1st Advantage MortgageThe median Sumter County household earns $56,693, and 17% of residents live below the poverty line. Your income, debts and credit decide what you qualify for. Get offers in writing, compare the total repaid, and never pay a fee up front.
On this page
- Sumter County, SC: the basics
- What it costs to live in Sumter County
- What Sumter County households earn
- Jobs and commutes in Sumter County
- How Sumter County compares with nearby counties
- Cities, towns and CDPs in Sumter County
- Room for a loan payment in Sumter County
- Sumter County residents: age, schooling, coverage
- Reading the Sumter County data as a borrower
- Steps before you apply in Sumter County
- South Carolina rules that apply in Sumter County
- Nearby and statewide guides
- Frequently asked questions
Sumter County, SC: the basics
Roughly 104,725 residents live in Sumter County, South Carolina, 15th by population among the state's 46 counties and county equivalents. It covers 665 square miles of land, or about 157 people per square mile. For statistical purposes it belongs to the Sumter, SC metro area, as delineated by the Office of Management and Budget in July 2023. The Census Bureau counts 17 places in the county (3 incorporated, 14 census-designated); the largest is Sumter, with about 43,053 residents, or 41% of the county.
What it costs to live in Sumter County
Renters in Sumter County pay a median of $1,057 a month, 10% below the South Carolina figure of $1,180. By the Census definition, 52% of Sumter County renters are cost-burdened. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $165,300, about 2.9 times the median household income. 68% of Sumter County households own their home and 32% rent. Median construction year: 1987.
| Home costs | Sumter County | South Carolina | U.S. middle county |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median gross rent | $1,057/mo | $1,180/mo | $877/mo |
| Median home value | $165,300 | $259,000 | $185,300 |
| Owners | 68% | 72% | 75% |
| Rent-burdened renters | 52% | 52% | 45% |
| Burdened owners | 32% | 26% | n/a |
| Mobile homes | 19.0% | 14.2% | n/a |
When half or more of renters are already stretched, a new payment needs a stress test: what happens if a paycheck is a week late?
What Sumter County households earn
At $56,693, the typical Sumter County household income is 14% below the median U.S. county ($65,681).
| Household income | Sumter County | vs South Carolina |
|---|---|---|
| Under $35,000 | 30.8% | +6.1 pts |
| $35,000 to $99,999 | 43.6% | +1.6 pts |
| $100,000 to $199,999 | 20.3% | -4.1 pts |
| $200,000 or more | 5.2% | -3.6 pts |
Some 31% of households here live on less than $35,000 a year; 26% have six-figure incomes. Census counts 16.6% of Sumter County residents in poverty, against 14.1% across South Carolina. Income inequality, measured by the Gini index, comes to 0.462 here. A household earning below the $56,693 median should test any payment carefully; one earning above it should still pick the shortest term it can manage.
Jobs and commutes in Sumter County
By the Census industry count, 25% of employed Sumter County residents work in education and health care and 15% in manufacturing. The sharpest difference from the state is in education and health care, at 25% locally and 22% for South Carolina. The survey's unemployment rate for Sumter County averages 6.9% over 2020 to 2024 (state: 4.9%). About 85% drive to work alone and 13% have trips of 45 minutes or more. Households without a car make up 8.4% of the total (5.7% statewide).
| Industry (employed residents 16+) | Sumter County | Gap to South Carolina |
|---|---|---|
| Education and health care | 25.2% | +3.1 pts |
| Manufacturing | 14.6% | +1.5 pts |
| Retail trade | 11.1% | -0.1 pts |
| Professional and administrative services | 10.0% | -1.5 pts |
| Arts, lodging and food service | 8.2% | -0.9 pts |
| Construction | 7.1% | 0.0 pts |
Industry shapes paperwork. Salaried and public jobs are easy to verify, while hourly, tipped, commission or contract earners in Sumter County should have bank statements and tax returns ready.
How Sumter County compares with nearby counties
Six nearby counties, 18 to 37 miles away by the straight-line distance between their centers. Kershaw County leads the group on income ($68,231), Lee County trails ($44,760), and Sumter County out-earns 3 of the six.
| County | Distance | Median income | Median rent | Owners |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sumter County | - | $56,693 | $1,057/mo | 68% |
| Lee County, SC | 18 mi | $44,760 | $823/mo | 70% |
| Clarendon County, SC | 20 mi | $52,401 | $763/mo | 73% |
| Calhoun County, SC | 28 mi | $58,682 | $1,052/mo | 85% |
| Richland County, SC | 31 mi | $63,784 | $1,228/mo | 60% |
| Kershaw County, SC | 32 mi | $68,231 | $971/mo | 82% |
| Darlington County, SC | 37 mi | $48,581 | $896/mo | 71% |
Cities, towns and CDPs in Sumter County
17 Census places fall mainly inside Sumter County; the 14 biggest are below. They account for 66,215 residents, leaving about 37% of the county in unincorporated, unnamed areas. Cane Savannah has the highest median household income on the list ($131,705) and Pinewood the lowest ($27,813), counting places with at least 500 residents. Rent is cheapest in Mayesville ($806) and steepest in Oakland ($1,545). No Sumter County place has a separate guide yet; this county page serves all 17.
