South Carolina’s cities are fueling a 1.4 percent increase in the state’s population as younger residents leave rural communities for opportunities in bigger markets, leaving the smaller areas with fewer residents and greater labor force concerns.
The state’s population has grown to 5,190,705 people, recent Census Bureau data shows — up from 5,118,425 residents in July 2021.
Most of the population growth took place in 26 of the Palmetto State’s 46 counties located closest to South Carolina’s biggest cities. At the same time, populations are gradually shrinking in rural areas, particularly those in the southern and eastern parts of the state, said Dan Ellzey, executive director of the state’s Department of Employment and Workforce.
The most significant population declines were in Sumter and Orangeburg counties, where 366 and 177 residents, respectively, left in the past year.
South Carolina’s cities are fueling a 1.4 percent increase in the state’s population as younger residents leave rural communities for opportunities in bigger markets. https://t.co/j7GgVTYZ1Z
— The Post and Courier (@postandcourier) June 1, 2022