Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US metro and micro areas.

Safety4#891/924
Economy18#757/925
Housing49#476/925
Health30#645/925
Healthcare28#664/923
Environment58#384/917
Education47#490/925
Infrastructure29#657/925
Community31#636/925
Leisure & amenities8#855/925

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Sumter, SC metro area ranks highest and lowest among US metro and micro areas (score = percentile, 100 = best).

Strengths

Job growth · high3.0%
96/100South Carolina 0.7%United States 0.1%2026 Q1U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsProvisional data
Suicide rate · low12.5 /100k
89/100South Carolina 16.3 /100kUnited States 14.1 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionAggregated from counties
Comfortable days · high31.0%
85/100South Carolina 31.6%United States 26.8%2016-2025NOAA National Centers for Environmental InformationAggregated from counties
Cost of buying a home today · low26.3%
81/100South Carolina 30.2%United States 34.1%Aug 2026Zillow Research
New business applications · high15.6 /1k
81/100South Carolina 16.9 /1kUnited States 16.6 /1k2025U.S. Census BureauAggregated from counties
Effective property tax rate · low0.54%
81/100South Carolina 0.49%United States 0.94%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25090

Weaknesses

Violent crime rate · high652 /100k
4/100South Carolina 388 /100kUnited States 328 /100k2025Federal Bureau of InvestigationAggregated from counties
Homicide rate · high13.4 /100k
5/100South Carolina 8.4 /100kUnited States 4.8 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionAggregated from counties
Adult obesity · high43.2%
7/100South Carolina 38.3%United States 38.2%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Property crime rate · high2,168 /100k
7/100South Carolina 1,676 /100kUnited States 1,535 /100k2025Federal Bureau of InvestigationAggregated from counties
Traffic deaths · high26.6 /100k
11/100South Carolina 20.5 /100kUnited States 12.3 /100k2020-2024National Highway Traffic Safety AdministrationAggregated from counties
Food insecurity · high23.9%
11/100South Carolina 18.3%United States 15.6%2023Centers for Disease Control and PreventionAggregated from counties

Trends

The largest changes over about five years, next to the country's over the same periods.

Drought exposureWorsening
24% (2021) → 64% (Oct 2025–Sep 2026)
+41 pts5 yearsUS 40% → 43%
Child care cost burdenWorsening
23.9% (2020 & 2021) → 37.6% (2023 & 2024)
+14 pts3 yearsUS 24.5% → 27.9%
Broadband subscriptionsImproving
73.9% (2015-2019) → 87.4% (2020-2024)
+14 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%
Traffic deathsWorsening
17.8 /100k (2015-2019) → 26.6 /100k (2020-2024)
+49%5 yearsUS 11.3 /100k → 12.3 /100k
Access to exercise opportunitiesImproving
69.1% (2010 & 2021) → 78.6% (2022 & 2024)
+9.6 pts3 yearsUS 79.8% → 84.5%
Child poverty rateImproving
29.0% (2015-2019) → 20.1% (2020-2024)
−8.9 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 16.8% → 15.5%

What changed in five years

How each measure moved between two periods about five years apart, read against whether more or less is better, the published margin of error and the same change in other places.

Over about five years, Sumter, SC metro area improved on 15 of 31 measures with a comparison and declined on 6. 6 moved within the margin of error and 4 barely changed.

Earlier period
Latest period
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among metro and micro areas: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts. Periods differ by measure (most compare 2015-2019 with 2020-2024); each row names its own in its tooltip and in the table.

Improved15

High school++5.9 points83.7% → 89.6%
Child poverty−8.9 points29.0% → 20.1%
Bachelor's++5.3 points18.2% → 23.5%
Broadband+14 points73.9% → 87.4%
Poverty−3.2 points19.7% → 16.6%

Declined6

Traffic deaths+49%17.8 /100k → 26.6 /100k
Arts & recreation−10%2.8 /10k → 2.5 /10k
Restaurants−8.5%6.5 /10k → 5.9 /10k
Grocery stores−13%1.4 /10k → 1.2 /10k
Price / income+0.4×2.5× → 2.9×

