Editing Clarendon County, South Carolina

{{Short description|County in South Carolina, United States}}
{{Distinguish|Clarendon County, New South Wales}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2024}}
{{Infobox U.S. county
 | county               = Clarendon County
 | state                = South Carolina
 | seal                 = Clarendon County Seal.jpg
 | founded              = 1785
 | named for            = [[Edward Hyde, 1st Earl of Clarendon]]
 | seat wl              = Manning
 | largest city wl      = Manning
 | city type          = community
 | area_total_sq_mi     = 695.67
 | area_land_sq_mi      = 607.21
 | area_water_sq_mi     = 88.46
 | area percentage      = 12.72
 | census yr            = 2020
 | pop                  = 31144
 | pop_est_as_of        = 2023
 | population_est       = 31004 {{loss}}
 | density_sq_mi        = auto
 | coordinates          = {{coord|33.66|-80.22|type:adm2nd_region:US-SC_source:USCensusBureau2020gazetteerfiles|display=inline,title}}
 | web                  = www.clarendoncountygov.org
 | time zone            = Eastern
 | district             = 6th
 | ex image             = Clarendon County Courthouse.jpg
 | ex image cap         = Clarendon County Courthouse }}

'''Clarendon County''' is a [[County (United States)|county]] located below the [[fall line]] in the Coastal Plain region of [[U.S. state]] of [[South Carolina]]. As of the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]], its population was 31,144.<ref name="2020CensusQuickFacts"/> Its [[county seat]] is [[Manning, South Carolina|Manning]].<ref name="GR6">{{cite web|url=http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx |access-date=June 7, 2011 |title=Find a County |publisher=National Association of Counties |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110531210815/http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx |archive-date=May 31, 2011 }}</ref>

This area was developed for lumber and mills, including textile mills. Clarendon County boasts one of the largest man-made lakes in the United States, [[Lake Marion (South Carolina)|Lake Marion]], completed in 1941 as a [[New Deal]] project. It was planned as part of a national [[rural electrification]] initiative. Since the late 20th century, the dam's generation of hydroelectric power has also stimulated economic development and industry in the region.

The South Carolina state legislature established racial segregation of public facilities by state law in the late 19th century. During the [[Civil Rights Movement]], Clarendon County was the site of the ''[[Briggs v. Elliott]]'' trial challenging segregation of public schools. This case was one of five combined with what came to be known as ''[[Brown v. Board of Education]]'', under which the [[United States Supreme Court]] ruled in 1954 that racial segregation of public schools was unconstitutional.

==History==
[[File:Aldermans 20 Stores in One.jpg|thumb|right|[[Alderman's 20 Stores in One]] in Manning]]
Clarendon County was officially established in 1785, shortly after the [[American Revolutionary War]], when the legislature divided Camden District into seven counties. One was Clarendon County.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://publications.newberry.org/ahcbp/documents/SC_Individual_County_Chronologies.htm|title=South Carolina: Individual County Chronologies|website=South Carolina Atlas of Historical County Boundaries|publisher=The Newberry Library|date=2009|access-date=March 20, 2015|archive-date=January 3, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170103154824/http://publications.newberry.org/ahcbp/documents/SC_Individual_County_Chronologies.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref> It was named after [[Edward Hyde, 1st Earl of Clarendon|Edward Hyde]], who was a [[Lords Proprietor|Lord Proprietor]] and [[earl of Clarendon]].

During the American Revolutionary War, the Battle of Half Way Swamp was fought in December 1780. That was one of the many Revolutionary battles that took place in the area of Clarendon County. Others in this area were the following battles: Richbourg’s Mill, Nelson’s Ferry, Fort Watson/Santee Indian Mound, and Tearcoat. The Swamp Fox Murals Trail has been established as an historical landmark depicting the [[American Revolution]] and General [[Francis Marion]], the "Swamp Fox".<ref name="History 2013">"History." History. Clarendon County Chamber of Commerce, n.d. Web. June 7, 2013.</ref>

[[File:Memorial stone at the site of Fort Watson.JPG|thumb|[[Siege of Fort Watson|Memorial stone]] at the site of Fort Watson]]
The first European settlers in Clarendon County were ethnic French [[Huguenots]], who traveled by boat up the [[Santee River]]. Their ancestors had earlier settled in Charleston after leaving France in the late 17th century to escape religious persecution. Transportation of goods by land was difficult, so canals were constructed to carry boat traffic around rapids in the river. The first notable [[canal]] was the [[Santee Canal]], which was constructed in 1793. But due to the development of the [[railroads]] in the mid-1800s and construction linking major markets, the canal was superseded and ended operations some years later.

In 1798, the state legislature combined three counties - Clarendon, [[Claremont County, South Carolina|Claremont]], and [[Salem County, South Carolina|Salem]] - to form Sumter District for ease of administration. On December 19, 1855, a legislative act was passed establishing the Clarendon District, with the same boundaries as defined for the county in 1785. When implemented in 1787, an additional section from Sumter District was annexed – the northeast extension of Clarendon District. (The northernmost township was released to [[Florence County, South Carolina|Florence County]] about 1888.)

