HomeSouth CarolinaRichland County
Richland County, South Carolina: commercial real estate data.
Richland County, South Carolina has a population of 422,117 across 757 square miles, up 3.5 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $37.44 bn in 2024, 9,426 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 330 7(a) approvals worth $190.6 m.
123 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Richland County
How many people live in Richland County
- Population422,117
- Households167,961
- Average household size2.51
- Median household income$63,784
- Median age34.4
- Median gross rent$1,228 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$242,800
- Home value to household income3.8 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income23.1 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher40.7 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree17.3 percent
- Adults 25 and over268,711
- Population under 1890,969
- Share under 1821.6 percent
- Population 65 and over59,468
- Share 65 and over14.1 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 64271,680
- Civilian labor force212,808
- Unemployment rate6.4 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over64.3 percent
- Rank by population among South Carolina counties2nd of 46
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents175th
Richland County is the 2nd 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 21.6 percent against 14.1 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Richland County
Is Richland County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base3.49 percent
- Census 2020 base population416,146
- Births, 20244,425
- Deaths, 20243,473
- Natural change, 2024952
- Net domestic migration, 20242,349
- Net international migration, 20242,110
- Total net migration, 20244,459
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 20245,948
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents779th
The county has grown 3.49 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.
Richland County
Where people moving to Richland County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving13,442
- People arriving, from those returns24,652
- Adjusted gross income arriving$764.1 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$56,848
- Largest single originRichland County Non-migrants (142,858 households)
- Largest single destination (142,858 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Richland County Non-migrants | 142,858 | 277,805 | $11.26 bn |
| Other flows - Different State | 3,500 | 6,621 | $234.2 m |
| Lexington County | 2,795 | 4,969 | $144.4 m |
| Other flows - South | 1,787 | 3,370 | $120.8 m |
| Other flows - Northeast | 636 | 1,200 | $39.2 m |
| Other flows - Midwest | 586 | 1,077 | $39.4 m |
| Other flows - West | 491 | 974 | $34.8 m |
| Kershaw County | 438 | 817 | $21.7 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Richland 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.
Richland County
What the Richland County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$37.44 bn
- County GDP, 2023$34.74 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20247.8 percent
- GDP change over five years40.1 percent
- Rank by GDP among South Carolina counties3rd
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents159th
- GDP per resident$88,691
Output grew 7.8 percent in the latest year and 40.1 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.
Richland County
Who employs people in Richland County
- Covered employment, annual average227,771
- Establishments reporting12,736
- Average annual pay$62,784
- Average weekly wage$1,207
- Sector 62, employment29,014
- Sector 62, average annual pay$67,835
- Sector 72, employment21,767
- Sector 72, average annual pay$22,755
- Sector 44-45, employment21,036
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$39,270
- Sector 52, employment20,630
- Sector 52, average annual pay$87,022
- Sector 56, employment16,997
- Sector 54, employment13,882
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 62 | 29,014 | 1,484 | $67,835 |
| Sector 72 | 21,767 | 1,024 | $22,755 |
| Sector 44-45 | 21,036 | 1,416 | $39,270 |
| Sector 52 | 20,630 | 850 | $87,022 |
| Sector 56 | 16,997 | 935 | $42,910 |
| Sector 54 | 13,882 | 2,136 | $103,264 |
| Sector 31-33 | 12,206 | 364 | $78,094 |
| Sector 81 | 6,894 | 986 | $47,003 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 29,014 jobs, 12.7 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.
Richland County
What businesses operate in Richland County
- Establishments, all industries9,426
- Employment at those establishments169,733
- Annual payroll$8.94 bn
- Establishments per 1,000 residents22.3
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.
Richland County
What is being built in Richland County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 20243,469
- Declared construction value permitted$624.5 m
- Single family units authorised2,154
- Multifamily units authorised1,315
- Multifamily share of units37.9 percent
- Average declared value per unit$180,036
- Units authorised per 1,000 households20.7
Multifamily is 37.9 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Richland County
How much SBA lending happens in Richland County
- 7(a) approvals recorded330
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$190.6 m
- Average 7(a) approval$577,624
- Median 7(a) approval$150,000
- 10th percentile approval$20,000
- 90th percentile approval$1,788,000
- Largest single approval$5,000,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)3,776
- Jobs per approval11.4
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active64
- Distinct industries receiving approvals136
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer13.0 percent
- Loans on real estate terms43
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter269
- Franchise loans75
- Franchise share of approvals22.7 percent
- Leading industry by approval countLimited-Service Restaurants (18)
- Most active lenderTD Bank, National Association (48)
- 504 approvals recorded51
- 504 gross approval dollars$42.6 m
- Average 504 approval$835,608
- Median 504 approval$428,000
- Distinct CDCs active5
- 504 jobs per approval12.1
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved14.5
- Most active CDCCertified Development Corporation of South Carolina (31)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals86.6 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$233.2 m
The average approval of $577,624 sits well above the median of $150,000, 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 13.0 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.
Richland County
Do SBA loans in Richland County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded56
- Paid in full49
- Charged off7
- Charge off rate on resolved loans12.5 percent
- Status: Paid in full49
- Status: Exempt from disclosure203
- Status: Cancelled49
- Status: Charged off7
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed22
Of the 56 loans that have reached a final outcome, 12.5 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.
Richland County
Which parts of Richland County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending9
- COLUMBIA, approvals256
- Irmo, approvals26
- BLYTHEWOOD, approvals22
- ELGIN, approvals12
- HOPKINS, approvals7
- SPARTANBURG, approvals2
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| COLUMBIA | 256 | $166,489,800 |
| Irmo | 26 | $6,770,500 |
| BLYTHEWOOD | 22 | $9,492,500 |
| ELGIN | 12 | $3,287,300 |
| HOPKINS | 7 | $2,624,300 |
| SPARTANBURG | 2 | $255,000 |
| LUGOFF | 2 | $438,800 |
| RIDGEWAY | 2 | $825,000 |
COLUMBIA accounts for 256 approvals against 26 in Irmo. 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.
Richland County
How big is Richland County
- Land area757 sq mi
- Rank by land area among South Carolina counties13th of 46
- Width, east to west41.8 mi
- Height, north to south36.3 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary6
- Residents per square mile of land558
- Establishments per square mile12.45
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 Richland 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 Richland County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population422,117
- Households167,961
- Average household size2.51
- Median household income$63,784
- Median age34.4
Common questions
Richland County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Richland County, South Carolina?
422,117, in 167,961 households, ranking 2nd of 46 South Carolina counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Richland County growing?
The population has grown 3.49 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 4,425 births against 3,473 deaths, with net migration of 4,459. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Richland County?
$63,784. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $242,800, which is 3.8 times income, and median gross rent is $1,228 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Richland County?
9,426 establishments, employing 169,733 people with an annual payroll of $8.94 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 Richland County?
Average annual pay is $62,784, or $1,207 a week, across 227,771 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Richland County?
330 7(a) approvals totalling $190.6 m since FY2020, across 64 lenders, with a median approval of $150,000, plus 51 504 approvals worth $42.6 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
Do SBA loans in Richland County get paid back?
Of the 56 loans that have reached a final outcome, 49 were paid in full and 7 charged off, a charge off rate of 12.5 percent. Loans still running are excluded, because they have not yet succeeded or failed.
What is being built in Richland County?
3,469 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $624.5 m. Multifamily was 37.9 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Richland 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 Richland County come from?
The largest single origin is Richland County Non-migrants, with 142,858 households. Arriving households report an average income of $56,848 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 Richland 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 Richland 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.