Lancaster County, South Carolina facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Lancaster County
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Lancaster County Courthouse
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| Motto(s):
"Discover Lancaster County, South Carolina"
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Location within the U.S. state of South Carolina
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 South Carolina's location within the U.S. |
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| Country |  United States |
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| State |  South Carolina |
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| Founded | 1785 | ||
| Named for | House of Lancaster | ||
| Seat | Lancaster | ||
| Largest community | Lancaster | ||
| Area | |||
| • Total | 555.05 sq mi (1,437.6 km2) | ||
| • Land | 549.07 sq mi (1,422.1 km2) | ||
| • Water | 5.98 sq mi (15.5 km2) 1.08% | ||
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 96,016 | ||
| • Estimate
(2023)
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108,215 | ||
| • Density | 174.87/sq mi (67.52/km2) | ||
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern) | ||
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) | ||
| Congressional district | 5th | ||
Lancaster County /ˈlæŋkəstər/ is a county located in the U.S. state of South Carolina. As of the 2020 census, its population was 96,016, Its county seat is Lancaster, which has an urban population of 23,979. The county was created in 1785.
Lancaster County is included in the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC Metropolitan Statistical Area. It is located in the Piedmont region.
Contents
History
For hundreds of years the Catawba Indians claimed all of present Lancaster County as part of their tribal lands. The Catawba were once considered one of the most powerful Southeastern Siouan-speaking tribes. The Catawba and other Siouan peoples are believed to have coalesced as individual tribes in the Southeast. Primarily involved in agriculture, the Catawba were friendly toward early European Immigrants.
When the first White people came in the early 1750s they settled between Rum Creek and Twelve Mile Creek. Waxhaw Creek within this area had taken its name from the Waxhaw Indian tribe. The majority of the new settlers were Scots-Irish from Pennsylvania; others from North Carolina and Virginia joined them.
Many of the early settlers came to South Carolina from Lancaster. They had named their county for the House of Lancaster which had opposed the House of York in the struggles of 1455-85, known as the War of the Roses. The House of Lancaster chose the red rose as their emblem while their neighbor, York County, boasts the white rose.
A second settlement was made in the lower part of the present Lancaster County on Hanging Rock Creek. The first grant was made there in 1752, and included the huge overhanging mass of rock from which the creek takes its name. About the time this section was opened up, others came in and settled along Lynches Creek, Little Lynches creek, Flat Creek, Beaver Creek, and lower Camp Creek. In coming to the Lancaster area, the first settlers had to follow old Indian paths, which became traveled so frequently, they were coming to be known as roads.
The Rocky River Road is an old route that originated as an Indian path. Along there in the American Revolutionary War, Colonel Abraham Buford fled from Tarleton and was overtaken a few miles south of the North Carolina state line where the Patriot forces were defeated in a controversial struggle known as the Battle of Waxhaws, also known as Bufords Massacre to locals. Today, the Rocky River Road is part of South Carolina Highway 522, the latter following the old thoroughfare very closely.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 555 square miles (1,440 km2), of which 549 square miles (1,420 km2) is land and 6.0 square miles (16 km2) (1.1%) is water. It is bounded on the west by the Catawba River and Sugar Creek and on the east by the Lynches River.
Adjacent counties
- Union County, North Carolina - northeast
- Chesterfield County - east
- Kershaw County - south
- Fairfield County - southwest
- York County - west
- Chester County - west
- Mecklenburg County, North Carolina - north
Demographics
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1790 | 6,302 | — | |
| 1800 | 6,012 | −4.6% | |
| 1810 | 6,318 | 5.1% | |
| 1820 | 8,716 | 38.0% | |
| 1830 | 10,361 | 18.9% | |
| 1840 | 9,907 | −4.4% | |
| 1850 | 10,988 | 10.9% | |
| 1860 | 11,797 | 7.4% | |
| 1870 | 12,087 | 2.5% | |
| 1880 | 16,903 | 39.8% | |
| 1890 | 20,761 | 22.8% | |
| 1900 | 24,311 | 17.1% | |
| 1910 | 26,650 | 9.6% | |
| 1920 | 28,628 | 7.4% | |
| 1930 | 27,980 | −2.3% | |
| 1940 | 33,542 | 19.9% | |
| 1950 | 37,071 | 10.5% | |
| 1960 | 39,352 | 6.2% | |
| 1970 | 43,328 | 10.1% | |
| 1980 | 53,361 | 23.2% | |
| 1990 | 54,516 | 2.2% | |
| 2000 | 61,351 | 12.5% | |
| 2010 | 76,652 | 24.9% | |
| 2020 | 96,016 | 25.3% | |
| 2023 (est.) | 108,215 | 41.2% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census 1790–1960 1900–1990 1990–2000 2010–2020 |
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2020 census
| Race | Num. | Perc. |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 64,927 | 67.62% |
| Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 19,101 | 19.89% |
| Native American | 220 | 0.23% |
| Asian | 1,765 | 1.84% |
| Pacific Islander | 14 | 0.01% |
| Other/Mixed | 3,695 | 3.85% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 6,294 | 6.56% |
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 96,016 people, 35,410 households, and 24,327 families residing in the county.
