Racial diversity in South Carolina is a mixed bag.
There are parts of South Carolina where there’s a high level of diversity. But where will you find the most diverse places in South Carolina?
To answer that question, we went to the US Census data. Using Saturday Night Science, we measured the Gini coefficient for all 64 cities in South Carolina to rank them from most to least diverse.
#1 most diverse in South Carolina
Located in
Dorchester County, South Carolina
North Charleston is the third-largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina, with incorporated areas in Berkeley, Charleston, and Dorchester counties. On June 12, 1972, the city of North Charleston was incorporated and was rated as the ninth-largest city in South Carolina. As of the 2010 Census, North Charleston had a population of 97,471, growing to an estimated population of 108,304 in 2015, and with a current area of more than 76.6 square miles. As defined by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget, for use by the U.S. Census Bureau and other U.S. Government agencies for statistical purposes only, North Charleston is included within the Charleston-North Charleston-Summerville metropolitan area and the Charleston-North Charleston urban area. North Charleston is one of the state’s major industrial centers and is the state’s top city in gross retail sales.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
#2 most diverse in South Carolina
Located in
Newberry County, South Carolina
Newberry is a city in Newberry County, South Carolina, United States, in the Piedmont 43 miles northwest of Columbia. The charter was adopted in 1894. The population was 10,277 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Newberry County; at one time it was called Newberry Courthouse.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
#3 most diverse in South Carolina
Located in
York County, South Carolina
York is a city and county seat of York County, South Carolina, United States. The population was approximately 6,985 at the 2000 census and up to 7,736 at the 2010 census. York is located approximately 27 miles southwest of Charlotte, North Carolina and 13 miles west of Rock Hill, South Carolina.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
#4 most diverse in South Carolina
Located in
Cherokee County, South Carolina
Gaffney is a town in and the seat of Cherokee County, South Carolina, United States, in the Upstate region of South Carolina. Gaffney is known as the “Peach Capital of South Carolina”. The population was 12,539 at the 2010 census, with an estimated population of 12,597 in 2014. It is the principal city of the Gaffney, South Carolina, Micropolitan Statistical Area, which includes all of Cherokee County and which is further included in the greater Greenville-Spartanburg-Anderson, South Carolina Combined Statistical Area.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
#5 most diverse in South Carolina
Located in
Sumter County, South Carolina
Sumter is the county seat of Sumter County, South Carolina, United States. Known as the Sumter Metropolitan Statistical Area, the namesake county adjoins Clarendon and Lee to form the core of Sumter-Lee-Clarendon tri-county area of South Carolina, an area that includes the three counties in the east central Piedmont. The U.S. Census Bureau estimated the city’s population was 39,643 at the 2000 census. The 2010 census puts the city at 40,524.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
#6 most diverse in South Carolina
Located in
Richland County, South Carolina
Columbia is the capital and second largest city of the U.S. state of South Carolina, with a population estimate of 134,309 as of 2016. The city serves as the county seat of Richland County, and a portion of the city extends into neighboring Lexington County. It is the center of the Columbia metropolitan statistical area, which had a population of 767,598 as of the 2010 United States Census, growing to 817,488 by July 1, 2016, according to 2015 U.S. Census estimates. The name Columbia is a poetic term used for the United States, originating from the name of Christopher Columbus.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
#7 most diverse in South Carolina
Located in
Lancaster County, South Carolina
The city of Lancaster is the county seat of Lancaster County, South Carolina, United States, located in the Charlotte Metropolitan Area. As of the United States Census of 2010, the city population was 9,134 but due to South Carolina’s strict annexation laws its actual population is well over twenty thousand people. The city was named after the famous House of Lancaster. Locally, Lancaster is pronounced LAYN-ks-tr, rather than the usual American pronunciation LAN-kas-tr. The modern British pronunciation is LANG-kas-tr.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
#8 most diverse in South Carolina
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
#9 most diverse in South Carolina
Located in
Charleston County, South Carolina
Goose Creek is a city in Berkeley County in the U.S. state of South Carolina. The population was 35,938 at the 2010 census. Most of the Naval Weapons Station Charleston is in Goose Creek. As defined by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget, and used only by the U.S. Census Bureau and other Federal agencies for statistical purposes, Goose Creek is included within the Charleston-North Charleston-Summerville metropolitan area and the Charleston-North Charleston Urbanized Area.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
#10 most diverse in South Carolina
Located in
Beaufort County, South Carolina
Port Royal is a town on Port Royal Island in Beaufort County, South Carolina, United States. Largely because of annexation of surrounding areas, the population of Port Royal rose from 3,950 in 2000 to 10,678 in 2010, a 170% increase. As defined by the U.S. Census Bureau, Port Royal is included within the Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Beaufort, SC Metropolitan Statistical Area. Port Royal is home to Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, and Naval Hospital Beaufort.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
The receipts
Compare the top ten
Pick a metric. The bars rescale. The red line is South Carolina’s statewide median.