During the [[Antebellum South|antebellum period]], the county was developed as [[Plantation economy|large plantations]] to cultivate commodity crops, particularly short-staple cotton, by the labor of enslaved African Americans. Cultivation of this crop was made profitable by development of the [[cotton gin]] by [[Eli Whitney]], which made processing more labor-efficient. By the time of the Civil War, the population of the county was majority black.

In 1855, Captain Joseph C. Burgess was selected to determine the geographical center of the county, the preferred location for the county seat, so that a courthouse village could be built. The commissioners decided on the site where the present courthouse was erected. [[Manning, South Carolina|Manning]] was developed as the county seat. Captain Burgess deeded six acres to the state, providing sites for the courthouse and jail, in addition to streets 75-feet-wide on four sides.

In 1865, toward the end of the [[American Civil War]], a body of [[General Sherman]]'s Union troops under command of General Potter raided Clarendon County. They destroyed a large portion of Manning, including the court house. The raid took place a few days before Gen. [[Robert E. Lee]]´s surrender at [[Appomattox Court House National Historical Park|Appomattox]]. The county recovered slowly from the Civil War due to its reliance on agriculture, which suffered a long depression.

The [[Constitution of South Carolina#Constitution of 1868|State Constitution of 1868]] renamed the districts as counties. Agriculture continued as the mainstay of the economy through much of the 19th century, and planters had to adjust to a free labor economy. They gradually relied on a system of mostly [[African-American]] [[tenant farmers]] and [[sharecroppers]]. Lumber and related mills and industries became increasingly important, with towns developed along railroad lines in the area.

Following Reconstruction, white Democrats regained control of the state legislature, passing laws for segregation of public facilities, [[Jim Crow laws|Jim Crow]] and a new constitution of 1895 that effectively [[Disfranchisement after Reconstruction era|disfranchised most black men]] in the state. This exclusion from the political system was not ended until after decades of activism by African Americans, who gained passage of federal civil rights legislation in the mid-1960s to enforce their constitutional rights.

In November 1941, [[Lake Marion (South Carolina)|Lake Marion]] was created as a reservoir by construction of the Santee Dam by the [[United States Corps of Engineers]]. The dam was built across the Santee River to generate hydroelectric power for rural electrification, one of the major infrastructure projects initiated under President [[Franklin D. Roosevelt]]'s [[New Deal]] federal investments during the [[Great Depression]]. Lake Marion and the Santee Dam were part of the Santee-Cooper Hydroelectric and Navigation Project.

Two notable court cases in Clarendon County in the mid-20th century were part of challenges by the [[Civil Rights Movement]] to racial segregation of public facilities; these cases related to segregated public schools. This was concluded in law by the [[Supreme Court of the United States|United States Supreme Court]] ruling in ''[[Brown v. Board of Education]]'' (1954), which declared that [[separate but equal]] schools were [[unconstitutional]]. The court learned that the separate school were historically underfunded in most Southern states and seldom equal. These cases were ''Levi Pearson v. Clarendon County Board of Education'' (1947), and ''[[Briggs v. Elliott]]'' (1952).<ref>Wolters, Raymond. ''The Burden of Brown: Thirty Years of School Desegregation.'' Knoxville: University of Tennessee, 1984.</ref>

==Geography==
{{maplink|frame=yes|zoom=8|id=Q497871|type=shape-inverse|text=Interactive map of Clarendon County}}
According to the [[U.S. Census Bureau]], the county has a total area of {{convert|695.67|sqmi}}, of which {{convert|607.21|sqmi}} is land and {{convert|88.46|sqmi}} (12.72%) is water.<ref>{{Cite web |date=August 23, 2022 |title=2020 County Gazetteer Files – South Carolina |url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2020_Gazetteer/2020_gaz_counties_45.txt |access-date=September 10, 2023 |publisher=United States Census Bureau}}</ref>

Clarendon Country is located in the east-central portion of South Carolina, inland of the [[South Carolina Lowcountry|Lowcountry]] and bordering the southern edge of the [[Pee Dee]]. The county covers 606.94 square miles; Lake Marion, located in the southern portion of the county, covers an additional 95 square miles of the county (See Map 2). Most of the land is predominantly sand and loamy soils. Clarendon County has a moderate climate with very warm summers and mild winters.<ref>"Clarendon." ''Encyclopædia Britannica.'' Encyclopædia Britannica Online Academic Edition. Encyclopædia Britannica Inc., 2013. Web. June 2, 2013.</ref> The average precipitation is 55 inches per year. The growing season is 225 days, so farmers have a long season to grow crops. Some of the major crops grown in Clarendon County are cotton, tobacco, corn and soybean.

