County · South Carolina

Oconee County, South Carolina

Oconee County, South Carolina. Oconee County had 83,775 residents in 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, up 6.6% since 2020, slower than South Carolina (+8.8%). It holds 13 places (5 cities, villages and boroughs and 8 census-designated) and 20 census tracts. GEOID 45073.

Oconee County is the county of the Seneca, SC micropolitan statistical area (the Census Bureau's July 2023 delineation).

Residents, July 2025 estimate

83,775

Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 78,607 · ACS 2020-2024: 80,469

Median household income

$62,388

±$4,319 (90% margin)
South Carolina: $69,324

Median home value

$237,100

±$9,039 (90% margin)
South Carolina: $259,000

Median gross rent

$881

±$38 (90% margin)
South Carolina: $1,180

How many people live in Oconee County, and is it growing?

The 2020 Census counted 78,607 residents in Oconee County. The Census Bureau estimates 83,775 for July 1, 2025, up 6.6% since 2020, slower than South Carolina (+8.8%). The 2020-2024 American Community Survey puts the population at 80,469 over 627 square miles of land.

July 2020→2021 +586 (79,380)
2021→2022 +900 (80,280)
2022→2023 +1,272 (81,552)
2023→2024 +1,014 (82,566)
2024→2025 +1,209 (83,775)

Oconee County in South Carolina. Boundaries: Census Bureau 2024.

Counts, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates, with the change from 2015-2019
Measure	Oconee County	South Carolina	Change since 2015-2019
Total population	80,469	5,296,225	+2,941
Households	34,515±680	2,117,989	+2,537
Average household size	2.31±0.05	2.44	−0.09
Housing units	42,100±55	2,443,039	+1,730

Oconee County's population since 2000

From 66,215 in 2000 to 83,775 in 2025: up 26.5%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts. The 2005 figure is the Census Bureau's intercensal estimate, revised to fit the 2000 and 2010 counts and drawn on 2010 boundaries; 2015 and 2025 are July 1 estimates made from the census before them.

2000 Census 66,215
2005 (estimate) 70,581
2010 Census 74,273
2015 (estimate) 75,908
2020 Census 78,607
2025 (estimate) 83,775

Source: The 2000, 2010 and 2020 Census counts and the Census Bureau's population estimates (intercensal 2000-2010, Vintage 2020, Vintage 2025) · Census population estimates

Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); PEP Vintage 2025 (CO-EST2025); 2020 Census · Check it at data.census.gov

What cities and towns are in Oconee County?

Oconee County holds 13 places: 5 cities, villages and boroughs (incorporated places) and 8 census-designated places. The largest is Seneca with 9,424 residents (2025 estimate). Places that cross a county line are listed with the share of their 2020 residents who live in this county.

Places in Oconee County, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Ring: estimate with a coefficient of variation over 40%.

Seneca	city	8,850	8,993±78	$52,022	$240,000	22.1%	100%
Walhalla	city	4,072	4,157±16	$36,327	$171,900	45.9%	100%
Keowee Key	CDP	2,716	3,351±755	$124,788	$556,000	2.1%	100%
Westminster	city	2,353	2,521±564	$40,946	$178,100	21.3%	100%
Utica	CDP	1,347	1,339±443	$55,179	$145,400	26.8%	100%
Chickasaw PointGEOID 4514230	CDP	718	620±187	$84,875	$350,700	8.7%	100%
Fair PlayGEOID 4524730	CDP	704	757±360	$82,083	$222,500	31.3%	96%
West Union	town	374	370±102	$48,393	$147,700	6.2%	100%
South UnionGEOID 4568210	CDP	341	447±228	not published	not published	10.7%	100%
NewryGEOID 4549975	CDP	199	412±242	$45,407	$303,400	26.0%	100%
SalemGEOID 4562980	town	120	177±90	$62,143	$167,500	11.5%	100%
LongcreekGEOID 4542460	CDP	96	0±14	not published	not published	–	100%
TamasseeGEOID 4571170	CDP	60	35±6	not published	not published	–	100%

Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 place-by-county parts · Check it at data.census.gov

Who lives in Oconee County?

The median resident of Oconee County is 47.3 years old; 19.1% are under 18 and 24.9% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 83.1%, then Hispanic or Latino residents (of any race) at 6.2%. 4.2% of residents were born outside the United States.

