Anderson County, South Carolina

History

Anderson County was founded in 1826 after the dissolution of the Pendleton District and was named after Robert Anderson, an American Revolutionary War general. During the Civil War, the county became a center of ammunitions production for the Confederate States Army. The county seat and largest city is Anderson; both the county and city are also located in the Greenville-Anderson-Greer metropolitan statistical area. Agriculturally, the county is ranked first in the southeast, second in the south, and 23rd in the United States according to the United States Department of Commerce. Cotton, corn, and various fruits and vegetables are grown along with a large poultry industry located the county.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 755.76 sqmi, of which 41.91 sqmi (5.55%) are covered by water. Anderson County is in the Savannah River basin and the Saluda River basin.

State and local protected areas

• Broyles Recreation Area
• Fant's Grove Wildlife Management Area
• Sadlers Creek State Park

Major water bodies

• Chattooga River
• Lake Hartwell
• Saluda River
• Savannah River
• Lake Secession

Adjacent counties

• Pickens County – north
• Greenville County – northeast
• Laurens County – east
• Abbeville County – south
• Elbert County, Georgia – southwest
• Hart County, Georgia – west
• Oconee County – northwest

Major highways

• (Anderson)
• (Pendleton)

Major infrastructure

• Anderson Regional Airport

Demographics

|align-fn=center 1790–1960 1900–1990 1990–2000 2010 2020

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, 203,718 people lived in the county across 80,372 households; 52,038 of those households were families.

The median age was 41.1 years. 22.5% of residents were under the age of 18 and 18.9% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 93.0 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 89.9 males.

As of the 2020 census, the racial makeup of the county was 75.8% White, 14.9% Black or African American, 0.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2% Asian, 0.0% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 2.3% from some other race, and 5.4% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 4.7% of the population.

58.3% of residents lived in urban areas, while 41.7% lived in rural areas.

Of the 80,372 households, 30.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them and 27.9% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 26.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

There were 89,123 housing units, of which 9.8% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 73.2% were owner-occupied and 26.8% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.6% and the rental vacancy rate was 9.2%.

Racial and ethnic composition

2010 census

At the 2010 census, there were 187,126 people, 73,829 households, and 51,922 families residing in the county.{{cite web |access-date=March 9, 2016 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20200213032040/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/DPDP1/0500000US45007 |archive-date=February 13, 2020 |url-status=dead |access-date=March 9, 2016 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20200213183143/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_SF1/GCTPH1.CY07/0500000US45007 |archive-date=February 13, 2020 |url-status=dead |access-date=March 9, 2016 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20200213010431/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/10_5YR/DP02/0500000US45007 |archive-date=February 13, 2020 |url-status=dead

Of the 73,829 households, 33.3% had children under 18 living with them, 51.1% were married couples living together, 14.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 29.7% were not families, and 25.4% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.50 and the average family size was 2.98. The median age was 39.7 years.

The median income for a household in the county was $42,871 and for a family was $53,229. Males had a median income of $41,885 versus $30,920 for females. The per capita income for the county was $22,117. About 12.4% of families and 15.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 23.0% of those under 18 and 10.2% of those 65 or over.{{cite web |access-date=March 9, 2016 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20200213025701/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/10_5YR/DP03/0500000US45007 |archive-date=February 13, 2020 |url-status=dead

Law and government

Anderson County has a council-administrator form of government under South Carolina law. County council members are elected from seven single-member districts for two-year terms. All seven council seats are open for election every two years.

Anderson County councilmen are:

• District 1: John B. Wright Jr. (North Anderson)
• District 2: Glenn A. Davis (South and East Anderson)
• District 3: S. Ray Graham (Belton/Starr/Iva area)
• District 4: Brett Sanders (Pendleton area)
• District 5: Tommy Dunn (West Anderson)
• District 6: Jimmy Davis (Powdersville area)
• District 7: M. Cindy Wilson (Williamston/Honea Path area)

The Anderson county administrator is Rusty Burns.

Operations

Anderson County has 10 divisions:

• Administration
• Parks, Recreation, and Tourism
• Central Services
• Economic Development
• Emergency Services
• EMS and Special Operations
• Environmental Services
• Finance
• Planning
• Transportation

Politics

Since the 1980s, Anderson County has been a rock-solid Republican bastion, with the party going on a streak of winning the county in each presidential election since 1984.

Economy

Early industry in the county was textile mills, processing southern cotton. In the 21st century, industry has diversified with more than 230 manufacturers, including 22 international companies. The top major industries in Anderson include manufacturers of automotive products, metal products, industrial machinery, plastics, publishing, and textiles. More than 27 BMW suppliers are in the upstate, which is recognized internationally as an automotive supplier hub. The plastic industry has a strong presence in the upstate, with 244 plastic companies located within the 10 counties of the northwest corner of the state. Anderson County has 11 automotive suppliers and is a major player in the plastic industry, with 27 plastic companies located within its borders.

, some of the top employers in the county include AnMed Health Medical Center, Anderson University, Bosch, the City of Anderson, Glen Raven, Inc., Ingles, Michelin, Walmart, and Walgreens. Between 2021 and 2024, the unemployment rate has fluctuated around 3%. In 2022, its GDP was $9.1 billion (approx. $44,670 per capita). In chained 2017 dollars, its real GDP was $7.6 billion (approx. $37,306 per capita).

Communities

Cities

• Anderson (county seat and largest community)
• Belton
• Clemson (mostly in Pickens County)
• Easley (mostly in Pickens County)

Towns

• Honea Path (partly in Abbeville County)
• Iva
• Pelzer
• Pendleton
• Starr
• West Pelzer
• Williamston

Census-designated places

• Centerville
• Fair Play (mostly in Oconee County)
• Homeland Park
• La France
• Northlake
• Piedmont (partly in Greenville County)
• Powdersville
• Sandy Springs

Unincorporated communities

• Cheddar
• Craytonville
• Piercetown
• Townville (partly in Oconee County)

Education

The Anderson schools are divided into five districts.

• Anderson School District 1
• Anderson School District 2
• Anderson School District 3
• Anderson School District 4
• Anderson School District 5 --

References

References

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4. (October 17, 2022). "Anderson University Celebrates Highest Enrollment in its 111-Year History".
5. "Anderson".
6. "Anderson County, South Carolina".
7. (August 23, 2022). "2020 County Gazetteer Files – South Carolina". United States Census Bureau.
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14. (2021). "2020 Decennial Census Demographic Profile (DP1)".
15. "QuickFacts: Anderson County, South Carolina". United States Census Bureau.
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17. (2023). "2020 Decennial Census Demographic and Housing Characteristics (DHC)".
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19. "P2 HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE - 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) - Anderson, South Carolina".
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22. "County Administrator".
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24. "Anderson County Development Partnership". Andersonpartnership.com.
25. (April 19, 2024). "Anderson County". S.C. Department of Employment & Workforce - Business Intelligence Department.
26. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (1990-01-01). "Unemployment Rate in Anderson County, SC".
27. U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. (2001-01-01). "Gross Domestic Product: All Industries in Anderson County, SC".
28. U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. (2001-01-01). "Real Gross Domestic Product: All Industries in Anderson County, SC". FRED, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis.
29. "2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Anderson County, SC". [[U.S. Census Bureau]].