Clarendon County is characterized by a [[Humid subtropical climate]] with hot, humid summers and cool, dry winters. The county also holds the [[List of South Carolina weather records#Snow|state's records]] for both maximum 24-hour snowfall and largest hailstone.

===National protected areas===
* [[Bluff Unit National Wildlife Refuge]]
* [[Brown v. Board of Education National Historical Park]]
* [[Pine Island Unit National Wildlife Refuge]]
* [[Santee National Wildlife Refuge]]

===State and local protected areas/sites===
* [[Bennett's Bay Heritage Preserve]]<ref name="SCDNR Public Lands">{{Cite web |title=SCDNR Public Lands |url=https://www2.dnr.sc.gov/ManagedLands/ManagedLand/County |access-date=April 1, 2023 |website=www2.dnr.sc.gov}}</ref>
* [[Davis House (Manning, South Carolina)|Davis House]]
* [[Hickory Top Wildlife Management Area]]<ref name="SCDNR Public Lands"/>
* [[Manchester State Forest]] (part)
* [[Oak Lea Wildlife Management Area]]<ref name="SCDNR Public Lands"/>
* [[Santee Dam Wildlife Management Area]]<ref name="SCDNR Public Lands"/>
* [[Santee Indian Mound and Fort Watson]]
* [[Taw Caw Creek Park]]
* [[Woods Bay Heritage Preserve]]<ref name="SCDNR Public Lands"/>
* [[Woods Bay State Park]] (part)

===Major water bodies===
* [[Black River (South Carolina)|Black River]]
* [[Congaree River]]
* [[Cooper River (South Carolina)|Cooper River]]
* [[Lake Marion (South Carolina)|Lake Marion]]
* [[Ox Swamp (South Carolina)|Ox Swamp]]
* [[Pocotaligo River (South Carolina)|Pocotaligo River]]

===Adjacent counties===
* [[Sumter County, South Carolina|Sumter County]] – north
* [[Florence County, South Carolina|Florence County]] – northeast
* [[Williamsburg County, South Carolina|Williamsburg County]] – east
* [[Berkeley County, South Carolina|Berkeley County]] – southeast
* [[Orangeburg County, South Carolina|Orangeburg County]] – southwest
* [[Calhoun County, South Carolina|Calhoun County]] – west

===Major highways===
* {{Jct|state=SC|I|95}}
* {{Jct|state=SC|US|15}}
* {{Jct|state=SC|US-Conn|15|dab1=Summerton}}
* {{Jct|state=SC|US|52}}
* {{Jct|state=SC|US|521}}
* {{Jct|state=SC|US|301}}
* {{Jct|state=SC|US-Conn|301|dab1=Alcolu 1}} (Alcolu 1)
* {{Jct|state=SC|US-Conn|301|dab1=Alcolu 2}} (Alcolu 2)
* {{Jct|state=SC|US|378}}
* {{Jct|state=SC|SC|35}}
* {{Jct|state=SC|SC|56}}
* {{Jct|state=SC|SC|260}}
* {{Jct|state=SC|SC|261}}
* {{Jct|state=SC|SC|527}}

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1860= 13095
|1870= 14038
|1880= 19190
|1890= 23233
|1900= 28184
|1910= 32188
|1920= 34878
|1930= 30036
|1940= 31500
|1950= 32215
|1960= 29490
|1970= 25604
|1980= 27464
|1990= 28450
|2000= 32502
|2010= 34971
|2020= 31144
|estyear=2023
|estimate=31004
|estref=<ref name="2020CensusQuickFacts">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/clarendoncountysouthcarolina|title=QuickFacts: Clarendon County, South Carolina|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=March 22, 2024}}</ref>
|align-fn=center
|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=U.S. Decennial Census|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=March 16, 2015}}</ref><br />1790–1960<ref>{{cite web|url=http://mapserver.lib.virginia.edu/|title=Historical Census Browser|publisher=University of Virginia Library|access-date=March 16, 2015|archive-date=August 11, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120811110448/http://mapserver.lib.virginia.edu/|url-status=dead}}</ref> 1900–1990<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/population/cencounts/sc190090.txt|title=Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990|publisher=United States Census Bureau|editor-last=Forstall|editor-first=Richard L.|date=March 27, 1995|access-date=March 16, 2015}}</ref><br />1990–2000<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/population/www/cen2000/briefs/phc-t4/tables/tab02.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/https://www.census.gov/population/www/cen2000/briefs/phc-t4/tables/tab02.pdf |archive-date=October 9, 2022 |url-status=live|title=Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000|publisher=United States Census Bureau|date=April 2, 2001|access-date=March 16, 2015}}</ref> 2010<ref name=2010CensusP2/> 2020<ref name=2020CensusP2/>
}}

