Abbeville County, South Carolina Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Abbeville County
U.S. county
Abbeville County Courthouse
Location within the U.S. state of South Carolina
South Carolina's location within the U.S.
Country	United States
State	South Carolina
Founded	March, 12, 1785
Named for	Abbeville, France
Seat	Abbeville
Largest city	Abbeville
Area
• Total	511 sq mi (1,320 km²)
• Land	490 sq mi (1,300 km²)
• Water	21 sq mi (50 km²) 4.0%
Population (2010)
• Total	25,417
• Estimate (2020)	24,467
• Density	49.74/sq mi (19.205/km²)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district	3rd

Abbeville County is a county located in the U.S. state of South Carolina. As of the 2010 census, its population was 25,417. Its county seat is Abbeville. It is the first county (or county equivalent) in the United States alphabetically. Abbeville County is traditionally included in the Upstate region of South Carolina. For a time, the county was included in the Greenwood, SC Micropolitan Statistical Area, but as of 2018 it was no longer included.

History
Geography
Demographics
- 2010 census
- 2020 census
Communities
Education
Notable residents
See also

History

Both Abbeville County and the county seat, Abbeville, SC, get their name from the town of Abbeville, France. The county was originally part of Ninety-Six District, South Carolina, but was designated Abbeville County in 1785, with parts of the county later going to the creation of the counties of Greenwood and McCormick. Abbeville County was settled by mostly Scotch Irish and French-Huguenot farmers in the mid-18th century.

There was a historic treaty with the Cherokee Indians that was signed in Dewitt's Corner, which is now known as Due West.
Abbeville County was a hotbed of secession before the Civil War and was also where the last Confederate council of war was held

In 1950 Abbeville County had a population of 22,456.

Bryan McClain is the chairman of the Abbeville County Council, who also represents District 7. The other members and their districts are as following:

Charlie Stone- District 1
John Calhoun- District 2
Claude Thomas- District 3
William Norris- District 4
Oscar Klugh- District 5
Don Campbell- District 6

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 511 square miles (1,320 km²), of which 490 square miles (1,300 km²) is land and 21 square miles (54 km²) (4.0%) is water. Abbeville County is in the Savannah River basin and the Saluda River basin.

Adjacent counties

Major highways

US 178
SC 20
SC 28
SC 72
SC 81
SC 184
SC 185
SC 284

National protected area

Sumter National Forest (part)

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1790	9,197	—
1800	13,553	47.4%
1810	21,156	56.1%
1820	23,167	9.5%
1830	28,149	21.5%
1840	29,351	4.3%
1850	32,318	10.1%
1860	32,385	0.2%
1870	31,129	−3.9%
1880	40,815	31.1%
1890	46,854	14.8%
1900	33,400	−28.7%
1910	34,804	4.2%
1920	27,139	−22.0%
1930	23,323	−14.1%
1940	22,931	−1.7%
1950	22,456	−2.1%
1960	21,417	−4.6%
1970	21,112	−1.4%
1980	22,627	7.2%
1990	23,862	5.5%
2000	26,167	9.7%
2010	25,417	−2.9%
2020 (est.)	24,467	−3.7%
U.S. Decennial Census 1790-1960 1900-1990 1990-2000 2010-2013

2010 census

As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 25,417 people, 9,990 households, and 6,939 families living in the county. The population density was 51.8 inhabitants per square mile (20.0/km²). There were 12,079 housing units at an average density of 24.6 per square mile (9.5/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 69.6% white, 28.3% black or African American, 0.3% Asian, 0.2% American Indian, 0.4% from other races, and 1.1% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 1.0% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 14.7% were American, 10.9% were Irish, 9.7% were English, 7.6% were German, and 5.6% were Scotch-Irish.

Of the 9,990 households, 31.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.2% were married couples living together, 15.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 30.5% were non-families, and 27.3% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 2.98. The median age was 41.6 years.

The median income for a household in the county was $33,143 and the median income for a family was $45,147. Males had a median income of $39,217 versus $29,199 for females. The per capita income for the county was $16,653. About 16.3% of families and 20.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 26.8% of those under age 18 and 16.2% of those age 65 or over.

2020 census

Abbeville County racial composition
Race	Num.	Perc.
White (non-Hispanic)	16,744	68.92%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic)	6,184	25.45%
Native American	44	0.18%
Asian	71	0.29%
Pacific Islander	7	0.03%
Other/Mixed	822	3.38%
Hispanic or Latino	423	1.74%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 24,295 people, 9,660 households, and 6,248 families residing in the county.

Communities

City

Abbeville (county seat)

Towns

Name	Area (sq. mi.)	Population (2010)	Population density (per sq. mi.)
Calhoun Falls	3.475	2,004	577
Donalds	0.8375	348	416
Due West	1.641	1,247	760
Honea Path (Mostly in Anderson County)	3.629	3,597	991
Lowndesville	0.771875	128	166
Ware Shoals (Mostly in Greenwood County; partly in Laurens County)	4.015	2,170	540

Census-designated places

Name	Area (sq. mi.)	Population (2010)	Population density (per sq. mi.)
Antreville	3.896	140	36
Lake Secession	7.22	1,083	150

Education

School districts

Most Abbeville County schools are part of the Abbeville County School District. The following schools are within the district:

Abbeville County Adult Education
Abbeville High School (grades 9–12)
Abbeville County Career Center (supplementary career education - grades 10–12)
Cherokee Trail Elementary (grades K-7)
Diamond Hill Elementary (grades K-7)
Dixie High School (grades 8–12)
John C. Calhoun Elementary (grades K-5)
Long Cane Primary (grades K-2)
Westwood Elementary (grades 3–5)
Wright Middle School (grades 6–8)

Other schools

Calhoun Falls Charter School (part of the South Carolina Public Charter School District, whereby students from any part of the state may attend)

Colleges and universities

Erskine College, a four-year Christian liberal arts college, with 575 undergraduates, is located in Due West, South Carolina
Piedmont Technical College, hosts a branch campus in Abbeville, SC

Notable residents

Portrait of John C. Calhoun, famous politician from Abbeville County.

John C. Calhoun, (1782–1850), born in the Abbeville District, United States Congressman and United States Senator from South Carolina, Secretary of War, Secretary of State, and Vice President of the United States
Langdon Cheves, (1776–1857), born in Abbeville County at Rocky River, banker and United States Congressman from South Carolina
Francis Alanson Cunningham, (1804–1864), born in the Abbeville District, physician and United States Congressman from Ohio
Joshua Hill, (1812–1891), born in the Abbeville District, United States Senator from Georgia
Abner Smith Lipscomb, (1816–1890), born in the Abbeville District, member of the Alabama Legislature and Supreme Court Justice of both Alabama and Texas.
James L. Petigru, (1789–1863), born in the Abbeville District, was the attorney general of South Carolina and a member of the South Carolina House of Representatives. He was the leader of the anti-nullificationalists in the state house.
Thomas D. Howie, (1908-1944), was an American army officer, killed during the Battle of Normandy during World War II, while trying to capture the French town of Saint-Lô. He is known as "The Major of St. Lo".
Leomont Evans, (born 1974), is a former American football player in the NFL and the first iteration of the XFL.