Market rankings · South Carolina
Barbershops in South Carolina
Every metro area, small-town market and county in South Carolina, ranked by the Groundwork market score for barbershops, with competitor counts and household spending for each.
- Listings
- 1,252
- 156 chain locations (12%)
- Official establishments
- 98
- +32.4% since 2019
- Household spending a year
- $1.8B
- On personal care products and services
- Listings per 10k households
- 5.9
- 11% above the U.S.
- Spending per listing
- $1.5M
- 22% below the U.S.
- Rank among states
- #40 of 51
- Market score 40 · Lower middle
A site report maps the barbershops on map listings around any address in South Carolina by name and distance, and the spending within reach.
Free10 actions over 3 days, no cardSurvey estimates 2020–2024 · population estimates 2025 · official business counts 2023 · map listings September 2026 · Data credits · How we measure
What this means
There are 1,252 barbershops on map listings in South Carolina as of September 2026. 156 of them (12%) are chain locations, against 12% across the U.S. Per 10,000 households, that is 5.9, 11% above the U.S. rate of 5.3.
Households in South Carolina spend about $1.8B a year on personal care products and services, or $871 per household, 13% below the U.S. average. That works out to $1.5M per shop, 22% below the U.S. figure of $1.9M. The spending figure covers all personal care products and services, not only barbershops.
In 2023, official counts showed 98 businesses with payroll in South Carolina classed as barber shops, up 32.4% from 2019. That is one for every 21,612 households, against one for every 16,589 across the U.S. Across the U.S., the count rose 28.5% over the same years. Since fiscal 2022, 10 SBA-backed loans worth $1.9M have gone to businesses classed as barber shops in South Carolina.
Among the 50 states and DC, South Carolina ranks #40 for barbershops, with a Groundwork market score of 40 (lower middle). Of the 10 scored metro areas in or partly in South Carolina, the Spartanburg metro area scores highest (55). Of the 6 scored small-town markets in or partly in South Carolina, the Gaffney area scores highest (59).
Every market in South Carolina for barbershops
Download the ranking (CSV)Numbered by Groundwork market score among the markets based in South Carolina, highest first; the U.S. rank compares each market with every other of its kind. A metro area that crosses a state line is listed in each state it reaches, and numbered only in the state its page is under. How the score works.
Metro areas
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Spartanburg, SC | 55 | 71 | 5.0 | $1.7M | +14.3% | #156 of 387 |
| 2Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC | 51 | 72 | 4.5 | $1.9M | +20.9% | #187 of 387 |
| 3Charleston-North Charleston, SC | 48 | 193 | 5.7 | $1.7M | +10.7% | #212 of 387 |
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | 47 | 637 | 5.9 | $1.6M | +10.1% | #225 of 387 |
| 4Columbia, SC | 45 | 238 | 7.0 | $1.2M | +6.0% | #252 of 387 |
| 5Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal, SC | 44 | 56 | 5.9 | $1.7M | +12.0% | #258 of 387 |
| 6Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC | 43 | 262 | 6.8 | $1.3M | +9.0% | #264 of 387 |
| Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC | 39 | 157 | 6.8 | $1.3M | +4.7% | #291 of 387 |
| 7Florence, SC | 16 | 48 | 6.1 | $1.3M | +0.9% | #378 of 387 |
| 8Sumter, SC | 9 | 30 | 7.3 | $1.1M | −0.3% | #384 of 387 |
Small-town markets
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Gaffney, SC | 59 | 6 | 2.7 | $2.7M | +3.7% | #128 of 377 |
| 2Seneca, SC | 59 | 14 | 4.1 | $2.1M | +6.3% | #136 of 377 |
| 3Murrells Inlet, SC | 54 | 14 | 5.2 | $1.7M | +3.8% | #171 of 377 |
