Special Report

This is the City in South Carolina With the Most COVID-19 Cases

John Moore / Getty Images News via Getty Images

The U.S. has reported more than 43.8 million confirmed COVID-19 cases as of October 12. More than 705,000 Americans have died of COVID-19 — the highest death toll of any country.

Nationwide, there were an average of 28.8 daily new coronavirus cases per 100,000 Americans in the week ending October 12. Cumulatively, the U.S. has reported 13,374.3 cases per 100,000 Americans, and 214.9 deaths per 100,000 Americans.

In South Carolina, there were an average of 40.2 daily new coronavirus cases per 100,000 residents in the week ending October 12. Cumulatively, South Carolina has reported 16,927.9 cases per 100,000 state residents, the third most of all 50 states. South Carolina has reported 250.7 deaths per 100,000, the 12th most of all 50 states.

While the nation’s largest metropolitan areas were hit hardest in the early months of the pandemic, nearly every city has suffered from the virus. Outbreaks are particularly likely to occur in places where large numbers of people tend to congregate, leaving cities with high concentrations of colleges, correctional facilities, and nursing homes particularly at risk.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, the Greenville-Anderson metropolitan area has reported 175,053 confirmed cases, or 19,538.4 per 100,000 residents — the most of any city in South Carolina.

Spartanburg, the city with the second most cases per capita, has reported 19,509.7 cases per 100,000 residents.

The coronavirus crisis has led to widespread unemployment across the country as consumer-facing businesses are forced to close and customers are encouraged to stay home. Unemployment in Greenville-Anderson peaked at 12.5% in April 2020, and is now at 3.4% as of May 2021.

To determine the metropolitan area in each state with the highest number of COVID-19 cases per capita, 24/7 Wall St. compiled and reviewed data from state and local health departments. We ranked metropolitan areas according to the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases per 100,000 residents as of October 12. Data was aggregated from the county level to the metropolitan area level using boundary definitions from the U.S. Census Bureau. Population data used to adjust case and death totals came from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2019 American Community Survey and are five-year estimates.

These are all the counties in South Carolina where COVID-19 is slowing (and where it’s still getting worse).

MSA Population Total cases Cases per 100,000 Total deaths Deaths per 100,000
Greenville-Anderson, SC 895,942 175,053 19,538.4 2,629 293.4
Spartanburg, SC 307,617 60,015 19,509.7 1,083 352.1
Florence, SC 205,502 37,712 18,351.2 737 358.6
Columbia, SC 824,278 139,337 16,904.1 1,812 219.8
Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC-NC 463,987 76,146 16,411.2 1,052 226.7
Charleston-North Charleston, SC 774,508 127,100 16,410.4 1,339 172.9
Sumter, SC 140,714 20,466 14,544.4 413 293.5
Hilton Head Island-Bluffton, SC 214,752 30,524 14,213.6 365 170.0

Sponsored: Attention Savvy Investors: Speak to 3 Financial Experts – FREE

Ever wanted an extra set of eyes on an investment you’re considering? Now you can speak with up to 3 financial experts in your area for FREE. By simply
clicking here
you can begin to match with financial professionals who can help guide you through the financial decisions you’re making. And the best part? The first conversation with them is free.


Click here
to match with up to 3 financial pros who would be excited to help you make financial decisions.

Thank you for reading! Have some feedback for us?
Contact the 24/7 Wall St. editorial team.