| LAURENS COUNTY |
Revised 7/1/2008 |
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| Date
Formed: |
1785 |
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(working2008copy)_21730_image001.gif)
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| Land Area (square miles): |
715 |
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| County Seat: |
Laurens |
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| Other Cities and Towns: |
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| Clinton, Cross Hill, Fountain Inn, Gray Court, Ware Shoals,
Waterloo |
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| Form of Government: |
Council |
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| Council Members: |
7 |
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| Method of Election |
Single Member |
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| Term Length |
4 years |
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| Council of Government: |
Upper Savannah |
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| County History |
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| Laurens
County and its county seat were named for Revolutionary War leader Henry
Laurens (1724-1792). The county was established in 1785 as a part of Ninety
Six District. This part of the state was settled primarily by Scotch-Irish
and English immigrants in the mid 1700s, and during the American Revolution
quite a few of its residents remained loyal to Great Britain. Several
Revolutionary War battles were fought in the county, including the Battle of
Musgrove's Mill (August 18, 1780). President Andrew Johnson (1808-1875), a
native of North Carolina, worked as a tailor in the town of Laurens for a
brief time in the 1820s. Laurens County was also home to Ann Pamela
Cunningham (1816-1875), the leader of the movement to preserve Mount Vernon,
and educator Wil Lou Gray (1883-1984). |
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| Population Trends |
Value |
Rank |
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Value |
Rank |
| Population
1980: |
52,214 |
20 |
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Numeric Change
1980-2000: |
17,353 |
15 |
| Population
1990: |
58,092 |
19 |
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Numeric Change 2000-2007: |
15 |
27 |
| Population
2000: |
69,567 |
17 |
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Avg. Ann.
Growth Rate 1980-2000: |
1.66% |
13 |
| Population Estimate 2006: |
69,419 |
19 |
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Avg. Ann.
Growth Rate 2000-2007: |
0.00% |
27 |
| Population Estimate 2007: |
69,582 |
19 |
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Percent Change 2006-2007: |
0.23% |
26 |
| Persons Per Square Mile 2007: |
97.3 |
21 |
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| Economic Data |
Value |
Rank |
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Value |
Rank |
| Jobs
1980: |
20,575 |
18 |
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Personal Income (PI) 2006: |
$1,746,242 |
21 |
| Jobs
1990: |
21,692 |
20 |
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Avg. Ann. Growth Rate (PI) 1969-2006: |
7.1% |
31 |
| Jobs
2000: |
22,744 |
22 |
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Per Capita Personal Income 2006: |
$25,155 |
29 |
| Jobs 2005: |
21,337 |
21 |
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% of U.S. PCPI 2006: |
69% |
26 |
| Jobs 2006: |
21,726 |
21 |
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Average Wage Per Job 2006: |
$29,305 |
30 |
| Numeric Change Jobs
2005-2006: |
389 |
16 |
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% of U.S. Avg.
Wage Per Job 2006: |
70% |
30 |
| Avg. Annual Growth Rate
1980-2000: |
0.53% |
36 |
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Unemployment Rate 2007: |
7.3% |
18 |
| Avg. Annual Growth Rate
2000-2006: |
0.29% |
16 |
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Avg. Unemployment
1998-2007: |
6.0% |
28 |
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| Tax Data |
Value |
Rank |
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Value |
Rank |
| Assessed Property 2005: |
$158,703,610 |
25 |
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Per Capita Assessed Property 2005: |
$2,281 |
36 |
| County Base Millage Rate
2007: |
0.0847 |
25 |
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Additional
Sales Tax (if applicable) |
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| Value of One Mil 2007: |
$149,000 |
25 |
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Local Option Sales Tax: |
1.0% |
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| Millage Cap FY09: |
3.1% |
26 |
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Capital Projects Sales Tax: |
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| Net Taxable Sales FY06: |
$340,490,338 |
25 |
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School District Sales Tax: |
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| Admissions Tax Collected
FY06: |
$56,621 |
21 |
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Transportation Sales Tax: |
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| Accommodations Tax Collected
FY06: |
$87,306 |
26 |
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| Financial &
Employment Data |
Value |
Rank |
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Value |
Rank |
| Total Revenues FY06: |
$30,051,854 |
21 |
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Per Capita Revenues: |
$432 |
40 |
| Total Expenditures FY06: |
$21,227,246 |
26 |
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Per Capita Expenditures: |
$305 |
46 |
| General Fund Budget FY08: |
$16,558,192 |
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Per Capita General Fund Budget: |
$238 |
45 |
| Total Debt Outstanding
FY07: |
$6,610,570 |
24 |
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Per Capita Debt Outstanding: |
$92 |
39 |
| Payroll FY 2008: |
$10,000,947 |
24 |
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Credit Rating(s) FY07 |
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| Full-Time Employees FY08: |
354 |
21 |
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Moody's: |
Baa2 |
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| Part-Time Employees FY08 |
79 |
15 |
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Standard & Poor: |
BBB |
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| Full Time Emp/1,000 Cnty
Residents: |
5.09 |
39 |
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Fitch: |
AA- |
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