Most African American cities in South Carolina research summary. We used Saturday Night Science to analyze South Carolina’s most recent Census data to determine the blackest cities in South Carolina based on the percentage of Black residents. Here are the results of our analysis:
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The city with the largest African American population in South Carolina is Orangeburg based on the most recent Census data.
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Orangeburg is 73.66% Black.
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The least African American city in South Carolina is Mount Pleasant.
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Mount Pleasant is 2.72% Black.
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South Carolina is 24.6% Black.
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South Carolina is the 6th blackest state in the United States.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
The Black community is one of the fastest-growing communities in America this decade.
Roughly 42 million people identifying as Black or African American live in the United States, making up 12% of the total population. According to the most recent American Community Survey, the Black population in South Carolina is 1,302,215 – at 24.6% 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. Most scholars and historians agree that increasing 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 2026:
Most African American Places In South Carolina
What’s the blackest city in South Carolina? The city with the largest Black population in South Carolina for 2026 is Orangeburg. See if Orangeburg ranked as one of the most african american places 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 2026
1. Orangeburg
/10
Population: 13,253
% African American: 73.66%
# Of African American Residents: 9,762
Percent Change Since 2010: -4.57%
More on Orangeburg: Data | Cost Of Living | Movers
2. Lake City
/10
Population: 5,988
% African American: 69.39%
# Of African American Residents: 4,155
Percent Change Since 2010: -14.35%
More on Lake City: Data | Cost Of Living | Movers
3. Marion
/10
Population: 6,206
% African American: 66.66%
# Of African American Residents: 4,137
Percent Change Since 2010: -18.06%
More on Marion: Data | Cost Of Living | Movers
4. Chester
/10
Population: 5,218
% African American: 62.34%
# Of African American Residents: 3,253
Percent Change Since 2010: -4.41%
More on Chester: Data | Cost Of Living | Movers
5. Darlington
/10
Population: 6,120
% African American: 61.27%
# Of African American Residents: 3,750
Percent Change Since 2010: -1.0%
More on Darlington: Data | Cost Of Living | Movers
6. Bennettsville
/10
Population: 7,751
% African American: 58.99%
# Of African American Residents: 4,572
Percent Change Since 2010: -26.74%
More on Bennettsville: Data | Cost Of Living | Movers
7. Dillon
/10
Population: 6,354
% African American: 54.41%
# Of African American Residents: 3,457
Percent Change Since 2010: 2.4%
More on Dillon: Data | Cost Of Living | Movers
8. Walterboro
/10
Population: 5,480
% African American: 50.18%
# Of African American Residents: 2,750
Percent Change Since 2010: -10.6%
More on Walterboro: Data | Cost Of Living | Movers
9. Georgetown
/10
Population: 8,565
% African American: 49.89%
# Of African American Residents: 4,273
Percent Change Since 2010: -15.24%
More on Georgetown: Data | Cost Of Living | Movers
10. Greenwood
/10
Population: 22,536
% African American: 49.82%
# Of African American Residents: 11,227
Percent Change Since 2010: 4.73%
More on Greenwood: Data | Cost Of Living | Movers
Methodology: How We Determined The Cities In South Carolina With The Largest Black Population For 2026
We still believe in the accuracy of data — especially from the Census. So that’s where we went to get the race breakdown across South Carolina.
That leads us to the Census’s most recently available data, the 2020-2024 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 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 in South Carolina. That left us with 56 cities.
We then calculated the percentage of residents that are Black or African American. The percentages ranked from 73.7% to 2.7%.
Finally, we ranked each city based on the percentage of the Black population, with a higher score being more Black than a lower score. Orangeburg took the distinction of being the most Black, while Mount Pleasant was the least African American city.
We updated this article for 2026. This is our eleventh time ranking the cities in South Carolina with the largest African American population.
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.
The blackest cities in South Carolina are Orangeburg, Lake City, Marion, Chester, Darlington, Bennettsville, Dillon, Walterboro, Georgetown, and Greenwood.
