Closer to 50%, with 20% loyalist in the initial stages of the conflict (1773, thereabouts). The remainder were either indifferent or far away from the conflict up in New England. British lobster backs weren’t often encountered in the far southern colonies. They were left alone, while the most egregious acts against the colonists happened in New England.
When in 1775 the news of Lexington and Concord made it South, the percentage of colonists in favor of Independence increased significantly. By the time of the signing of the Declaration, there were 3 patriots to every loyalist. By the time of Washington’s victory at Dorchester Heights, loyalists were pretty much isolated from other loyalists and feared their surrounding neighbors who had become patriots.
/johnny
After 1780 they were. The overall commander, Clinton sent Cornwallis down south to split up the colonies by starting a second front. He wrongly guessed that the South was a bastion of British loyalists.
Cornwallis devastated Charleston and moved inland slaughtering patriots as he went. This won little local support. He sent one flank to the west headed by Ferguson to subjugate the North Carolina mountain people. Militias and mountain hunters rose up and wiped out Ferguson and his men at Kings Mountain.
Washington answered Cornwallis' challenge and sent Nathanial Green and Daniel Morgan to the Carolinas. Cornwallis sent his east flank headed by Tarlton after Morgan.
The more experienced Morgan goaded Tarlton into a frontal charge at Hannah's Cowpens. Using tactics he developed at Saratoga, Morgan used successive lines of militia and Continentals to break Tarlton's charge and kill and capture almost all of Tarlton's forces.
Green then lead the remainder of Cornwallis' forces in a chase all over South and North Carolina wearing his troops down. Green then fought Cornwallis to a draw at Gilford Courthouse. This was approximately portrayed in "The Patriot".
After these three defeats Cornwallis knew he could never beat the American commanders again.
His forces depleted and unable to subjugate the South, the weakened Cornwallis went to Yorktown to combine with the British troops there. The rest of the story you know.
The Southern campaign is not as well known as the Northern one. Green and Morgan were remarkable leaders and did much with almost nothing. Green was at Washington's side since the beginning of the war. Washington trusted him to counter Cornwallis in the South and he did it along with the help of Morgan and several local militia leaders.