Calhoun County, South Carolina facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Calhoun County
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Calhoun County Courthouse
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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 | 1908 |
| Named for | John C. Calhoun |
| Seat | St. Matthews |
| Largest town | St. Matthews |
| Area | |
| • Total | 392 sq mi (1,020 km2) |
| • Land | 381 sq mi (990 km2) |
| • Water | 11 sq mi (30 km2) 2.9% |
| Population
(2010)
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| • Total | 15,175 |
| • Estimate
(2020)
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14,543 |
| • Density | 38.71/sq mi (14.947/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| Congressional district | 6th |
Calhoun County is a county in the U.S. state of South Carolina. As of the 2010 census, its population was 15,175, making it the third-least populous county in the state. Its county seat is St. Matthews.
Located in a rural upland area long devoted to cotton plantations, part of the Black Belt of the South, the county was formed in 1908 from portions of Lexington and Orangeburg counties. It is named for John C. Calhoun, the former U.S. Vice-President, Senator, Representative and cabinet member from South Carolina, although Calhoun was from nearby Abbeville, South Carolina.
Calhoun County is part of the Columbia, SC Metropolitan Statistical Area. It has an overall score of 52 including factors health, crime, equity, education, and housing. It is one of 11 counties with the same name in the United States.
Contents
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 392 square miles (1,020 km2), of which 381 square miles (990 km2) is land and 11 square miles (28 km2) (2.9%) is water. It is the second-smallest county in South Carolina by land area and smallest by total area.
Adjacent counties
- Richland County - north
- Sumter County - northeast
- Clarendon County - east
- Orangeburg County - south
- Lexington County - northwest
Demographics
In 2017, Calhoun County, SC had a population of 14.8k people with a median age of 45.9 and a median household income of $44,010. Between 2016 and 2017 the population of Calhoun County, SC declined from 14,886 to 14,808, a -0.524% decrease and its median household income grew from $42,779 to $44,010, a 2.88% increase. The population of Calhoun County, SC is 53.6% White Alone, 41.6% Black or African American Alone, and 3.58% Hispanic or Latino. N/A% of the people in Calhoun County, SC speak a non-English language, and 98.3% are U.S. citizens. The median property value in Calhoun County, SC is $103,900, and the homeownership rate is 79.3%. Most people in Calhoun County, SC commute by Drove Alone, and the average commute time is 27.2 minutes. The average car ownership in Calhoun County, SC is 2 cars per household.
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1910 | 16,634 | — | |
| 1920 | 18,384 | 10.5% | |
| 1930 | 16,707 | −9.1% | |
| 1940 | 16,229 | −2.9% | |
| 1950 | 14,753 | −9.1% | |
| 1960 | 12,256 | −16.9% | |
| 1970 | 10,780 | −12.0% | |
| 1980 | 12,206 | 13.2% | |
| 1990 | 12,753 | 4.5% | |
| 2000 | 15,185 | 19.1% | |
| 2010 | 15,175 | −0.1% | |
| 2020 (est.) | 14,543 | −4.2% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census 1790-1960 1900-1990 1990-2000 2010-2013 |
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2010 census
As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 15,175 people, 6,080 households, and 4,204 families living in the county. The population density was 39.8 inhabitants per square mile (15.4/km2). There were 7,340 housing units at an average density of 19.3 per square mile (7.5/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 53.9% white, 42.6% black or African American, 0.3% American Indian, 0.2% Asian, 0.1% Pacific islander, 1.8% from other races, and 1.2% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 3.0% of the population. In terms of ancestry, respondents identified as 42.6% of African American (which may include European ancestry; 15.4% American, 14.9% German, 8.5% Irish, and 7.1% of English heritage.
Of the 6,080 households, 30.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.6% were married couples living together, 15.9% had a female householder with no husband present, 30.9% were non-families, and 26.8% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.47 and the average family size was 2.99. The median age was 43.4 years.
The median income for a household in the county was $36,790 and the median income for a family was $51,975. Males had a median income of $42,394 versus $31,001 for females. The per capita income for the county was $20,845. About 11.6% of families and 15.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 22.4% of those under age 18 and 15.6% of those age 65 or over.
2020 census
| Race | Num. | Perc. |
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| White | 7,783 | 55.12% |
| Black or African American | 5,361 | 37.97% |
| Native American | 62 | 0.44% |
| Asian | 27 | 0.19% |
| Pacific Islander | 6 | 0.04% |
| Other/Mixed | 393 | 2.78% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 487 | 3.45% |
As of the 2020 United States Census, there were 14,119 people, 6,179 households, and 3,910 families residing in the county.
Communities
Towns
- Cameron
- St. Matthews (county seat)
Unincorporated communities
- Creston
- Fort Motte
- Lone Star
- Sandy Run
Economy
Although much of Calhoun County is rural, there are many factories including Devro, a UK company that makes sausage casings. Other factories include Starbucks (Roasting Facility), DAK Americas, Zeus Industrial Products, Fitts Co Inc, and Thermo King Columbia, Inc. In the same part of the county Country Clear, Inc. produces bottled water.
Calhoun County offers the Calhoun County I-26 Industrial Park for businesses.
Transportation
Calhoun County is home to parts of Interstate I-26, as well as state highways 21, 6, 33, 176, 601, and 267. Calhoun County is part of the evacuation route for Hurricanes and coastal flooding. During such times there are lane reversals where interstate highway I-26 goes in one direction (Northwest).
