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Newberry County, South Carolina facts for kids

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Newberry County
U.S. county
Newberry County Courthouse
Newberry County Courthouse
Official seal of Newberry County
Seal
Map of South Carolina highlighting Newberry County
Location within the U.S. state of South Carolina
Map of the United States highlighting South Carolina
South Carolina's location within the U.S.
Country  United States
State  South Carolina
Founded 1785
Named for No records exist but likely named after a settler in the area or a suburb of London named Newberry.
Seat Newberry
Largest community Newberry
Area
 • Total 647.28 sq mi (1,676.4 km2)
 • Land 630.29 sq mi (1,632.4 km2)
 • Water 16.99 sq mi (44.0 km2)  2.62%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 37,719
 • Estimate 
(2023)
 38,825 Increase
 • Density 58.2731/sq mi (22.4994/km2)
Time zone UTC−5 (Eastern)
 • Summer (DST) UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district 3rd

Newberry County is a county located in the U.S. state of South Carolina. As of the 2020 census, its population was 37,719. Its county seat is Newberry. The name is of unknown origin, although one theory suggests that it was named by Quaker settlers in honor of their home of Newberry, a suburb of London in the United Kingdom. Newberry County comprises the Newberry, SC Micropolitan Statistical Area.

History

Newberry County was formed from Ninety-Six District in 1785. Prior to its formal founding, the area was the site of several American Revolutionary War battles: Williams' Plantation, December 31, 1780; Mud Lick, March 2, 1781; and Bush River, May 1781. The town of Newberry was founded in 1789 as the county seat and was sometimes called Newberry Courthouse for that reason.

Originally settled by yeomen farmers, in the nineteenth century numerous plantations were established for the cultivation of short-staple cotton. Its processing had been made profitable by invention of the cotton gin. Cotton was the primary crop grown in Newberry County before the American Civil War. Newberry was a trading town, and expanded with the arrival of the railroad in the early 1850s, which connected it to major towns and markets. Newberry College was established by the Lutheran Church in 1856.

The Civil War interrupted growth in the county; the warfare and loss of lives of many southern men disrupted the state economy. The first cotton mills were constructed in the county in the 1880s, and quickly became an important part of the economy and a source of jobs. With the mechanization of agriculture in the early 20th century, labor needs were reduced.

Since the 1970s the population of Newberry County has been growing from 29,416 in 1960 to 37,719 in 2020.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 647.28 square miles (1,676.4 km2), of which 630.29 square miles (1,632.4 km2) is land and 16.99 square miles (44.0 km2) (2.62%) is water.

National protected area

  • Belfast Wildlife Management Area (part)
  • Sumter National Forest (part)

State and local protected areas

Major water bodies

Adjacent counties

Major highways

  • I-26
  • US 76
  • US 176

  • US 176 Conn.
  • SC 34

  • SC 34 Conn.
  • SC 39
  • SC 56
  • SC 66
  • SC 72

  • SC 72 Conn.
  • SC 121
  • SC 202
  • SC 213
  • SC 219
  • SC 391
  • SC 395
  • SC 560

Major infrastructure

  • Newberry County Water & Sewer Authority
  • Newberry Electric Cooperative
  • Clinton-Newberry Natural Gas Authority

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop. %±
1790 9,342 —
1800 12,006 28.5%
1810 13,964 16.3%
1820 16,104 15.3%
1830 17,441 8.3%
1840 18,350 5.2%
1850 20,143 9.8%
1860 20,879 3.7%
1870 20,775 −0.5%
1880 26,497 27.5%
1890 26,434 −0.2%
1900 30,182 14.2%
1910 34,586 14.6%
1920 35,552 2.8%
1930 34,681 −2.4%
1940 33,577 −3.2%
1950 31,771 −5.4%
1960 29,416 −7.4%
1970 29,273 −0.5%
1980 31,242 6.7%
1990 33,172 6.2%
2000 36,108 8.9%
2010 37,508 3.9%
2020 37,719 0.6%
2023 (est.) 38,825 3.5%
U.S. Decennial Census
1790–1960 1900–1990
1990–2000 2010 2020

2020 census

Newberry County racial composition
Race Num. Perc.
White (non-Hispanic) 22,635 60.01%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic) 10,360 27.47%
Native American 107 0.28%
Asian 135 0.36%
Pacific Islander 4 0.01%
Other/Mixed 1,173 3.11%
Hispanic or Latino 3,305 8.76%

As of the 2020 census, there were 37,719 people, 14,810 households, and 9,705 families residing in the county.

2010 census

At the 2010 census, there were 37,508 people, 14,709 households, and 10,129 families living in the county. The population density was 59.5 inhabitants per square mile (23.0/km2). There were 17,922 housing units at an average density of 28.4 per square mile (11.0/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 62.1% white, 31.0% black or African American, 0.3% Asian, 0.3% American Indian, 0.1% Pacific islander, 5.0% from other races, and 1.2% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 7.2% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 16.8% were German, 14.2% were American, 9.0% were English, and 7.7% were Irish.

Of the 14,709 households, 32.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.3% were married couples living together, 17.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 31.1% were non-families, and 27.0% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.47 and the average family size was 2.97. The median age was 39.9 years.

The median income for a household in the county was $41,815 and the median income for a family was $49,560. Males had a median income of $38,146 versus $28,961 for females. The per capita income for the county was $21,410. About 13.3% of families and 16.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 25.6% of those under age 18 and 10.9% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

In 2022, the GDP was $1.8 billion (about $45,435 per capita), and the real GDP was $1.5 billion (about $37,540 per capita) in chained 2017 dollars.

As of April 2024, some of the largest employers in the county include Caterpillar Inc., Georgia-Pacific, Komatsu Limited, Kraft Foods, Newberry College, Samsung Electronics, Valmont Industries, and Walmart.

Employment and Wage Statistics by Industry in Newberry County, South Carolina - Q3 2023
Industry Employment Counts Employment Percentage (%) Average Annual Wage ($)
Accommodation and Food Services 1,120 7.6 18,980
Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services 787 5.4 33,800
Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting 474 3.2 45,032
Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation 166 1.1 13,572
Construction 773 5.3 58,708
Educational Services 1,178 8.0 46,332
Finance and Insurance 201 1.4 43,316
Health Care and Social Assistance 1,484 10.1 39,156
Information 42 0.3 64,064
Manufacturing 5,019 34.2 58,188
Other Services (except Public Administration) 246 1.7 46,176
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 171 1.2 42,588
Public Administration 786 5.4 48,464
Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 78 0.5 52,936
Retail Trade 1,477 10.1 28,600
Transportation and Warehousing 280 1.9 56,004
Utilities 73 0.5 65,572
Wholesale Trade 315 2.1 66,924
Total 14,670 100.0% 46,191

Media

Newberry Magazine is a bimonthly magazine, published since 2004, by Summer Media, for Newberry County.

Communities

Cities

  • Newberry (county seat and largest community)

Towns

Census-designated place

  • Helena

Other unincorporated communities

Notable people

  • Lee Atwater (1951–1991), political consultant
  • Pinckney Warren Russell (1864–1941), classics scholar, educator, pastor

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Condado de Newberry para niños

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