RANK #417 / 996 · POP 84,159 · SC
PROJECTED GROWTH: +1.0%
Orangeburg County, South Carolina, known as "the Garden City," is home to the Edisto Memorial Gardens, featuring thousands of roses and ancient cypress trees along the Edisto River. Located in the Midlands region, Orangeburg is approximately 28 miles south of Columbia and 90 miles northwest of Charleston, with access to I-26 and I-95. The community offers a blend of rural and small-town living, with towns like Santee providing access to Lake Marion, the state's largest lake, for boating, fishing, and other water activities. The county also features Lake Edisto Park, offering canoeing, walking trails, and a dog park.
Life in Orangeburg County often involves a commute, with the average travel time to work being around 30.7 minutes. The Orangeburg County School District serves over 10,000 students across 27 schools. The local economy is seeing new investments, particularly in manufacturing and data center solutions. County leaders are focused on attracting new industries and supporting existing businesses, with a sustainability plan in place to guide future growth and infrastructure development.
Prices declining
Moderate climate & terrain
Housing looks undervalued at 2.9x — home prices are low relative to local economic output. The typical U.S. county is 4–6x.
Source: Redfin · Census BPS — Browse sales on Redfin →
| PROJECT | AMOUNT | STATUS |
|---|---|---|
|
Birla Carbon Synthetic Graphite Production Facility
Birla Carbon
|
$1,000M | Under Construction |
|
Meta Data Center & Solar Farm
Meta Platforms, Silicon Ranch, Central Electric Power Cooperative
|
$800M | Under Construction |
|
Orangeburg County Solar Projects (2 projects)
Savion, Central Electric Power Cooperative
|
$150M | Operating |
|
Santee Residential Development (600 homes)
BRD Land and Investment
|
$150M | Planned |
|
Premium Peanut Shelling and Seed Treatment Facility
Premium Peanut
|
$64M | Under Construction |
|
Hounen Solar Manufacturing Facility
Hounen Solar
|
$33M | Operating |
Source: public records, news, corporate announcements. Amounts are estimates where noted.
Bars show percentile rank among all 996 counties.
Orangeburg County has a Boom Town Index score of 58/100, ranking #417 among 996 U.S. counties. With job growth at -1.7% and a median household income of $41,020, it's an above-average county on economic indicators.
The median home value in Orangeburg County is $105,500 with median rent at $771/month. The income-to-home-value ratio is 0.3888, which is more affordable than the national average.
Population growth: -0.9% year-over-year. Job growth: -1.7%. Home values changed -1.1% in the past 12 months.
Yes — 2.21% of Orangeburg County's population moved from another state, which is above the national average and indicates strong in-migration.