On the map
Where diversity lives in South Carolina
Saturday Night Science
Methodology: How we determined the most diverse cities in South Carolina for 2026
We still believe in the accuracy of data — especially from the Census — and Saturday Night Science. 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:
- 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*
- Hispanic or Latino
We limited our analysis to non-CDPs with a population greater than 5,000 people. That left us with 64 cities.
We then calculated the HHI for each city by finding the racial breakdown of a city in percent terms, squaring them, and then adding the squares together. This left us with scores ranging from 3,336 (North Charleston) to 8,031 (Mount Pleasant).
Finally, we ranked each city based on the HHI, with a lower score being more diverse than a high score. North Charleston took the distinction of being the most diverse, while Mount Pleasant was the least diverse city.
We updated this article for 2026. This report is our eleventh time ranking the most diverse places in South Carolina.
The full plate
Race By City In South Carolina For 2026
Click any column to sort. Search by city name.
| Rank | City | Population | HHI | % White | % Black | % Hispanic | % Asian |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | North Charleston | 119,913 | 3,336 | 38.0% | 41.3% | 12.9% | 3.1% |
| 2 | Newberry | 10,790 | 3,357 | 34.5% | 41.7% | 20.7% | 1.5% |
| 3 | York | 8,969 | 3,386 | 50.6% | 24.8% | 7.4% | 0.3% |
| 4 | Gaffney | 12,596 | 3,460 | 41.2% | 40.6% | 8.2% | 0.4% |
| 5 | Sumter | 43,053 | 3,683 | 38.4% | 46.1% | 7.1% | 2.8% |
| 6 | Columbia | 139,643 | 3,761 | 45.7% | 40.1% | 6.2% | 3.2% |
| 7 | Lancaster | 8,921 | 3,863 | 40.3% | 45.9% | 11.4% | 0.8% |
| 8 | Blythewood | 5,731 | 3,893 | 46.6% | 40.8% | 3.2% | 5.1% |
| 9 | Goose Creek | 48,078 | 3,901 | 56.8% | 23.0% | 10.7% | 3.3% |
| 10 | Port Royal | 15,579 | 3,902 | 56.8% | 13.6% | 21.4% | 2.1% |
| 11 | Spartanburg | 38,910 | 3,915 | 48.1% | 39.3% | 6.6% | 2.1% |
| 12 | Rock Hill | 75,259 | 3,932 | 49.2% | 38.0% | 6.9% | 1.8% |
| 13 | Greenwood | 22,536 | 3,940 | 36.6% | 49.8% | 10.9% | 1.2% |
| 14 | Greer | 41,536 | 3,946 | 57.9% | 17.4% | 16.1% | 5.2% |
| 15 | Clover | 7,234 | 3,986 | 56.9% | 24.1% | 11.8% | 1.4% |
| 16 | Cayce | 13,741 | 4,004 | 56.5% | 25.7% | 11.7% | 2.6% |
| 17 | Laurens | 9,336 | 4,072 | 50.7% | 37.6% | 8.8% | 0.1% |
| 18 | Lyman | 6,547 | 4,101 | 59.2% | 21.8% | 9.6% | 3.2% |
| 19 | Moncks Corner | 15,485 | 4,133 | 50.7% | 38.9% | 6.6% | 0.2% |
| 20 | Central | 5,320 | 4,141 | 61.2% | 10.7% | 6.2% | 8.9% |
| 21 | Florence | 40,408 | 4,148 | 40.5% | 49.8% | 4.6% | 3.2% |
| 22 | Mauldin | 27,055 | 4,194 | 59.3% | 23.6% | 10.2% | 3.4% |
| 23 | Irmo | 11,813 | 4,200 | 58.1% | 27.4% | 5.6% | 4.3% |
| 24 | Walterboro | 5,480 | 4,266 | 41.5% | 50.2% | 4.2% | 2.7% |
| 25 | Dillon | 6,354 | 4,324 | 36.4% | 54.4% | 5.4% | 0.0% |
| 26 | Bennettsville | 7,751 | 4,336 | 28.3% | 59.0% | 2.1% | 1.1% |
| 27 | Anderson | 30,051 | 4,375 | 59.9% | 27.0% | 5.1% | 2.2% |
| 28 | Union | 8,079 | 4,445 | 50.7% | 43.0% | 4.2% | 0.1% |
| 29 | Aiken | 32,521 | 4,446 | 59.2% | 30.1% | 4.7% | 1.7% |
| 30 | Clinton | 7,676 | 4,453 | 53.2% | 40.2% | 1.6% | 2.3% |
| 31 | West Columbia | 17,963 | 4,473 | 63.5% | 16.1% | 12.4% | 4.3% |
| 32 | Hardeeville | 10,871 | 4,487 | 62.6% | 14.4% | 18.8% | 0.8% |
| 33 | Hartsville | 7,419 | 4,501 | 47.9% | 46.8% | 1.1% | 3.1% |
| 34 | Simpsonville | 26,144 | 4,504 | 63.8% | 16.6% | 10.2% | 1.7% |
| 35 | Conway | 27,263 | 4,509 | 62.0% | 24.7% | 5.4% | 1.8% |
| 36 | Camden | 8,267 | 4,539 | 59.4% | 31.0% | 6.5% | 0.5% |
