Clarendon County, South Carolina Eviction Risk: Low

Clarendon County sits in South Carolina eviction laws's Lowcountry-adjacent I-26 corridor, a largely rural stretch of lakes, pine flatwoods, and small towns where roughly 31% of households rent. The county's eviction-risk index lands at 2.7/10 (Low), placing it 15th out of 46 South Carolina counties -- putting it in the higher-risk of the state despite carrying one of the lower raw scores on record. That apparent tension is straightforward to explain: 14 South Carolina counties score higher, while 31 score lower, so Clarendon sits above the midpoint in rank even while its absolute score stays in Low territory. Landlords operating here face a legal environment that is comparatively predictable, but the county's 19.9% poverty rate and average rent burden of 35.4% mean tenant financial stress is real, and that stress feeds into late-payment risk that landlords should price into their underwriting.

Scores across Clarendon's 8 tracked communities run from 2.1 to 3.1/10, a spread that reflects genuine variation between the county seat and its smaller satellite communities. Manning, the county seat and largest community at roughly 3,863 residents, carries the highest reading at 3.1/10 -- the one city in the county where tenant-protection pressure, court activity, and relative population density push risk measurably above the county average. Summerton (803 residents, Lake Marion shoreline) registers 3/10, also above the county average, driven partly by its proximity to recreational-renter and seasonal-occupancy dynamics that introduce turnover and nonpayment patterns unlike those in purely agricultural communities. Wyboo (3,639 residents) and Turbeville (925 residents) both clock in at 2.6/10 and 2.6/10 respectively, sitting right at the lower boundary of the county's score spread. At the lower end, North Santee and Alcolu each register 2.1/10 and 2.1/10 -- the lowest readings in the county -- while Paxville comes in at 2.3/10 and Foreston at 2.7/10.

South Carolina's S.C. Code § 27-40 (Residential Landlord and Tenant Act) governs all residential tenancies in Clarendon County. The statute gives landlords clear process rights: a 5-day notice for nonpayment of rent, a 14-day notice for curable lease violations, and a 30-day notice for end-of-term no-cause terminations. There is no just-cause eviction requirement, no rent cap, and state law explicitly preempts any local rent-control ordinance -- so landlords in Manning, Summerton, or any other Clarendon community face the same statewide baseline with no municipal overlay to navigate. Court filing fees range from $110 to $200; sheriff lockout fees add $25 to $100 on top of that. Uncontested cases typically resolve in 21-45 days, while contested proceedings can stretch to 45-100 days. Average rent across the county is approximately $675/month, well below the South Carolina average, which limits the dollar exposure per unit but also limits the tenant's ability to absorb an unexpected shortfall.

Clarendon County's 2.7/10 score reflects a landlord-favorable legal framework with no local rent-control risk, no just-cause requirement, and short statutory notice periods -- offset by meaningful tenant financial stress: 19.9% poverty and a 35.4% rent-burden average that exceed statewide norms and keep late-payment and nonpayment incidents elevated relative to wealthier markets.