Sumter County is a county located in the U.S. state of South Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 105,556.[2] Its county seat is Sumter.[3]
Sumter County | |
---|---|
Nickname: The Gamecock County | |
Coordinates: 33°55′N 80°23′W / 33.92°N 80.38°W | |
Country | United States |
State | South Carolina |
Founded | January 1, 1800[1] |
Named for | Thomas Sumter |
Seat | Sumter |
Largest community | Sumter |
Area | |
• Total | 682.09 sq mi (1,766.6 km2) |
• Land | 665.08 sq mi (1,722.5 km2) |
• Water | 17.01 sq mi (44.1 km2) 2.49% |
Population (2020) | |
• Total | 105,556 |
• Estimate (2023) | 104,165 |
• Density | 158.71/sq mi (61.28/km2) |
Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
Congressional districts | 5th, 6th |
Website | www |
Sumter County comprises the Sumter, SC Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is also included in the Columbia-Sumter-Orangeburg, SC Combined Statistical Area.[4] The county is also part of "The Midlands" area.
It is the home of Shaw AFB, headquarters to the 9th Air Force, AFCENT, United States Army Central, with a number of other tenant units. It is one of largest bases in the USAF's Air Combat Command.
On September 17, 2024, the National Park Service announced that the City of Sumter and Sumter County were jointly named a World War II Heritage City.[5]
History
editSumter County was created from Clarendon, Claremont and Salem Counties as Sumter District in 1798, named after General Thomas Sumter,[6] and became effective in 1800.[7] When the home of Sumter District's clerk of records burnt in 1801, the formative records of the three predecessor counties were also destroyed in the conflagration.[6] So documentary evidence that the three counties were within St. Mark's Parish (formed in 1757 from Prince Frederick's Parish, Craven County) in Camden District (formed 1769) derives from family genealogies and legislative records.
On December 19, 1855, a legislative act was passed partitioning Sumter District by forming Clarendon District, with the same boundaries as defined for Clarendon County in 1785. When effectuated in 1857, a northeastern part of Sumter District (formerly in Salem County) was also separated in the partition (the area east of a line drawn from the northernmost point of old Clarendon County continued north-northeasterly to a point on the boundary line with Darlington District (Sumter County's northeastern cornerpoint abutting Florence County since 1888).
The Sumter District gained a form of self-rule and was renamed Sumter County under the 1868 Constitution.[8]
In 1898, a northwestern part of Sumter County was detached to form part of the first Lee County, but its formation was declared unconstitutional in 1899. In 1902, an even larger northern part of Sumter County (more or less the remaining part of former Salem County) was properly legally detached to form the major sections of the current Lee County, of which some acreage reverted in 1914.
In 1921, southern Sumter County received a section from Clarendon County, of which some acreage reverted in 1922, creating the current boundaries of Sumter County.
Geography
editAccording to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 682.09 square miles (1,766.6 km2), of which 665.08 square miles (1,722.5 km2) is land and 17.01 square miles (44.1 km2) (2.49%) is water.[9] It is drained by the Black River and its tributaries.[10] Its western border is formed by the Wateree River. One of South Carolina's most famous areas are the High Hills of Santee comprising the western part of the county. The county is one of five that borders Lake Marion, also known as South Carolina's "Inland Sea".
