These Are The 10 Laziest Places In South Carolina

Discover the 10 Least Active Cities in South Carolina for 2026

In the workplace, dealing with individuals who seem to evade responsibility can be frustrating. The person who delegates their tasks to others while taking credit for the results can create a negative atmosphere.

If you find yourself in one of these South Carolina towns, you might be tempted to reflect on your own work ethic.

This analysis isn’t meant to judge; rather, it highlights how a community’s work culture can influence individual productivity. After all, nobody enjoys collaborating with those who display a lack of initiative.

We dedicated time to identify the South Carolina towns where residents appear to take it easy and operate on minimal effort. Utilizing data from the most recent American Community Survey, we pinpointed the metrics associated with lower productivity for each city.

Here are the ten “Least Active Cities in South Carolina,” determined by our analysis:

Continue reading to discover the cities where residents might prefer leisure over labor, or jump to the end to see how your town ranks.

By the way, Tega Cay is recognized as the most industrious location in South Carolina.

How We Identified the Least Active Cities in the Palmetto State

At Zippia, we take a data-driven approach to tackle tough questions. We pride ourselves on being among the most diligent data analysts in the region.

In this investigation, we turned to the latest American Community Survey data for insights. The Census Bureau’s recent release of comprehensive data sets allows for an updated analysis.

After reviewing a myriad of criteria, we selected the following indicators for determining the least active cities in South Carolina:

Lowest average hours worked
Shortest commute times
Lowest number of workers per household (calculated by dividing the labor force by the number of households)
Highest unemployment rates
Fewest adults with a college degree

This methodology suggests that towns where residents lack higher education, spend minimal time working, and have fewer contributing household members are likely to be less active.

We analyzed data from 62 cities in South Carolina with populations exceeding 5,000, ranking each city from 1 to 62 based on the selected criteria, with 1 being the “least active.”

Finally, we calculated an overall inactivity index based on these rankings, crowning the location with the lowest score as the “Least Active City in South Carolina,” which turned out to be Cheraw.

Check out the detailed chart below to learn more about each cityâ€™s ranking.

1. Cheraw

Population: 5,809 College Educated: 17.7%
Unemployment Rate: 15.4%

2. Hartsville

Population: 7,857 College Educated: 28.5%
Unemployment Rate: 19.4%

3. Abbeville

Population: 5,207 College Educated: 13.3%
Unemployment Rate: 17.3%

4. Darlington

Population: 6,232 College Educated: 21.3%
Unemployment Rate: 24.4%

5. Lake City

Population: 6,720 College Educated: 14.2%
Unemployment Rate: 24.3%

6. Gaffney

Population: 12,565 College Educated: 20.0%
Unemployment Rate: 13.4%

7. Georgetown

Population: 9,110 College Educated: 17.2%
Unemployment Rate: 13.6%

8. Walterboro

Population: 5,339 College Educated: 19.3%
Unemployment Rate: 13.3%

9. Anderson

Population: 26,798 College Educated: 20.6%
Unemployment Rate: 12.1%

10. Greenwood

Population: 23,296 College Educated: 18.9%
Unemployment Rate: 14.9%

Inactivity Trends in South Carolina

As previously mentioned, determining the least active cities in South Carolina can be subjective. However, this list reflects cities where employment is low, educational attainment is lacking, and residents are less inclined to engage in hard work.

Comprehensive List of the Least Active Cities in South Carolina

City	Rank	Population	College Educated	Unemployment Rate
Cheraw	1	5,809	17.7%	15.4%
Hartsville	2	7,857	28.5%	19.4%
Abbeville	3	5,207	13.3%	17.3%
Darlington	4	6,232	21.3%	24.4%
Lake City	5	6,720	14.2%	24.3%
Gaffney	6	12,565	20.0%	13.4%
Georgetown	7	9,110	17.2%	13.6%
Walterboro	8	5,339	19.3%	13.3%
Anderson	9	26,798	20.6%	12.1%
Greenwood	10	23,296	18.9%	14.9%
Dillon	11	6,731	8.7%	13.4%
Batesburg-Leesville	12	5,242	15.7%	20.7%
Orangeburg	13	13,790	30.1%	14.5%
Chester	14	5,543	17.4%	22.2%
Union	15	8,191	21.9%	16.8%
Seneca	16	8,147	25.6%	13.9%
Spartanburg	17	37,216	27.4%	13.7%
Marion	18	6,833	16.2%	25.3%
Bennettsville	19	8,928	13.8%	11.3%
Clinton	20	8,525	17.0%	12.5%
Lancaster	21	8,801	17.1%	15.5%
Sumter	22	40,819	25.3%	14.5%
Newberry	23	10,259	23.6%	10.0%
Myrtle Beach	24	28,455	27.8%	11.2%
Laurens	25	9,136	18.0%	12.0%
North Myrtle Beach	26	14,485	32.6%	8.8%
Fountain Inn	27	8,031	19.9%	14.1%
Florence	28	37,512	29.3%	12.1%
Central	29	5,170	33.2%	12.1%
Forest Acres	30	10,533	56.1%	9.4%
Cayce	31	12,944	26.7%	8.5%
Conway	32	18,645	23.7%	11.0%
York	33	7,913	14.2%	12.5%
West Columbia	34	15,623	32.6%	8.9%
Aiken	35	29,980	43.1%	8.5%
Greenville	36	60,670	41.5%	9.7%
Clemson	37	14,254	65.4%	7.6%
Hilton Head Island	38	38,497	47.2%	5.9%
Moncks Corner	39	8,711	11.4%	12.7%
Clover	40	5,321	14.5%	16.1%
Easley	41	20,242	23.5%	10.2%
North Charleston	42	102,143	19.6%	11.8%
Columbia	43	131,331	40.1%	11.7%
Rock Hill	44	68,185	27.9%	11.5%
North Augusta	45	21,832	32.4%	8.9%
James Island	46	11,451	38.0%	9.6%
Camden	47	6,931	34.7%	8.6%
Hanahan	48	18,999	25.6%	6.9%
Greer	49	26,626	30.2%	7.3%
Beaufort	50	12,702	39.4%	4.0%
Port Royal	51	11,264	29.7%	4.9%
Mauldin	52	23,985	34.6%	6.6%
Charleston	53	125,458	49.2%	7.4%
Simpsonville	54	19,219	28.4%	6.4%
Goose Creek	55	38,545	25.9%	9.3%
Bluffton	56	13,979	29.4%	9.8%
Summerville	57	44,717	30.8%	10.7%
Fort Mill	58	12,068	32.9%	6.4%
Mount Pleasant	59	72,379	58.4%	6.2%
Irmo	60	11,518	36.8%	6.5%
Lexington	61	19,007	40.9%	5.4%
Tega Cay	62	8,224	60.5%	6.9%

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Author

Chris Kolmar

Chris Kolmar is a co-founder of Zippia and the editor-in-chief of the Zippia career advice blog. He has hired over 50 people in his career, been hired five times, and wants to help you land your next job. His research has been featured on the New York Times, Thrillist, VOX, The Atlantic, and a host of local news. More recently, he's been quoted on USA Today, BusinessInsider, and CNBC.

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