| 4Greenwood, SC | 41 | 16 | 4.3 | $1.8M | +1.7% | #246 of 377 |
| 5Newberry, SC | 38 | 9 | 5.9 | $1.3M | +4.8% | #269 of 377 |
| 6Orangeburg, SC | 9 | 29 | 8.8 | $815K | −0.9% | #365 of 377 |
Counties
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1York County, SC | 72 | 57 | 5.0 | $2M | +8.1% | #192 of 1,356 |
| 2Lancaster County, SC | 71 | 16 | 4.0 | $2.3M | +18.3% | #211 of 1,356 |
| 3Kershaw County, SC | 67 | 9 | 3.3 | $2.5M | +11.6% | #290 of 1,356 |
| 4Lexington County, SC | 65 | 61 | 5.0 | $1.8M | +7.7% | #347 of 1,356 |
| 5Spartanburg County, SC | 61 | 68 | 5.2 | $1.6M | +15.6% | #435 of 1,356 |
| 6Dorchester County, SC | 58 | 32 | 5.1 | $1.8M | +10.1% | #498 of 1,356 |
| 7Anderson County, SC | 58 | 42 | 5.0 | $1.7M | +7.7% | #501 of 1,356 |
| 8Horry County, SC | 57 | 72 | 4.5 | $1.9M | +20.9% | #528 of 1,356 |
| 9Cherokee County, SC | 54 | 6 | 2.7 | $2.7M | +3.7% | #588 of 1,356 |
| 10Berkeley County, SC | 54 | 52 | 5.5 | $1.7M | +18.7% | #605 of 1,356 |
| 11Oconee County, SC | 53 | 14 | 4.1 | $2.1M | +6.3% | #622 of 1,356 |
| 12Charleston County, SC | 52 | 109 | 6.1 | $1.6M | +6.4% | #657 of 1,356 |
| 13Laurens County, SC | 49 | 10 | 3.7 | $2.1M | +6.2% | #720 of 1,356 |
| 14Georgetown County, SC | 46 | 14 | 5.2 | $1.7M | +3.8% | #813 of 1,356 |
| 15Beaufort County, SC | 46 | 54 | 6.6 | $1.5M | +8.9% | #818 of 1,356 |
| 16Greenville County, SC | 46 | 182 | 8.3 | $1.1M | +10.6% | #821 of 1,356 |
| 17Aiken County, SC | 45 | 41 | 5.9 | $1.5M | +7.3% | #839 of 1,356 |
| 18Richland County, SC | 41 | 161 | 9.6 | $890K | +4.6% | #923 of 1,356 |
| 19Pickens County, SC | 40 | 28 | 5.3 | $1.5M | +5.7% | #931 of 1,356 |
| 20Colleton County, SC | 36 | 7 | 4.3 | $1.8M | +2.2% | #998 of 1,356 |
| 21Chesterfield County, SC | 34 | 8 | 4.6 | $1.6M | +3.4% | #1,035 of 1,356 |
| 22Newberry County, SC | 33 | 9 | 5.9 | $1.3M | +4.8% | #1,056 of 1,356 |
| 23Greenwood County, SC | 31 | 13 | 4.7 | $1.6M | +1.5% | #1,081 of 1,356 |
| 24Florence County, SC | 25 | 33 | 6.2 | $1.3M | +1.2% | #1,174 of 1,356 |
| 25Darlington County, SC | 19 | 15 | 5.9 | $1.3M | +0.1% | #1,232 of 1,356 |
Show all 46 counties
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26Sumter County, SC | 16 | 30 | 7.3 | $1.1M | −0.3% | #1,262 of 1,356 |
| 27Clarendon County, SC | 15 | 9 | 7.3 | $1M | +0.7% | #1,271 of 1,356 |
| 28Orangeburg County, SC | 7 | 29 | 8.8 | $815K | −0.9% | #1,327 of 1,356 |
| 29Marlboro County, SC | 6 | 6 | 6.1 | $1M | −3.8% | #1,331 of 1,356 |
| 30Hampton County, SC | 5 | 6 | 8.3 | $833K | −1.9% | #1,335 of 1,356 |
| 31Dillon County, SC | 3 | 14 | 12.9 | $543K | −2.9% | #1,348 of 1,356 |
| 32Marion County, SC | 2 | 12 | 9.9 | $651K | −2.9% | #1,354 of 1,356 |
| Chester County, SC | Not scored | 4 | 3.0 | $2.4M | +2.2% | |
| Jasper County, SC | Not scored | 2 | 1.5 | $5.4M | +32.2% | |
| Williamsburg County, SC | Not scored | 4 | 3.3 | $2.1M | −4.0% | |
| Edgefield County, SC | Not scored | 4 | 4.1 | $2.1M | +16.1% | |
| Union County, SC | Not scored | 3 | 2.6 | $2.7M | −1.4% | |
| Abbeville County, SC | Not scored | 3 | 3.1 | $2.6M | +2.3% | |
| Fairfield County, SC | Not scored | 4 | 4.5 | $1.7M | −2.6% | |
| Barnwell County, SC | Not scored | 2 | 2.5 | $2.9M | +0.4% | |
| Saluda County, SC | Not scored | 2 | 2.6 | $2.9M | +4.1% | |
| Lee County, SC | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | −5.0% | |
| Calhoun County, SC | Not scored | 1 | 1.6 | $4.9M | +0.6% | |
| Bamberg County, SC | Not scored | 2 | 4.3 | $1.6M | −3.5% | |
| McCormick County, SC | Not scored | 1 | 2.4 | $3.2M | +7.3% | |
| Allendale County, SC | Not scored | 1 | 3.1 | $2.1M | −7.4% |
Markets with fewer than 5 barbershops on map listings, and counties under 10,000 people, aren’t scored; they’re listed last in each table.