All 31 measures

Change of every measure of Sumter, SC metro area between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Arts, entertainment and recreation	2.8 /10k2020	2.5 /10k2025	−10%	Declined	14%
Average commute time	23.7 min2015-2019	23.0 min2020-2024	−0.8 min	Within the margin of error	84%
Average weekly wage	$8122020	$1,0482025	+29%	Improved	90%
Bachelor's degree or higher	18.2%2015-2019	23.5%2020-2024	+5.3 points	Improved	94%
Broadband subscriptions	73.9%2015-2019	87.4%2020-2024	+14 points	Improved	86%
Child poverty rate	29.0%2015-2019	20.1%2020-2024	−8.9 points	Improved	93%
Distance to an airport	42 mi2020	42 mi2025	−0 mi	Little change	76%
Drug overdose deaths	28.4 /100k2020	19.2 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026	−32%	Improved	59%
Effective property tax rate	0.57%2015-2019	0.54%2020-2024	−0 points	Within the margin of error	18%
Firearm deaths	24.7 /100k2020	19.2 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−22%	Improved	84%
Grocery stores	1.4 /10k2020	1.2 /10k2025	−13%	Declined	19%
Gyms and fitness centers	0.6 /10k2020	0.6 /10k2025	+0.3%	Little change	43%
High school diploma or higher	83.7%2015-2019	89.6%2020-2024	+5.9 points	Improved	98%
Home price to income ratio	2.5×2015-2019	2.9×2020-2024	+0.4×	Declined	57%
Homicide rate	19.0 /100k2020	13.4 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−29%	Improved	56%
Income adjusted for local prices	$46,2342019	$59,3282024	+28%	Improved	24%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4572015-2019	0.4622020-2024	+0.004	Within the margin of error	42%
Median household income	$44,4862015-2019	$56,6932020-2024	+27%	Improved	52%
New business applications	13.9 /1k2020	15.6 /1k2025	+12%	Improved	10%
Pharmacies	1.5 /10k2020	1.4 /10k2025	−5.9%	Declined	56%
Poverty rate	19.7%2015-2019	16.6%2020-2024	−3.2 points	Improved	88%
Property crime rate	2,637 /100k2020	2,168 /100k2025	−18%	Improved	21%
Public libraries	0.4 /10k2019	0.4 /10k2024	+1.8%	Little change	75%
Rent as share of income	29.3%2015-2019	30.7%2020-2024	+1.4 points	Within the margin of error	29%
Rent-burdened households	48.2%2015-2019	51.8%2020-2024	+3.6 points	Within the margin of error	28%
Restaurants and bars	6.5 /10k2020	5.9 /10k2025	−8.5%	Declined	16%
Suicide rate	12.3 /100k2020	12.5 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	+1.6%	Little change	58%
Traffic deaths	17.8 /100k2015-2019	26.6 /100k2020-2024	+49%	Declined	7%
Unemployment rate	6.6%2020	5.4%2025	−1.2 points	Improved	6%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	13.5%2015-2019	12.6%2020-2024	−0.9 points	Within the margin of error	67%
Violent crime rate	906 /100k2020	652 /100k2025	−28%	Improved	72%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 708 metro and micro areas that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: Regional Economic Accounts; Local Area Unemployment Statistics; Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; Mapping Injury, Overdose, and Violence; American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates; Business Formation Statistics; Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master files; Public Libraries Survey; Fatality Analysis Reporting System; Distance to airports and intercity rail. Values are the latest and the one five years earlier of the same publisher dataset; datasets that changed publisher in between are never compared.

Survey estimates (American Community Survey) compare the two most recent 5-year windows that do not share years, so the margin of error of the difference holds. The 2015-2019 window predates the pandemic and 2020-2024 includes it.
A change counts only when it is larger than 1.645 times the square root of the two standard errors squared, summed (a 90% margin). Measures published without a margin must change by at least 5% to count.
“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 925 metro and micro areas that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.
Standing is a percentile among the same places: 0 is the lowest value on the measure (or the worst when lower is better), 100 the best.

Metro and micro areas like Sumter, SC metro area five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Sumter, SC metro area in the earlier period, ranked by how many measures improved beyond the margin of error, minus how many declined. A comparison of published data, not a forecast and not advice.

For comparison, Sumter, SC metro area itself moved −1.1 points in standing on average over the same 30 measures (standings of all places average about zero).

