Allendale County, South Carolina facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Allendale County
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Allendale County Courthouse in July 2012
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Location within the U.S. state of South Carolina
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 South Carolina's location within the U.S. |
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| Country |  United States |
| State |  South Carolina |
| Founded | 1919 |
| Named for | Paul H. Allen, early postmaster of Allendale |
| Seat | Allendale |
| Largest town | Allendale |
| Area | |
| • Total | 412 sq mi (1,070 km2) |
| • Land | 408 sq mi (1,060 km2) |
| • Water | 4.3 sq mi (11 km2) 1.0% |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 8,039 |
| • Density | 19.512/sq mi (7.534/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| Congressional district | 6th |
Allendale County is a county in the U.S. state of South Carolina. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 8,039, making it the least populous county in South Carolina. Its county seat is Allendale.
Contents
History
Allendale County was formed in 1919 from southwestern portions of Barnwell County, along the Savannah River. It is the location of the Topper Site, an archeological excavation providing possible evidence of a pre-Clovis culture dating back 50,000 years. The site is near a source of chert on private land in Martin owned by Clariant Corporation, a Swiss chemical company with a plant there. The site, named after John Topper, a local resident who discovered it, has been under excavation by archeologists from the University of South Carolina for about one month a year since 1999, after an initial exploratory dig in the mid-1980s.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 412 square miles (1,070 km2), of which 408 square miles (1,060 km2) is land and 4.3 square miles (11 km2) (1.0%) is water. The Savannah River forms the county's western border with Georgia.
Allendale is 62 miles from Augusta, Georgia; 73 miles from Savannah, Georgia; 87 miles from Columbia; and 90 miles from Charleston. Before interstate highways were built, Allendale had several motels, primarily serving travelers going between Northeastern states and Florida. Traffic that formerly traveled U.S. 301 through Allendale now uses Interstate-95.
Adjacent counties
- Bamberg County – northeast
- Colleton County – east
- Hampton County – southeast
- Screven County, Georgia – southwest
- Burke County, Georgia – west
- Barnwell County – northwest
Major highways
US 278
US 301
US 321
Demographics
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1920 | 16,098 | — | |
| 1930 | 13,294 | −17.4% | |
| 1940 | 13,040 | −1.9% | |
| 1950 | 11,773 | −9.7% | |
| 1960 | 11,362 | −3.5% | |
| 1970 | 9,692 | −14.7% | |
| 1980 | 10,700 | 10.4% | |
| 1990 | 11,722 | 9.6% | |
| 2000 | 11,211 | −4.4% | |
| 2010 | 10,419 | −7.1% | |
| 2020 | 8,039 | −22.8% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census 1790-1960 1900-1990 1990-2000 2010-2013 2020 |
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2010 census
At the 2010 census, there were 10,419 people, 3,706 households, and 2,333 families living in the county. The population density was 25.5 inhabitants per square mile (9.8/km2). There were 4,486 housing units at an average density of 11.0 per square mile (4.2/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 73.6% black or African American, 23.7% white, 0.4% Asian, 0.2% American Indian, 1.3% from other races, and 0.8% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 2.3% of the population. In terms of ancestry, and 5.6% were American.
Of the 3,706 households, 32.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 31.5% were married couples living together, 26.9% had a female householder with no husband present, 37.0% were non-families, and 33.7% of households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 3.14. The median age was 38.8 years.
The median household income was $20,081 and the median family income was $25,146. Males had a median income of $30,440 versus $28,889 for females. The per capita income for the county was $14,190. About 35.7% of families and 42.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 53.8% of those under age 18 and 27.4% of those age 65 or over.
2020 census
| Race | Num. | Perc. |
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| White (non-Hispanic) | 1,985 | 24.69% |
| Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 5,646 | 70.23% |
| Native American | 45 | 0.56% |
| Asian | 17 | 0.21% |
| Pacific Islander | 1 | 0.01% |
| Other/Mixed | 151 | 1.88% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 194 | 2.41% |
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 8,039 people, 3,365 households, and 2,011 families residing in the county.
Communities
Towns
Unincorporated community
Economy
Allendale is primarily an agricultural rural county. Its primary products are cotton, soybeans, watermelon and cantaloupe. Timbering is also important, primarily for paper pulp.
Education
Robert McNair, Democratic Governor of South Carolina from 1965 to 1971, moved to Allendale County as an adult because his wife was from there. Because of McNair's influence, USC-Salkahatchie (a two-year campus) was located in the town of Allendale. The county is also the site of WEBA, Channel 14, a broadcast outlet of the South Carolina Educational Television Network. Ranking 45th in population among the state's 46 counties, it is the smallest county to have either a state-supported college or an ETV station. Allendale County School District includes one high school: Allendale-Fairfax High School. The former C. V. Bing High School served African-American students during the time of segregation. Denmark Tech, part of the state Technical College System, serves the county from its location in Bamberg County, 25 miles from Allendale.
See also
In Spanish: Condado de Allendale para niños
