McCormick County, South Carolina
Template:Short description Template:Use American English Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox U.S. county
McCormick County is a county located in the U.S. state of South Carolina. As of the 2020 census, its population was 9,526,<ref name="2020CensusQuickFacts"/> making it the second-least populous county in South Carolina. Its county seat is McCormick.<ref name="GR6">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The county was formed in 1916 from parts of Edgefield, Abbeville, and Greenwood counties.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
History
The county was founded in 1916 with portions of Edgefield, Abbeville, and Greenwood counties and was named after Cyrus McCormick. The largest community and county seat is McCormick.
Geography
Template:Maplink According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of Template:Convert, of which Template:Convert is land and Template:Convert (8.83%) is water.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> It is the smallest county in South Carolina by land area and second-smallest by total area. McCormick County is in the Savannah River basin.
National protected area
- Sumter National Forest (part)
State and local protected areas/sites
- Baker Creek State Park
- Eden Hall
- Hamilton Branch State Recreation Area
- Hickory Knob State Resort Park
- James L. Mason Wildlife Management Area<ref name="SCDNR Public Lands">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
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- Leroys Ferry Recreation Area
- Long Cane Creek Picnic Area
- Parksville Recreation Area
- Price's Mill
- Savannah Lakes Beach
- Stevens Creek Heritage Preserve/Wildlife Management Area (part)<ref name="SCDNR Public Lands"/>
- Sumter National Forest - Long Cane Ranger District<ref name="SCDNR Public Lands"/>
Major water bodies
Adjacent counties
- Greenwood County – northeast
- Edgefield County – east
- Columbia County, Georgia – south
- Lincoln County, Georgia – west
- Elbert County, Georgia – northwest
- Abbeville County – northwest
Major highways
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Demographics
2020 census
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% 2000 | % 2010 | Template:Partial |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White alone (NH) | 4,426 | 4,941 | 5,155 | 44.45% | 48.28% | 54.12% | |||
| Black or African American alone (NH) | 5,349 | 5,069 | 3,916 | 53.72% | 49.54% | 41.11% | |||
| Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) | 7 | 9 | 27 | 0.07% | 0.09% | 0.28% | |||
| Asian alone (NH) | 29 | 34 | 36 | 0.29% | 0.33% | 0.38% | |||
| Pacific Islander alone (NH) | 3 | 3 | 2 | 0.03% | 0.03% | 0.02% | |||
| Other race alone (NH) | 5 | 12 | 32 | 0.05% | 0.12% | 0.34% | |||
| Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) | 53 | 84 | 235 | 0.53% | 0.82% | 2.47% | |||
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 86 | 81 | 123 | 0.86% | 0.79% | 1.29% | |||
| Total | 9,958 | 10,233 | 9,526 | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% |
As of the 2020 census, there were 9,526 people, 3,957 households, and 2,513 families residing in the county.
2010 census
At the 2010 census, there were 10,233 people, 4,027 households, and 2,798 families living in the county.<ref name="census-dp1">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="QF">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The population density was Template:Convert. There were 5,453 housing units at an average density of Template:Convert.<ref name="census-density">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The racial makeup of the county was 49.7% black or African American, 48.7% white, 0.3% Asian, 0.1% Pacific islander, 0.1% American Indian, 0.2% from other races, and 0.9% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 0.8% of the population.<ref name="census-dp1"/> In terms of ancestry, 10.7% were English, 10.2% were American, 10.2% were German, and 6.0% were Irish.<ref name="census-dp2">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Of the 4,027 households, 21.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.4% were married couples living together, 15.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 30.5% were non-families, and 27.4% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.22 and the average family size was 2.65. The median age was 50.0 years.<ref name="census-dp1"/>
The median income for a household in the county was $35,858 and the median income for a family was $43,021. Males had a median income of $32,606 versus $28,067 for females. The per capita income for the county was $19,411. About 14.2% of families and 18.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 37.6% of those under age 18 and 7.9% of those age 65 or over.<ref name="census-dp3">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
2000 census
At the 2000 census,<ref name="GR8">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> there were 9,958 people, 3,558 households and 2,604 families living in the county. The population density was Template:Convert. There were 4,459 housing units at an average density of Template:Convert. The racial makeup of the county was 53.88% Black or African American, 44.78% White, 0.07% Native American, 0.29% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.38% from other races, and 0.57% from two or more races. 0.86% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 3,558 households, out of which 24.80% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.80% were married couples living together, 17.60% had a female householder with no husband present and 26.80% were non-families. 24.40% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.20% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.39 and the average family size was 2.82.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 19.50% under the age of 18, 8.30% from 18 to 24, 27.60% from 25 to 44, 28.10% from 45 to 64 and 16.50% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 113.70 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 115.80 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $31,577, and the median income for a family was $38,822. Males had a median income of $28,824 versus $21,587 for females. The per capita income for the county was $14,770. About 15.10% of families and 17.90% of the population were below the poverty line, including 26.50% of those under age 18 and 11.90% of those age 65 or over.
Government and politics
Like most rural South Carolina counties with a tight Black-white population ratio, the Democratic Party has fared well in McCormick County compared to others across the South, especially with the national party's cultural turn to the left in the 2000s and 2010s. However, in 2016 Donald Trump won the county by one fewer vote than Barack Obama did in 2012, marking the first GOP victory in the area since Richard Nixon in 1972. Trump carried the county again in both subsequent elections, winning it by over 17 points in 2024. Template:PresHead Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresFoot
Economy
In 2022, the GDP was $278 million (about $27,961 per capita),<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and the real GDP was $222.8 million (about $22,410 per capita) in chained 2017 dollars.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
As of April 2024, some of the largest employers in the county include Food Lion, the United States Department of Defense, and the United States Postal Service.<ref name=":0">Template:Cite journal</ref>
| Industry | Employment Counts | Employment Percentage (%) | Average Annual Wage ($) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accommodation and Food Services | 94 | 5.5 | 16,484 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 66 | 3.9 | 42,224 |
| Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 37 | 2.2 | 41,548 |
| Construction | 92 | 5.4 | 50,336 |
| Finance and Insurance | 23 | 1.3 | 50,648 |
| Health Care and Social Assistance | 351 | 20.5 | 34,996 |
| Information | 5 | 0.3 | 70,304 |
| Manufacturing | 113 | 6.6 | 42,588 |
| Other Services (except Public Administration) | 205 | 12.0 | 28,600 |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 85 | 5.0 | 65,208 |
| Public Administration | 380 | 22.2 | 47,528 |
| Real Estate and Rental and Leasing | 23 | 1.3 | 94,380 |
| Retail Trade | 226 | 13.2 | 23,764 |
| Wholesale Trade | 13 | 0.8 | 34,268 |
| Total | 1,713 | 100.0% | 38,862 |
Communities
Towns
- McCormick (county seat and largest community)
- Parksville
- Plum Branch
Census-designated places
Education
There is one school district in the entire county, the McCormick County School District.<ref>Template:Cite map - Text list.</ref>
The state-operated South Carolina Governor's School for Agriculture at John de la Howe is in an unincorporated area in the county.<ref>Template:Cite map
Compare to the full postal address: "192 Gettys Road McCormick, SC 29835"</ref>
The McCormick County Library provides library services.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Notable people
- Johnny Letman, musician
- Patrick Noble, governor of South Carolina (1838–1840)
See also
- List of counties in South Carolina
- National Register of Historic Places listings in McCormick County, South Carolina
References
External links
Template:Geographic Location Template:McCormick County, South Carolina Template:Central Savannah River Area Template:US state navigation box Template:Authority control