Colleton County, South Carolina facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Colleton County
|
|
|---|---|
Colleton 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 | 1800 |
| Named for | Sir John Colleton, 1st Baronet |
| Seat | Walterboro |
| Largest city | Walterboro |
| Area | |
| • Total | 1,133 sq mi (2,930 km2) |
| • Land | 1,056 sq mi (2,740 km2) |
| • Water | 77 sq mi (200 km2) 6.8% |
| Population
(2010)
|
|
| • Total | 38,892 |
| • Estimate
(2020)
|
37,679 |
| • Density | 33/sq mi (13/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| Congressional districts | 1st, 6th |
Colleton County is in the Lowcountry region of the U.S. state of South Carolina. As of the 2010 census, the county's population was 38,892. Its county seat is Walterboro. The county is named after Sir John Colleton, 1st Baronet, one of the eight Lords Proprietor of the Province of Carolina. After two previous incarnations, the current Colleton County was created in 1800.
Contents
History
In 1682, Colleton was created as one of the three original proprietary counties, located in the southwestern coastal portion of the new South Carolina Colony and bordering on the Combahee River.
In 1706, the county was divided between the new Saint Bartholomew and Saint Paul parishes. This area was developed for large plantations devoted to rice and indigo cultivation as commodity crops. The planters depended on the labor of African slaves transported to Charleston for that purpose. In the coastal areas, black slaves soon outnumbered white colonists, as they did across the colony by 1708.
In 1734, most of the coastal portion of Saint Paul's Parish was separated to form the new Saint John's Colleton Parish. In 1769, the three parishes were absorbed into the Charleston Judicial District, the southwestern portion of which was referred to as Saint Bartholomew's.
In 1800, the new Colleton District was formed from the western half of the Charleston District. In 1816, it annexed a small portion of northwestern Charleston District.
In 1868, under the Reconstruction era new state constitution, South Carolina districts were reorganized as counties. Officials were to be elected by the resident voters rather than by state officials, as was done previously, thus giving more democratic power to local residents.
In 1897, the northeastern portion of the county was separated to form the new Dorchester County, with its seat at Saint George.
In 1911, the portion of the county east of the Edisto River was annexed by Charleston County. In 1919 and again in 1920, tiny portions of northwestern Colleton County were annexed to Bamberg County.
In March 1975, the town of Edisto Beach was annexed to Colleton County from Charleston County, thus bringing the county to its present size.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,133 square miles (2,930 km2), of which 1,056 square miles (2,740 km2) is land and 77 square miles (200 km2) (6.8%) is water. It is the fifth-largest county in South Carolina by land area and fourth-largest by total area.
Adjacent counties
- Orangeburg County - north
- Dorchester County - northeast
- Charleston County - east
- Beaufort County - south
- Hampton County - west
- Allendale County - west
- Bamberg County - northwest
National protected area
State protected area
- Colleton State Park
Edisto Island State Park is also located in Colleton County. Located at 8377 State Cabin Rd, Edisto Island, SC 29438 Phone: (843) 869-2156 Has 113 improved campsites.
Demographics
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1800 | 24,903 | — | |
| 1810 | 26,359 | 5.8% | |
| 1820 | 26,404 | 0.2% | |
| 1830 | 27,256 | 3.2% | |
| 1840 | 25,548 | −6.3% | |
| 1850 | 39,505 | 54.6% | |
| 1860 | 41,916 | 6.1% | |
| 1870 | 25,410 | −39.4% | |
| 1880 | 38,386 | 51.1% | |
| 1890 | 40,293 | 5.0% | |
| 1900 | 33,452 | −17.0% | |
| 1910 | 35,390 | 5.8% | |
| 1920 | 29,897 | −15.5% | |
| 1930 | 25,821 | −13.6% | |
| 1940 | 26,268 | 1.7% | |
| 1950 | 28,242 | 7.5% | |
| 1960 | 27,816 | −1.5% | |
| 1970 | 27,622 | −0.7% | |
| 1980 | 31,776 | 15.0% | |
| 1990 | 34,377 | 8.2% | |
| 2000 | 38,264 | 11.3% | |
| 2010 | 38,892 | 1.6% | |
| 2020 (est.) | 37,679 | −3.1% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census 1790-1960 1900-1990 1990-2000 2010-2013 |
|||
2010 census
As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 38,892 people, 15,131 households, and 10,449 families living in the county. The population density was 36.8 inhabitants per square mile (14.2/km2). There were 19,901 housing units at an average density of 18.8 per square mile (7.3/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 57.0% white, 39.0% black or African American, 0.8% American Indian, 0.3% Asian, 1.3% from other races, and 1.5% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 2.8% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 25.0% were American, 7.3% were English, 6.5% were German, and 5.2% were Irish.
Of the 15,131 households, 33.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.9% were married couples living together, 18.4% 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 2.54 and the average family size was 3.07. The median age was 40.7 years.
The median income for a household in the county was $33,263 and the median income for a family was $40,955. Males had a median income of $36,622 versus $25,898 for females. The per capita income for the county was $17,842. About 17.7% of families and 21.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 28.3% of those under age 18 and 17.2% of those age 65 or over.
2019
The largest self-identified ancestry groups in Colleton County in 2019 were:
- 39% African-American
- 32.3% English
- 6.5% German
- 5.2% Irish
2020 census
| Race | Num. | Perc. |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 21,816 | 56.51% |
| Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 13,401 | 34.71% |
| Native American | 302 | 0.78% |
| Asian | 186 | 0.48% |
| Pacific Islander | 16 | 0.04% |
| Other/Mixed | 1,503 | 3.89% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 1,380 | 3.57% |
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 38,604 people, 15,075 households, and 9,565 families residing in the county.
Communities
Cities
- Walterboro (county seat)
Town
Census-designated places
Unincorporated communities
Education
- Colleton County School District operates public schools, including Colleton County High School.
- Degrees can be earned at the University of South Carolina Salkehatchie in Walterboro.
See also
In Spanish: Condado de Colleton para niños