2010 census
As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 76,652 people, 29,697 households, and 21,122 families living in the county. The population density was 139.6 inhabitants per square mile (53.9/km2). There were 32,687 housing units at an average density of 59.5 per square mile (23.0/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 71.5% white, 23.8% black or African American, 0.6% Asian, 0.3% American Indian, 2.4% from other races, and 1.3% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 4.4% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 23.9% were American, 8.0% were Irish, 7.6% were English, and 7.2% were German.
Of the 29,697 households, 33.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.0% were married couples living together, 15.4% had a female householder with no husband present, 28.9% were non-families, and 24.7% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.51 and the average family size was 2.97. The median age was 39.7 years.
The median income for a household in the county was $38,959 and the median income for a family was $46,388. Males had a median income of $39,681 versus $28,985 for females. The per capita income for the county was $19,308. About 15.8% of families and 20.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 30.2% of those under age 18 and 11.2% of those age 65 or over.
Economy
In 2022, the GDP was $4.3 billion (about $39,708 per capita), and the real GDP was $3.8 billion (about $34,740 per capita) in chained 2017 dollars.
As of April 2024[update], some of the largest employers in the county include Food Lion and Walmart.
| Industry | Employment Counts | Employment Percentage (%) | Average Annual Wage ($) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accommodation and Food Services | 2,208 | 9.0 | 20,644 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 1,650 | 6.7 | 32,604 |
| Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 81 | 0.3 | 38,896 |
| Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation | 162 | 0.7 | 19,084 |
| Construction | 873 | 3.6 | 64,220 |
| Finance and Insurance | 1,024 | 4.2 | 87,724 |
| Health Care and Social Assistance | 3,846 | 15.7 | 61,256 |
| Information | 488 | 2.0 | 98,696 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | 1,706 | 7.0 | 96,668 |
| Manufacturing | 2,796 | 11.4 | 60,320 |
| Other Services (except Public Administration) | 633 | 2.6 | 35,984 |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 2,239 | 9.1 | 101,816 |
| Public Administration | 1,563 | 6.4 | 48,152 |
| Real Estate and Rental and Leasing | 306 | 1.3 | 62,192 |
| Retail Trade | 3,648 | 14.9 | 31,928 |
| Transportation and Warehousing | 331 | 1.4 | 57,252 |
| Utilities | 194 | 0.8 | 74,256 |
| Wholesale Trade | 731 | 3.0 | 91,000 |
| Total | 24,479 | 100.0% | 58,427 |
Communities
City
- Lancaster (county seat)
Towns
Census-designated places
- Elgin
- Irwin
- Lancaster Mill (former CDP)
- Springdale
Unincorporated communities
Notable people
- Bill Belk, professional football player (San Francisco 49ers)
- Sheldon Brown, professional football player
- Wayne A. Cauthen, first appointed African-American City Manager, Kansas City, MO
- Danny Clyburn, professional baseball player (Baltimore Orioles, Tampa Bay Devil Rays, Pittsburgh Pirates)
- Shawn Crawford, sprinter and Olympic gold medalist
- Don Dixon, record producer, songwriter, musician
- Charles Duke, astronaut and Moon walker during Apollo 16
- James "Butch" Duncan, Professional NFL Baltimore Colts player Super Bowl V
- Pep Harris, professional baseball player (Cleveland Indians, Anaheim Angels)
- Jim Hodges, former Governor of South Carolina
- Andrew Jackson, seventh President of the United States
- Nina Mae McKinney, actress and Broadway star
- Todd Ray, aka 'T-Ray', Grammy Award-winning record producer
- Julie Roberts, country music singer
- Aaron Robinson, Major League Baseball player (New York Yankees, Detroit Tigers, Chicago White Sox, Boston Red Sox)
- Darrell Shropshire, professional football player
- Nelson Sullivan, video artist and 1980s Club Kids personality.
- J. Marion Sims, surgeon known as the "Father of Modern Gynecology"
- The Zodiacs, led by Maurice Williams, R&B vocal group
- Jeff Twitty, professional baseball player (Kansas City Royals)
- Brian Williams, professional baseball player (Houston Astros, Detroit Tigers, Baltimore Orioles, Chicago Cubs, Boston Red Sox)
See also
In Spanish: Condado de Lancaster (Carolina del Sur) para niños
