Biggest Retail Cities in South Carolina: Top 25 Towns Ranked
South Carolina has 39,138 independent retail places spread across 274 towns. Columbia leads with 2,795 — 7.1% of the state. The top 25 towns, and the eight most common store types, by count.
Published September 15, 2026 · Useful Economy Research
South Carolina by the numbers
Where the stores are
South Carolina has 39,138 independent retail places — 728.3 per 100,000 residents, 1.0× the national average of 724.8 and 29th of the 50 states and D.C. on retail density.
Columbia holds 2,795 of them (7.1% of the state total). Greenville is second with 2,771 (7.1%). The 25 towns below account for 63.8% of South Carolina's retail; 274 towns in the state have at least five places.
The most common store type is the construction supplies store (4,222, 10.8% of the state's retail), followed by miscellaneous stores (2,490).
Top 25 retail towns in South Carolina
Independent retail places per city or town, with each town's share of South Carolina's 39,138 total. Only towns with at least five places are counted.
| # | City / town | Retail places | Share of state |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Columbia | 2,795 | 7.1% |
| 2 | Greenville | 2,771 | 7.1% |
| 3 | Myrtle Beach | 2,177 | 5.6% |
| 4 | Charleston | 2,048 | 5.2% |
| 5 | North Charleston | 1,295 | 3.3% |
| 6 | Spartanburg | 1,197 | 3.1% |
| 7 | Mt. Pleasant | 1,051 | 2.7% |
| 8 | Anderson | 928 | 2.4% |
| 9 | Summerville | 927 | 2.4% |
| 10 | Rock Hill | 916 | 2.3% |
| 11 | Florence | 879 | 2.2% |
| 12 | Lexington | 709 | 1.8% |
| 13 | Bluffton | 693 | 1.8% |
| 14 | Hilton Head Island | 682 | 1.7% |
| 15 | Greer | 632 | 1.6% |
| 16 | Sumter | 631 | 1.6% |
| 17 | Conway | 604 | 1.5% |
| 18 | Aiken | 593 | 1.5% |
| 19 | Beaufort | 528 | 1.3% |
| 20 | North Myrtle Beach | 523 | 1.3% |
| 21 | West Columbia | 522 | 1.3% |
| 22 | Greenwood | 506 | 1.3% |
| 23 | Easley | 490 | 1.3% |
| 24 | Fort Mill | 454 | 1.2% |
| 25 | Simpsonville | 419 | 1.1% |
Counts use the city/town label on each place, so boroughs, villages and unincorporated areas appear separately from their parent city.
Most common store types in South Carolina
The eight largest independent-retail categories in South Carolina, with each one's share of the state's 39,138 places.
| # | Store type | Places | Share of state retail |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Construction Supplies Store | 4,222 | 10.8% |
| 2 | Miscellaneous Store | 2,490 | 6.4% |
| 3 | Clothing Store | 2,435 | 6.2% |
| 4 | Furniture and Home Store | 2,154 | 5.5% |
| 5 | Print Store | 1,680 | 4.3% |
| 6 | Hardware Store | 1,498 | 3.8% |
| 7 | Shoe Store | 1,455 | 3.7% |
| 8 | Gift Store | 1,238 | 3.2% |
Each place is counted once under its primary retail category. Grocery, pharmacy, fuel, liquor, cannabis, automotive and mall categories are excluded.
Frequently asked questions
- Which city in South Carolina has the most retail stores?
- Columbia, with 2,795 independent retail places — 7.1% of South Carolina's 39,138 total. Greenville is next with 2,771.
- How many independent retail stores are in South Carolina?
- 39,138 shoppable independent retail places, or 728.3 per 100,000 residents (1.0× the U.S. average of 724.8). That ranks South Carolina 29th of 51 for retail density.
- What is the most common type of store in South Carolina?
- The construction supplies store: 4,222 places, or 10.8% of South Carolina's retail. Miscellaneous Stores are second at 2,490.
Related reports
National retail reports
More states
- Biggest Retail Cities in Oregon: Top 25 Towns Ranked35,446 retail places
- Biggest Retail Cities in Pennsylvania: Top 25 Towns Ranked98,947 retail places
- Biggest Retail Cities in Rhode Island: Top 25 Towns Ranked8,168 retail places
- Biggest Retail Cities in South Dakota: Top 25 Towns Ranked7,453 retail places
- Biggest Retail Cities in Tennessee: Top 25 Towns Ranked55,102 retail places
- Biggest Retail Cities in Texas: Top 25 Towns Ranked196,483 retail places
Data & method
- Source: Foursquare Open Source Places (U.S. slice, Apache-2.0), counted by Useful Economy. Population: U.S. Census Bureau Vintage 2023 estimates (July 1, 2023).
- What counts as retail: an open place carrying a Retail category label. Grocery and other food retail, pharmacies, convenience stores and fuel, liquor, cannabis, tobacco and vape, automotive, gun and hunting, adult, betting, fireworks, markets and shopping malls are excluded, so the counts describe shoppable independent storefronts rather than all commerce.
- Counting rule: each place is counted once, under its primary retail category and the city/town label on its address. Town tables include only towns with at least five places. Per-100k figures divide by state population; city populations are not used.
- Generated: September 15, 2026. Figures refresh when the source data is re-counted.
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