Market rankings · South Carolina
Convenience stores in South Carolina
Every metro area, small-town market and county in South Carolina, ranked by the Groundwork market score for convenience stores, with competitor counts and household spending for each.
- Listings
- 2,367
- 1,355 chain locations (57%)
- Official establishments
- 681
- +45.2% since 2019
- Household spending a year
- $12.5B
- On groceries
- Listings per 10k households
- 11.2
- 40% above the U.S.
- Spending per listing
- $5.3M
- 33% below the U.S.
- Rank among states
- #44 of 51
- Market score 36 · Lower middle
A site report maps the convenience stores 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 2,367 convenience stores on map listings in South Carolina as of September 2026. Of those, 1,355 are chain locations, or 57%, against 60% across the U.S. That is 11.2 per 10,000 households, 40% above the U.S. rate of 8.0.
Households in South Carolina spend about $12.5B a year on groceries, or $5,910 per household, 6% below the U.S. average. Spread across 2,367 convenience stores, that is $5.3M per store, 33% below the U.S. figure of $7.9M. The spending figure covers all groceries, not only convenience stores.
Official counts show 681 businesses with payroll classed as convenience stores in South Carolina in 2023, up 45.2% from 2019. That is one for every 3,110 households, against one for every 3,493 across the U.S. Across the U.S., the count rose 22.0% over the same years. Since fiscal 2022, 5 SBA-backed loans worth $1.6M have gone to businesses classed as convenience stores in South Carolina.
Among the 50 states and DC, South Carolina ranks #44 for convenience stores, with a Groundwork market score of 36 (lower middle). Of the 10 scored metro areas in or partly in South Carolina, the Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal metro area scores highest (73). Of the 6 scored small-town markets in or partly in South Carolina, the Murrells Inlet area scores highest (53).
Every market in South Carolina for convenience stores
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal, SC | 73 | 86 | 9.0 | $7M | +12.0% | #48 of 387 |
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | 68 | 882 | 8.2 | $7.7M | +10.1% | #73 of 387 |
| 2Charleston-North Charleston, SC | 58 | 340 | 10.1 | $6.2M | +10.7% | #153 of 387 |
| 3Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC | 54 | 337 | 8.8 | $6.8M | +9.0% | #176 of 387 |
| 4Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC | 44 | 187 | 11.8 | $4.9M | +20.9% | #242 of 387 |
| 5Columbia, SC | 40 | 335 | 9.9 | $6M | +6.0% | #259 of 387 |
| Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC | 39 | 257 | 11.1 | $5.3M | +4.7% | #269 of 387 |
| 6Spartanburg, SC | 34 | 180 | 12.6 | $4.6M | +14.3% | #302 of 387 |
| 7Sumter, SC | 12 | 48 | 11.7 | $4.7M | −0.3% | #382 of 387 |
| 8Florence, SC | 9 | 127 | 16.2 | $3.4M | +0.9% | #386 of 387 |
Small-town markets
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Murrells Inlet, SC | 53 | 39 | 14.4 | $4.1M | +3.8% | #260 of 529 |
| 2Seneca, SC | 49 | 43 | 12.5 | $4.6M | +6.3% | #295 of 529 |
| 3Greenwood, SC | 40 | 44 | 11.7 | $4.7M | +1.7% | #374 of 529 |
| 4Newberry, SC | 35 | 24 | 15.7 | $3.6M | +4.8% | #416 of 529 |
| 5Gaffney, SC | 26 | 37 | 16.8 | $3.2M | +3.7% | #462 of 529 |
| 6Orangeburg, SC | 16 | 66 | 20.0 | $2.6M | −0.9% | #502 of 529 |
Counties
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Beaufort County, SC | 87 | 64 | 7.8 | $8.3M | +8.9% | #76 of 2,261 |
| 2Greenville County, SC | 79 | 170 | 7.7 | $8M | +10.6% | #201 of 2,261 |
| 3Dorchester County, SC | 73 | 59 | 9.3 | $6.6M | +10.1% | #358 of 2,261 |
| 4York County, SC | 72 | 104 | 9.1 | $7M | +8.1% | #381 of 2,261 |
| 5Berkeley County, SC | 71 | 95 | 10.1 | $6.1M | +18.7% | #416 of 2,261 |
| 6Charleston County, SC | 68 | 186 | 10.4 | $6.2M | +6.4% | #503 of 2,261 |
| 7Aiken County, SC | 61 | 81 | 11.6 | $5.1M | +7.3% | #737 of 2,261 |
| 8Horry County, SC | 60 | 187 | 11.8 | $4.9M | +20.9% | #778 of 2,261 |
| 9Kershaw County, SC | 59 | 29 | 10.8 | $5.4M | +11.6% | #809 of 2,261 |
| 10Lexington County, SC | 58 | 122 | 10.0 | $6.1M | +7.7% | #834 of 2,261 |
| 11Lancaster County, SC | 58 | 51 | 12.7 | $4.8M | +18.3% | #844 of 2,261 |
| 12Richland County, SC | 57 | 153 | 9.1 | $6.4M | +4.6% | #873 of 2,261 |
| 13Pickens County, SC | 55 | 48 | 9.2 | $6.2M | +5.7% | #940 of 2,261 |
| 14Anderson County, SC | 55 | 90 | 10.7 | $5.4M | +7.7% | #951 of 2,261 |
| 15Spartanburg County, SC | 53 | 161 | 12.2 | $4.7M | +15.6% | #1,039 of 2,261 |
| 16Saluda County, SC | 50 | 7 | 9.1 | $6M | +4.1% | #1,124 of 2,261 |
| 17Georgetown County, SC | 48 | 39 | 14.4 | $4.1M | +3.8% | #1,211 of 2,261 |
