HomeSouth CarolinaPickens County
Pickens County, South Carolina: commercial real estate data.
Pickens County, South Carolina has a population of 134,629 across 496 square miles, up 5.2 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $6.02 bn in 2024, 2,254 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 112 7(a) approvals worth $61.5 m.
123 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Pickens County
How many people live in Pickens County
- Population134,629
- Households52,414
- Average household size2.57
- Median household income$61,064
- Median age36.2
- Median gross rent$972 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$231,900
- Home value to household income3.8 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income19.1 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher28.5 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree12.5 percent
- Adults 25 and over85,533
- Population under 1825,021
- Share under 1818.6 percent
- Population 65 and over23,326
- Share 65 and over17.3 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6486,282
- Civilian labor force64,155
- Unemployment rate3.6 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over58.5 percent
- Rank by population among South Carolina counties14th of 46
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents490th
Pickens County is the 14th largest of 46 South Carolina counties by population. A median home costs 3.8 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 18.6 percent against 17.3 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Pickens County
Is Pickens County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base5.17 percent
- Census 2020 base population131,417
- Births, 20241,234
- Deaths, 20241,359
- Natural change, 2024-125
- Net domestic migration, 20241,200
- Net international migration, 2024422
- Total net migration, 20241,622
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 20246,473
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents507th
The county has grown 5.17 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.
Pickens County
Where people moving to Pickens County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving4,108
- People arriving, from those returns7,466
- Adjusted gross income arriving$352.0 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$85,682
- Largest single originPickens County Non-migrants (41,573 households)
- Largest single destination (41,573 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pickens County Non-migrants | 41,573 | 85,502 | $3.14 bn |
| Other flows - Different State | 1,423 | 2,636 | $139.9 m |
| Greenville County | 1,012 | 1,860 | $81.6 m |
| Other flows - South | 736 | 1,321 | $64.4 m |
| Anderson County | 671 | 1,234 | $38.8 m |
| Oconee County | 312 | 548 | $19.6 m |
| Other flows - Northeast | 250 | 494 | $30.9 m |
| Other flows - Midwest | 220 | 360 | $19.1 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Pickens 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.
Pickens County
What the Pickens County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$6.02 bn
- County GDP, 2023$5.68 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20246.0 percent
- GDP change over five years43.5 percent
- Rank by GDP among South Carolina counties15th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents649th
- GDP per resident$44,709
Output grew 6.0 percent in the latest year and 43.5 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.
Pickens County
Who employs people in Pickens County
- Covered employment, annual average39,859
- Establishments reporting2,956
- Average annual pay$53,824
- Average weekly wage$1,035
- Sector 72, employment6,016
- Sector 72, average annual pay$19,966
- Sector 44-45, employment5,819
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$32,697
- Sector 31-33, employment5,395
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$69,581
- Sector 62, employment3,279
- Sector 62, average annual pay$56,943
- Sector 23, employment1,456
- Sector 71, employment1,218
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 72 | 6,016 | 314 | $19,966 |
| Sector 44-45 | 5,819 | 408 | $32,697 |
| Sector 31-33 | 5,395 | 156 | $69,581 |
| Sector 62 | 3,279 | 322 | $56,943 |
| Sector 23 | 1,456 | 334 | $56,347 |
| Sector 71 | 1,218 | 52 | $23,073 |
| Sector 54 | 1,116 | 360 | $81,821 |
| Sector 81 | 975 | 211 | $39,366 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 6,016 jobs, 15.1 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.
Pickens County
What businesses operate in Pickens County
- Establishments, all industries2,254
- Employment at those establishments28,852
- Annual payroll$1.18 bn
- Establishments per 1,000 residents16.7
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.
Pickens County
What is being built in Pickens County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 20241,424
- Declared construction value permitted$487.9 m
- Single family units authorised1,125
- Multifamily units authorised299
- Multifamily share of units21.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$342,627
- Units authorised per 1,000 households27.2
Multifamily is 21.0 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Pickens County
How much SBA lending happens in Pickens County
- 7(a) approvals recorded112
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$61.5 m
- Average 7(a) approval$548,837
- Median 7(a) approval$200,000
- 10th percentile approval$23,000
- 90th percentile approval$1,733,500
- Largest single approval$5,000,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)1,154
- Jobs per approval10.3
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active38
- Distinct industries receiving approvals72
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer14.3 percent
- Loans on real estate terms16
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter83
- Franchise loans16
- Franchise share of approvals14.3 percent
- Leading industry by approval countFull-Service Restaurants (6)
- Most active lenderTD Bank, National Association (33)
- 504 approvals recorded10
- 504 gross approval dollars$10.5 m
- Average 504 approval$1,050,000
- Median 504 approval$553,000
- Distinct CDCs active3
- 504 jobs per approval14.8
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved14.1
- Most active CDCAppalachian Development Corporation (4)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals91.8 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$72.0 m
The average approval of $548,837 sits well above the median of $200,000, 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 14.3 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.
Pickens County
Do SBA loans in Pickens County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded21
- Paid in full20
- Charged off1
- Charge off rate on resolved loans4.8 percent
- Status: Paid in full20
- Status: Exempt from disclosure68
- Status: Cancelled15
- Status: Charged off1
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed8
Of the 21 loans that have reached a final outcome, 4.8 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.
Pickens County
Which parts of Pickens County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending9
- Easley, approvals59
- Pickens, approvals22
- CLEMSON, approvals15
- Liberty, approvals7
- SIX MILE, approvals4
- Sunset, approvals2
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Easley | 59 | $39,946,800 |
| Pickens | 22 | $2,530,700 |
| CLEMSON | 15 | $6,809,700 |
| Liberty | 7 | $1,297,500 |
| SIX MILE | 4 | $10,030,000 |
| Sunset | 2 | $225,000 |
| Central | 1 | $480,000 |
| Cowpens | 1 | $125,000 |
Easley accounts for 59 approvals against 22 in Pickens. 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.
Pickens County
How big is Pickens County
- Land area496 sq mi
- Rank by land area among South Carolina counties34th of 46
- Width, east to west24.3 mi
- Height, north to south31.9 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary3
- Residents per square mile of land271
- Establishments per square mile4.54
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 Pickens 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 Pickens County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population134,629
- Households52,414
- Average household size2.57
- Median household income$61,064
- Median age36.2
Common questions
Pickens County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Pickens County, South Carolina?
134,629, in 52,414 households, ranking 14th of 46 South Carolina counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Pickens County growing?
The population has grown 5.17 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 1,234 births against 1,359 deaths, with net migration of 1,622. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Pickens County?
$61,064. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $231,900, which is 3.8 times income, and median gross rent is $972 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Pickens County?
2,254 establishments, employing 28,852 people with an annual payroll of $1.18 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 Pickens County?
Average annual pay is $53,824, or $1,035 a week, across 39,859 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Pickens County?
112 7(a) approvals totalling $61.5 m since FY2020, across 38 lenders, with a median approval of $200,000, plus 10 504 approvals worth $10.5 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
Do SBA loans in Pickens County get paid back?
Of the 21 loans that have reached a final outcome, 20 were paid in full and 1 charged off, a charge off rate of 4.8 percent. Loans still running are excluded, because they have not yet succeeded or failed.
What is being built in Pickens County?
1,424 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $487.9 m. Multifamily was 21.0 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Pickens County?
Zone 2, a predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 pCi/L. Source: US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Where do people moving to Pickens County come from?
The largest single origin is Pickens County Non-migrants, with 41,573 households. Arriving households report an average income of $85,682 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 Pickens 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 Pickens 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.