Financial Literacy in Fairfield County, South Carolina

With a population of roughly 20,369, Fairfield County, South Carolina is the 39th-largest of 46 counties in South Carolina. The population has declined 2.4% since 2020, from 20,872 to 20,369. The median age is 46.7, skewing older, where the pressing questions shift toward retirement income, medical costs and passing things on.

15.3% of Fairfield County residents 25 and older have completed a bachelor's degree or more. That sits 4.2 points below the South Carolina average of 19.5%. Put the other way round: of the 15,352 adults 25 and over counted in the 2019–2023 ACS, roughly 13,003 — 84.7% — are building their financial lives without a four-year degree behind them.

The typical household here earns $46,972 a year. That is $5,588 below the South Carolina median. About 16.9% of residents live below the poverty line. The median home is valued at $129,100, roughly 2.7× median household income.

Fairfield County by the numbers

Measure	Value
Population (2024)	20,369
Change since 2020	-2.4%
Median household income	$46,972
Adults 25+ with a bachelor’s degree	15.3%
Adults 25+ with a high school diploma	84.6%
Median age	46.7
Poverty rate	16.9%
Unemployment rate	5.5%
Median home value	$129,100
Land area	686.306 sq mi
Population density	30 / sq mi

What South Carolina teaches — and to whom

South Carolina has committed to 1 semester of personal finance as a graduation requirement, phasing in with the class of 2027 — so today's middle schoolers will be the first cohort held to it. That covers students still in the system. It does nothing for the adults already out of it — which, in Fairfield County, is most of the people reading this.

LearnLife organises this the way the decisions actually arrive: Legal literacy — leases, contracts, employment rights and what a signature actually commits you to; Money — budgeting, credit, debt and taxes — the mechanics nobody is formally taught; Emotional regulation — the self-management that decides whether the other skills ever get used.

Where to start in Fairfield County

Shift from accumulating to drawing down

With a median age of 46.7, a large share of Fairfield County is closer to drawing on savings than building them. The skills that matter shift accordingly: sequencing withdrawals, understanding Medicare's enrolment windows, and getting beneficiary designations and a will actually filled in.

Questions people ask about Fairfield County

Do high school students in Fairfield County, South Carolina have to take a personal finance class?

Yes — South Carolina has adopted a standalone requirement, phasing in with the graduating class of 2027. Students graduating before then are not covered.

How many adults in Fairfield County, South Carolina have a college degree?

15.3% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, based on the Census Bureau's 2019–2023 American Community Survey. The remaining 84.7% are managing their finances without one.

What is the median household income in Fairfield County, South Carolina?

$46,972, per the Census Bureau's 2019–2023 American Community Survey.

Where can adults in Fairfield County, South Carolina learn personal finance?

Graduation requirements only ever reach people still in school. For adults, LearnLife covers the same ground on demand — money, legal literacy and the self-management that decides whether either gets used.

Start with whichever one is costing you money right now.

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Population and demographic figures: U.S. Census Bureau — 2024 Gazetteer, Vintage 2024 Population Estimates, and the American Community Survey 2019–2023 5-year estimates. Graduation-requirement status: NGPF Live U.S. Dashboard, read 2026-09-14. Figures marked as unavailable are suppressed by the Census Bureau for small populations.