Special Report

This is the Youngest County in South Carolina

Samuel Stebbins

Published: July 21, 2021 8:00 am

As the baby boomer generation continues to age into retirement and birth rates slow nationwide, the U.S. population is rapidly growing older. The number of Americans older than 55 grew by 27% in the last decade, 20 times faster than the growth rate of the under 55 population, according to census data analysis. Currently, the median age in the United States is about 38. By 2060, the median age is projected to be 43.

Though the United States as a whole is aging rapidly, there are parts of the country where the number of young people is a defining demographic characteristic. In nearly every state, there is at least one county where the median age is below the national figure.

The median age in Richland County is 33.4 years, making it the youngest county or county equivalent in South Carolina. For context, the median age across the state as a whole is 39.4.

Of the 411,357 people living in Richland County, 21.5% are under age 18 and 12.3% are 65 or older. Meanwhile, 22.0% of all South Carolina residents are under 18 and 17.2% are at least 65 years old.

All data for this story are five-year estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2019 American Community Survey. Counties were ranked based on the median age of all residents. In the case of a tie, the county with the largest share of the population under age 18 ranked as the youngest. This is the youngest county in every state.