Orangeburg County, South Carolina Eviction Risk: Low

Orangeburg County carries an average eviction-risk score of 3/10, placing it in the Elevated tier and ranking it 2nd of 46 counties in South Carolina eviction laws for landlord risk. Only one county in the state scores higher, meaning 44 of the state's 46 counties are more landlord-friendly territory. For investors evaluating the South Carolina eviction laws market, that context matters: nearly half of the county's roughly 29,600 residents rent their homes, average rent sits at $810 per month, and a rent-burden rate of 39.6% signals that a significant share of tenants are already stretched financially before any hardship event occurs.

Scores across the county's 19 cities run from 4.6 to 5.8, a range that is narrow in absolute terms but meaningful for underwriting purposes. A portfolio concentrated in the lower-risk pockets of the county operates under noticeably different conditions than one centered on the highest-risk neighborhoods. Understanding where individual assets fall inside that band, rather than relying on the county average alone, is the starting point for any disciplined due-diligence process here.

The cities inside Orangeburg County

The highest scores in the county cluster tightly at the top. Brookdale (population 4,291) and Wilkinson Heights (population 2,012) both score 5.8/10, the county ceiling. Orangeburg city (population 13,253, the county seat and by far its largest urban center) scores 5.7/10, joined at that mark by Edisto, Branchville, and Rowesville. In practical terms, landlords in these communities should plan for a tenant base where financial stress is a regular factor: a county-wide poverty rate of 31.1% indicates that a large share of renters have little buffer against income disruptions.

Pressure eases in the smaller towns toward the county's edges. Holly Hill scores 5.1/10 and Santee comes in at 5.5/10, both below the county average. The lowest-risk city in the dataset is Elloree at 4.6/10, the only city that clears meaningful distance from the pack. Risk is hyper-local here: two properties a few miles apart can sit in materially different risk environments, so city-level scores deserve their own review rather than relying on the county headline.

State-level laws that apply here

Every landlord in Orangeburg County operates under South Carolina eviction laws state law, specifically S.C. Code § 27-40 (Residential Landlord and Tenant Act). For non-payment of rent, the required notice period is 5 days. Lease-violation notices that allow cure require 14 days, and end-of-term or no-cause terminations require 30 days. Once filed, an uncontested eviction typically resolves in 21 to 45 days; a contested matter stretches to 45 to 100 days. Direct costs include a court filing fee of $110 to $200, a sheriff lockout fee of $25 to $100, and attorney fees commonly ranging from $500 to $2,500. The full South Carolina eviction laws eviction process and its associated South Carolina eviction costs are covered in the statewide guides linked throughout this site.

South Carolina eviction laws does not require just cause to end a tenancy and the state preempts local rent control, so no city within Orangeburg County may impose rent caps independently. Landlords must provide 24 hours notice before entry. Source of income is not a protected class under state law, giving landlords broader screening latitude than in many other states, though federal fair-housing rules enforced by the South Carolina Human Affairs Commission still apply in full.

With a poverty rate of 31.1% and nearly half of all residents renting, Orangeburg County's risk profile is driven primarily by tenant financial vulnerability rather than regulatory exposure. The city grid above breaks down scores for all 19 cities, which is the most reliable starting point for comparing specific acquisition targets within the county.