How the ranking works

Similarity is the root-mean-square difference of standings in the earlier period over the measures most places have. Places are ranked by measures that improved beyond the margin of error minus those that declined (a count that estimation noise in small places cannot inflate), then by the mean change of standing over the measures a place has in both periods. Only places with more improvements than declines and a rise in standing are listed. Standings are relative, so a place can improve in absolute terms and still lose standing.

Who lives here

Age, race and education of residents, from the American Community Survey. Shares are of all residents (age), residents of every origin (race) or adults 25 and over (education).

Age and sex

104,725 residents

Men
Women

80 and over
70–79
60–69

Income

How household income is spread, not just the middle: each bar is the share of households in that income range.

Household income

41,083 households (±635)

Sumter, SC metro area
United States share

Under $25k23%9,292
$25k–50k22%9,072
$50k–75k19%7,678

Homes

Who owns and who rents, what homes cost, and what the housing stock looks like.

Owners and renters

41,083 households (±635)

Sumter, SC metro area
United States share

Own68%27,990
Rent32%13,093

No change since 2015–2019 is larger than the margin of error.

Table view

Getting to work

How workers travel to their job and how long it takes them.

How people get to work

44,903 workers (±1,217)

Sumter, SC metro area
United States share

Drive alone85%38,272
Carpool7.6%3,433
Public transit0.2%†80

Jobs and pay

What the largest occupations here pay, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey.

The 10 largest occupations in Sumter, SC employ 8,330 people. 10 pay a median below the US median.

Above the US median
Below the US median

The largest occupations in Sumter, SC by employment, with median annual pay and how it compares with the United States
Occupation	Jobs	Median pay	vs USCompared with the US	Concentration
Fast Food and Counter Workers1,060 jobs	1,060	$24,510US $31,200	−21%	1.23×
Retail Salespersons1,010 jobs	1,010	$28,720US $35,410	−19%	1.17×
Customer Service Representatives990 jobs	990	$39,100US $44,770	−13%	1.71×
Cashiers910 jobs	910	$26,710US $32,880	−19%	1.33×
Home Health and Personal Care Aides890 jobs	890	$28,030US $35,800	−22%	0.93×
Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators880 jobs	880	$39,040US $44,650	−13%	2.81×
Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand720 jobs	720	$36,090US $40,240	−10%	1.1×
Registered Nurses670 jobs	670	$86,260US $97,550	−12%	0.89×
Office Clerks, General620 jobs	620	$35,260US $45,010	−22%	1.13×
Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners580 jobs	580	$30,640US $36,840	−17%	1.19×

Look up any occupation

Search more than 800 occupations and see what they pay in Sumter, SC.

Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025-05 (all industries and ownerships) bls.gov/oes

Reference period: 2025-05. BLS publishes metro areas, states and the nation (not counties or cities), so a county or city page shows its metro area.
Pay is not adjusted for the cost of living, so a higher median does not mean more purchasing power.
BLS caps the highest wages it publishes: where a figure is shown as “or more”, the real value is at least that much.
Some occupations (teachers, performers) are published by the hour or school year and shown here as an annual figure.

Local businesses

Employer businesses and sole proprietors by industry, per resident and against the state and the nation. Counts of businesses next to counts of people, not a measure of demand.

Sumter, SC has 1,833 employer establishments, 176 for every 10,000 residents (0.71× the US rate of 248), with 29,449 paid employees at an average annual pay of $44,071. The Census Bureau also counts 8,109 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 1,833; 8,109 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 176; US 248
Paid employees: 29,449
Average annual pay: $44,071; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of Sumter, SC by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Ambulatory health care services	146	14	0.67×Fewer than typical	2,418	$53,628	355
Restaurants and other eating places	134	12.8	0.70×Fewer than typical	3,317	$16,222	69
Specialty trade contractors	110	10.5	0.68×Fewer than typical	1,409	$65,294	552
Religious organizations	92	8.8	1.59×More than typical	661	$19,079	—
Limited-service restaurants	73	7	0.87×About typical	1,955	$16,034	42
Gasoline stations	60	5.7	1.77×More than typical	399	$23,321	4
Lessors of real estate	50	4.8	0.39×Fewer than typical	174	$43,667	548
Services to buildings and dwellings	50	4.8	0.71×Fewer than typical	385	$32,358	826
Full-service restaurants	49	4.7	0.61×Fewer than typical	1,270	$16,378	18
General merchandise stores	45	4.3	2.44×More than typical	849	$22,576	46
Building equipment contractors	42	4	0.67×Fewer than typical	747	$77,585	113
Offices of physicians	40	3.8	0.59×Fewer than typical	798	$77,318	39