State and local protected areas/sites
edit- Bland Tract Dove Field, Manchester State Forest (MSF) Wildlife Management Area[11]
- Manchester State Forest (part)
- Millford Plantation Historic Site
- Poinsett State Park
- Swan Lake Iris Gardens
- Tuomey Tract Dove Field, Manchester State Forest (MSF) Wildlife Management Area[11]
- Woods Bay State Park (part)
Major water bodies
edit- Congaree River
- Lake Marion
- Lynches River
- Pocoaligo River
- Rocky Bluff Swamp
- Scape Ore Swamp
- Wateree River
Adjacent counties
edit- Lee County – north
- Florence County – northeast
- Clarendon County – south
- Calhoun County – southwest
- Richland County – west
- Kershaw County – northwest
Major highways
editMajor infrastructure
editDemographics
editCensus | Pop. | Note | %± |
---|---|---|---|
1800 | 3,571 | — | |
1810 | 19,054 | 433.6% | |
1820 | 25,269 | 32.6% | |
1830 | 28,277 | 11.9% | |
1840 | 27,892 | −1.4% | |
1850 | 33,220 | 19.1% | |
1860 | 23,859 | −28.2% | |
1870 | 25,268 | 5.9% | |
1880 | 37,037 | 46.6% | |
1890 | 43,605 | 17.7% | |
1900 | 51,237 | 17.5% | |
1910 | 38,472 | −24.9% | |
1920 | 43,040 | 11.9% | |
1930 | 45,902 | 6.6% | |
1940 | 52,463 | 14.3% | |
1950 | 57,634 | 9.9% | |
1960 | 74,941 | 30.0% | |
1970 | 79,425 | 6.0% | |
1980 | 88,243 | 11.1% | |
1990 | 102,637 | 16.3% | |
2000 | 104,646 | 2.0% | |
2010 | 107,456 | 2.7% | |
2020 | 105,556 | −1.8% | |
2023 (est.) | 104,165 | [2] | −1.3% |
U.S. Decennial Census[12] 1790–1960[13] 1900–1990[14] 1990–2000[15] 2010[16] 2020[2] |
2020 census
editRace | Num. | Perc. |
---|---|---|
White (non-Hispanic) | 46,442 | 44.0% |
Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 48,536 | 45.98% |
Native American | 338 | 0.32% |
Asian | 1,400 | 1.33% |
Pacific Islander | 87 | 0.08% |
Other/Mixed | 4,451 | 4.22% |
Hispanic or Latino | 4,302 | 4.08% |
As of the 2020 census, there were 105,556 people, 44,105 households, and 29,777 families residing in the county.
2010 census
editAt the 2010 census, there were 107,456 people, 40,398 households, and 28,311 families residing in the county.[18] The population density was 161.6 inhabitants per square mile (62.4/km2). There were 46,011 housing units at an average density of 69.2 per square mile (26.7/km2).[19] The racial makeup of the county was 48.2% white, 46.9% black or African American, 1.1% Asian, 0.4% American Indian, 0.1% Pacific islander, 1.4% from other races, and 1.9% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 3.3% of the population.[18] In terms of ancestry, 7.2% were Subsaharan African, 6.9% were American, 6.1% were English, 5.9% were German, and 5.7% were Irish.[20]
Of the 40,398 households, 36.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.6% were married couples living together, 20.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 29.9% were non-families, and 25.8% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.59 and the average family size was 3.11. The median age was 35.4 years.[18]
The median income for a household in the county was $39,137 and the median income for a family was $45,460. Males had a median income of $36,101 versus $28,421 for females. The per capita income for the county was $18,944. About 15.5% of families and 19.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 29.1% of those under age 18 and 14.7% of those age 65 or over.[21]
Government and politics
editYear | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
2024 | 21,215 | 46.97% | 23,425 | 51.86% | 530 | 1.17% |
2020 | 21,000 | 42.93% | 27,379 | 55.97% | 541 | 1.11% |
2016 | 18,745 | 42.52% | 24,047 | 54.55% | 1,294 | 2.94% |
2012 | 19,274 | 40.74% | 27,589 | 58.32% | 446 | 0.94% |
2008 | 18,581 | 41.89% | 25,431 | 57.33% | 346 | 0.78% |
2004 | 18,074 | 48.84% | 18,695 | 50.52% | 234 | 0.63% |
2000 | 15,915 | 51.89% | 14,365 | 46.83% | 392 | 1.28% |
1996 | 12,080 | 47.57% | 12,198 | 48.04% | 1,114 | 4.39% |
1992 | 12,576 | 47.29% | 11,852 | 44.56% | 2,168 | 8.15% |
1988 | 13,161 | 57.72% | 9,502 | 41.67% | 138 | 0.61% |
1984 | 12,909 | 57.14% | 9,566 | 42.35% | 115 | 0.51% |
1980 | 10,557 | 52.45% | 9,205 | 45.74% | 364 | 1.81% |
1976 | 9,332 | 46.87% | 10,471 | 52.59% | 109 | 0.55% |
1972 | 10,892 | 64.83% | 5,801 | 34.53% | 107 | 0.64% |
1968 | 5,451 | 33.43% | 6,103 | 37.42% | 4,754 | 29.15% |
