Date Formed:

1786

Land Area (square miles):

790

County Seat:

Greenville

Other Cities and Towns:

Fountain Inn, Greer, Mauldin, Simpsonville, Travelers Rest

Form of Government:

Council-Administrator

Council Members:

Method of Election

Single Member

Term Length

4 years

Council of Government:

Appalachian

County History According to the South Carolina State Library Reference Room

The origins of the name Greenville County are uncertain, but the county was probably named for Revolutionary War General Nathanael Greene (1742-1786) or for an early resident, Isaac Green. This part of the state was the territory of the Cherokee Indians until 1777. Scotch-Irish and English settlers began moving into the area soon after it was ceded to the state. Greenville District was created in 1786, but from 1791 to 1800 it was part of the larger Washington District. The county seat was originally named Pleasantburg, but in 1831 the name was changed to Greenville. Because of its location in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, Greenville County became a popular summer retreat for lowcountry planters. Encouraged by abundant streams and rivers, textile manufacturers began operating in the area as early as the 1820s, and after the Civil War Greenville County became a textile center. Diplomat and U.S. Congressman Waddy Thompson (1798-1868) was a resident of Greenville, and in more recent years the county has produced baseball player "Shoeless Joe" Jackson (1887-1951), Nobel Prize winner Charles Townes, and civil rights leader Jesse Jackson.

Population Trends

Value

Rank

Value

Rank

Population 1980:

287,913

Numeric Change 1980-2000:

91,703

Population 1990:

320,167

Avg. Ann. Growth Rate 1980-2000:

1.59%

Population 2000:

379,616

Percent Change 2005-2006:

2.7%

Population Estimate 2006:

416,509

Persons Per Square Mile 2006:

542.1

Population Estimate 2007:

428,243

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:

154,502

Personal Income 2006:

$13,936,265

Jobs 1990:

205,495

Per Capita Pers. Income (PCPI) 2006:

$33,460

Jobs 2000:

258,326

% of U.S. PCPI 2006:

91%

Avg. Annual Growth Rate 1980-2000:

3.36%

Average Wage Per Job 2006:

$36,857

Jobs 2005:

251,198

% of U.S. Avg. Wage Per Job 2006:

88%

Jobs 2006:

257,184

Avg. Unemployment 1998-2007:

4.3%

Numeric Change 2005-2006:

5,986

Unemployment Rate 2007 Ann. Avg:

4.9%

Tax Data

Value

Rank

Value

Rank

Assessed Property 2006:

$1,677,533,021

Per Capita Assessed Property 2005:

$4,419

County Base Millage Rate* 2007:

0.061

Additional Sales Tax (if applicable)

Value of One Mil 2007:

$1,520,222

Local Option Sales Tax:

Net Taxable Sales FY 2006:

$6,693,712,331

Capital Projects Sales Tax:

Admissions Taxes Collected FY 2006:

$2,117,381

School District Sales Tax:

Accomodations Taxes Collected FY 2006:

$2,065,271

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 2006:

$124,132,638

Per Capital Revenues:

$327

Total Expenditures FY 2006:

$174,366,923

Per Capita Expenditures:

$459

General Fund Budget FY 2008:

$120,232,737

Per Capita General Fund Budget:

$317

Total Debt Outstanding FY 2007:

$83,880,000

Per Capita Debt Outstanding:

$201

Credit Ratings(s) FY 2007:

Payroll FY 2008:

$72,676,691

Moodys:

Aaa

Full-Time Employees FY 2008:

1741

Standard & Poor:

Part-Time Employees FY 2008:

256

Fitch:

Full Time Emp/1,000 Cnty Residents:

4.59

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

5/6/2008 16:45