Rank places for an industry

County Business Patterns (2023); Nonemployer Statistics (2024)

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 104,396 residents here, 336,755,052 in the United States. County Business Patterns counts establishments in 2023; the Nonemployer Statistics count businesses in 2024.
“More than typical” is a density at least 1.25 times the nation's per resident, “fewer” at most 0.8 times, with at least 10 establishments. It compares counts of businesses with counts of people: it says nothing about demand, incomes, size, quality or profit, and visitors and commuters are not residents.
The Census Bureau adds noise to employment and payroll to protect confidentiality, and withholds some figures: an industry with few establishments can show employees or pay as unavailable.
Industries overlap: a narrower industry (full-service restaurants) is part of a broader one (restaurants), so the rows do not add up.
A metro area's figures are the exact sums of its counties.
Industries follow the North American Industry Classification System; the two surveys use different editions (NAICS 2017 and 2022), which this page matches industry by industry.

Federal contract spending

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $391.2M on contracts performed in Sumter, SC metro area: $3,723 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $391.2M; −6% vs FY2025
Per resident: $3,723; US $1,994
Sole-source: 19%; US 30%
Single offer: 34%; US 8.8%

A signal is a reason to look closer, not evidence of wrongdoing: most sole-source awards are lawful and justified.

Top buying agencies

Department of the Air Force$305.8M78%
Agricultural Marketing Service$44.8M11%
Department of the Army$11.8M3.0%
Federal Acquisition Service$11.6M3.0%
Defense Information Systems Agency$10.9M2.8%
Defense Logistics Agency$2.2M0.6%
Defense Health Agency$2.2M0.6%
Department of the Navy$766.4K0.2%

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

308.9MFY2017
374.1MFY2018
494.1MFY2019
386.7MFY2020
396.5MFY2021
403.1MFY2022
388MFY2023
363.1M

Top industries (NAICS)

Facilities support services · 5612$164.3M42%
Animal slaughtering and processing · 3116$44.8M11%
Computer systems design and related services · 5415$41.7M11%
Architectural, engineering, and related services · 5413$33.1M8.5%
Aerospace product and parts manufacturing · 3364$21.8M5.6%
Wired telecommunications carriers · 5171

Largest awards

NETWORK OPERATION SECURITY CENTER SUPPORT SERVICES FOR 9 AF AFCENT$166.9M
CACI NSS, LLC· Sumter County, SC· IT & telecom· Oct 21, 2020 – May 8, 2026· FA489021F0010
BASE PERIOD AWARD$129.7M
AT2, LLC· Sumter County, SC· Facilities & utilities· Apr 11, 2018 – May 26, 2026· FA489018C0008
SPACE SEGMENT- 250 MHZ (KU)$128M
ARTEL LLC· Sumter County, SC· IT & telecom· Jun 28, 2021 – Jun 9, 2026· HC101321F0110
NON-PERSONAL SERVICES FOR THE OPERATION, MAINTENANCE AND SUPPORT OF USAFCENT GPMS AND EXERCISE AND CONTINGENCY LOGISTICS SUPPORT AT 7 STORAGE AND MAINTENANCE SITES LOCATED IN KUWAIT, OMAN, UAE AND QATAR TO MAXIMIZE USAFCENT COMBAT CAPABILITY.

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026.

Federal grants & assistance

Grants, loans (counted at their subsidy cost), direct payments and insurance, by fiscal year of the action (USAspending.gov, FABS). Reported apart from contracts and never added to them.

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $824.5M in grants, loans, direct payments and insurance for Sumter, SC metro area: $7,847 per resident (US $12,955).

