Date Formed:

1785

Land Area (square miles):

607

County Seat:

Manning

Other Cities and Towns:

Paxville, Summerton, Turbeville

Form of Government:

Council-Administrator

Council Members:

Method of Election

At Large/ Chair at Large

Term Length

4 years

Council of Government:

Santee Lynches

County History According to the South Carolina State Library Reference Room

Clarendon County was named for Edward Hyde, Earl of Clarendon (1608/9-1674), one of the Lords Proprietors of Carolina. The county was first established in 1785; in 1800 it became part of Sumter District but then was split from Sumter in 1857. Several Revolutionary War skirmishes took place in this area; at Fort Watson in 1781 British soldiers were driven from a large Indian mound that had been fortified. During the Civil War Union troops under General Edward Potter moved through the area, burning several plantations. In the 1950s Clarendon County schools were sued over the issue of racial segregation. The case, Briggs v. Elliott, was one of several cases that eventually led the U.S. Supreme Court to abolish segregation in 1954. Clarendon County can claim five South Carolina Governors, all related: James Burchell Richardson (1770-1836), Richard Irvine Manning (1789-1836), John Peter Richardson (1801-1864), John Laurence Manning (1816-1889), and John Peter Richardson (1831-1899). Children's author Peggy Parish (1927-1988) and tennis player Althea Gibson are also Clarendon natives.

Population Trends

Value

Rank

Value

Rank

Population 1980:

27,464

Numeric Change 1980-2000:

5,038

Population 1990:

28,450

Avg. Ann. Growth Rate 1980-2000:

0.91%

Population 2000:

32,502

Percent Change 2005-2006:

0.6%

Population Estimate 2005:

33,127

Persons Per Square Mile 2006:

54.9

Population Estimate 2006:

33,339

Link to SC Office of Research and Statistics - Community Profile Demographic Data

Link to SC Office of Research and Statistics - Kids Count

Economic Data

Value

Rank

Value

Rank

Jobs 1980:

7,890

Personal Income 2005:

$704,480

Jobs 1990:

8,575

Per Capita Pers. Income (PCPI) 2005:

$21,266

Jobs 2000:

9,175

% of U.S. PCPI 2005:

62%

Avg. Annual Growth Rate 1980-2000:

0.81%

Average Wage Per Job 2005:

$25,245

Jobs 2004:

8,955

% of U.S. Avg. Wage Per Job 2005:

63%

Jobs 2005:

8,809

Avg. Unemployment 1996-2006:

7.9%

Numeric Change 2004-2005:

-146

Unemployment Rate 2006 Ann. Avg:

9.4%

Tax Data

Value

Rank

Value

Rank

Assessed Property 2004:

$78,185,684

Per Capita Assessed Property 2004:

$2,406

County Base Millage Rate* 2006:

0.1448

Additional Sales Tax (if applicable)

Value of One Mil 2006:

$77,388

Local Option Sales Tax:

1.0%

Net Taxable Sales FY 2005:

$167,872,407

Capital Projects Sales Tax:

Admissions Taxes Collected FY 2005:

$56,160

School District Sales Tax:

1.0%

Accomodations Taxes Collected FY 2005:

$138,694

Transportation Sales Tax:

* County Base Millage Rate reflects county mils only and does not include millages charged by other taxing entities (cities, schools, etc.)

Link to SC Employment Security Commission - Top Employers by County

Link to SC Office of Research and Statistics - Community Profile Demographic Data

Financial and Employment Data

Value

Rank

Value

Rank

Total Revenues FY 2004:

$16,113,928

Per Capital Revenues:

$496

Total Expenditures FY 2004:

$16,931,052

Per Capita Expenditures:

$521

General Fund Budget FY 2007:

$15,489,300

Per Capita General Fund Budget:

$477

Total Debt Outstanding FY 2006:

$3,400,000

Per Capita Debt Outstanding:

$102

Credit Ratings(s) FY 2006:

Payroll FY 2007:

$5,475,660

Moodys:

Baa1

Full-Time Employees FY 2007:

222

Standard & Poor:

BBB+

Part-Time Employees FY 2007:

Fitch:

AAA

Full Time Emp/1,000 Cnty Residents:

6.83

Link to SC Office of Research and Statistics - Local Government Finance Report (Full document in Excel)

Sources: County histories obtained from the South Carolina State Library Reference Room at http://www.state.sc.us/scsl/cnties.html. All other sources are listed in the appendix tables.

Updated

9/12/2007 16:25

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