Age, origin and education, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Race groups are non-Hispanic; Hispanic includes any race.
Measure	Oconee County	South Carolina	Change since 2015-2019
Median age	47.3±0.5	40.2	+1.6
Under 18 years	19.1%	21.4%	–
65 years and over	24.9%±0.1 pts	18.9%	–
Hispanic or Latino (any race)	6.2%	7.4%	+0.7 pts
White alone, not Hispanic	83.1%±0.2 pts	61.9%	−1.3 pts
Black or African American alone, not Hispanic	5.2%±0.5 pts	24.6%	−1.6 pts
Asian alone, not Hispanic	0.7%±0.2 pts	1.7%	no clear change
American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic	0.4%±0.2 pts	0.2%	–
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic	0.0%±0.1 pts	0.0%	–
Two or more races, not Hispanic	4.1%±0.6 pts	3.7%	–
Some other race alone, not Hispanic	0.2%±0.2 pts	0.5%	–
Born outside the United States	4.2%±0.6 pts	5.8%	no clear change
Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+)	5.1%±0.7 pts	8.4%	–
Civilian veterans (age 18+)	8.1%±0.7 pts	8.3%	–
With a disability	17.9%±1.5 pts	14.6%	–
No health insurance coverage	10.9%±1.3 pts	9.6%	no clear change
High school graduate or higher (age 25+)	87.4%±1.4 pts	90.1%	–
Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+)	28.7%±1.8 pts	32.1%	+2.9 pts
Graduate or professional degree (age 25+)	11.3%±1.4 pts	12.3%	–
Moved from another state in the past year	3.7%±1.0 pts	3.7%	–

Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profiles DP02, DP05) · Check it at data.census.gov

What do households in Oconee County earn?

Half of Oconee County's 34,515 households earn less than $62,388 a year (±$4,319), against $69,324 in South Carolina. In 2015-2019 it was $60,469 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 17.6% of residents live below the poverty line.

Income and poverty in 2024 dollars, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Measure	Oconee County	South Carolina	Change since 2015-2019
Median household income	$62,388±$4,319	$69,324	no clear change
Mean household income	$91,233±$4,999	$95,567	–
Per capita income	$39,360±$2,073	$39,236	no clear change
People below the poverty line	17.6%±1.8 pts	14.1%	no clear change
Children under 18 below the poverty line	26.2%±4.3 pts	19.4%	no clear change
Households receiving SNAP	11.4%±1.4 pts	10.5%	–
Households with a broadband subscription	84.6%±1.8 pts	88.8%	–

Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov

What does housing cost in Oconee County?

Owners occupy 76.2% of Oconee County's occupied homes and renters 23.8%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $237,100 by its owner (±$9,039). The median renter pays $881 a month including utilities, and 38.9% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.

Housing, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Measure	Oconee County	South Carolina	Change since 2015-2019
Median home value (owner-occupied)	$237,100±$9,039	$259,000	+$40,435
Median gross rent	$881±$38	$1,180	−$57
Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent	38.9%±5.1 pts	42.8%	no clear change
Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage	$1,367±$56	$1,529	–
Owner-occupied homes	76.2%±1.9 pts	71.9%	+3.5 pts
Housing units	42,100±55	2,443,039	+1,730
Homeowner vacancy rate	1.0%±0.5 pts	0.9%	–
Rental vacancy rate	7.2%±2.8 pts	8.3%	–
Single-family detached homes	68.6%±1.9 pts	64.5%	–
Mobile homes	20.0%±1.8 pts	14.2%	–
Built 2020 or later	3.3%±0.7 pts	3.7%	–
Built 1939 or earlier	4.0%±0.8 pts	3.6%	–

Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP04) · Check it at data.census.gov

How many new homes is Oconee County building?

Builders took permits for 753 new housing units across Oconee County in 2025 (733 single-family), 9.0 per 1,000 residents.

2019 425 units
2020 424 units
2021 643 units
2022 833 units
2023 612 units
2024 648 units
2025 753 units

Source: Building Permits Survey, annual county files 2019-2025, U.S. Census Bureau · Census Building Permits Survey

How do people in Oconee County get to work?

75.6% of Oconee County's workers drive alone and 9.9% work from home. The average trip to work takes 23.9 minutes. The unemployment rate in 2020-2024 averaged 5.9%.