===2020 census===
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
|+'''Clarendon County, South Carolina – Racial and ethnic composition'''<br /><small>{{nobold|''Note: the U.S. census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.''}}</small>
!Race / Ethnicity <small>(''NH = Non-Hispanic'')</small>
!Pop 2000<ref name=2000CensusP004>{{Cite web|title=P004: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2000: DEC Summary File 1 – Clarendon County, South Carolina|url=https://data.census.gov/table/DECENNIALSF12000.P004?g=050XX00US45027|publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date=January 26, 2024}}</ref>
!Pop 2010<ref name=2010CensusP2>{{Cite web|title=P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Clarendon County, South Carolina|url=https://data.census.gov/table?q=p2&g=050XX00US45027&tid=DECENNIALPL2010.P2|publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date=January 26, 2024}}</ref>
!{{partial|Pop 2020}}<ref name=2020CensusP2>{{Cite web|title=P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Clarendon County, South Carolina|url=https://data.census.gov/table?q=p2&g=050XX00US45027&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P2|publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date=January 26, 2024}}</ref>
!% 2000
!% 2010
!{{partial|% 2020}}
|-
|[[Non-Hispanic or Latino whites|White]] alone (NH)
|14,449
|16,160
|style='background: #ffffe6; |15,309
|44.46%
|46.21%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |49.16%
|-
|[[Non-Hispanic or Latino African Americans|Black or African American]] alone (NH)
|17,193
|17,379
|style='background: #ffffe6; |13,821
|52.90%
|49.70%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |44.38%
|-
|[[Native Americans in the United States|Native American]] or [[Alaska Native]] alone (NH)
|61
|71
|style='background: #ffffe6; |120
|0.19%
|0.20%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.39%
|-
|[[Asian Americans|Asian]] alone (NH)
|82
|222
|style='background: #ffffe6; |225
|0.25%
|0.63%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.72%
|-
|[[Pacific Islander Americans|Pacific Islander]] alone (NH)
|2
|4
|style='background: #ffffe6; |8
|0.01%
|0.01%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.03%
|-
|[[Race and ethnicity in the United States census|Other race]] alone (NH)
|10
|7
|style='background: #ffffe6; |73
|0.03%
|0.02%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.23%
|-
|[[Multiracial Americans|Mixed race or Multiracial]] (NH)
|145
|229
|style='background: #ffffe6; |681
|0.45%
|0.65%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |2.19%
|-
|[[Hispanic and Latino Americans|Hispanic or Latino]] (any race)
|560
|899
|style='background: #ffffe6; |907
|1.72%
|2.57%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |2.91%
|-
|'''Total'''
|'''32,502'''
|'''34,971'''
|style='background: #ffffe6; |'''31,144'''
|'''100.00%'''
|'''100.00%'''
|style='background: #ffffe6; |'''100.00%'''
|}

As of the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]], there were 31,144 people, 13,161 households, and 8,817 families residing in the county.

===2010 census===
At the [[2010 United States census|2010 census]], there were 34,971&nbsp;people, 13,132&nbsp;households, and 9,238&nbsp;families living in the county.<ref name="census-dp1">{{cite web
|url=http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/DPDP1/0500000US45027
|title=DP-1 Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 Demographic Profile Data
|access-date=March 9, 2016
|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]
|archive-url=https://archive.today/20200213013115/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/DPDP1/0500000US45027
|archive-date=February 13, 2020
|url-status=dead
}}</ref><ref name="QF">{{cite web |title=State & County QuickFacts |url=http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/45/45027.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110606125744/http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/45/45027.html |archive-date=June 6, 2011 |access-date=November 22, 2013 |publisher=United States Census Bureau}}</ref> The population density was {{convert|57.6|PD/sqmi}}. There were 17,467 housing units at an average density of {{convert|28.8|/sqmi}}.<ref name="census-density">{{cite web
|url=http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_SF1/GCTPH1.CY07/0500000US45027
|access-date=March 9, 2016
|title=Population, Housing Units, Area, and Density: 2010 - County
|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]
|archive-url=https://archive.today/20200213184809/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_SF1/GCTPH1.CY07/0500000US45027
|archive-date=February 13, 2020
|url-status=dead
}}</ref> The racial makeup of the county was 50.1% black or African American, 47.0% white, 0.6% Asian, 0.2% American Indian, 1.2% from other races, and 0.8% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 2.6% of the population.<ref name="census-dp1"/> In terms of ancestry, 12.2% were [[Americans|American]], 6.8% were [[Irish people|Irish]], and 5.0% were [[English people|English]].<ref name="census-dp2">{{cite web
|url=http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/10_5YR/DP02/0500000US45027
|title=DP02 SELECTED SOCIAL CHARACTERISTICS IN THE UNITED STATES – 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates
|access-date=March 9, 2016
|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]
|archive-url=https://archive.today/20200213030231/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/10_5YR/DP02/0500000US45027
|archive-date=February 13, 2020
|url-status=dead
}}</ref>

Of the 13,132&nbsp;households, 31.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.1% were married couples living together, 20.6% had a female householder with no husband present, 29.7% were non-families, and 26.1% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.54 and the average family size was 3.04. The median age was 41.4 years.<ref name="census-dp1"/>

