| OCONEE COUNTY |
Revised 7/1/2008 |
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| Date
Formed: |
1868 |
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(working2008copy)_29503_image001.gif)
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| Land Area (square miles): |
625 |
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| County Seat: |
Walhalla |
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| Other Cities and Towns: |
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| Salem, Seneca, West Union, Westminster |
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| Form of Government: |
Council-Administrator |
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| Council Members: |
5 |
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| Method of Election |
Single Member |
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| Term Length |
4 years |
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| Council of Government: |
Appalachian |
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| County History |
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| Oconee
County, which was formed in 1868 from Pickens County, takes its name from an
Indian word. This area in the northwest corner of the state on the edge of
the Blue Ridge Mountains was home to several Indian tribes, including the
Creeks and the Cherokees, but the Indians gave up their lands in treaties
signed in 1777 and 1785. After the American Revolution, settlers from other
parts of the state began moving in, including the Germans from Charleston who
founded the town of Walhalla in 1850. In 1856 work began on a tunnel for the
Blue Ridge Railroad that would have linked Charleston with Knoxville,
Tennessee, but the Civil War ended that project; the unfinished Stumphouse
Tunnel can still be seen today. Several Revolutionary War heroes moved to
present day Oconee County after the war, including Andrew Pickens
(1739-1817), Robert Anderson (1741-1813), and Benjamin Cleveland
(1738-1806). |
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| Population Trends |
Value |
Rank |
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Value |
Rank |
| Population
1980: |
48,611 |
21 |
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Numeric Change
1980-2000: |
17,604 |
14 |
| Population
1990: |
57,494 |
20 |
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Numeric Change 2000-2007: |
4,538 |
18 |
| Population
2000: |
66,215 |
20 |
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Avg. Ann.
Growth Rate 1980-2000: |
1.81% |
10 |
| Population Estimate 2006: |
69,993 |
18 |
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Avg. Ann.
Growth Rate 2000-2007: |
0.98% |
15 |
| Population Estimate 2007: |
70,753 |
18 |
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Percent Change 2006-2007: |
1.07% |
16 |
| Persons Per Square Mile 2007: |
113.2 |
20 |
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| Economic Data |
Value |
Rank |
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Value |
Rank |
| Jobs
1980: |
19,203 |
20 |
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Personal Income (PI) 2006: |
$2,079,867 |
17 |
| Jobs
1990: |
26,795 |
17 |
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Avg. Ann. Growth Rate (PI) 1969-2006: |
8.2% |
9 |
| Jobs
2000: |
27,827 |
18 |
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Per Capita Personal Income 2006: |
$29,715 |
12 |
| Jobs 2005: |
25,368 |
18 |
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% of U.S. PCPI 2006: |
81% |
11 |
| Jobs 2006: |
24,128 |
19 |
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Average Wage Per Job 2006: |
$35,161 |
10 |
| Numeric Change Jobs
2005-2006: |
-1,240 |
46 |
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% of U.S. Avg.
Wage Per Job 2006: |
84% |
10 |
| Avg. Annual Growth Rate
1980-2000: |
2.25% |
13 |
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Unemployment Rate 2007: |
7.2% |
20 |
| Avg. Annual Growth Rate
2000-2006: |
-0.74% |
45 |
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Avg. Unemployment
1998-2007: |
6.3% |
25 |
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| Tax Data |
Value |
Rank |
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Value |
Rank |
| Assessed Property 2005: |
$436,402,261 |
14 |
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Per Capita Assessed Property 2005: |
$6,591 |
5 |
| County Base Millage Rate
2007: |
0.0695 |
36 |
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Additional
Sales Tax (if applicable) |
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| Value of One Mil 2007: |
$418,708 |
13 |
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Local Option Sales Tax: |
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| Millage Cap FY09: |
3.9% |
16 |
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Capital Projects Sales Tax: |
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| Net Taxable Sales FY06: |
$605,267,699 |
19 |
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School District Sales Tax: |
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| Admissions Tax Collected
FY06: |
$100,894 |
20 |
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Transportation Sales Tax: |
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| Accommodations Tax Collected
FY06: |
$137,974 |
22 |
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| Financial &
Employment Data |
Value |
Rank |
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Value |
Rank |
| Total Revenues FY06: |
$43,352,074 |
17 |
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Per Capita Revenues: |
$655 |
15 |
| Total Expenditures FY06: |
$44,540,625 |
17 |
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Per Capita Expenditures: |
$673 |
13 |
| General Fund Budget FY08: |
$42,954,518 |
12 |
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Per Capita General Fund Budget: |
$649 |
5 |
| Total Debt Outstanding
FY07: |
$12,521,742 |
22 |
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Per Capita Debt Outstanding: |
$177 |
21 |
| Payroll FY 2008: |
$16,122,375 |
17 |
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Credit Rating(s) FY07 |
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| Full-Time Employees FY08: |
417 |
18 |
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Moody's: |
A1 |
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| Part-Time Employees FY08 |
71 |
18 |
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Standard & Poor: |
A+ |
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| Full Time Emp/1,000 Cnty
Residents: |
6.30 |
19 |
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Fitch: |
AA- |
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