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Business phone system for funeral homes and funeral services in South Carolina

274 funeral homes and funeral services operated in South Carolina in 2023. Where they are, how big their teams are, and what phone service costs them.

Establishments
274CBP 2023
Employees
2,534mid-March 2023
Per 100k residents
5.0U.S. 4.5
State rank
22nd of 51by count

How many funeral homes and funeral services operate in South Carolina

The Census Bureau counted 274 funeral homes and funeral services in South Carolina in its 2023 County Business Patterns (NAICS 812210). They employed 2,534 people in mid-March and reported $92.5 million in annual payroll. That is the 22nd highest count among the 51 states and DC with published figures. Funeral homes and funeral services make up 0.22% of the 122,958 business establishments in the state.

Per 100,000 residents (2024 estimate) South Carolina has 5.0 funeral homes and funeral services, 12.0% above the national rate of 4.5. The average establishment has 9.2 employees against 7.1 nationally. Payroll per employee is $36,513, 16.3% below the U.S. figure of $43,650.

Funeral homes and funeral services: South Carolina compared with the U.S., 2023
MeasureSouth CarolinaUnited States
Establishments27415,183
Mid-March employees2,534 (moderate noise)107,566
Annual payroll$92,525,000$4,695,206,000
Employees per establishment9.27.1
Payroll per employee$36,513$43,650
Establishments per 100,000 residents5.04.5

Census County Business Patterns 2023 (mid-March employment; annual payroll). Employees and payroll flagged high-noise are shown but not used in the text. Residents: Census Vintage 2024 estimates.

Funeral homes and funeral services by metro area in South Carolina

Census published funeral home counts for 15 metro or micropolitan areas that include part of South Carolina. The largest is Charlotte, NC-SC, with 101 establishments (a multi-state area; its count covers every state it spans). Single-state metro and micropolitan areas account for 76% of the statewide total; the rest are outside any published area or in areas Census suppressed.

Funeral homes and funeral services by metro or micropolitan area, South Carolina, 2023
AreaEstablishmentsEmployeesPer 100k residents
Charlotte, NC-SC1017923.5
Greenville, SC364893.6
Augusta, GA-SC362495.7
Columbia, SC354864.0
Charleston, SC312303.6
Spartanburg, SC232165.8
Florence, SC2117210.5
Myrtle Beach, SC151363.6
Greenwood, SC9769.5
Orangeburg, SC9—10.8
Hilton Head Island, SC7—2.9
Sumter, SC7666.7
Murrells Inlet, SC6—9.1
Gaffney, SC5428.7
Newberry, SC52912.8

Source: Census County Business Patterns 2023; population from Census Vintage 2024 estimates.

Team sizes at funeral homes and funeral services in South Carolina

33.8% of South Carolina's funeral homes and funeral services with employees had fewer than five people in March 2023, compared with 49.3% nationally. 64.3% had fewer than ten. That is the size of team where a missed call usually means nobody was free, not that nobody was on staff.

Funeral homes and funeral services in South Carolina by employment size, 2023
Employment sizeEstablishmentsShareU.S. share
1–4 employees9233.8%49.3%
5–9 employees8330.5%28.5%
10–19 employees6825.0%16.6%
20–49 employees2910.7%5.0%
50 or more employees00.0%0.6%

Employment-size classes count establishments by mid-March 2023 employment. Establishments with no March employees are excluded from the size classes, so shares are of establishments with employees. Source: Census County Business Patterns 2023.

What funeral homes and funeral services in South Carolina use the phone for

Funeral homes receive calls at any hour, often at a family's most difficult moment, so every call must be answered with care. Coordination with clergy, cemeteries and florists also happens by phone.

Typical inbound and outbound calls for funeral homes and funeral services in South Carolina:

Calls after closing time

Calls about a death come at any hour and must reach a staff member.

Callata voicemail is transcribed and triaged for urgency, and business-hours routing decides where calls go once you close.

What a phone system costs a funeral home in South Carolina

Funeral homes and funeral services in South Carolina average 9.2 employees, so the comparison uses a 9-person team. Per-seat business phone plans bill every one of those people. At month-to-month list prices checked September 28, 2026, 9 users on RingCentral RingEX Core cost $270.00 a month and 9 on Ooma Office Pro cost $224.55. On Callata the same 9 people cost $179.00 a month, less than either per-seat plan.

The annual difference against RingCentral's monthly list price comes to $1,092. Some vendors discount annual contracts; the table shows month-to-month prices.

Monthly list price for a 9-person funeral home
Provider (plan)Pricing basisPer monthPer year
Callata (Callata Office)$99 incl. 5 users, $20 per extra user$179.00$2,148.00
Quo (Starter)$19.00 per user$171.00$2,052.00
Nextiva (Core)$23.00 per user$207.00$2,484.00
Ooma (Office Pro)$24.95 per user$224.55$2,694.60
Dialpad (Standard)$27.00 per user$243.00$2,916.00
RingCentral (RingEX Core)$30.00 per user$270.00$3,240.00

Competitor prices are each vendor's published month-to-month list price per user for its lowest plan that includes business calling and texting, checked September 28, 2026: Quo Starter $19, Nextiva Core $23, Ooma Office Pro $24.95 (Essentials excludes texting; one-time $29.95 activation not included), Dialpad Standard $27, RingCentral RingEX Core $30 ($20 billed annually). Prices exclude taxes and fees and may change; annual contracts lower some competitors' prices.

Area codes in South Carolina

South Carolina has 6 geographic area codes in service according to NANPA. You can choose local numbers in the area codes your families know, subject to carrier inventory, or port your current number for free.

Area codes in South Carolina by assigned exchanges
Area codeExchangesTime zoneIn service sinceOverlay with
803784Eastern1947839
864784Eastern1995821
843783Eastern1998854
839190Eastern2020803
854182Eastern2015843
82142Eastern2024864

Exchanges are NANPA-assigned central office codes (NPA-NXX) in the rate centers matched to the area's named places. Source: NANPA utilized code and NPA reports.

How Callata works for funeral homes and funeral services in South Carolina

Callata Office costs $99 per month for up to 5 people, and each additional user is $20 a month. That covers up to 3 local numbers, calling from a browser or your cell, transcribed voicemail, recorded calls with AI summaries, after-hours routing and E911 on each number.

If you already have a number in South Carolina, porting it to Callata is free. Texting from a local number requires a one-time carrier registration (10DLC, $49), and the numbers available in any area code depend on carrier inventory when you choose them.

Optional AI agents (receptionist, sales, support or scheduler) can answer calls after hours or when nobody picks up, take messages, text, email and transfer to your team. They are billed from prepaid AI minutes at $0.25 per minute, identify themselves as AI, and may only place outbound calls to people who consented, between 8am and 9pm.

Frequently asked questions

How many funeral homes and funeral services are in South Carolina?

274 in 2023, according to Census County Business Patterns. They employed 2,534 people in mid-March.

Which South Carolina metro area has the most funeral homes and funeral services?

Charlotte, NC-SC, with 101 establishments in 2023.

What does a phone system cost a 9-person funeral home?

$270.00 a month on RingCentral RingEX Core or $224.55 on Ooma Office Pro at month-to-month list prices (checked September 28, 2026); $179.00 on Callata ($99 a month with 5 users included, then $20 per additional user).

Do I need to register to text customers from a South Carolina number?

Yes. US carriers require business texting from local numbers to be registered (10DLC). On Callata the registration is a one-time $49 fee, and texting turns on once it is approved.