ABBEVILLE COUNTY
Date Formed:  1785
Land Area (square miles): 508
County Seat: Abbeville
Other Cities and Towns:
Calhoun Falls, Donalds, Due West, Honea Path, Lowndesville, Ware Shoals
Form of Government: Council
Council Members: 7
Method of Election Single Member
Term Length 4 years
Council of Government:  Upper Savannah
County History According to the South Carolina State Library Reference Room
Both the county and its county seat were named for the French town of the same name. Originally part of Ninety-Six District, the area was designated as Abbeville County in 1785. Parts of Abbeville later went to form Greenwood (1897) and McCormick (1916) counties. The county was settled primarily by Scotch-Irish and French Huguenot farmers in the mid-eighteenth century. A historic treaty with the Cherokee Indians was signed at Dewitt's Corner (now Due West) in 1777. Abbeville was known as a hotbed of secession, and at the end of the Civil War the last Confederate council of war was held there. Abbeville's most famous native son was John C. Calhoun (1782-1850), U.S. Vice President, Secretary of War, Secretary of State, and Senator.
Population Trends Value Rank Value Rank
Population 1980 : 22,627 35 Numeric Change 1980-2000: 3,540 33
Population 1990: 23,862 35 Avg. Ann. Growth Rate 1980-2000: 0.78% 28
Population 2000:  26,167 35 Percent Change 2005-2006: -0.2% 36
Population Estimate 2006: 25,517 35 Persons Per Square Mile 2006: 50.1 34
Population Estimate 2007: 25,457 35
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: 7,282 37 Personal Income 2006: $591,273 37
Jobs 1990: 7,607 37 Per Capita Pers. Income (PCPI) 2006: $23,172 34
Jobs 2000: 9,394 34 % of U.S. PCPI 2006: 63% 33
Avg. Annual Growth Rate 1980-2000:  1.45% 23 Average Wage Per Job 2006:  $28,727 32
Jobs 2005: 7,842 36 % of U.S. Avg. Wage Per Job 2006:  68% 32
Jobs 2006: 7,542 36 Avg. Unemployment 1998-2007:  6.9% 20
Numeric Change 2005-2006: -300 40 Unemployment Rate 2007 Ann. Avg: 8.1% 17
Tax Data Value Rank Value Rank
Assessed Property 2006: $55,802,385 39 Per Capita Assessed Property 2005: $2,133 39
County Base Millage Rate* 2007: 0.0968 23 Additional Sales Tax (if applicable)
Value of One Mil 2007: $54,600 39 Local Option Sales Tax: 1.0%
Net Taxable Sales FY 2006: $89,718,510 39 Capital Projects Sales Tax:  
Admissions Taxes Collected FY 2006: ***  * School District Sales Tax:  
Accomodations Taxes Collected FY 2006: $13,541 39 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: $11,718,138 42 Per Capital Revenues: $448 39
Total Expenditures FY 2006: $10,982,522 41 Per Capita Expenditures: $420 38
General Fund Budget FY 2008: $8,304,083 43 Per Capita General Fund Budget: $317 41
Total Debt Outstanding FY 2007: $3,366,336 34 Per Capita Debt Outstanding: $127 27
Credit Ratings(s) FY 2007: Payroll FY 2008: $3,751,044 43
 Moodys: Baa1 Full-Time Employees FY 2008:  142 41
Standard & Poor:   Part-Time Employees FY 2008: 73 17
Fitch: AA Full Time Emp/1,000 Cnty Residents:   5.43 31
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