The median income for a household in the county was $33,066 and the median income for a family was $40,492. Males had a median income of $31,860 versus $26,851 for females. The per capita income for the county was $16,562. About 17.5% of families and 23.0% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 36.3% of those under age 18 and 13.8% of those age 65 or over.<ref name="census-dp3">{{cite web
|url=http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/10_5YR/DP03/0500000US45027
|title=DP03 SELECTED ECONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS – 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates
|access-date=March 9, 2016
|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]
|archive-url=https://archive.today/20200213023307/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/10_5YR/DP03/0500000US45027
|archive-date=February 13, 2020
|url-status=dead
}}</ref>

===2000 census===
At the [[2000 United States census|2000 census]], there were 34,971 people living in the county. 50.4% were [[African American|Black or African American]], 44.0% [[White American|White]], 0.6% [[Asian American|Asian]], 0.2% [[Native Americans in the United States|Native American]], 1.2% of some other race and 0.8% [[Multiracial American|of two or more races]]. 2.6% were [[Hispanic and Latino Americans|Hispanic or Latino]] (of any race).

The population has only slightly increased since 1920; only 20 percent compared to 71 percent for South Carolina. From 1920 to 1930 and from 1950 to 1970, there were significant declines in population, 16 percent and 26 percent, respectively. In part these declines reflected the [[Great Migration (African American)|Great Migration]] of African Americans out of the South, to seek better jobs, education and living opportunities.

As seen in the Table, the growing majority of the population of Clarendon County is Black or African American (50.4%). This reflects historic settlement patterns when the area had been developed for commodity agriculture and large plantations. In the 21st century, 27.9 percent of the State of South Carolina is Black or African; White or Caucasians comprise 45 percent of the population in Clarendon County and 60 percent in South Carolina, respectively.

In regard to education, 13.4% of the population had bachelor's degree, which is approximately 10% less than the state of South Carolina. There is a higher percentage of elderly, aged 65 and older, in Clarendon County in comparison to South Carolina, 17.6% and 14.1%, respectively. The population of Clarendon County is stationary in the area; more than 90% of the population has been living in the same house for at least a year. The median household income is $33,355, approximately $10,000 less than the median for the State of South Carolina.<ref>{{cite web|title= Clarendon County QuickFacts from the US Census Bureau|work= US Census 2010, n.d. Web. 3 June 2013|url= http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/45/45027.html|access-date= June 10, 2013|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110606125744/http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/45/45027.html|archive-date= June 6, 2011|url-status= dead}}</ref>

==Government and politics==
Clarendon County was once, like most of the [[Deep South]], a Democratic stronghold at the beginning of the 20th century. The county became considerably more competitive following the end of World War II, with Republican candidate [[Dwight D. Eisenhower]] obtaining 68.5% in 1952, up from a mere 1% in 1948 for the Republican Party. However, after [[Jimmy Carter]] swept the Deep South and Clarendon in 1976, the county became a Democratic stronghold once again but by much narrower margins than at the beginning of the century, consistently hovering above the 50% marker by only a handful of digits until the 2020 election when Republican candidate [[Donald Trump]] became the first Republican candidate to win the county since [[Richard Nixon]] in 1972 by a narrow 111 vote margin. Trump would win Clarendon again in 2024, this time by a margin of over 12%.
{{PresHead|place=Clarendon County, South Carolina|source=<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS|title=Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections|last=Leip|first=David|website=uselectionatlas.org|access-date=March 13, 2018}}</ref>}}
<!-- PresRow should be {{PresRow|Year|Winning party|GOP vote #|Dem vote #|3rd party vote #|State}} -->
{{PresRow|2024|Republican|9,065|7,064|191|South Carolina}}
{{PresRow|2020|Republican|8,361|8,250|122|South Carolina}}
{{PresRow|2016|Democratic|7,386|7,732|277|South Carolina}}
{{PresRow|2012|Democratic|7,071|9,091|130|South Carolina}}
{{PresRow|2008|Democratic|6,758|8,673|121|South Carolina}}
{{PresRow|2004|Democratic|6,061|7,087|52|South Carolina}}
{{PresRow|2000|Democratic|5,186|5,999|105|South Carolina}}
{{PresRow|1996|Democratic|3,841|5,930|427|South Carolina}}
{{PresRow|1992|Democratic|4,147|6,033|765|South Carolina}}
{{PresRow|1988|Democratic|4,337|5,030|30|South Carolina}}
{{PresRow|1984|Democratic|5,102|5,591|53|South Carolina}}
{{PresRow|1980|Democratic|4,158|5,979|57|South Carolina}}
{{PresRow|1976|Democratic|3,040|5,489|30|South Carolina}}
{{PresRow|1972|Republican|3,958|3,276|50|South Carolina}}
{{PresRow|1968|Democratic|2,201|3,606|2,097|South Carolina}}
{{PresRow|1964|Republican|2,960|832|0|South Carolina}}
{{PresRow|1960|Republican|1,445|1,134|0|South Carolina}}
{{PresRow|1956|Dixiecrat|224|661|1,787|South Carolina}}
{{PresRow|1952|Republican|2,073|953|0|South Carolina}}
{{PresRow|1948|Dixiecrat|16|107|1,467|South Carolina}}
{{PresRow|1944|Democratic|27|1,053|209|South Carolina}}
{{PresRow|1940|Democratic|54|1,154|0|South Carolina}}
{{PresRow|1936|Democratic|17|1,260|0|South Carolina}}
{{PresRow|1932|Democratic|25|962|0|South Carolina}}
{{PresRow|1928|Democratic|10|762|0|South Carolina}}
{{PresRow|1924|Democratic|20|615|1|South Carolina}}
{{PresRow|1920|Democratic|0|902|0|South Carolina}}
{{PresRow|1916|Democratic|18|894|0|South Carolina}}
{{PresRow|1912|Democratic|0|932|32|South Carolina}}
{{PresRow|1908|Democratic|32|1,091|0|South Carolina}}
{{PresRow|1904|Democratic|86|1,170|0|South Carolina}}
{{PresRow|1900|Democratic|83|1,130|0|South Carolina}}
{{PresRow|1896|Democratic|207|1,450|0|South Carolina}}
{{PresRow|1892|Democratic|364|2,192|0|South Carolina}}
{{PresFoot|1888|Democratic|331|1,452|0|South Carolina}}

