Chesterfield County, South Carolina Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids

Chesterfield County

U.S. county

Old Chesterfield County Courthouse

Flag

Seal

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

Named for

Philip Dormer Stanhope, 4th Earl of Chesterfield

Seat

Chesterfield

Largest community

Cheraw

Area

• Total

805.66 sq mi (2,086.6 km²)

• Land

798.99 sq mi (2,069.4 km²)

• Water

6.67 sq mi (17.3 km²) 0.83%

Population

(2020)

• Total

43,273

• Estimate

(2023)

44,031

• Density

54.16/sq mi (20.91/km²)

Time zone

UTC−5 (Eastern)

• Summer (DST)

UTC−4 (EDT)

Congressional district

7th

Chesterfield County is a county located in the state of South Carolina. It's a place where many people live and work. In 2020, about 43,273 people called it home. The main town, or county seat, is Chesterfield. The biggest community in the county is Cheraw. You can find Chesterfield County in the northern part of the Pee Dee region, right on the border with North Carolina.

History

Chesterfield County got its name from Philip Stanhope, 4th Earl of Chesterfield. He was a British politician who stood up for the American colonists. He was against the Stamp Act of 1765, which was a tax that made many people in South Carolina unhappy. He always spoke about the rights of the colonists in the British Parliament and when he was the British Secretary of State.

The county was officially created in 1785. Before 1800, it was part of a larger area called Cheraws District. After 1800, Chesterfield became its own district. In the 1700s, most of the people who settled here came from England and Wales. Some also came from County Antrim, Ireland. These Irish immigrants were mostly Presbyterians of Scottish background. They were often called "Scotch-Irish" by others, but they preferred to call themselves "Ulstermen" or "Irish Presbyterians."

After the American Civil War (1861–1865), a new state constitution was passed in 1867. This was during the Reconstruction era. This new rule meant that South Carolina districts, like Chesterfield, became counties and could make more of their own local decisions.

Geography

Chesterfield County covers a total area of about 806 square miles. Most of this area, about 799 square miles, is land. The remaining 6.7 square miles, which is about 0.8% of the total, is water.

Adjacent counties

Chesterfield County shares its borders with several other counties:

Anson County, North Carolina - to the north
Richmond County, North Carolina - to the northeast
Marlboro County - to the east
Darlington County - to the southeast
Kershaw County - to the southwest
Lancaster County - to the west
Union County, North Carolina - to the northwest

National protected area

Carolina Sandhills National Wildlife Refuge is a special natural area in the county.

Major highways

Many important roads run through Chesterfield County:

US 1
US 52
US 601
SC 9
SC 20
SC 32
SC 80
SC 102
SC 109
SC 145
SC 151
SC 207
SC 265
SC 268
SC 903

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1800	5,216	—
1810	5,564	6.7%
1820	6,645	19.4%
1830	8,472	27.5%
1840	8,574	1.2%
1850	10,790	25.8%
1860	11,834	9.7%
1870	10,584	−10.6%
1880	16,345	54.4%
1890	18,468	13.0%
1900	20,401	10.5%
1910	26,301	28.9%
1920	31,969	21.6%
1930	34,334	7.4%
1940	35,963	4.7%
1950	36,236	0.8%
1960	33,717	−7.0%
1970	33,667	−0.1%
1980	38,161	13.3%
1990	38,577	1.1%
2000	42,768	10.9%
2010	46,734	9.3%
2020	43,273	−7.4%
2023 (est.)	44,031	−5.8%
U.S. Decennial Census 1790–1960 1900–1990 1990–2000 2010 2020

2020 census

In 2020, the county had 43,273 people living there. There were 17,900 households and 12,399 families. Most people, about 59.7%, were White. About 30.4% were Black or African American. Other groups included Native American, Asian, Pacific Islander, and people of mixed races. About 4.8% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.

2010 census

Back in 2010, there were 46,734 people living in Chesterfield County. The population density was about 58.5 people per square mile. The main groups were White (62.8%) and Black or African American (32.6%). About 34.7% of households had children under 18. The average age of people in the county was 39.3 years old.

Economy

In 2022, the total value of all goods and services produced in Chesterfield County was about $1.7 billion. This means the county's economy is quite active. The unemployment rate, which is the percentage of people looking for jobs who can't find them, has been between 2% and 4.5% from 2022 to 2024.

As of April 2024, some of the biggest employers in the county include well-known companies like Black+Decker and Walmart. Other important employers are the Chesterfield County School District, Crown Holdings, McLeod Health, and Northeastern Technical College. These businesses and organizations provide many jobs for the people living in the county.

Education

Students in Chesterfield County go to schools within the Chesterfield County School District. There is also a private school called South Point Christian School in Pageland, which teaches students from Kindergarten all the way through 12th grade.

For higher education, Northeastern Technical College has campuses in Pageland and Cheraw.

High schools

Central High School, Pageland
Cheraw High School, Cheraw
Chesterfield High School, Chesterfield
McBee High School, McBee

Middle schools

Chesterfield/Ruby Middle School, Chesterfield/Ruby
Long Middle School, Cheraw
New Heights Middle School, Jefferson

Elementary schools

Cheraw Intermediate School, Cheraw
Edwards Elementary School, Chesterfield
Jefferson Elementary School, Jefferson
McBee Elementary School, McBee
Pageland Elementary School, Pageland
Plainview Elementary School, Plainview
Ruby Elementary School, Ruby

Primary schools

Cheraw Primary School, Cheraw
Petersburg Primary School, Pageland

Culture

Chesterfield County has a lively arts scene. There are many groups that support fine arts, from high school marching bands to local theater groups and town arts commissions.

The Central High Sound of Central
The Cheraw Tribe Marching Band
The Chesterfield Marching Pride
The Spirit of McBee High Marching Band
The Cheraw Arts Commission
The Chesterfield Arts Commission

Recreation

There are lots of fun things to do for recreation in Chesterfield County. Each town offers different activities, but you can commonly find baseball and softball fields, walking tracks, parks, and other outdoor spaces. Golf is very popular, and many people from the region visit the local golf courses. If you enjoy the outdoors, there's also plenty of hunting and fishing in the swampy areas of Black Creek and Lake Robinson.

Chesterfield County, South Carolina facts for kids

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