Chester County, South Carolina facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Chester County
|
|
|---|---|
,_Chester,_South_Carolina.jpg)
Chester 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 | 1785 |
| Seat | Chester |
| Largest city | Chester |
| Area | |
| • Total | 586 sq mi (1,520 km2) |
| • Land | 581 sq mi (1,500 km2) |
| • Water | 5.5 sq mi (14 km2) 0.9% |
| Population
(2010)
|
|
| • Total | 33,140 |
| • Estimate
(2020)
|
32,184 |
| • Density | 56.55/sq mi (21.835/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 2010 census, its population was 33,140. Its county seat is Chester.
Chester County is included in the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Contents
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 581 square miles (1,500 km2), of which 581 square miles (1,500 km2) is land and 5.5 square miles (14 km2) (0.9%) is water.
Adjacent counties
- York County - north
- Lancaster County - east
- Fairfield County - south
- Union County - west
National protected area
- Sumter National Forest (part)
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 (est.) | 32,184 | −2.9% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census 1790-1960 1900-1990 1990-2000 2010-2014 |
|||
2010 census
As of the 2010 United States 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 per square mile (9.8/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.
2020 census
| 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 United States census, there were 32,294 people, 12,653 households, and 8,042 families residing in the county.
Presidential Election Results
| Year | Democrat | Republican | Other |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 46.3% 6,582 | 51.2% 7,272 | 2.4% 348 |
| 2012 | 54.77% 7,891 | 44.19% 6,367 | 1.03% 149 |
| 2008 | 53.49% 7,478 | 45.19% 6,318 | 1.32% 192 |
| 2004 | 49.37% 5,790 | 49.43% 5,798 | 1.20% 141 |
| 2000 | 50.25% 5,242 | 47.80% 4,986 | 1.96% 204 |
| 1996 | 56.3% 5,108 | 34.8% 3,157 | 8.9% 807 |
| 1992 | 53.1% 5,458 | 33.5% 3,451 | 13.4% 1,379 |
| 1988 | 48.23% 3,737 | 51.21% 3,968 | 0.6% 43 |
| 1984 | 44.24% 3,559 | 55.2% 4,441 | 0.56% 45 |
| 1980 | 61.52% 5,145 | 37.12% 3,104 | 1.36% 114 |
| 1976 | 63.32% 5,200 | 36.31% 2,982 | 0.37% 30 |
| 1972 | 32.96% 2,352 | 66.2% 4,724 | 0.84% 60 |
| 1968 | 33.75% 2,865 | 33.71% 2,862 | 32.54% 2,762 |
| 1964 | 57.11% 3,882 | 42.89% 2,915 | 0% 0 |
| 1960 | 71.97% 4,262 | 28.03% 1,660 | 0% 0 |
Communities
City
- Chester (county seat)
Towns
Census-designated places
- Eureka Mill
- Gayle Mill
Unincorporated communities
Economy
Chester County's economy has an industrial and agricultural base with large areas used for timber production. There are several sawemills 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.
Notable residents
- John Adair, (1757–1840), born in Chester County (although at the time it was believed to be part of Anson County, North Carolina), became a member of the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate, and governor of Kentucky
- Thomas and Meeks Griffin were wrongly executed in South Carolina's electric chair in 1915. They were framed in Chester County in 1913 and pardoned in 2009.
See also
In Spanish: Condado de Chester (Carolina del Sur) para niños
