Date Formed:

1912

Land Area (square miles):

656

County Seat:

Ridgeland

Other Cities and Towns:

Hardeeville

Form of Government:

Council-Administrator

Council Members:

Method of Election

At Large

Term Length

4 years

Council of Government:

Lowcountry

County History According to the South Carolina State Library Reference Room

Jasper County was named for Revolutionary War hero Sergeant William Jasper (ca.1750-1779). The county was formed in 1912 from parts of Beaufort and Hampton counties. This area of the state was the home of the Yemassee and Coosaw Indians until colonial times. In 1732 Swiss-German immigrants led by Jean Pierre Purry established a settlement called Purrysburgh on the Savannah River, but the town did not survive. Other settlers built extensive rice plantations, some of which now form the Savannah River National Wildlife Refuge. Two other towns in the county, Coosawhatchie and Pocotaligo, served at different times as the seat of government for Beaufort District. During the Civil War the Confederate Army defeated federal troops at the Battle of Honey Hill in November 1864. Jasper County was home to Thomas Heyward, Jr. (1746-1809), a signer of the Declaration of Independence, and Henry Martyn Robert (1837-1923), author of Robert's Rules of Order.

Population Trends

Value

Rank

Value

Rank

Population 1980:

14,504

Numeric Change 1980-2000:

6,174

Population 1990:

15,487

Avg. Ann. Growth Rate 1980-2000:

2.12%

Population 2000:

20,678

Percent Change 2005-2006:

1.8%

Population Estimate 2005:

21,409

Persons Per Square Mile 2006:

33.2

Population Estimate 2006:

21,809

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:

3,571

Personal Income 2005:

$507,301

Jobs 1990:

4,382

Per Capita Pers. Income (PCPI) 2005:

$23,696

Jobs 2000:

5,535

% of U.S. PCPI 2005:

69%

Avg. Annual Growth Rate 1980-2000:

2.75%

Average Wage Per Job 2005:

$29,052

Jobs 2004:

6,280

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

72%

Jobs 2005:

6,819

Avg. Unemployment 1996-2006:

4.5%

Numeric Change 2004-2005:

539

Unemployment Rate 2006 Ann. Avg:

5.1%

Tax Data

Value

Rank

Value

Rank

Assessed Property 2004:

$117,547,644

Per Capita Assessed Property 2004:

$5,685

County Base Millage Rate* 2006:

0.1095

Additional Sales Tax (if applicable)

Value of One Mil 2006:

$93,400

Local Option Sales Tax:

Net Taxable Sales FY 2005:

$385,611,912

Capital Projects Sales Tax:

Ended 11-02

Admissions Taxes Collected FY 2005:

$44,267

School District Sales Tax:

Accomodations Taxes Collected FY 2005:

$257,472

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:

$16,054,213

Per Capital Revenues:

$776

Total Expenditures FY 2004:

$19,442,633

Per Capita Expenditures:

$940

General Fund Budget FY 2007:

$22,667,921

Per Capita General Fund Budget:

$1,096

Total Debt Outstanding FY 2006:

$4,703,549

Per Capita Debt Outstanding:

$220

Credit Ratings(s) FY 2006:

Payroll FY 2007:

$6,590,026

Moodys:

Full-Time Employees FY 2007:

215

Standard & Poor:

Part-Time Employees FY 2007:

Fitch:

Full Time Emp/1,000 Cnty Residents:

10.40

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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