Horry County’s population surges past Spartanburg’s, census shows. Is Charleston next?
If total population among South Carolina counties was an Olympic event, Horry County would’ve finished shy of the podium in 2020.
But the fast-growing county known for heavily populated cities including Myrtle Beach and Conway surged past Spartanburg as the fourth most populous county in the state, according to the latest U.S. Census data released Thursday.
Horry’s total population was 351,029, representing an increase of more than 30% from 2010, the largest increase in South Carolina, census data showed. Spartanburg, by contrast, grew by just 15.4% during that stretch and finished 2020 with a population of 327,997.
Spartanburg County still has a higher population density with more than 405 people per square mile compared to about 310 in Horry, according to the census.
The U.S. Census Bureau previously projected Horry surpassing Spartanburg in total population in 2014 (297,760 to 292,981).
The top three most populated counties in the state remained the same from 2010, leading with Greenville, then Richland and Charleston.
Charleston, with a total population of 408,235, could prove difficult for Horry to catch if it wants to break into that top three. Even assuming growth consistent with the past 10 years (Charleston increased by 16.6%), Horry would remain behind its southern counterpart by about 18,000 people by 2030.
If Horry did continue its rapid growth, though, it would still move into the top three by 2030 by instead surpassing Richland County, which has a population of 416,147, but only grew by 8.2% since 2010, according to the census.
This story was originally published August 12, 2021 at 4:05 PM.
