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Chester County, South Carolina facts for kids

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Chester County
U.S. county
Chester County Courthouse
Chester County Courthouse
Official seal of Chester County
Seal
Motto(s): 
"Choose Chester County, For Business. For Life."
Map of South Carolina highlighting Chester County
Location within the U.S. state of South Carolina
Map of the United States highlighting South Carolina
South Carolina's location within the U.S.
Country  United States
State  South Carolina
Founded 1785
Named for Chester, Pennsylvania (Chester, England)
Seat Chester
Largest community Chester
Area
 • Total 586.16 sq mi (1,518.1 km2)
 • Land 580.66 sq mi (1,503.9 km2)
 • Water 5.50 sq mi (14.2 km2)  0.94%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 32,294
 • Estimate 
(2023)
 32,226
 • Density 55.62/sq mi (21.48/km2)
Time zone UTC−5 (Eastern)
 • Summer (DST) UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district 5th

Chester County is a county located in the U.S. state of South Carolina. As of the 2020 census, its population was 32,294. Its county seat is Chester.

Chester County is included in the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History

The county was founded in 1785 and was named after Chester, Pennsylvania. The largest community and county seat is Chester. The county is also included in the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 586.16 square miles (1,518.1 km2), of which 580.66 square miles (1,503.9 km2) is land and 5.50 square miles (14.2 km2) (0.94%) is water.

National protected area

  • Sumter National Forest (part)

State and local protected areas

  • Chester State Park
  • Landsford Canal Forest Legacy Area
  • Landsford Canal State Park
  • Woods Ferry Recreation Area

Major water bodies

Adjacent counties

Major highways

  • I-77
  • US 21
  • US 321

  • US 321 Bus.
  • SC 9

  • SC 9 Bus.
  • SC 49
  • SC 72
  • SC 97
  • SC 99
  • SC 121
  • SC 215
  • SC 223
  • SC 901
  • SC 909

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop. %±
1790 6,866 —
1800 8,185 19.2%
1810 11,479 40.2%
1820 14,189 23.6%
1830 17,182 21.1%
1840 17,747 3.3%
1850 18,038 1.6%
1860 18,122 0.5%
1870 18,805 3.8%
1880 24,153 28.4%
1890 26,660 10.4%
1900 28,616 7.3%
1910 29,425 2.8%
1920 33,389 13.5%
1930 31,803 −4.8%
1940 32,579 2.4%
1950 32,597 0.1%
1960 30,888 −5.2%
1970 29,811 −3.5%
1980 30,148 1.1%
1990 32,170 6.7%
2000 34,068 5.9%
2010 33,140 −2.7%
2020 32,294 −2.6%
2023 (est.) 32,226 −2.8%
U.S. Decennial Census
1790–1960 1900–1990
1990–2000 2010 2020

2020 census

Chester County racial composition
Race Num. Perc.
White (non-Hispanic) 18,591 57.57%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic) 11,287 34.95%
Native American 145 0.45%
Asian 146 0.45%
Pacific Islander 14 0.04%
Other/Mixed 1,316 4.08%
Hispanic or Latino 795 2.46%

As of the 2020 census, there were 32,294 people, 12,653 households, and 8,042 families residing in the county.

2010 census

At the 2010 census, there were 33,140 people, 12,876 households, and 9,073 families living in the county. The population density was 57.1 inhabitants per square mile (22.0/km2). There were 14,701 housing units at an average density of 25.3 units per square mile (9.8 units/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 59.8% white, 37.4% black or African American, 0.4% American Indian, 0.3% Asian, 0.6% from other races, and 1.5% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 1.4% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 19.9% were American, 7.5% were Irish, 5.6% were English, and 5.1% were German.

Of the 12,876 households, 34.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.5% were married couples living together, 19.8% had a female householder with no husband present, 29.5% were non-families, and 25.9% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.56 and the average family size was 3.04. The median age was 40.3 years.

The median income for a household in the county was $32,743 and the median income for a family was $42,074. Males had a median income of $39,008 versus $27,701 for females. The per capita income for the county was $17,687. About 18.6% of families and 21.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 30.0% of those under age 18 and 18.0% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

Chester County's economy has an industrial and agricultural base with large areas used for timber production. There are several sawmills in the county and others near it. Forest land ownership is majority family landowners who manage their properties for a variety of uses. Agriculture is also a big segment of the economy with crops consisting of cotton, wheat, oats, rye, beef and dairy cattle, hay, corn, peaches, other vegetables, peanuts, soybeans, and pecans.

In 2022, the GDP of Chester County was $1.4 billion (about $43,999 per capita). In chained 2017 dollars, its real GDP was $1.1 billion (about $35,382 per capita). Throughout 2022 to 2024, the unemployment rate has fluctuated between 3.1% and 5.6%.

As of April 2024, some of the largest employers in the county include Chester County School District, E & J Gallo Winery, and Walmart.

Employment and Wage Statistics by Industry in Chester County, South Carolina
Industry Employment Counts Employment Percentage (%) Average Annual Wage ($)
Accommodation and Food Services 570 6.2 19,136
Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services 126 1.4 35,048
Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting 111 1.2 50,908
Construction 685 7.5 63,908
Finance and Insurance 125 1.4 50,076
Health Care and Social Assistance 781 8.5 46,072
Manufacturing 3,449 37.5 64,584
Other Services (except Public Administration) 180 2.0 30,264
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 211 2.3 103,532
Public Administration 652 7.1 46,748
Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 16 0.2 41,704
Retail Trade 875 9.5 26,520
Transportation and Warehousing 369 4.0 53,300
Utilities 120 1.3 74,048
Wholesale Trade 921 10.0 67,392
Total 9,191 100.0% 54,620

Media

  • Chester Vision or CSN
  • Chester News & Reporter
  • WRBK, 90.3 FM, a noncommercial station that primarily features classic oldies

Communities

City

  • Chester (county seat and largest community)

Towns

Census-designated places

  • Eureka Mill
  • Gayle Mill

Unincorporated communities

Notable people

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Condado de Chester (Carolina del Sur) para niños

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Chester County, South Carolina Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.