Rural communities in South Carolina are in the midst of a “Great Hollowing,” a reduction in the number of people, their economic power, their political might and, in some ways, their sense of place.

Meanwhile, urban areas like Horry, Greenville, Charleston and Berkeley counties grew as the state added more than 360,000 people between 2020 and 2024 — a whopping 7% overall growth rate.

Some of our rural areas, such as the towns of Hampton and Hartsville, still feel alive and robust. Too many others have downtown areas that resemble ghost towns with empty store fronts, weathered wood and virtually no foot traffic.

“If you’re not growing, you are unfortunately dying,” said state Sen. Russell Ott, a Democrat who makes rural St. Matthews his home. But as the coast and Upstate suck up new re

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