| 18Oconee County, SC | 46 | 43 | 12.5 | $4.6M | +6.3% | #1,281 of 2,261 |
| 19Jasper County, SC | 45 | 22 | 16.8 | $3.4M | +32.2% | #1,318 of 2,261 |
| 20Laurens County, SC | 42 | 29 | 10.8 | $5.1M | +6.2% | #1,410 of 2,261 |
| 21Abbeville County, SC | 41 | 10 | 10.2 | $5.4M | +2.3% | #1,442 of 2,261 |
| 22Barnwell County, SC | 37 | 7 | 8.6 | $6.1M | +0.4% | #1,577 of 2,261 |
| 23Greenwood County, SC | 35 | 34 | 12.2 | $4.4M | +1.5% | #1,648 of 2,261 |
| 24Chesterfield County, SC | 34 | 27 | 15.4 | $3.4M | +3.4% | #1,688 of 2,261 |
| 25Newberry County, SC | 33 | 24 | 15.7 | $3.6M | +4.8% | #1,726 of 2,261 |
Show all 46 counties
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26Sumter County, SC | 29 | 48 | 11.7 | $4.7M | −0.3% | #1,820 of 2,261 |
| 27Chester County, SC | 29 | 15 | 11.4 | $4.7M | +2.2% | #1,821 of 2,261 |
| 28Florence County, SC | 24 | 83 | 15.7 | $3.6M | +1.2% | #1,951 of 2,261 |
| 29Cherokee County, SC | 24 | 37 | 16.8 | $3.2M | +3.7% | #1,955 of 2,261 |
| 30Colleton County, SC | 24 | 29 | 17.7 | $3.1M | +2.2% | #1,960 of 2,261 |
| 31Darlington County, SC | 17 | 44 | 17.2 | $3.1M | +0.1% | #2,080 of 2,261 |
| 32Clarendon County, SC | 17 | 30 | 24.3 | $2.2M | +0.7% | #2,088 of 2,261 |
| 33Orangeburg County, SC | 16 | 66 | 20.0 | $2.6M | −0.9% | #2,113 of 2,261 |
| 34Union County, SC | 11 | 19 | 16.4 | $3.1M | −1.4% | #2,178 of 2,261 |
| 35Marion County, SC | 10 | 17 | 14.0 | $3.5M | −2.9% | #2,192 of 2,261 |
| 36Williamsburg County, SC | 9 | 21 | 17.1 | $3M | −4.0% | #2,202 of 2,261 |
| 37Hampton County, SC | 9 | 13 | 18.0 | $2.9M | −1.9% | #2,203 of 2,261 |
| 38Fairfield County, SC | 7 | 20 | 22.4 | $2.4M | −2.6% | #2,230 of 2,261 |
| 39Marlboro County, SC | 5 | 16 | 16.3 | $3M | −3.8% | #2,240 of 2,261 |
| 40Dillon County, SC | 4 | 25 | 23.1 | $2.2M | −2.9% | #2,248 of 2,261 |
| 41Lee County, SC | 3 | 12 | 18.9 | $2.6M | −5.0% | #2,253 of 2,261 |
| 42Bamberg County, SC | 3 | 13 | 28.0 | $1.8M | −3.5% | #2,258 of 2,261 |
| Edgefield County, SC | Not scored | 4 | 4.1 | $14.2M | +16.1% | |
| Calhoun County, SC | Not scored | 4 | 6.5 | $8.6M | +0.6% | |
| McCormick County, SC | Not scored | 6 | 14.3 | $3.8M | +7.3% | |
| Allendale County, SC | Not scored | 3 | 9.3 | $5.3M | −7.4% |
Markets with fewer than 5 convenience stores on map listings, and counties under 10,000 people, aren’t scored; they’re listed last in each table.
Questions
How many convenience stores are in South Carolina?
As of September 2026, map listings count 2,367 convenience stores in South Carolina. 1,355 of them (57%) are chain locations. The listings count convenience stores without fuel. Official counts show 681 businesses with payroll classed as convenience stores in 2023, up 45.2% from 2019.
How much do households in South Carolina spend on groceries?
About $12.5B a year, or $5,910 per household. That is 6% below the U.S. average (an index of 94, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 2,367 convenience stores on map listings, it comes to $5.3M per store. That spending covers all groceries, which convenience stores 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 convenience stores?
South Carolina has 11.2 convenience stores per 10,000 households, 40% above the U.S. rate of 8.0. Spending per store is $5.3M, 33% below the U.S. figure of $7.9M. At the U.S. ratio of convenience stores to household spending, South Carolina would have about 1,589, against 2,367 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 3,110 households, against one for every 3,493 across the U.S. The official count rose 45.2% from 2019 to 2023, against +22.0% for the U.S.
Which market in South Carolina has the highest market score for convenience stores?
Among 10 scored metro areas in or partly in South Carolina, the Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal metro area scores highest, at 73 (upper middle). Among 6 scored small-town markets in or partly in South Carolina, the Murrells Inlet area scores highest, at 53 (upper middle). Among 42 scored counties in South Carolina, Beaufort County scores highest, at 87 (high). 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 36 for convenience stores (lower middle), #44 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 convenience stores 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.
Convenience stores in other states
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Top markets for convenience stores across the U.S. · All business types in South Carolina
Related business types in South Carolina
- Grocery and convenience stores4,556 listings
- Grocery stores1,431 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.