Assistance · FY2026: $824.5M; −2.5% vs FY2025
Per resident: $7,847; US $12,955
Loan face value: $61.3M; lent or guaranteed
To individuals: 0.5%; counted, never named

Top programs

96.002 · Social Security Retirement Insurance$385M47%
64.109 · Veterans Compensation for Service-Connected Disability$216.7M26%
96.001 · Social Security Disability Insurance$73.7M8.9%
96.004 · Social Security Survivors Insurance$42.3M5.1%
96.006 · Supplemental Security Income$30.8M3.7%
64.110 · Veterans Dependency and Indemnity Compensation for Service-Connected Death$11.3M1.4%
84.063 · Federal Pell Grant Program$9.4M1.1%
64.028 · Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance$7.6M0.9%

Top recipients (organizations)

SOUTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION$12M1.5%
COLUMBIA, SC
SUMTER HOUSING AUTHORITY$9.7M1.2%
SUMTER, SC
CENTRAL CAROLINA TECHNICAL COLLEGE$7.6M0.9%
SUMTER, SC
MORRIS COLLEGE$6.2M0.8%
SUMTER, SC
TANDEM HEALTH SC$2.4M

Organizations only: awards to individuals and county aggregate records count in the totals but are never listed. Grants to state governments recorded at the agency's own address are counted statewide, not in the capital's county.

Top agencies

Social Security Administration$531.8M65%
Under Secretary for Benefits/Veterans Benefits Administration$243.7M30%
Department of Veterans Affairs
Department of Education$14.2M1.7%
Federal Highway Administration$12M1.5%
Department of Transportation
Assistant Secretary for Public and Indian Housing$9.7M

Assistance by fiscal year

726.3MFY2021
722.1MFY2022
770MFY2023
767.2MFY2024
846MFY2025
824.5MFY2026

County aggregates

94%

Share of obligations reported only as county totals of many small awards (for example Social Security or Medicare payments), with no recipient named.

Source: Federal financial assistance transactions (Financial Assistance Broker Submission) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026 · FY2021–FY2026.

Counties in Sumter, SC

Whole counties, as the U.S. Office of Management and Budget delineates the area. Federal spending below is the exact sum of these counties.

Sumter CountyCentral county26105,067

Principal cities

The cities the area is named for.

SumterPrincipal city43,053

Largest cities and towns

By population, for places with most of their residents in the area.

Other metro and micro areas in South Carolina

Areas based in South Carolina, best score first.

Neighboring metro and micro areas

Places that share a border, best score first.

Similar metro and micro areas

Closest indicator profiles across the country (no model: score distances).

Data and sources

Latest published value of each indicator; periods differ by source. Values flagged by their publisher are marked.

Mapping Injury, Overdose, and ViolenceCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2026-10-01
PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Daily county PM2.5 and ozone (EPA downscaler model)Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · release 2022
Care Compare: Hospital General Information and Timely and Effective CareCenters for Medicare & Medicaid Services · release 2026-07-22
Distance to airports and intercity railFederal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census Bureau · release 2025+amtrak-2026-04-23
Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master filesFederal Bureau of Investigation · release 2025
Public Libraries SurveyInstitute of Museum and Library Services · release FY2024
U.S. Drought Monitor county statisticsNational Drought Mitigation Center (University of Nebraska–Lincoln), USDA and NOAA · release 2026-09-29
Fatality Analysis Reporting SystemNational Highway Traffic Safety Administration · release 2024
nClimGrid-Daily county averagesNOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · release 2025
Regional Economic AccountsU.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis · release 2024
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
Quarterly Census of Employment and WagesU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2026 Q1
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Building Permits SurveyU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-08
Business Formation StatisticsU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-10-01
Population Estimates ProgramU.S. Census Bureau · release 2025
Small Area Health Insurance EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Small Area Income and Poverty EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Alternative Fuels Data Center station locatorU.S. Department of Energy · release 2026-10
Election Administration and Voting SurveyU.S. Election Assistance Commission · release 2024
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement
Zillow Home Value Index, Observed Rent Index and affordabilityZillow Research · release 2026-08

JSON · /api/v1/places/M44940

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends

What changed in five years

Improved15

Declined6

Metro and micro areas like Sumter, SC metro area five years ago that improved

Who lives here

Age and sex

Income

Household income

Homes

Owners and renters

Getting to work

How people get to work

Jobs and pay

Look up any occupation

Local businesses

Federal contract spending

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards

Federal grants & assistance

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

Counties in Sumter, SC

Principal cities

Largest cities and towns

Other metro and micro areas in South Carolina

Neighboring metro and micro areas

Similar metro and micro areas

Data and sources

Improved15

Declined6

Age and sex

Household income

Owners and renters

How people get to work

Race and Hispanic origin

Education

Rent paid

Home values

Age of homes

Size of homes

Time to get to work

Look up any occupation

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

By type

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards

What was bought