Questions
How many barbershops are in South Carolina?
As of September 2026, map listings count 1,252 barbershops in South Carolina. 156 of them (12%) are chain locations. The listings count barbershops. Official counts show 98 businesses with payroll classed as barber shops in 2023, up 32.4% from 2019. Official counts also show 2,473 one-person businesses without payroll.
How much do households in South Carolina spend on personal care products and services?
About $1.8B a year, or $871 per household. That is 13% below the U.S. average (an index of 87, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 1,252 barbershops on map listings, it comes to $1.5M per shop. That spending covers all personal care products and services, which barbershops share with other businesses in the trade. It is estimated from the incomes of the 2,117,989 households in South Carolina and national spending patterns by income.
How does South Carolina compare with the U.S. for barbershops?
South Carolina has 5.9 barbershops per 10,000 households, 11% above the U.S. rate of 5.3. Spending per shop is $1.5M, 22% below the U.S. figure of $1.9M. At the U.S. ratio of barbershops to household spending, South Carolina would have about 978, against 1,252 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 21,612 households, against one for every 16,589 across the U.S. The official count rose 32.4% from 2019 to 2023, against +28.5% for the U.S.
Which market in South Carolina has the highest market score for barbershops?
Among 10 scored metro areas in or partly in South Carolina, the Spartanburg metro area scores highest, at 55 (upper middle). Among 6 scored small-town markets in or partly in South Carolina, the Gaffney area scores highest, at 59 (upper middle). Among 32 scored counties in South Carolina, York County scores highest, at 72 (upper middle). Scores compare each market with others of its kind across the U.S.
What is the Groundwork market score?
The Groundwork market score runs from 0 to 100 and compares a market with others of its kind for one business type: states with states, metro areas with metro areas, small-town markets and counties with their own. It weighs household spending per competitor (35%), households per business with payroll (25%), population growth (20%) and spending power (20%), each ranked against those peers. A higher score means that, taken together, the market has more household spending and more households for each business already there, faster population growth and more spending per household than similar markets. It describes a market, not any one site or deal. South Carolina scores 40 for barbershops (lower middle), #40 of the 50 states and DC.
How can I see the market around a specific site?
Run a Groundwork site report on an address in South Carolina. It maps the barbershops on map listings near the site and sizes the households and spending within the distance you choose. New accounts get 10 actions over 3 days, no card.
Barbershops in other states
All 51 states
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- District of Columbia
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
Top markets for barbershops across the U.S. · All business types in South Carolina
Related business types in South Carolina
- Salons, barbers and spas10,522 listings
- Hair salons5,412 listings
- Nail salons1,319 listings
- Spas and skin care2,344 listings
Screening a site or an acquisition in South Carolina?
A site report maps the competitors on map listings near an address and sizes the households and spending around it.
This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
Figures are estimates for research only. Not investment or real estate advice.