== Economy ==
In 2022, the GDP in Clarendon County was $754.2 million (roughly $24,326 per capita).<ref>{{Cite web |last=U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis |date=2001-01-01 |title=Gross Domestic Product: All Industries in Clarendon County, SC |url=https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/GDPALL45027 |access-date=2024-05-01 |website=FRED, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis}}</ref> The real GDP was $619.9 million (approx. $19,996 per capita) in [[Chained dollars|chained 2017 dollars]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis |date=2001-01-01 |title=Real Gross Domestic Product: All Industries in Clarendon County, SC |url=https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/REALGDPALL45027 |access-date=2024-05-01 |website=FRED, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis}}</ref> The unemployment rate in the county has fluctuated between 3.2-5% throughout 2022-2024.<ref>{{Cite web |last=U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics |date=1990-01-01 |title=Unemployment Rate in Clarendon County, SC |url=https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/SCCLAR7URN |access-date=2024-05-01 |website=FRED, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis}}</ref>

The [[Manning, South Carolina|City of Manning]], [[Clarendon County School District]], Helena Chemical (a division of [[Marubeni]]), [[McLeod Health]], and [[Walmart]] are some of the largest employers in Clarendon County {{As of|2024|April|lc=y}}.<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal |date=April 19, 2024 |title=Clarendon County |url=https://lmi.dew.sc.gov/lmi%20site/Documents/CommunityProfiles/04000027.pdf |journal=Community Profiles |location=Columbia, SC |publisher=S.C. Department of Employment & Workforce - Business Intelligence Department |issue=04000027}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+ Employment and Wage Statistics by Industry in Clarendon County, South Carolina<ref name=":0" />
! style="text-align:left;" | Industry
! style="text-align:right;" | Employment Counts
! style="text-align:right;" | Employment Percentage (%)
! style="text-align:right;" | Average Annual Wage ($)
|-
| style="text-align:left;" | Accommodation and Food Services || style="text-align:right;" | 731 || style="text-align:right;" | 10.3 || style="text-align:right;" | 16,068
|-
| style="text-align:left;" | Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services || style="text-align:right;" | 311 || style="text-align:right;" | 4.4 || style="text-align:right;" | 45,760
|-
| style="text-align:left;" | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting || style="text-align:right;" | 186 || style="text-align:right;" | 2.6 || style="text-align:right;" | 41,028
|-
| style="text-align:left;" | Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation || style="text-align:right;" | 49 || style="text-align:right;" | 0.7 || style="text-align:right;" | 21,268
|-
| style="text-align:left;" | Construction || style="text-align:right;" | 123 || style="text-align:right;" | 1.7 || style="text-align:right;" | 45,864
|-
| style="text-align:left;" | Educational Services || style="text-align:right;" | 631 || style="text-align:right;" | 8.9 || style="text-align:right;" | 39,260
|-
| style="text-align:left;" | Finance and Insurance || style="text-align:right;" | 183 || style="text-align:right;" | 2.6 || style="text-align:right;" | 51,948
|-
| style="text-align:left;" | Health Care and Social Assistance || style="text-align:right;" | 1,396 || style="text-align:right;" | 19.7 || style="text-align:right;" | 42,380
|-
| style="text-align:left;" | Information || style="text-align:right;" | 26 || style="text-align:right;" | 0.4 || style="text-align:right;" | 59,800
|-
| style="text-align:left;" | Manufacturing || style="text-align:right;" | 552 || style="text-align:right;" | 7.8 || style="text-align:right;" | 44,356
|-
| style="text-align:left;" | Other Services (except Public Administration) || style="text-align:right;" | 229 || style="text-align:right;" | 3.2 || style="text-align:right;" | 30,212
|-
| style="text-align:left;" | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services || style="text-align:right;" | 183 || style="text-align:right;" | 2.6 || style="text-align:right;" | 91,520
|-
| style="text-align:left;" | Public Administration || style="text-align:right;" | 803 || style="text-align:right;" | 11.3 || style="text-align:right;" | 47,424
|-
| style="text-align:left;" | Real Estate and Rental and Leasing || style="text-align:right;" | 22 || style="text-align:right;" | 0.3 || style="text-align:right;" | 33,748
|-
| style="text-align:left;" | Retail Trade || style="text-align:right;" | 1,199 || style="text-align:right;" | 16.9 || style="text-align:right;" | 32,188
|-
| style="text-align:left;" | Transportation and Warehousing || style="text-align:right;" | 113 || style="text-align:right;" | 1.6 || style="text-align:right;" | 52,312
|-
| style="text-align:left;" | Utilities || style="text-align:right;" | 59 || style="text-align:right;" | 0.8 || style="text-align:right;" | 47,528
|-
| style="text-align:left;" | Wholesale Trade || style="text-align:right;" | 300 || style="text-align:right;" | 4.2 || style="text-align:right;" | 56,108
|-
| style="text-align:left; font-weight:bold;" | '''Total''' || style="text-align:right; font-weight:bold;" | '''7,096''' || style="text-align:right; font-weight:bold;" | '''100.0%''' || style="text-align:right; font-weight:bold;" | '''40,361'''
|}