| Town or CDP | Type | People | Median household income | Median gross rent | Miles from center |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sumter | city | 43,053 | $55,592 | $1,076 | 2 mi |
| Lakewood | CDP | 3,544 | $56,500 | $939 | 6 mi |
| Dalzell | CDP | 2,946 | $47,354 | $1,067 | 8 mi |
| Cherryvale | CDP | 2,611 | $40,428 | $809 | 5 mi |
| Privateer | CDP | 2,472 | $49,191 | $837 | 7 mi |
| Stateburg | CDP | 2,027 | $66,481 | n/a | 9 mi |
| Wedgefield | CDP | 1,968 | $44,410 | $1,094 | 8 mi |
| South Sumter | CDP | 1,626 | $46,406 | $917 | 3 mi |
| Cane Savannah | CDP | 1,551 | $131,705 | $990 | 4 mi |
| Oakland | CDP | 1,060 | $68,778 | $1,545 | 8 mi |
| East Sumter | CDP | 943 | n/a | $1,327 | 5 mi |
| Mayesville | town | 832 | $50,568 | $806 | 11 mi |
| Pinewood | town | 668 | $27,813 | n/a | 13 mi |
| Mulberry | CDP | 474 | n/a | n/a | 4 mi |
CDPs are unincorporated communities the Census Bureau defines for counting.
Room for a loan payment in Sumter County
Here is the Sumter County median household run through a simple DTI check. Your numbers will differ.
- $56,693 a year is $4,724 of gross monthly income
- Rent at the median, $1,057, takes 22% of that
- $833: what a 40% ratio leaves once rent is paid
If your rent is above $1,057, the room shrinks dollar for dollar.
Sumter County residents: age, schooling, coverage
Degree holders: 24% of adults over 25. The uninsured rate is 10.5%, against 9.6% for South Carolina.
| Sumter County | South Carolina | U.S. county median | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 38.0 | 40.2 | 41.5 |
| Bachelor's or higher | 23.5% | 32.1% | 22.2% |
| No high school diploma | 10.4% | 9.9% | n/a |
| No health insurance | 10.5% | 9.6% | 7.8% |
| No vehicle | 8.4% | 5.7% | 5.4% |
| Work from home | 4.5% | 11.5% | 8.7% |
| Poverty rate | 16.6% | 14.1% | 13.2% |
| Unemployment (ACS) | 6.9% | 4.9% | 4.4% |
| Commute length | Sumter County |
|---|---|
| Under 15 min | 30.5% |
| 15 to 29 min | 44.9% |
| 30 to 44 min | 11.6% |
| 45 to 59 min | 5.0% |
| 60+ min | 8.1% |
Reading the Sumter County data as a borrower
The county's numbers point to a few situations that come up often for Sumter County borrowers.
- Medical bills. 11% of Sumter County residents are uninsured. Before borrowing for care, ask the provider about financial assistance and payment plans.
- Repairs on manufactured housing. With 19% of homes here, compare a personal loan with any dealer or park repair program.
- Renters under pressure. When 52% pay 30% or more for rent, the smallest loan that solves the problem is the right size.
Steps before you apply in Sumter County
Four checks before you sign anything:
- Size the loan to the bill, not to the most a lender offers.
- Compare the total repaid on every offer, not just the payment.
- Confirm the lender is licensed in South Carolina.
- Ask about early-payoff penalties.
South Carolina rules that apply in Sumter County
No county office licenses personal lenders. For Sumter County, check the South Carolina State Board of Financial Institutions. The Consumer Finance Division of the State Board of Financial Institutions handles consumer-credit questions as well. A CFPB complaint gets forwarded to the company for a response. The South Carolina guide covers state rules in more detail.
Nearby and statewide guides
The South Carolina guide covers the whole state.
Frequently asked questions
How much do households in Sumter County earn?
The median is $56,693; 26% earn $100,000 or more and 31% under $35,000. A lender uses your own documented income, not this figure.
Is Sumter County expensive for renters?
Median rent is $1,057 against $1,180 statewide, and 52% of renter households are cost-burdened.
Which towns does the Sumter County guide cover?
Every community in the county, unincorporated areas included. The largest of its 17 Census places: Sumter, Lakewood, Dalzell, Cherryvale, Privateer.
Does living in Sumter County change what I qualify for?
Not in our fit check, which uses only the amount, credit range, income and payments you enter, the same for a Sumter County resident as anyone. Lenders decide under fair-lending law.
Who regulates personal lenders for Sumter County residents?
The South Carolina State Board of Financial Institutions licenses consumer lenders in South Carolina; the CFPB takes complaints about any lender, and the FTC wants to hear about fee-first offers.