1964 | 7,729 | 67.19% | 3,775 | 32.81% | 0 | 0.00% |
1960 | 4,633 | 63.91% | 2,616 | 36.09% | 0 | 0.00% |
1956 | 1,356 | 22.47% | 937 | 15.53% | 3,741 | 62.00% |
1952 | 4,726 | 70.12% | 2,014 | 29.88% | 0 | 0.00% |
1948 | 154 | 4.43% | 605 | 17.40% | 2,718 | 78.17% |
1944 | 73 | 3.04% | 2,111 | 87.92% | 217 | 9.04% |
1936 | 58 | 2.74% | 2,062 | 97.26% | 0 | 0.00% |
1932 | 59 | 3.14% | 1,809 | 96.43% | 8 | 0.43% |
1928 | 174 | 12.65% | 1,202 | 87.35% | 0 | 0.00% |
1924 | 18 | 1.48% | 1,136 | 93.42% | 62 | 5.10% |
1920 | 194 | 14.43% | 1,150 | 85.57% | 0 | 0.00% |
1916 | 142 | 9.34% | 1,357 | 89.28% | 21 | 1.38% |
1912 | 31 | 3.12% | 910 | 91.64% | 52 | 5.24% |
1908 | 173 | 12.28% | 1,228 | 87.15% | 8 | 0.57% |
1904 | 137 | 12.97% | 919 | 87.03% | 0 | 0.00% |
1900 | 150 | 11.12% | 1,199 | 88.88% | 0 | 0.00% |
1896 | 326 | 17.16% | 1,550 | 81.58% | 24 | 1.26% |
1892 | 639 | 29.29% | 1,535 | 70.35% | 8 | 0.37% |
Economy
editIn 2022, the GDP was $5 billion (about $48,450 per capita),[24] and the real GDP was $4.2 billion (about $40,489 per capita) in chained 2017 dollars.[25]
As of April 2024, some of the largest employers in the county include Becton Dickinson, Central Carolina Technical College, the city of Sumter, Continental AG, the United States Department of Defense, Eaton Corporation, SKF, JCPenney, Pilgrim's Pride, Prisma Health, Speedway, and Walmart.[26]
Industry | Employment Counts | Employment Percentage (%) | Average Annual Wage ($) |
---|---|---|---|
Accommodation and Food Services | 3,537 | 10.0 | 18,980 |
Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 1,736 | 4.9 | 42,380 |
Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 241 | 0.7 | 49,244 |
Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation | 342 | 1.0 | 16,692 |
Construction | 2,529 | 7.2 | 63,388 |
Educational Services | 2,912 | 8.3 | 48,048 |
Finance and Insurance | 824 | 2.3 | 73,060 |
Health Care and Social Assistance | 5,453 | 15.5 | 53,768 |
Information | 187 | 0.5 | 62,608 |
Management of Companies and Enterprises | 223 | 0.6 | 93,912 |
Manufacturing | 6,366 | 18.1 | 62,140 |
Other Services (except Public Administration) | 978 | 2.8 | 39,312 |
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 934 | 2.7 | 75,036 |
Public Administration | 2,510 | 7.1 | 58,448 |
Real Estate and Rental and Leasing | 221 | 0.6 | 43,680 |
Retail Trade | 4,497 | 12.8 | 29,796 |
Transportation and Warehousing | 896 | 2.5 | 60,476 |
Utilities | 143 | 0.4 | 79,248 |
Wholesale Trade | 710 | 2.0 | 61,568 |
Total | 35,239 | 100.0% | 49,611 |
Education
editAll areas in the county are in the Sumter County Consolidated School District.[27] Additionally, the University of South Carolina Sumter is located in the county.[28]
Communities
editCities
edit- Sumter (county seat and largest community)
Towns
editCensus-designated places
editUnincorporated communities
editNotable people
edit- Ray Allen, NBA basketball player
- Richard H. Anderson, Confederate lieutenant general
- Mary McLeod Bethune, civil rights activist, feminist, stateswoman, educator, and founder of the National Council of Negro Women; born to parents who had been enslaved[29]
- William Ellison, slave who was freed and settled in Stateburg where he became a large-scale slave owner and lived his life
- David DuBose Gaillard, in charge of the building of the central portion of the Panama Canal
- Sarah Ann Haynsworth Gayle (1804–1835), diarist
- Richard Irvine Manning I, 50th governor of South Carolina
- Richard Irvine Manning III, 92nd governor of South Carolina
- George L. Mabry, Jr., major general, Congressional Medal of Honor recipient, and highly decorated soldier of WWII
- Slomon Moody, physician, farmer, and city treasurer of Ocala, Florida
- Franklin J. Moses Jr., Governor of South Carolina from 1872 to 1874; enemies labelled him the "Robber Governor"
- Ja Morant, NBA basketball player for the Memphis Grizzlies
- Bill Pinkney, performer, singer, and member of The Drifters
- Freddie Solomon, NFL wide receiver[30]
- Angelica Singleton Van Buren, Martin Van Buren's daughter-in-law and acting first lady of the United States during his presidency
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Sumter County, South Carolina". Retrieved September 7, 2022.
