South Carolina

State Office of Rural Health

South Carolina Office of Rural Health

Phone: 803.454.3850

Dedicated to ensuring equitable access to quality healthcare for all rural South Carolinians. Also functions as the South Carolina State Rural Health Association.
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South Carolina Nonmetro Population

5,142,750

Estimated population

729,610 (14.2%)

People living in nonmetro areas

Source: U.S. Census ACS 2022 5-year estimate

South Carolina Rural Healthcare Facilities

3

Critical Access Hospitals

0

Rural Emergency Hospitals

107

Rural Health Clinics

133

Federally Qualified Health Centers*

22

Short Term/PPS Hospitals*

*Sites according to data.HRSA.gov (July 2024), showing only locations outside of U.S. Census Bureau Urban Areas with a population of 50,000 or more

Selected Social Determinants of Health for Rural South Carolina

9.0% of South Carolina residents lack health insurance (Kaiser, 2022). According to the USDA Economic Research Service, the average per capita income for South Carolina residents in 2021 was $52,467, with the rural per capita income at $44,557. The ERS reports, based on 2021 ACS data, that the poverty rate in rural South Carolina is 20.4%, compared with 13.6% in urban areas of the state. 16.2% of the rural population has not completed high school, while 10.4% of the urban population lacks a high school diploma according to 2017-2021 ACS data reported by ERS. The unemployment rate in rural South Carolina is 4.0%, while in urban South Carolina, it is 3.1% (USDA-ERS, 2022).