If you’re curious enough, here are the least African American places in South Carolina:
- Mount Pleasant
- North Myrtle Beach
- Tega Cay
For more South Carolina reading, check out:
- Best Places To Raise A Family In South Carolina
- Most Dangerous Cities In South Carolina
- Worst Places To Live In South Carolina
African American Population By City In South Carolina
| Rank | City | Population | African American Population | % African American |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Orangeburg | 13,253 | 9,762 | 73.66% |
| 2 | Lake City | 5,988 | 4,155 | 69.39% |
| 3 | Marion | 6,206 | 4,137 | 66.66% |
| 4 | Chester | 5,218 | 3,253 | 62.34% |
| 5 | Darlington | 6,120 | 3,750 | 61.27% |
| 6 | Bennettsville | 7,751 | 4,572 | 58.99% |
| 7 | Dillon | 6,354 | 3,457 | 54.41% |
| 8 | Walterboro | 5,480 | 2,750 | 50.18% |
| 9 | Georgetown | 8,565 | 4,273 | 49.89% |
| 10 | Greenwood | 22,536 | 11,227 | 49.82% |
| 11 | Florence | 40,408 | 20,105 | 49.75% |
| 12 | Hartsville | 7,419 | 3,472 | 46.8% |
| 13 | Sumter | 43,053 | 19,850 | 46.11% |
| 14 | Lancaster | 8,921 | 4,098 | 45.94% |
| 15 | Union | 8,079 | 3,478 | 43.05% |
| 16 | Newberry | 10,790 | 4,499 | 41.7% |
| 17 | North Charleston | 119,913 | 49,477 | 41.26% |
| 18 | Gaffney | 12,596 | 5,112 | 40.58% |
| 19 | Clinton | 7,676 | 3,082 | 40.15% |
| 20 | Columbia | 139,643 | 56,006 | 40.11% |
| 21 | Spartanburg | 38,910 | 15,277 | 39.26% |
| 22 | Moncks Corner | 15,485 | 6,022 | 38.89% |
| 23 | Rock Hill | 75,259 | 28,613 | 38.02% |
| 24 | Laurens | 9,336 | 3,515 | 37.65% |
| 25 | Camden | 8,267 | 2,560 | 30.97% |
| 26 | Aiken | 32,521 | 9,800 | 30.13% |
| 27 | Irmo | 11,813 | 3,234 | 27.38% |
| 28 | Anderson | 30,051 | 8,126 | 27.04% |
| 29 | Beaufort | 13,747 | 3,573 | 25.99% |
| 30 | Fountain Inn | 12,020 | 3,101 | 25.8% |
| 31 | Cayce | 13,741 | 3,532 | 25.7% |
| 32 | York | 8,969 | 2,222 | 24.77% |
| 33 | Conway | 27,263 | 6,742 | 24.73% |
| 34 | Mauldin | 27,055 | 6,372 | 23.55% |
| 35 | Goose Creek | 48,078 | 11,040 | 22.96% |
| 36 | Greenville | 72,935 | 14,160 | 19.41% |
| 37 | Summerville | 51,654 | 10,019 | 19.4% |
| 38 | Seneca | 8,993 | 1,563 | 17.38% |
| 39 | Greer | 41,536 | 7,217 | 17.38% |
| 40 | Simpsonville | 26,144 | 4,343 | 16.61% |
| 41 | North Augusta | 25,653 | 4,162 | 16.22% |
| 42 | West Columbia | 17,963 | 2,894 | 16.11% |
| 43 | Charleston | 154,338 | 24,319 | 15.76% |
| 44 | Myrtle Beach | 38,371 | 5,646 | 14.71% |
| 45 | Port Royal | 15,579 | 2,125 | 13.64% |
| 46 | Fort Mill | 30,775 | 3,947 | 12.83% |
| 47 | Forest Acres | 10,530 | 1,345 | 12.77% |
| 48 | Lexington | 24,585 | 2,731 | 11.11% |
| 49 | Hanahan | 21,452 | 2,235 | 10.42% |
| 50 | Bluffton | 33,157 | 2,984 | 9.0% |
| 51 | Clemson | 18,072 | 1,456 | 8.06% |
| 52 | Easley | 24,841 | 1,837 | 7.4% |
| 53 | Hilton Head Island | 37,911 | 2,720 | 7.17% |
| 54 | Tega Cay | 13,615 | 565 | 4.15% |
| 55 | North Myrtle Beach | 19,855 | 575 | 2.9% |
| 56 | Mount Pleasant | 93,993 | 2,553 | 2.72% |