| 37 | Summerville | 51,654 | 4,559 | 63.8% | 19.4% | 9.1% | 1.9% |
| 38 | Hollywood | 5,382 | 4,589 | 55.4% | 38.8% | 3.0% | 1.4% |
| 39 | Fountain Inn | 12,020 | 4,613 | 62.2% | 25.8% | 8.3% | 0.0% |
| 40 | Beaufort | 13,747 | 4,652 | 62.6% | 26.0% | 7.4% | 0.9% |
| 41 | Myrtle Beach | 38,371 | 4,720 | 65.6% | 14.7% | 13.2% | 1.2% |
| 42 | Georgetown | 8,565 | 4,752 | 47.5% | 49.9% | 1.8% | 0.3% |
| 43 | Darlington | 6,120 | 4,832 | 32.5% | 61.3% | 3.5% | 0.0% |
| 44 | Greenville | 72,935 | 4,838 | 66.2% | 19.4% | 7.2% | 2.2% |
| 45 | Tega Cay | 13,615 | 4,861 | 67.1% | 4.1% | 14.9% | 10.3% |
| 46 | Chester | 5,218 | 4,899 | 31.6% | 62.3% | 2.4% | 0.9% |
| 47 | Travelers Rest | 8,370 | 5,091 | 68.9% | 16.3% | 7.1% | 0.6% |
| 48 | Hanahan | 21,452 | 5,129 | 69.8% | 10.4% | 10.4% | 4.3% |
| 49 | North Augusta | 25,653 | 5,235 | 70.0% | 16.2% | 7.8% | 1.2% |
| 50 | Fort Mill | 30,775 | 5,243 | 70.7% | 12.8% | 5.6% | 5.5% |
| 51 | Marion | 6,206 | 5,358 | 30.2% | 66.7% | 0.5% | 0.0% |
| 52 | Lake City | 5,988 | 5,384 | 22.6% | 69.4% | 0.4% | 0.0% |
| 53 | Charleston | 154,338 | 5,452 | 71.7% | 15.8% | 6.1% | 1.9% |
| 54 | Lexington | 24,585 | 5,585 | 73.3% | 11.1% | 6.6% | 6.0% |
| 55 | Seneca | 8,993 | 5,654 | 72.8% | 17.4% | 6.4% | 0.8% |
| 56 | Hilton Head Island | 37,911 | 5,744 | 73.8% | 7.2% | 15.3% | 1.0% |
| 57 | Bluffton | 33,157 | 5,795 | 74.8% | 9.0% | 10.5% | 1.4% |
| 58 | Orangeburg | 13,253 | 5,855 | 20.4% | 73.7% | 0.8% | 1.1% |
| 59 | Clemson | 18,072 | 6,048 | 76.9% | 8.1% | 3.0% | 5.3% |
| 60 | Easley | 24,841 | 6,231 | 77.9% | 7.4% | 10.0% | 0.6% |
| 61 | Forest Acres | 10,530 | 6,401 | 78.8% | 12.8% | 1.7% | 1.8% |
| 62 | James Island | 12,198 | 6,790 | 81.3% | 12.7% | 2.1% | 0.6% |
| 63 | North Myrtle Beach | 19,855 | 7,980 | 89.1% | 2.9% | 4.7% | 0.8% |
| 64 | Mount Pleasant | 93,993 | 8,031 | 89.5% | 2.7% | 2.8% | 1.6% |
Source: U.S. Census ACS 2020-2024. 64 cities with more than 5,000 residents.
Summary
Summary: Diversity Across South Carolina
If you’re looking for a scientific breakdown of diversity across South Carolina, this is an accurate list.
The most diverse cities in South Carolina are North Charleston, Newberry, York, Gaffney, Sumter, Columbia, Lancaster, Blythewood, Goose Creek, and Port Royal. Not sold on South Carolina? Take the two-minute Find Your Place quiz and see which state actually fits you.
Questions and answers
Most Diverse Cities In South Carolina FAQs
What is the most diverse city in South Carolina?
North Charleston is the most diverse city in South Carolina for 2026, posting the lowest diversity index (3,336) of the 64 places we measured. Newberry and York are next.
What are the 10 most diverse cities in South Carolina?
The ten most diverse cities in South Carolina are North Charleston, Newberry, York, Gaffney, Sumter, Columbia, Lancaster, Blythewood, Goose Creek, and Port Royal. We ranked all 64 places with more than 5,000 residents by their racial-diversity HHI.
How do you measure diversity?
We use a Herfindahl-Hirschman Index (HHI) across each city’s White, Black, Hispanic, and Asian population shares from the Census American Community Survey. A lower score means the mix is more even, so the lowest HHI wins.
What is the least diverse city in South Carolina?
Mount Pleasant is the least diverse city in South Carolina, with a diversity index of 8,031. That means one group makes up most of its population.
Where does this data come from?
All population shares come from the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (2020-2024). Diversity scores in South Carolina range from 3,336 in North Charleston to 8,031 in Mount Pleasant.
