HomeSouth CarolinaLancaster County
Lancaster County, South Carolina: commercial real estate data.
Lancaster County, South Carolina has a population of 104,475 across 549 square miles, up 16.3 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $5.25 bn in 2024, 1,769 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 94 7(a) approvals worth $58.1 m.
122 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Lancaster County
How many people live in Lancaster County
- Population104,475
- Households40,128
- Average household size2.60
- Median household income$78,869
- Median age42.5
- Median gross rent$959 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$329,900
- Home value to household income4.2 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income14.6 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher33.6 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree11.6 percent
- Adults 25 and over75,197
- Population under 1822,523
- Share under 1821.6 percent
- Population 65 and over22,735
- Share 65 and over21.8 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6459,217
- Civilian labor force49,312
- Unemployment rate4.3 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over60.2 percent
- Rank by population among South Carolina counties16th of 46
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents600th
Lancaster County is the 16th largest of 46 South Carolina counties by population. A median home costs 4.2 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents 65 and over outnumber those under 18, at 21.8 percent against 21.6 percent, which points demand at health care, services and single storey product rather than schools.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Lancaster County
Is Lancaster County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base16.29 percent
- Census 2020 base population96,012
- Births, 20241,223
- Deaths, 20241,187
- Natural change, 202436
- Net domestic migration, 20242,048
- Net international migration, 2024764
- Total net migration, 20242,812
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 202413,379
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents43rd
The county has grown 16.29 percent since the 2020 census base. Migration contributed more to 2024 change than births over deaths, so demand here follows people arriving rather than families forming.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Lancaster County
Where people moving to Lancaster County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving4,076
- People arriving, from those returns8,285
- Adjusted gross income arriving$381.9 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$93,684
- Largest single originLancaster County Non-migrants (36,674 households)
- Largest single destination (36,674 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lancaster County Non-migrants | 36,674 | 76,984 | $3.07 bn |
| Other flows - Different State | 1,468 | 2,976 | $143.3 m |
| Mecklenburg County | 986 | 2,105 | $110.8 m |
| Other flows - South | 686 | 1,363 | $59.0 m |
| York County | 570 | 1,104 | $42.9 m |
| Union County | 379 | 791 | $36.8 m |
| Other flows - Northeast | 375 | 758 | $38.1 m |
| Other flows - Midwest | 212 | 424 | $25.7 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Lancaster 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.
Lancaster County
What the Lancaster County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$5.25 bn
- County GDP, 2023$4.74 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 202410.8 percent
- GDP change over five years45.3 percent
- Rank by GDP among South Carolina counties16th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents694th
- GDP per resident$50,281
Output grew 10.8 percent in the latest year and 45.3 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.
Lancaster County
Who employs people in Lancaster County
- Covered employment, annual average28,110
- Establishments reporting2,236
- Average annual pay$64,550
- Average weekly wage$1,241
- Sector 44-45, employment3,625
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$32,489
- Sector 62, employment3,168
- Sector 62, average annual pay$68,263
- Sector 31-33, employment2,784
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$64,316
- Sector 54, employment2,259
- Sector 54, average annual pay$108,252
- Sector 72, employment2,235
- Sector 56, employment1,609
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 44-45 | 3,625 | 296 | $32,489 |
| Sector 62 | 3,168 | 220 | $68,263 |
| Sector 31-33 | 2,784 | 114 | $64,316 |
| Sector 54 | 2,259 | 370 | $108,252 |
| Sector 72 | 2,235 | 139 | $21,511 |
| Sector 56 | 1,609 | 117 | $42,017 |
| Sector 55 | 1,569 | 24 | $117,089 |
| Sector 23 | 993 | 172 | $71,314 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 3,625 jobs, 12.9 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.
Lancaster County
What businesses operate in Lancaster County
- Establishments, all industries1,769
- Employment at those establishments26,805
- Annual payroll$1.73 bn
- Establishments per 1,000 residents16.9
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.