==Natural resources==
Clarendon County has abundant groundwater resources of good quality. The Department of Natural Resources report on the groundwater resources in Clarendon suggests that the county is in a fortunate position to obtain adequate water for domestic and public supplies, industry, and irrigation. Water is obtained chiefly from sand aquifers in the Black Creek and Middendorf Formations.<ref name="newcome"/>

Quantities obtainable from wells are adequate for public supplies, industrial uses, and irrigation. Well yields as great as 1,500 gallons per minute are obtained, and many wells can produce more than 100 gallons per minute. The water is of good quality, being soft and low in mineral content. There are five public water supply systems in Clarendon County. In 2008 the systems had the following pumpage rates, in millions of gallons per day:<ref name="newcome"/>

* Alcolu Water System—0.05
* Barrineau Water System—0.09
* Manning—1.07
* Summerton—0.33
* Turbeville—0.30

From boating, fishing, hiking and hunting, to golf on some of the world’s finest courses, Clarendon offers outdoor enthusiasts a buffet of things to do. The county is known for its championship-level catches of striped bass. Lake Marion is the site of several professional bass fishing tournaments, including the internationally known Citgo/Bassmasters Tournament and the Wal-Mart/FLW tour. ''[[Reader’s Digest]]'' magazine rated Lake Marion as one of “America’s 100 Best” for fishing and specifically pointed to the lake’s catfish.

Hunting is also a popular activity in Clarendon County, with deer, turkey and other small game available. or other small game animals. Several sporting clay operations and gun ranges are located throughout the county, as well as hunting preserves devoted to providing hunters a controlled environment.<ref name="newcome">Newcome, Roy, Jr. "Hydrology - Water Resources Report 40." SCDNR. SCDNR, 2006. Web. June 7, 2013.</ref>

Clarendon County has a wide range of hiking trails.

==Media==
* ''[[The Manning Times]]''<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.manninglive.com|title=Manning Live}}</ref> – publishes weekly on Thursday; founded in 1882.
* ''[[The Clarendon Citizen]]''<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.clarendoncitizen.com|title=Clarendon Citizen - Facebook}}</ref> – news site available online.

==Culture==
The Cultural Arts Center in Summerton and Weldon Auditorium in Manning offer space for cultural and artistic showcases.

==Communities==
===City===
* [[Manning, South Carolina|Manning]] (county seat and largest community)

===Towns===
* [[Paxville, South Carolina|Paxville]]
* [[Summerton, South Carolina|Summerton]]
* [[Turbeville, South Carolina|Turbeville]]

===Census-designated places===
* [[Alcolu, South Carolina|Alcolu]]<ref>[http://www.epodunk.com/cgi-bin/genInfo.php?locIndex=13037 "Profile for Alcolu, South Carolina, SC"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130210122815/http://www.epodunk.com/cgi-bin/genInfo.php?locIndex=13037 |date=February 10, 2013 }} ePodunk</ref><ref>[http://geonames.usgs.gov/pls/gnispublic/f?p=gnispq:3:::NO::P3_FID:1230998 "Alcolu, South Carolina"] Geonames database, United States Geological Survey</ref>
* [[Foreston, South Carolina|Foreston]]
* [[North Santee, Clarendon County, South Carolina|North Santee]]
* [[Wyboo, South Carolina|Wyboo]]

