| CHARLESTON COUNTY |
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| Date
Formed: |
1769 |
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| Land Area (square miles): |
919 |
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| County Seat: |
Charleston |
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| Other Cities and Towns: |
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| Awendaw, Folly Beach, Hollywood, Isle of Palms, Kiawah Island,
Lincolnville, McClellanville, Meggett, Mount Pleasant, North Charleston,
Ravenel, Seabrook Island, Sullivan's Island, Summerville |
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| Form of Government: |
Council-Administrator |
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| Council Members: |
9 |
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| Method of Election |
Single Member |
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| Term Length |
4 years |
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| Council of Government: |
Berkeley-Charleston-Dorchester |
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| County History
According to the South Carolina State Library Reference Room |
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| Charleston County and the city of Charleston are the most
historic locations in the state. English settlers arrived in the colony of
Carolina in 1670 and established a town at Albemarle Point on the west bank
of the Ashley River. The settlement, named Charles Town in honor of King
Charles II of England, was subsequently moved a few miles away to a peninsula
between the Ashley and Cooper rivers. Charles Towne (renamed Charleston in
1783) was the political, social, and economic center of the state throughout
the colonial and antebellum periods, and it served as the capital until 1790.
Charleston District was formed in 1769, but portions were later split off to
form Colleton (1800) and Berkeley (1882) counties. During the Revolutionary
War the American forces defeated the attacking British fleet at Charleston in
June 1776. At another Charleston fort,
Fort Sumter, federal troops were fired on by Confederate forces in April
1861, signaling the start of the Civil War. Charleston County has had many
famous residents, including three signers of the United States Constitution:
Charles Pinckney (1757-1824), Charles Cotesworth Pinckney (1746-1825), and
John Rutledge (1739-1800). |
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| Population Trends |
Value |
Rank |
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Value |
Rank |
| Population 1980: |
276,974 |
2 |
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Numeric Change 1980-2000: |
32,995 |
11 |
| Population 1990: |
295,039 |
2 |
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Avg. Ann. Growth Rate 1980-2000: |
0.59% |
36 |
| Population
2000: |
309,969 |
3 |
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Percent Change 2005-2006: |
0.6% |
20 |
| Population Estimate 2006: |
340,806 |
3 |
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Persons Per Square Mile 2006: |
373.2 |
3 |
| Population Estimate 2007: |
342,973 |
3 |
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| Link to SC Office of Research and Statistics -
Community Profile Demographic Data |
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| Link to SC Office of Research
and Statistics - Kids Count |
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| Economic Data |
Value |
Rank |
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Value |
Rank |
| Jobs 1980: |
155,599 |
2 |
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Personal Income 2006: |
$12,380,254 |
2 |
| Jobs 1990: |
206,648 |
1 |
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Per Capita Pers. Income (PCPI) 2006: |
$36,326 |
2 |
| Jobs 2000: |
215,368 |
3 |
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% of U.S. PCPI 2006: |
99% |
2 |
| Avg. Annual Growth Rate
1980-2000: |
1.92% |
17 |
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Average Wage Per Job
2006: |
$36,365 |
6 |
| Jobs 2005: |
230,314 |
3 |
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% of U.S. Avg.
Wage Per Job 2006: |
87% |
6 |
| Jobs 2006: |
235,982 |
3 |
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Avg. Unemployment
1998-2007: |
4.4% |
42 |
| Numeric Change 2005-2006: |
5,668 |
3 |
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Unemployment Rate 2007 Ann. Avg: |
4.5% |
45 |
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| Tax Data |
Value |
Rank |
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Value |
Rank |
| Assessed Property 2006: |
$2,909,831,775 |
1 |
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Per Capita Assessed Property 2005: |
$9,387 |
3 |
| County Base Millage Rate*
2007: |
0.0544 |
42 |
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Additional Sales Tax (if applicable) |
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| Value of One Mil 2007: |
$2,511,392 |
1 |
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Local Option Sales Tax: |
1.0% |
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| Net Taxable Sales FY 2006: |
$6,578,697,190 |
2 |
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Capital Projects Sales Tax: |
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| Admissions Taxes Collected
FY 2006: |
$4,218,019 |
2 |
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School District Sales Tax: |
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| Accomodations Taxes
Collected FY 2006: |
$8,213,651 |
2 |
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Transportation Sales Tax: |
.5% |
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| * County Base
Millage Rate reflects county mils only and does not include millages charged
by other taxing entities (cities, schools, etc.) |
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| Link to SC Employment Security Commission - Top
Employers by County |
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| Link to SC Office of Research and Statistics -
Community Profile Demographic Data |
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| Financial and Employment
Data |
Value |
Rank |
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Value |
Rank |
| Total Revenues FY 2006: |
$415,699,563 |
1 |
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Per Capital Revenues: |
$1,341 |
2 |
| Total Expenditures FY
2006: |
$310,253,975 |
1 |
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Per Capita Expenditures: |
$1,001 |
5 |
| General Fund Budget FY
2008: |
$140,800,000 |
1 |
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Per Capita General Fund Budget: |
$454 |
19 |
| Total Debt Outstanding FY
2007: |
$275,306,250 |
2 |
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Per Capita Debt Outstanding: |
$825 |
5 |
| Credit Ratings(s) FY 2007: |
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Payroll FY 2008: |
$64,035,628 |
3 |
| Moodys: |
Aa1 |
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Full-Time Employees
FY 2008: |
2278 |
1 |
| Standard & Poor: |
AAA |
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Part-Time Employees FY 2008: |
133 |
6 |
| Fitch: |
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Full Time
Emp/1,000 Cnty Residents: |
7.35 |
12 |
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| Link to SC Office of Research and Statistics - Local
Government Finance Report (Full document in Excel) |
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| 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. |
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Updated |
5/6/2008
16:45 |
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