3 m
- Average 7(a) approval$1,125,538
- Median 7(a) approval$839,300
- 10th percentile approval$15,000
- 90th percentile approval$3,085,400
- Largest single approval$4,164,400
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)233
- Jobs per approval9.0
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active17
- Distinct industries receiving approvals14
- Median 7(a) term300 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer57.7 percent
- Loans on real estate terms15
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter11
- Franchise loans13
- Franchise share of approvals50.0 percent
- Leading industry by approval countHotels (except Casino Hotels) and Motels (12)
- Most active lenderPeoples Bank (3)
- 504 approvals recorded2
- 504 gross approval dollars$1.5 m
- Average 504 approval$728,500
- Median 504 approval$1,306,000
- Distinct CDCs active2
- 504 jobs per approval7.0
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved9.6
- Most active CDCCoastal Area District Development Authority, Inc. (1)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals92.9 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$30.7 m
The average approval of $1,125,538 sits close to the median of $839,300, so lending here is fairly evenly sized rather than driven by a few large deals. 57.7 percent of approvals run on real estate terms of 240 months or more, so this is a market where SBA credit is buying buildings, not just funding operations.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30. US Small Business Administration, 504 FOIA release, FY2010 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Colleton County
Do SBA loans in Colleton County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded5
- Paid in full5
- Charged off0
- Status: Exempt from disclosure16
- Status: Paid in full5
- Status: Cancelled3
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed2
Too few loans have reached a final outcome to publish a charge off rate. only 5 resolved loans, too few to publish a rate. A rate computed on a handful of loans is noise, so none is shown.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Colleton County
Which parts of Colleton County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending6
- WALTERBORO, approvals19
- Green Pond, approvals3
- JACKSONBORO, approvals1
- ISLANDTON, approvals1
- EDISTO ISLAND, approvals1
- Cottageville, approvals1
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| WALTERBORO | 19 | $27,716,800 |
| Green Pond | 3 | $88,500 |
| JACKSONBORO | 1 | $803,000 |
| ISLANDTON | 1 | $125,000 |
| EDISTO ISLAND | 1 | $150,000 |
| Cottageville | 1 | $380,700 |
WALTERBORO accounts for 19 approvals against 3 in Green Pond. County level figures average over that gap, which is why a site decision is made at the submarket rather than the county.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Colleton County
How big is Colleton County
- Land area1,056 sq mi
- Rank by land area among South Carolina counties5th of 46
- Width, east to west48.5 mi
- Height, north to south49.1 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary6
- Residents per square mile of land37
- Establishments per square mile0.75
US Census Bureau county boundary geometry, TIGER, adjacency computed from shared boundary vertices, TIGER county boundaries. US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year. US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Every item below could be filled with a plausible figure. None of them is. On a page a lender may read, a number that cannot be traced is worse than an absence, so the absences are named.
- No NFIP communities are listed for this county in the FEMA Community Status Book.
- Flood zone record counts are not held. The flood coverage export has not landed, so no count is shown rather than an estimated one.
- Traffic counts resolve in the platform, not in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here.
- Zoning is in build. Parcel level zoning is not published on this page.
Feasibility studies
When a Colleton County site needs a document a lender will accept.
The same data layer behind this page is the one the studies are written from. A study for a Colleton County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population38,783
- Households16,408
- Average household size2.36
- Median household income$51,114
- Median age42.0
Common questions
Colleton County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Colleton County, South Carolina?
38,783, in 16,408 households, ranking 26th of 46 South Carolina counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Colleton County growing?
The population has grown 1.70 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 405 births against 619 deaths, with net migration of 434. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Colleton County?
$51,114. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $162,500, which is 3.2 times income, and median gross rent is $949 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Colleton County?
793 establishments, employing 7,333 people with an annual payroll of $341.6 m. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is the average wage in Colleton County?
Average annual pay is $48,150, or $926 a week, across 10,285 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Colleton County?
26 7(a) approvals totalling $29.3 m since FY2020, across 17 lenders, with a median approval of $839,300, plus 2 504 approvals worth $1.5 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
What is being built in Colleton County?
48 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $25.9 m. Multifamily was 12.5 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Colleton County?
Zone 3, a predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/L. Source: US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Where do people moving to Colleton County come from?
The largest single origin is Colleton County Non-migrants, with 13,865 households. Arriving households report an average income of $61,014 against null for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Colleton County on this page?
No. Annual average daily traffic resolves in the platform rather than in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here. It is a gap we know about rather than a figure we estimated.
Is zoning published for Colleton County?
Not yet. The zoning layer is in build. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame with confirm locally attached.