Lancaster County
What is being built in Lancaster County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 2024997
- Declared construction value permitted$425.9 m
- Single family units authorised997
- Multifamily units authorised0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$427,228
- Units authorised per 1,000 households24.8
Multifamily is 0.0 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Lancaster County
How much SBA lending happens in Lancaster County
- 7(a) approvals recorded94
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$58.1 m
- Average 7(a) approval$618,616
- Median 7(a) approval$300,000
- 10th percentile approval$20,000
- 90th percentile approval$1,467,000
- Largest single approval$5,000,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)1,109
- Jobs per approval11.8
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active31
- Distinct industries receiving approvals58
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer12.8 percent
- Loans on real estate terms12
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter66
- Franchise loans22
- Franchise share of approvals23.4 percent
- Leading industry by approval countChild Day Care Services (7)
- Most active lenderTD Bank, National Association (12)
- 504 approvals recorded13
- 504 gross approval dollars$18.8 m
- Average 504 approval$1,449,769
- Median 504 approval$1,274,000
- Distinct CDCs active4
- 504 jobs per approval17.0
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved11.7
- Most active CDCBusiness Expansion Funding Corporation (5)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals87.9 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$77.0 m
The average approval of $618,616 sits well above the median of $300,000, 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. Only 12.8 percent of approvals run on real estate terms, so SBA credit here is mostly working capital and equipment rather than property acquisition.
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.
Lancaster County
Do SBA loans in Lancaster County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded10
- Paid in full9
- Charged off1
- Charge off rate on resolved loans10.0 percent
- Status: Cancelled16
- Status: Paid in full9
- Status: Exempt from disclosure64
- Status: Charged off1
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed4
Of the 10 loans that have reached a final outcome, 10.0 percent were charged off. This is computed only over resolved loans, because a loan still running has not yet succeeded or failed and counting it either way would be wrong.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Lancaster County
Which parts of Lancaster County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending5
- FORT MILL, approvals38
- Indian Land, approvals26
- LANCASTER, approvals24
- KERSHAW, approvals5
- CHARLOTTE, approvals1
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| FORT MILL | 38 | $22,400,500 |
| Indian Land | 26 | $19,036,600 |
| LANCASTER | 24 | $11,508,300 |
| KERSHAW | 5 | $4,972,000 |
| CHARLOTTE | 1 | $232,500 |
FORT MILL accounts for 38 approvals against 26 in Indian Land. 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.
Lancaster County
How big is Lancaster County
- Land area549 sq mi
- Rank by land area among South Carolina counties30th of 46
- Width, east to west28.3 mi
- Height, north to south42.7 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary5
- Residents per square mile of land190
- Establishments per square mile3.22
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 Lancaster 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 Lancaster County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population104,475
- Households40,128
- Average household size2.60
- Median household income$78,869
- Median age42.5
Common questions
Lancaster County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Lancaster County, South Carolina?
104,475, in 40,128 households, ranking 16th of 46 South Carolina counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Lancaster County growing?
The population has grown 16.29 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 1,223 births against 1,187 deaths, with net migration of 2,812. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Lancaster County?
$78,869. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $329,900, which is 4.2 times income, and median gross rent is $959 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Lancaster County?
1,769 establishments, employing 26,805 people with an annual payroll of $1.73 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 Lancaster County?
Average annual pay is $64,550, or $1,241 a week, across 28,110 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Lancaster County?
94 7(a) approvals totalling $58.1 m since FY2020, across 31 lenders, with a median approval of $300,000, plus 13 504 approvals worth $18.8 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
Do SBA loans in Lancaster County get paid back?
Of the 10 loans that have reached a final outcome, 9 were paid in full and 1 charged off, a charge off rate of 10.0 percent. Loans still running are excluded, because they have not yet succeeded or failed.
What is being built in Lancaster County?
997 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $425.9 m. Multifamily was 0.0 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Lancaster 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 Lancaster County come from?
The largest single origin is Lancaster County Non-migrants, with 36,674 households. Arriving households report an average income of $93,684 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 Lancaster 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 Lancaster 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.