- ^ a b c "QuickFacts: Sumter County, South Carolina". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 22, 2024.
- ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
- ^ "OMB Bulletin No. 23-01: Revised Delineations of Metropolitan Statistical Areas, Micropolitan Statistical Areas, and Combined Statistical Areas, and Guidance on Uses of the Delineations of These Areas" (PDF). United States Office of Management and Budget. July 21, 2023. Retrieved August 10, 2023.
- ^ "National Park Service Announces New American World War II Heritage Cities - Sept 2024 - Office of Communications (U.S. National Park Service)". www.nps.gov. Retrieved September 18, 2024.
- ^ a b Sumter County, South Carolina Genealogy, FamilySearch.org, accessed April 2020.
- ^ "South Carolina: Individual County Chronologies". South Carolina Atlas of Historical County Boundaries. The Newberry Library. 2009. Archived from the original on January 3, 2017. Retrieved March 21, 2015.
- ^ Sumter District, South Carolina. FamilySearch.org, accessed April 2020.
- ^ "2020 County Gazetteer Files – South Carolina". United States Census Bureau. August 23, 2022. Retrieved September 10, 2023.
- ^ Ripley, George; Dana, Charles A., eds. (1879). The American Cyclopædia. .
- ^ a b "SCDNR Public Lands". www2.dnr.sc.gov. Retrieved April 1, 2023.
- ^ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 19, 2015.
- ^ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved March 19, 2015.
- ^ Forstall, Richard L., ed. (March 27, 1995). "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 19, 2015.
- ^ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. April 2, 2001. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 9, 2022. Retrieved March 19, 2015.
- ^ "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved April 14, 2014.
- ^ "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved December 7, 2021.
- ^ a b c "DP-1 Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 Demographic Profile Data". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved March 11, 2016.
- ^ "Population, Housing Units, Area, and Density: 2010 - County". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved March 11, 2016.
- ^ "DP02 SELECTED SOCIAL CHARACTERISTICS IN THE UNITED STATES – 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved March 11, 2016.
- ^ "DP03 SELECTED ECONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS – 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved March 11, 2016.
- ^ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved March 13, 2018.
- ^ "Our Campaigns - U.S. President". Retrieved January 22, 2021.
- ^ U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (January 1, 2001). "Gross Domestic Product: All Industries in Sumter County, SC". FRED, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. Retrieved May 5, 2024.
- ^ U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (January 1, 2001). "Real Gross Domestic Product: All Industries in Sumter County, SC". FRED, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. Retrieved May 5, 2024.
- ^ a b "Sumter County" (PDF). Community Profiles (4000085). Columbia, SC: S.C. Department of Employment & Workforce - Business Intelligence Department. April 19, 2024.
- ^ "2020 Census – School District Reference Mmap: Sumter County, SC" (PDF). U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved January 17, 2023. - Text list
- ^ "USC Sumter". sc.edu. Retrieved March 4, 2023.
- ^ Jones, Martha S. (2020). Vanguard : how Black women broke barriers, won the vote, and insisted on equality for all. New York, NY. pp. 218–226. ISBN 978-1-5416-1861-9. OCLC 1135569243.
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) - ^ "Freddie Solomon". SC Football Hall of Fame | Become a life changer for our youth!. Retrieved January 18, 2023.
External links
edit- Geographic data related to Sumter County, South Carolina at OpenStreetMap
- Official website