Work and commuting, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Measure	Oconee County	South Carolina	Change since 2015-2019
In the labor force (age 16+)	52.9%±1.4 pts	60.5%	–
Unemployment rate	5.9%±1.2 pts	4.9%	no clear change
Drove alone to work	75.6%±2.9 pts	76.3%	–
Carpooled	11.5%±2.3 pts	8.5%	–
Public transportation	0.3%±0.2 pts	0.4%	–
Walked	1.3%±0.6 pts	1.6%	–
Worked from home	9.9%±2.0 pts	11.5%	+6.5 pts
Mean travel time to work	23.9 min±1.1	25.6 min	−2.3 min

Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov

What are Oconee County's census tracts?

Oconee County is divided into 20 census tracts. Among those with a reliable estimate, median household income runs from $36,172 (Tract 304.04) to $130,104 (Tract 302.02).

Census tracts of Oconee County, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates; sort by any column

Tract 30145073030100	Longcreek (3%)	4,164	4,491±525	$49,264	$218,200	$788	26.5%
Tract 302.0145073030201	Salem (7%)	2,500	2,222±258	$46,736	$185,700	$583	21.3%
Tract 302.0245073030202	Keowee Key (45%)	3,739	4,308±990	$130,104	$614,100	not published	3.2%
Tract 303.0145073030301	Walhalla (1%)	2,011	2,099±422	$92,500	$338,500	$2,035	9.9%
Tract 303.0245073030302	–	5,175	5,515±495	$89,353	$753,400	$749	8.3%
Tract 304.0245073030402	West Union (20%)	2,212	2,671±456	$67,240	$168,000	$850	15.2%
Tract 304.0345073030403	Walhalla (67%)	2,598	3,428±636	$61,649	$117,000	$848	22.9%
Tract 304.0445073030404	Walhalla (67%)	4,142	3,812±435	$36,172	$205,000	$536	36.6%
Tract 30545073030500	–	4,757	4,717±619	$70,339	$206,300	$963	11.6%
Tract 306.0145073030601	Seneca (54%)	4,845	5,357±703	$91,867	$429,800	$903	13.7%
Tract 306.0245073030602	Newry (4%)	4,869	4,669±519	$64,657	$410,500	$1,028	16.2%
Tract 307.0145073030701	Seneca (61%)	3,592	3,400±474	$56,595	$179,000	$1,004	23.1%
Tract 307.0245073030702	Seneca (10%)	6,761	6,547±740	$58,021	$237,400	$997	15.5%
Tract 308.0145073030801	Seneca (25%)	3,211	3,488±422	$41,594	$209,600	not published	30.0%
Tract 308.0245073030802	Seneca (55%)	4,415	4,382±526	$49,884	$242,000	$1,043	20.7%
Tract 309.0145073030901	Chickasaw Point (9%)	3,148	3,183±403	$58,083	$200,200	not published	13.4%
Tract 309.0345073030903	Fair Play (22%)	4,688	4,636±659	$67,149	$231,300	$905	15.9%
Tract 309.0445073030904	South Union (3%)	3,020	3,226±445	$70,750	$187,600	$921	12.2%
Tract 31045073031000	Westminster (46%)	5,143	4,851±632	$49,152	$151,900	$655	18.0%
Tract 31145073031100	Westminster (15%)	3,617	3,467±478	$49,951	$152,100	$773	25.0%

Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) · Check it at data.census.gov

How does Oconee County compare with South Carolina's other counties?

Oconee County's rank among South Carolina's counties with a reliable estimate (1 = highest)
Measure	Rank
Population	18th of 46
Growth 2020-2025	17th of 46
Residents per square mile	19th of 46
Median household income	18th of 46
Median home value	12th of 46
Median gross rent	25th of 46
Poverty rate	22nd of 46
Bachelor's degree or higher	12th of 46
Median age	6th of 46

Every county in South Carolina

Source: PlainCities ranks from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) and PEP Vintage 2025 · How ranks are computed

How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections

Not on this page: crime, weather and schools for Oconee County are other agencies' records. Crime: the FBI's Crime Data Explorer · climate: NOAA's U.S. Climate Normals · schools: the National Center for Education Statistics' school search.