HomeSouth CarolinaDarlington County
Darlington County, South Carolina: commercial real estate data.
Darlington County, South Carolina has a population of 62,558 across 561 square miles, down 0.8 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $3.42 bn in 2024, 1,121 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 13 7(a) approvals worth $18.4 m.
117 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Darlington County
How many people live in Darlington County
- Population62,558
- Households25,561
- Average household size2.45
- Median household income$48,581
- Median age41.3
- Median gross rent$896 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$158,200
- Home value to household income3.3 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income22.1 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher19.9 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree8.1 percent
- Adults 25 and over43,166
- Population under 1813,894
- Share under 1822.2 percent
- Population 65 and over12,424
- Share 65 and over19.9 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6436,240
- Civilian labor force28,299
- Unemployment rate6.7 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over58.2 percent
- Rank by population among South Carolina counties23rd of 46
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents869th
Darlington County is the 23rd largest of 46 South Carolina counties by population. A median home costs 3.3 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 22.2 percent against 19.9 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Darlington County
Is Darlington County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base-0.75 percent
- Census 2020 base population62,897
- Births, 2024727
- Deaths, 2024990
- Natural change, 2024-263
- Net domestic migration, 2024269
- Net international migration, 202451
- Total net migration, 2024320
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024710
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents2108th
The county has lost 0.75 percent of its population 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.
Darlington County
Where people moving to Darlington County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving1,455
- People arriving, from those returns2,771
- Adjusted gross income arriving$69.0 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$47,454
- Largest single originDarlington County Non-migrants (22,635 households)
- Largest single destination (22,635 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Darlington County Non-migrants | 22,635 | 45,783 | $1.27 bn |
| Florence County | 470 | 909 | $21.4 m |
| Other flows - Different State | 452 | 858 | $23.4 m |
| Other flows - South | 276 | 520 | $15.0 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 170 | 318 | $7.4 m |
| Other flows - Northeast | 95 | 179 | $3.8 m |
| Chesterfield County | 90 | 169 | $4.8 m |
| Richland County | 53 | 86 | $2.5 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Darlington 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.
Darlington County
What the Darlington County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$3.42 bn
- County GDP, 2023$3.41 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20240.3 percent
- GDP change over five years25.9 percent
- Rank by GDP among South Carolina counties22nd
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents903rd
- GDP per resident$54,601
Output grew 0.3 percent in the latest year and 25.9 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.
Darlington County
Who employs people in Darlington County
- Covered employment, annual average20,044
- Establishments reporting1,246
- Average annual pay$57,913
- Average weekly wage$1,114
- Sector 31-33, employment3,770
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$94,414
- Sector 62, employment2,385
- Sector 62, average annual pay$51,910
- Sector 44-45, employment2,252
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$32,297
- Sector 72, employment1,471
- Sector 72, average annual pay$18,669
- Sector 23, employment1,470
- Sector 48-49, employment942
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 31-33 | 3,770 | 68 | $94,414 |
| Sector 62 | 2,385 | 139 | $51,910 |
| Sector 44-45 | 2,252 | 221 | $32,297 |
| Sector 72 | 1,471 | 112 | $18,669 |
| Sector 23 | 1,470 | 79 | $58,950 |
| Sector 48-49 | 942 | 43 | $49,084 |
| Sector 56 | 749 | 70 | $54,193 |
| Sector 61 | 473 | 17 | $38,067 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 3,770 jobs, 18.8 percent of covered employment. Average pay per job exceeds median household income, which usually means single earner households and a wage base that can carry rent.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Darlington County
What businesses operate in Darlington County
- Establishments, all industries1,121
- Employment at those establishments16,871
- Annual payroll$1.01 bn
- Establishments per 1,000 residents17.9
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.
Darlington County
What is being built in Darlington County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 2024195
- Declared construction value permitted$33.5 m
- Single family units authorised181
- Multifamily units authorised14
- Multifamily share of units7.2 percent
- Average declared value per unit$171,846
- Units authorised per 1,000 households7.6
Multifamily is 7.2 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Darlington County
How much SBA lending happens in Darlington County
- 7(a) approvals recorded13
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$18.4 m
- Average 7(a) approval$1,414,269
- Median 7(a) approval$500,000
- 10th percentile approval$15,000
- 90th percentile approval$4,500,000
- Largest single approval$5,000,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)75
- Jobs per approval5.8
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active9
- Distinct industries receiving approvals11
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer30.8 percent
- Loans on real estate terms4
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter8
- Franchise loans4
- Franchise share of approvals30.8 percent
- Leading industry by approval countHotels (except Casino Hotels) and Motels (2)
- Most active lenderLive Oak Banking Company (4)
- 504 approvals recorded3
- 504 gross approval dollars$1.9 m
- Average 504 approval$621,000
- Median 504 approval$597,000
- Distinct CDCs active3
- 504 jobs per approval23.7
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved38.1
- Most active CDCCatawba Regional Development Corporation (1)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals81.3 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$20.2 m
The average approval of $1,414,269 sits well above the median of $500,000, so a small number of large deals is pulling the mean up. The median is the better guide to what a typical borrower here actually gets. 30.8 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.
Darlington County
Do SBA loans in Darlington County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded2
- Paid in full2
- Charged off0
- Status: Paid in full2
- Status: Exempt from disclosure10
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed1
Too few loans have reached a final outcome to publish a charge off rate. only 2 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.
Darlington County
Which parts of Darlington County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending3
- Hartsville, approvals11
- Timmonsville, approvals1
- DARLINGTON, approvals1
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Hartsville | 11 | $17,103,000 |
| Timmonsville | 1 | $437,500 |
| DARLINGTON | 1 | $845,000 |
Hartsville accounts for 11 approvals against 1 in Timmonsville. 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.
Darlington County
How big is Darlington County
- Land area561 sq mi
- Rank by land area among South Carolina counties28th of 46
- Width, east to west36 mi
- Height, north to south30.8 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary5
- Residents per square mile of land112
- Establishments per square mile2.00
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 Darlington 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 Darlington County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population62,558
- Households25,561
- Average household size2.45
- Median household income$48,581
- Median age41.3
Common questions
Darlington County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Darlington County, South Carolina?
62,558, in 25,561 households, ranking 23rd of 46 South Carolina counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Darlington County growing?
The population has fallen 0.75 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 727 births against 990 deaths, with net migration of 320. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Darlington County?
$48,581. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $158,200, which is 3.3 times income, and median gross rent is $896 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Darlington County?
1,121 establishments, employing 16,871 people with an annual payroll of $1.01 bn. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is the average wage in Darlington County?
Average annual pay is $57,913, or $1,114 a week, across 20,044 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Darlington County?
13 7(a) approvals totalling $18.4 m since FY2020, across 9 lenders, with a median approval of $500,000, plus 3 504 approvals worth $1.9 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
What is being built in Darlington County?
195 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $33.5 m. Multifamily was 7.2 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Darlington 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 Darlington County come from?
The largest single origin is Darlington County Non-migrants, with 22,635 households. Arriving households report an average income of $47,454 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 Darlington 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 Darlington 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.