Abbeville County, South Carolina facts for kids

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Abbeville County

U.S. county

Abbeville County Courthouse

Seal

Motto(s):

"A Great Place to Live."

Location within the U.S. state of South Carolina

South Carolina's location within the U.S.

Country

United States

State

South Carolina

Founded

1785

Largest community

Abbeville

Area

• Total

511.74 sq mi (1,325.4 km²)

• Land

491.19 sq mi (1,272.2 km²)

• Water

20.55 sq mi (53.2 km²) 4.02%

Population

(2020)

• Total

24,295

• Estimate

(2023)

24,434

• Density

49.46/sq mi (19.10/km²)

Time zone

UTC−5 (Eastern)

• Summer (DST)

UTC−4 (EDT)

Congressional district

3rd

Abbeville County is a county in the state of South Carolina. A county is like a smaller region within a state. In 2020, about 24,295 people lived here.

The main town, or county seat, is called Abbeville. This county is special because it's the first one in the United States when you list them alphabetically! Abbeville County is part of a larger area known as the Upstate or Upcountry.

History

Both Abbeville County and its main town, Abbeville, got their names from a town in Abbeville, France. An early settler came from there. The county was officially created in 1785. Later, parts of it were used to form Greenwood and McCormick counties. Many Scotch-Irish and French-Huguenot farmers settled here in the mid-1700s.

A very important agreement, the Treaty of Dewitt's Corner, was signed here. This treaty was a peace talk with the Cherokee Native Americans. It happened in a place now called Due West. After the treaty, the Cherokee tribe split into two groups. One group, the Chickamauga Cherokee, kept fighting settlers for 30 more years.

Abbeville County was a strong supporter of leaving the United States before the Civil War. This idea was called secession. It was also where the last meeting of the Confederate leaders happened during the war.

In 1950, about 22,456 people lived in Abbeville County. By 2020, the population had grown to 24,295 people.

Geography

Abbeville County covers about 511.74 square miles. Most of this area, about 491.19 square miles, is land. The rest, about 20.55 square miles, is water. This means about 4% of the county is water. The county is located in the areas where the Savannah River and Saluda River flow.

National protected area

Sumter National Forest (part of it is in Abbeville County)

State and local protected areas/sites

Calhoun Falls State Park
Cedar Springs Historic District
Long Cane Scenic Area
McCalla Wildlife Management Area

Major water bodies

Adjacent counties

Abbeville County shares borders with these other counties:

Greenville County – to the north
Anderson County – to the north
Laurens County – to the northeast
Greenwood County – to the east
McCormick County – to the southeast
Elbert County, Georgia – to the west

Major highways

US 25 Bus.
US 178
SC 20
SC 20 Conn.
SC 28
SC 28 Conn.
SC 71
SC 71 Truck
SC 72
SC 81
SC 184
SC 185
SC 203
SC 203 Truck
SC 284

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	24,295	−4.4%
2023 (est.)	24,434	−3.9%
U.S. Decennial Census 1790–1960 1900–1990 1990–2000 2010 2020

2020 census

A census is a count of the population. In 2020, there were 24,295 people living in Abbeville County. There were 9,660 households (groups of people living together) and 6,248 families.

Abbeville County racial composition
Race	Num.	Perc.
White (not Hispanic)	16,744	68.92%
Black or African American (not 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%

2010 census

In 2010, there were 25,417 people in the county. The average age was 41.6 years old. The average income for a household was about $33,143 per year.

Economy

In 1999, Abbeville County was very successful at creating new jobs. This was partly because electricity costs were low. Also, there are "right-to-work laws" which can affect labor costs. The county also offers special training for workers through Piedmont Technical College.

In 2023 and early 2024, the number of people without jobs (unemployment rate) was around 4%. In 2022, the total value of all goods and services produced in Abbeville County (called GDP) was about $666.9 million. This means about $27,450 per person.

Some of the biggest employers in Abbeville County include the city of Abbeville, Erskine College, Hardee's, Ingles, Prysmian Group, Sage Automotive Interiors, and Wayfair.

Employment and Wage Statistics by Industry in Abbeville County, South Carolina
Industry	Number of Jobs	Job Percentage (%)	Average Yearly Pay ($)
Hotels and Restaurants	337	6.5	16,380
Office Support and Waste Services	223	4.3	35,880
Farming, Forests, Fishing, and Hunting	35	0.7	31,200
Construction	127	2.4	46,800
Education	683	13.1	41,028
Money and Insurance	75	1.4	49,504
Health Care and Social Help	484	9.3	59,072
Information (like media)	122	2.3	78,000
Manufacturing (making things)	1,784	34.3	62,036
Other Services (not government)	96	1.8	35,724
Science and Technical Services	111	2.1	101,660
Government Jobs	478	9.2	42,588
Real Estate and Rentals	14	0.3	36,504
Retail Stores	439	8.4	21,788
Transportation and Storage	65	1.3	55,380
Utilities (like power)	47	0.9	80,860
Wholesale Trade	77	1.5	62,660
Total	5,197	100.0%	49,729

Education

Abbeville County has two main school districts. Most schools are part of the Abbeville County School District. Some parts of the county are in the Greenwood School District 51.

Schools in Abbeville County School District

Abbeville County Adult Education
Abbeville High School (grades 9–12)
Abbeville County Career Center (offers extra job training for 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 (students from anywhere in the state can attend)

Colleges and universities

Erskine College: This is a four-year Christian college in Due West, South Carolina. It has about 575 college students.
Piedmont Technical College: This college has a campus in Abbeville, SC.

Communities

City

Abbeville (This is the county seat and the largest community.)

Towns

Calhoun Falls
Donalds
Due West
Honea Path (mostly in Anderson County)
Lowndesville
Ware Shoals (mostly in Greenwood County; partly in Laurens County)

Census-designated places

These are areas that are like towns but not officially incorporated.

Notable people

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

Many important people have come from Abbeville County:

John C. Calhoun (1782–1850): Born in the Abbeville area, he was a U.S. congressman and U.S. senator for South Carolina. He also served as Secretary of War, Secretary of State, and Vice President of the United States.
Langdon Cheves (1776–1857): Born in Abbeville County, he was a banker and a U.S. congressman.
Francis Alanson Cunningham (1804–1864): Born in the Abbeville area, he was a doctor and a U.S. Congressman from Ohio.
Leomont Evans (born 1974): A former American football player in the NFL.
Joshua Hill (1812–1891): Born in the Abbeville area, he became a U.S. senator from Georgia.
Thomas D. Howie (1908–1944): An American army officer who died during World War II. He was known as "The Major of St. Lo."
Abner Smith Lipscomb (1816–1890): Born in the Abbeville area, he was a judge for the Supreme Court in both Alabama and Texas.
James L. Petigru (1789–1863): Born in the Abbeville area, he was the chief lawyer for South Carolina and a member of the state's House of Representatives.