Salvadoran Population in South Carolina by City : 2025 Ranking & Insights

The Salvadoran population in South Carolina totals 7,195, according to recent U.S. Census estimates. Leading cities include North Charleston (250), followed by Mauldin (245) and Goose Creek (228), each hosting visible segments of the community. While these urban centers anchor much of the population, the statewide total points to a broader presence in unincorporated areas and smaller towns beyond major city boundaries. The analysis below explores how Salvadoran residents are distributed across South Carolina''s urban and rural landscape.

Top 5 cities with the largest Salvadoran population in South Carolina

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  • 1
    North Charleston
    Salvadoran population in North Charleston is 250
    0.21% of North Charleston population is Salvadoran
  • 2
    Mauldin
    Salvadoran population in Mauldin is 245
    0.94% of Mauldin population is Salvadoran
  • 3
    Goose Creek
    Salvadoran population in Goose Creek is 228
    0.49% of Goose Creek population is Salvadoran
  • 4
    Clemson
    Salvadoran population in Clemson is 163
    0.92% of Clemson population is Salvadoran
  • 5
    Florence
    Salvadoran population in Florence is 126
    0.31% of Florence population is Salvadoran

Overview of Salvadoran population in South Carolina

  • Population Count and Percentage: American Community Survey data indicate South Carolina contains 7,195 Salvadoran residents (0.14% of 5.2 million total state population), positioning the state at the 41st percentile nationally among U.S. states for Salvadoran population concentrations.
  • Comparison to State and National Averages: U.S. Census surveys show South Carolina's Salvadoran demographic representation of 0.14% remains below the national average of 0.75%, positioning the state below typical U.S. demographic distribution patterns.
  • Share of Total National Population: Official American Community Survey data indicates South Carolina contains 7,195 Salvadoran residents, representing less than 1% of the nation's total Salvadoran population of 2.5 million, constituting a minimal fraction of the national demographic community relative to the state's overall population size.
  • Population Density per Square Mile: U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey data shows South Carolina's density of 0.24 Salvadoran Americans per square mile remains below the national average of 0.7 per square mile, indicating relatively sparse distribution compared to national demographic concentrations.
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186 Cities in South Carolina Ranked by Salvadoran Population

View Methodology
American Community Survey data [1] show Salvadoran population in South Carolina present in North Charleston, Mauldin, and Goose Creek, along with several other incorporated cities reporting non-zero populations. The table below provides broader statistics, including total population figures, density measures, and demographic distributions based on current ACS data for all incorporated cities included in this analysis*.
cities in South Carolina ranked by Salvadoran population count
Rank by Salvadoran Population
City
Salvadoran Population
% of Total City Population
% of Total South Carolina Salvadoran Population
5 Year Rank Trend
1 North Charleston 250 0.21% 3.47%
2 Mauldin 245 0.94% 3.41%
3 Goose Creek 228 0.49% 3.17%
4 Clemson 163 0.92% 2.27%
5 Florence 126 0.31% 1.75%
6 Charleston 106 0.07% 1.47%
7 Columbia 105 0.08% 1.46%
8 88 0.31% 1.22%
9 84 0.61% 1.17%
10 81 3.16% 1.13%
11 71 0.18% 0.99%
11 71 0.40% 0.99%
12 70 0.14% 0.97%
13 59 1.11% 0.82%
14 58 0.15% 0.81%
15 55 0.17% 0.76%
16 53 1.59% 0.74%
17 47 0.24% 0.65%
18 38 0.35% 0.53%
19 37 0.33% 0.51%
20 34 1.52% 0.47%
21 32 0.13% 0.44%
22 28 0.09% 0.39%
23 27 0.20% 0.38%
23 27 0.03% 0.38%
24 24 0.06% 0.33%
25 23 0.36% 0.32%
26 22 0.03% 0.31%
27 20 1.57% 0.28%
28 19 0.08% 0.26%
28 19 0.22% 0.26%
29 18 0.53% 0.25%
30 16 0.02% 0.22%
31 15 0.36% 0.21%
32 11 1.24% 0.15%
33 8 0.04% 0.11%
34 7 0.10% 0.10%
34 7 0.09% 0.10%
35 6 0.03% 0.08%
35 6 0.02% 0.08%
36 5 0.89% 0.07%
36 5 0.02% 0.07%
36 5 0.02% 0.07%
37 4 0.01% 0.06%
37 4 0.18% 0.06%
37 4 0.03% 0.06%
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Methodology

This ranking list is based on data from the American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates, conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau. The ACS is one of the most reliable sources for understanding population trends across different locations, and it provides estimates for various racial and ethnic groups at city, county, state and all geography levels down to the Census block group.
This list ranks city in South Carolina by their Salvadoran population, using the most recent ACS data available.

How the Census defines Salvadoran population

The U.S. Census Bureau allows people to self-identify their ancestry, meaning individuals can write upto ancestries when responding to the survey. In this ranking, we include everyone who identifies as having Salvadoran ancestry, whether alone or in combination with another ancestry.
Here are a few important things to know about how ancestry is reported:
  • Some people identify as Salvadoran alone, while others identify as Salvadoran along with another race (such as Salvadoran and German).
  • We’ve used the “Salvadoran alone or in any combination” category unless noted otherwise, which gives a broader picture of the Salvadoran population in each area.

How We Ranked the Data

This ranking is based on the total number of people who identified as Salvadoran alone or in combination in city. To provide additional context, we’ve also included two key percentages:
  1. % of Total City Population – This shows what percentage of the total state population identifies as Salvadoran .
  2. % of Total South Carolina Salvadoran Population – This tells us how much of the entire U.S. Salvadoran population lives in that state.
To keep things simple, all population numbers have been rounded to the nearest whole number, and percentages are rounded to one decimal place. Because of rounding, some percentages may not add up to exactly 100%.

Things to Keep in Mind

Like all survey-based data, ACS estimates come with some limitations. Here are a few things to be aware of:
  • In places with very small Salvadoran populations, the numbers may not be reported at all due to privacy protections or sampling variability in the survey.
  • Since the ACS is based on a sample, the numbers are estimates, not exact counts. That means they may slightly differ from other sources like the decennial U.S. Census.
  • City that don’t have any reported Salvadoran population are not included in the ranking but are listed separately below for reference.
This ranking is meant to provide a clear, data-driven look at where Salvadoran populations are most concentrated while keeping the numbers easy to understand.

Sources

  1. 2019-2023 5-Year Estimates.
  2. 2023.