Jasper County, South Carolina facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Jasper County
U.S. county
Jasper 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	1912
Named for	William Jasper
Seat	Ridgeland
Largest community	Hardeeville
Area
• Total	701.58 sq mi (1,817.1 km2)
• Land	655.16 sq mi (1,696.9 km2)
• Water	46.42 sq mi (120.2 km2)  6.62%
Population  (2020)
• Total	28,791
• Estimate  (2023)	33,544
• Density	43.94/sq mi (16.97/km2)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional districts	1st, 6th

Jasper County is a county in the state of South Carolina, USA. It is the southernmost county in the state. In 2020, about 28,791 people lived there. The main town, or county seat, is Ridgeland. The biggest community is Hardeeville. Jasper County was created in 1912 from parts of Hampton County and Beaufort County.

This county is part of the Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal, SC Metropolitan Statistical Area. It is located in the beautiful Lowcountry region of South Carolina.

History of Jasper County

Jasper County was started in 1912. It was named after a hero called William Jasper. The main town is Ridgeland. Hardeeville is the largest community.

For many years, Jasper County was one of the poorer counties in South Carolina. This was different from its neighbor, Beaufort County. But since 2000, new homes and businesses have come to the county. This has brought more people and helped the county become wealthier.

What is the Geography of Jasper County?

Jasper County Courthouse is in Ridgeland.

Jasper County covers a total area of about 701.58 square miles. Most of this is land, about 655.16 square miles. The rest, about 46.42 square miles, is water. This means about 6.62% of the county is water.

Protected Natural Areas

Jasper County has special places that protect nature. These include:

• Savannah National Wildlife Refuge (part of it is in Jasper County)
• Tybee National Wildlife Refuge

Important Local Sites

There are also state and local places that are protected or are important historical sites:

• Frampton Plantation House
• Kingfisher Pond Recreation Area
• Old House Plantation
• Tillman Sand Ridge Heritage Preserve/Wildlife Management Area
• Turtle Island Wildlife Management Area

Major Rivers and Waterways

Many important water bodies are found in Jasper County:

• Atlantic Ocean (North Atlantic Ocean)
• Intracoastal Waterway
• Little Black River
• Middle River
• Okatee River
• Savannah River
• Tulifiny River

Neighboring Counties

Jasper County shares borders with several other counties:

• Hampton County – to the north
• Beaufort County – to the east
• Chatham County, Georgia – to the south (in Georgia)
• Effingham County, Georgia – to the west (in Georgia)

Population and People in Jasper County

The number of people living in Jasper County has grown over the years.

What did the 2020 Census Show?

In 2020, the census counted 28,791 people in Jasper County. There were 10,269 households and 7,298 families.

The census also looks at different groups of people. In 2020, about 45.35% of people were White (not Hispanic). About 33.20% were Black or African American (not Hispanic). People of Hispanic or Latino origin made up about 17.64% of the population.

What did the 2010 Census Show?

The 2010 census counted 24,777 people. There were 8,517 households. The average number of people in a household was 2.73. The average family size was 3.23 people.

The median age of people in the county was 34.6 years old. This means half the people were younger than 34.6 and half were older.

The median income for a household was $37,393. This means half of the households earned more than this, and half earned less. About 21.5% of the people in the county lived below the poverty line.

Economy of Jasper County

The economy of Jasper County has been growing. In 2022, the total value of all goods and services produced in the county, called the GDP, was about $1.7 billion.

Major Employers

As of April 2024, some of the biggest employers in Jasper County include:

• AmeriGas
• The city of Hardeeville
• Publix (a grocery store chain)
• Walmart (a large retail company)

Transportation in Jasper County

Major Roads

Several important highways run through Jasper County, helping people travel and goods move around:

• I-95
• US 17
• US 278
• 
  US 278 Conn.
• US 321
• US 601
• SC 3
• SC 46
• SC 170
• SC 315
• SC 336
• 
  SC 336 Conn.
• SC 462
• SC 652

Railroads

CSX Transportation has two active train lines in Jasper County. The Charleston Subdivision carries both cargo and passenger trains (run by Amtrak). However, these trains do not stop in Jasper County. This line also runs along the border between Hampton and Jasper counties.

The Columbia Subdivision is another active CSX line. It goes through the northwest part of Jasper County. This line also carries freight and Amtrak passenger trains.

Communities in Jasper County

Cities and Towns

• Hardeeville (This is the largest community in the county.)
• Ridgeland (This is the county seat, where the county government is located.)

Other Communities

Many smaller, unincorporated communities are also part of Jasper County:

Images for kids

• 

  The official seal of Jasper County.

• 

  The flag of Jasper County.

See also

In Spanish: Condado de Jasper (Carolina del Sur) para niños