Colleton County Demographics

A map of Colleton County's Population by Race

Race	2024 Pop	2020 Pop	2024 %	2020 %
White	21,908	21,816	56.5%	56.5%
Black	13,048	13,401	33.6%	34.7%
Hispanic	1,767	1,380	4.6%	3.6%
Multiracial	1,662	1,402	4.3%	3.6%
Native American/Other	226	419	0.6%	1.1%
Asian	172	186	0.4%	0.5%

Colleton County, South Carolina has an estimated population of 38,783, a less than 1% change from the 38,604 recorded in the 2020 Census. The population is 56.5% White, 33.6% Black, 4.6% Hispanic, 4.3% Multiracial, 0.6% Native American/Other, and 0.4% Asian. This demographic dot map shows the population of Colleton County, with one dot drawn for each person counted by the Census, color-coded by race.

Colleton has become slightly more racially diverse since the 2020 Census. It is more diverse than South Carolina overall. Demographers use a diversity index to measure the probability that two randomly selected individuals belong to different racial or ethnic groups. In Colleton County, that probability was 55.7% in 2020 and 56.4% in the most recent ACS estimates.

Colleton County is ranked the 26th most populous county in South Carolina, out of 46 counties. Colleton County was ranked the 26th most populous county in the 2020 Census.

Colleton County's White Population

21,908 residents of Colleton County, or 56.5% of the population, identify as White. The share of White residents in Colleton County is lower than in South Carolina overall, where 61.9% of the population is White. Colleton County ranks 27th statewide in terms of White residents as a share of the population, out of 46 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Colleton County's White population has remained roughly the same. White residents' share of Colleton County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 56.5%.

Colleton County is more White than neighboring Hampton County (40.6% White), Bamberg County (37% White), and Jasper County (46.2% White). Colleton County is less White than neighboring Dorchester County (60.6% White), and Beaufort County (67.3% White).

Colleton County's Black Population

13,048 residents of Colleton County, or 33.6% of the population, identify as Black. The share of Black residents in Colleton County is higher than in South Carolina overall, where 24.6% of the population is Black. Colleton County ranks 20th statewide in terms of Black residents as a share of the population, out of 46 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Colleton County's Black population has declined by an estimated 2.6%. Black residents' share of Colleton County's population has decreased from 34.7% to 33.6%.

Colleton County is more Black than neighboring Dorchester County (24.9% Black), Beaufort County (15.5% Black), and Jasper County (32.8% Black). Colleton County is less Black than neighboring Hampton County (51.9% Black), and Bamberg County (59.4% Black).

Colleton County's Asian Population

172 residents of Colleton County, or 0.4% of the population, identify as Asian. The share of Asian residents in Colleton County is comparable to the share in South Carolina overall, where 1.7% of the population is Asian. Colleton County ranks 29th statewide in terms of Asian residents as a share of the population, out of 46 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Colleton County's Asian population has declined by an estimated 7.5%. Asian residents' share of Colleton County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.4%.

Colleton County is less Asian than neighboring Dorchester County (2.1% Asian), Beaufort County (1.1% Asian), Hampton County (1% Asian), Bamberg County (0.5% Asian), and Jasper County (0.6% Asian).

Colleton County's Hispanic Population

1,767 residents of Colleton County, or 4.6% of the population, identify as Hispanic. The share of Hispanic residents in Colleton County is slightly lower than in South Carolina overall, where 7.4% of the population is Hispanic. Colleton County ranks 27th statewide in terms of Hispanic residents as a share of the population, out of 46 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Colleton County's Hispanic population has grown by an estimated 28.0%. Hispanic residents' share of Colleton County's population has increased from 3.6% to 4.6%.

Colleton County is more Hispanic than neighboring Hampton County (4.1% Hispanic), and Bamberg County (1.4% Hispanic). Colleton County is less Hispanic than neighboring Dorchester County (7.2% Hispanic), Beaufort County (12.4% Hispanic), and Jasper County (17.6% Hispanic).

Colleton County's Native American/Other Population

226 residents of Colleton County, or 0.6% of the population, identify as American Indian/Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander/Other. The share of Native American/Other residents in Colleton County is comparable to the share in South Carolina overall, where 0.7% of the population is Native American/Other. Colleton County ranks 6th statewide in terms of Native American/Other residents as a share of the population, out of 46 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Colleton County's Native American/Other population has declined by an estimated 46.1%. Native American/Other residents' share of Colleton County's population has decreased from 1.1% to 0.6%.

Colleton County is more Native American/Other than neighboring Bamberg County (0.4% Native American/Other), and Jasper County (0.1% Native American/Other). Colleton County is less Native American/Other than neighboring Dorchester County (0.9% Native American/Other), and Hampton County (0.7% Native American/Other).

Colleton County's Multiracial Population

1,662 residents of Colleton County, or 4.3% of the population, identify as Multiracial. The share of Multiracial residents in Colleton County is comparable to the share in South Carolina overall, where 3.7% of the population is Multiracial. Colleton County ranks 16th statewide in terms of Multiracial residents as a share of the population, out of 46 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Colleton County's Multiracial population has grown by an estimated 18.5%. Multiracial residents' share of Colleton County's population has increased from 3.6% to 4.3%.

Colleton County is more Multiracial than neighboring Beaufort County (3.2% Multiracial), Hampton County (1.7% Multiracial), Bamberg County (1.2% Multiracial), and Jasper County (2.6% Multiracial). Colleton County is less Multiracial than neighboring Dorchester County (4.4% Multiracial).

Sources: Most recent population estimates are from the 2020-2024 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. 2020 population counts and map data are from 2020 Census State Redistricting Data. Geographic data are from Census TIGER/Line Shapefiles.