===Unincorporated communities===
* [[Davis Station, South Carolina|Davis Station]]
* [[Gable, South Carolina|Gable]]
* [[New Zion, South Carolina|New Zion]]
* [[Rimini, South Carolina|Rimini]]<ref>[http://geonames.usgs.gov/pls/gnispublic/f?p=132:3:4457751383418379::NO:3:P3_FID,P3_TITLE:2578215%2CClarendon%20County%20Rural%20Fire%20Department%20Panola%20-%20Rimini  "Rimini, South Carolina"] Geonames database, United States Geological Survey</ref>
* [[Sardinia, South Carolina|Sardinia]]
* [[Silver, South Carolina|Silver]]<ref>[http://www.epodunk.com/cgi-bin/genInfo.php?locIndex=13347 "Profile for Silver, South Carolina, SC"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130210123713/http://www.epodunk.com/cgi-bin/genInfo.php?locIndex=13347 |date=February 10, 2013 }} ePodunk</ref><ref>[http://geonames.usgs.gov/pls/gnispublic/f?p=gnispq:3:::NO::P3_FID:1226615 "Silver, South Carolina"] Geonames database, United States Geological Survey</ref>
* [[Wilson, South Carolina|Wilson]]

==Education==
School districts include:<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/DC2020/PL20/st45_sc/schooldistrict_maps/c45027_clarendon/DC20SD_C45027.pdf|title=2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Clarendon County, SC|publisher=[[U.S. Census Bureau]]|access-date=2024-11-24}} - [https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/DC2020/PL20/st45_sc/schooldistrict_maps/c45027_clarendon/DC20SD_C45027_SD2MS.txt Text list]</ref>
* [[Clarendon School District 1]]
* [[Clarendon School District 2]]
* [[Clarendon School District 3]]

==Notable people==
* [[Bertie Bowman]] (1931–2023), U.S. congressional staffer
* [[Marie Deans]] (1940–2011), Anti-death penalty activist
* [[Joseph Armstrong DeLaine]] (1898–1974), [[Methodist]] pastor, principal and civil rights activist
* [[Althea Gibson]] (1927–2003), first African-American woman to win a grand slam tennis title
* [[John C. Land III]] (born 1941), long-serving [[South Carolina Senate#Members of the South Carolina Senate|South Carolina state senator]] (district 36; 1976–2013)
* [[John Lawrence Manning]] (1816–1889), 65th [[governor of South Carolina]] (1852-1854)
* [[Richard Irvine Manning I]] (1789–1836), legislator and 50th governor of South Carolina (1824–1826)
* [[Marian McKnight]] (born 1936), [[Miss America]] 1957 & wife of actor [[Gary Conway]]
* [[Peggy Parish]] (1927–1988), author of the [[Amelia Bedelia]] children's book series
* [[James Burchill Richardson]] (1770–1836), 41st governor of South Carolina (1802-1804)
* [[John Peter Richardson II]] (1801–1864), legislator and 59th governor of South Carolina (1840–1842)
* [[John Peter Richardson III]] (1831–1899), legislator and 83rd governor of South Carolina (1886–1890)
* [[Richard Richardson (general)|Richard Richardson]] (1704–1780), military brigadier general, enslaver and legislator
* [[George Stinney|George Junius Stinney Jr.]] (1929–1944), the youngest American to be sentenced to death and executed. His conviction was overturned posthumously in 2014.
* [[Rob Thomas (musician)|Rob Thomas]] (born 1972-living), lead singer of [[Matchbox Twenty]]

==See also==
* [[List of counties in South Carolina]]
* [[National Register of Historic Places listings in Clarendon County, South Carolina]]

==References==
{{reflist|30em}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
* {{osmrelation|2532502}}
* {{Official website|http://www.clarendoncounty.sc.gov/}}
* [http://ccschistory.cositech.net Clarendon County history]
* [https://www.rootsandrecall.com/clarendon/ Clarendon County history and images]

{{Geographic Location
|Centre    = Clarendon County, South Carolina
|North     = [[Sumter County, South Carolina|Sumter County]]
|Northeast = [[Florence County, South Carolina|Florence County]]
|East      = [[Williamsburg County, South Carolina|Williamsburg County]]
|Southeast = [[Berkeley County, South Carolina|Berkeley County]]
|South     =
|Southwest = [[Orangeburg County, South Carolina|Orangeburg County]]
|West      = [[Calhoun County, South Carolina|Calhoun County]]
|Northwest =
}}
{{Clarendon County, South Carolina}}
{{South Carolina}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Clarendon County, South Carolina| ]]
[[Category:1785 establishments in South Carolina]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1785]]
[[Category:Majority-minority counties in South Carolina]]