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The Black community is one of the fastest growing communities in America this decade.
There are now 42 million people who identify as Black or African American living in America, making up 12% of the total population. According to the most recent American Community Survey, the Black population in South Carolina is 1,337,126 - at 26.3% of the total population of South Carolina.
The percentage growth of Blacks in America is the third largest percentage change for any race according to the Census's race and ethnicity definition. As most scholars and historians agree, an increase in the diversity in America is a good thing.
We agree.
But how has the increase in the black population impacted South Carolina? Which cities and towns in South Carolina have seen the greatest increase in its Black population?
We broke down the most recent census data to determine the cities in South Carolina with the largest African American population in 2022:
What's the blackest city in South Carolina? Marion took the number one over all spot for the largest Black population in South Carolina for 2022. See if it ranked as one of the most african american cities in America.
Read on below to see how we crunched the numbers and how your town ranked.
To see where South Carolina ranked as a state on diversity, we have a ranking of the most diverse states in America.
And if you already knew these places were Black, check out the best places to live in South Carolina or the most diverse places in South Carolina.
The 10 Blackest Cities In South Carolina For 2022
1. Marion
/10
Population: 6,598
% African American: 77.84%
# Of African American Residents: 5,136
Percent Change Since 2010: 1.72%
More on Marion: Real Estate | Data | Photos
2. Lake City
/10
Population: 6,562
% African American: 72.72%
# Of African American Residents: 4,772
Percent Change Since 2010: -1.63%
More on Lake City: Real Estate | Data | Photos
3. Orangeburg
/10
Population: 12,713
% African American: 72.68%
# Of African American Residents: 9,240
Percent Change Since 2010: -9.68%
More on Orangeburg: Real Estate | Data | Photos
4. Bennettsville
/10
Population: 7,905
% African American: 62.88%
# Of African American Residents: 4,971
Percent Change Since 2010: -20.35%
More on Bennettsville: Real Estate | Data | Photos
5. Chester
/10
Population: 5,392
% African American: 58.98%
# Of African American Residents: 3,180
Percent Change Since 2010: -6.55%
More on Chester: Real Estate | Data | Photos
6. Darlington
/10
Population: 6,000
% African American: 56.97%
# Of African American Residents: 3,418
Percent Change Since 2010: -9.77%
More on Darlington: Real Estate | Data | Photos
7. Cheraw
/10
Population: 5,596
% African American: 53.25%
# Of African American Residents: 2,980
Percent Change Since 2010: -10.89%
More on Cheraw: Real Estate | Data | Photos
8. Georgetown
/10
Population: 8,884
% African American: 52.9%
# Of African American Residents: 4,700
Percent Change Since 2010: -6.76%
More on Georgetown: Real Estate | Data | Photos
9. Newberry
/10
Population: 10,219
% African American: 52.5%
# Of African American Residents: 5,365
Percent Change Since 2010: 30.22%
More on Newberry: Real Estate | Data | Photos
10. Abbeville
/10
Population: 5,014
% African American: 50.2%
# Of African American Residents: 2,517
Percent Change Since 2010: -8.24%
More on Abbeville: Real Estate | Data | Photos
Methodology: How We Determined The Cities In South Carolina With The Largest Black Population For 2022
We still believe in the accuracy of data -- especially from the census. So that's where we went to get the breakdown of race across South Carolina.
That lead us to the Census's most recently available data, the 2016-2020 American Community Survey data from the US Census.
Specifically, we looked at table B03002: Hispanic OR LATINO ORIGIN BY RACE. Here are the category names as defined by the Census:
- Hispanic or Latino
- White alone*
- Black or African American alone*
- American Indian and Alaska Native alone*
- Asian alone*
- Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone*
- Some other race alone*
- Two or more races*
Our particular column of interest here was the number of people who identified as Black or African American.
We limited our analysis to non-CDPs with a population greater than 5,000 people. That left us with 59 cities.
We then calculated the percent of residents that are Black or African American. The percentages ranked from 77.8% to 1.6%.
Finally, we ranked each city based on the percent of Black population with a higher score being more Black than a lower score. Marion took the distinction of being the most Black, while North Myrtle Beach was the least African American city. You can download the data here.
Read on for more information on how the cities in South Carolina ranked by population of African American residents or, for a more general take on diversity in America, head over to our ranking of the most diverse cities in America.
Summary: Black Populations Across South Carolina
If you're looking for a breakdown of African American populations across South Carolina according to the most recent data, this is an accurate list.
If you're curious enough, here are the least African American places in South Carolina:
- North Myrtle Beach
- Tega Cay
- Mount Pleasant
For more South Carolina reading, check out:
- Cheapest Places To Live In South Carolina
- Best Places To Live In South Carolina
- Worst Places To Live In South Carolina
African American Population By City In South Carolina
Rank | City | % African American |
---|---|---|
1 | Marion | 77.84% |
2 | Lake City | 72.72% |
3 | Orangeburg | 72.68% |
4 | Bennettsville | 62.88% |
5 | Chester | 58.98% |
6 | Darlington | 56.97% |
7 | Cheraw | 53.25% |
8 | Georgetown | 52.9% |
9 | Newberry | 52.5% |
10 | Abbeville | 50.2% |
11 | Dillon | 49.42% |
12 | Sumter | 49.33% |
13 | Lancaster | 49.19% |
14 | Florence | 48.42% |
15 | Greenwood | 47.72% |
16 | Hartsville | 46.81% |
17 | Batesburg-Leesville | 45.89% |
18 | Spartanburg | 45.39% |
19 | Union | 45.18% |
20 | North Charleston | 43.38% |
21 | Gaffney | 42.48% |
22 | Walterboro | 40.21% |
23 | Columbia | 39.06% |
24 | Rock Hill | 38.13% |
25 | Laurens | 37.94% |
26 | York | 35.72% |
27 | Camden | 34.89% |
28 | Anderson | 33.85% |
29 | Clinton | 33.47% |
30 | Conway | 33.46% |
31 | Aiken | 32.91% |
32 | Moncks Corner | 30.66% |
33 | Fountain Inn | 27.94% |
34 | Irmo | 27.81% |
35 | Beaufort | 26.61% |
36 | Greenville | 24.02% |
37 | Mauldin | 23.68% |
38 | Cayce | 22.47% |
39 | Seneca | 22.45% |
40 | Port Royal | 21.46% |
41 | Simpsonville | 20.85% |
42 | Charleston | 20.72% |
43 | Summerville | 19.26% |
44 | Forest Acres | 19.05% |
45 | Goose Creek | 18.99% |
46 | North Augusta | 18.64% |
47 | West Columbia | 17.52% |
48 | Greer | 16.09% |
49 | Myrtle Beach | 15.32% |
50 | Fort Mill | 13.78% |
51 | Hanahan | 12.67% |
52 | Easley | 11.31% |
53 | Lexington | 10.57% |
54 | Clemson | 6.8% |
55 | Bluffton | 6.68% |
56 | Hilton Head Island | 6.19% |
57 | Mount Pleasant | 3.98% |
58 | Tega Cay | 3.11% |
59 | North Myrtle Beach | 1.58% |