Anderson County, South Carolina

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Anderson County is a county located in the U.S. state of South Carolina. As of the 2020 census, its population was 203,718.<ref name="2020CensusQuickFacts"/> Its county seat is Anderson.<ref name="GR6">Template:Cite web</ref> Named for Revolutionary War leader Robert Anderson,<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> the county is located in northwestern South Carolina, along the state line of Georgia. The county is included in the Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC metropolitan statistical area.<ref name="2023OMB">Template:Cite web</ref> Anderson County contains Template:Convert Lake Hartwell, a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers lake with nearly Template:Convert of shoreline for residential and recreational use. The area is a growing industrial, commercial, and tourist center. It is the home of Anderson University, a private, selective comprehensive university with about 4,000 undergraduate and graduate students.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

History

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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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The county seat and largest city is Anderson; both the county and city are also located in the Greenville-Anderson-Greer metropolitan statistical area.<ref name="2023OMB"/> 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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Geography

Template:Maplink According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of Template:Convert, of which Template:Convert (5.55%) are covered by water.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> 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<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Sadlers Creek State Park

Major water bodies

Demographics

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2020 census

**Anderson County, South Carolina – Racial and ethnic composition**
Template:Nobold
Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)	Pop 2010<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	Pop 2020<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	% 2010	% 2020
White alone (NH)	147,362	152,396	78.75%	74.81%
Black or African American alone (NH)	29,810	30,214	15.93%	14.83%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)	420	425	0.22%	0.21%
Asian alone (NH)	1,384	2,404	0.74%	1.18%
Pacific Islander alone (NH)	29	46	0.02%	0.02%
Some other race alone (NH)	183	698	0.10%	0.34%
Multiracial (NH)	2,491	7,961	1.33%	3.91%
Hispanic or Latino	5,447	9,574	2.91%	4.70%
Total	187,126	203,718	100.00%	100.00%

As of the 2020 census, 203,718 people, 75,825 households, and 52,038 families were residing in the county.

2010 census

At the 2010 census, there were 187,126 people, 73,829 households, and 51,922 families residing in the county.<ref name="census-dp1">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="QF">Template:Cite web</ref> The population density was Template:Convert. There were 84,774 housing units at an average density of Template:Convert.<ref name="census-density">Template:Cite web</ref> The racial makeup of the county was 80.1% White, 16.0% Black or African American, 0.8% Asian, 0.3% American Indian, 1.3% from other races, and 1.5% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 2.9% of the population.<ref name="census-dp1"/> In terms of ancestry, 15.9% were American, 13.6% were Irish, 10.8% were English, and 10.2% were German.<ref name="census-dp2">Template:Cite web</ref>

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.<ref name="census-dp1"/>

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.<ref name="census-dp3">Template:Cite web</ref>

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.<ref name="accc">Template:Cite web</ref>

Anderson County councilmen are:<ref name="accc" />

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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

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 1970s, 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. The exceptions came in 1976 and 1980, when Southerner Jimmy Carter overwhelmingly captured the county in the former election and fairly solidly in the latter.

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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Template:As of, 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.<ref name=":0">Template:Cite journal</ref> Between 2021 and 2024, the unemployment rate has fluctuated around 3%.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 2022, its GDP was $9.1 billion (approx. $44,670 per capita).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In chained 2017 dollars, its real GDP was $7.6 billion (approx. $37,306 per capita).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Employment and Wage Statistics by Industry in Anderson County, South Carolina<ref name=":0" />
Industry	Employment Counts	Employment Percentage (%)	Average Annual Wage ($)
Accommodation and Food Services	7,865	11.1	19,760
Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services	2,695	3.8	38,272
Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting	167	0.2	49,712
Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation	864	1.2	16,016
Construction	2,947	4.2	56,368
Educational Services	5,822	8.2	50,440
Finance and Insurance	1,043	1.5	60,476
Health Care and Social Assistance	11,076	15.7	54,652
Information	475	0.7	62,816
Management of Companies and Enterprises	212	0.3	121,992
Manufacturing	16,042	22.7	61,048
Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction	97	0.1	70,616
Other Services (except Public Administration)	1,465	2.1	40,560
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services	2,153	3.0	54,444
Public Administration	2,634	3.7	45,708
Real Estate and Rental and Leasing	532	0.8	44,824
Retail Trade	9,313	13.2	32,344
Transportation and Warehousing	2,185	3.1	56,264
Utilities	350	0.5	83,304
Wholesale Trade	2,783	3.9	61,048
Total	70,720	100.0%	48,004

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.<ref>Template:Cite web - Text list</ref>

References

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External links

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