SALUDA COUNTY
Date Formed:  1895
Land Area (square miles): 452
County Seat: Saluda
Other Cities and Towns:
Batesburg-Leesville, Monetta, Ridge Spring, Ward
Form of Government: Council
Council Members: 5
Method of Election Single Member/ Chair at Large
Term Length 4 years
Council of Government:  Upper Savannah
County History
Saluda County was named for the Saluda River, which forms one of its borders. The county was established in 1895 from part of Edgefield County. The Cherokee Indians lived in this area for many years. In 1755 they signed a treaty with the British at their settlement, known as Saluda Old Town. Scotch-Irish and English settlers subsequently began moving into the area, while the Cherokees moved farther to the north. Two famous heroes of the Alamo, William Barrett Travis (1809-1836) and James Butler Bonham (1807-1836) were natives of what is now Saluda County.
Population Trends Value Rank Value Rank
Population 1980:  16,150 42 Numeric Change 1980-2000:  3,031 35
Population 1990:  16,357 42 Numeric Change 2000-2007: -433 35
Population 2000:  19,181 42 Avg. Ann. Growth Rate 1980-2000:  0.93% 23
Population Estimate 2006:  18,775 42 Avg. Ann. Growth Rate 2000-2007:  -0.32% 38
Population Estimate 2007: 18,748 42 Percent Change 2006-2007: -0.14% 34
Persons Per Square Mile 2007:  41.5 37
Economic Data Value Rank Value Rank
Jobs 1980:  3,954 43 Personal Income (PI) 2006: $518,251 39
Jobs 1990:  4,416 42 Avg. Ann. Growth Rate (PI) 1969-2006: 7.5% 22
Jobs 2000:  5,232 42 Per Capita Personal Income  2006: $27,603 16
Jobs 2005: 4,994 42 % of U.S. PCPI 2006: 75% 16
Jobs 2006: 5,137 42 Average Wage Per Job 2006: $24,338 46
Numeric Change Jobs 2005-2006: 143 25 % of U.S. Avg. Wage Per Job 2006:  58% 46
Avg. Annual Growth Rate 1980-2000:  1.62% 21 Unemployment Rate 2007: 5.4% 37
Avg. Annual Growth Rate 2000-2006: 0.46% 9 Avg. Unemployment 1998-2007:  5.6% 31
Tax Data Value Rank Value Rank
Assessed Property 2005: $49,163,660 41 Per Capita Assessed Property 2005: $2,563 32
County Base Millage Rate 2007: 0.144 9 Additional Sales Tax (if applicable) 
Value of One Mil 2007: $47,742 40 Local Option Sales Tax: 1.0%
Millage Cap FY09: 2.9% 31 Capital Projects Sales Tax:  
Net Taxable Sales FY06: $53,241,501 42 School District Sales Tax:  
Admissions Tax Collected FY06: ***  * Transportation Sales Tax:  
Accommodations Tax Collected FY06:  $5,192 44
Financial & Employment Data Value Rank Value Rank
Total Revenues FY06: $10,010,597 43 Per Capita Revenues: $522 30
Total Expenditures FY06: $7,742,658 44 Per Capita Expenditures: $404 39
General Fund Budget FY08:  $8,686,603 42 Per Capita General Fund Budget: $453 20
Total Debt Outstanding FY07: $1,280,264 43 Per Capita Debt Outstanding: $67 43
Payroll FY 2008: $3,752,785 42 Credit Rating(s) FY07
Full-Time Employees FY08:  123 42 Moody's:  
Part-Time Employees FY08 18 41 Standard & Poor:  
Full Time Emp/1,000 Cnty Residents:   6.41 18 Fitch:  
SPARTANBURG COUNTY Revised 7/1/2008
Date Formed:  1785
Land Area (square miles): 811
County Seat: Spartanburg
Other Cities and Towns:
Campobello, Central Pacolet, Chesnee, Cowpens, Duncan, Greer, Inman, Landrum, Lyman, Pacolet, Pacolet Mills, Wellford, Woodruff
Form of Government: Council-Administrator
Council Members: 7
Method of Election Single Member/ Chair at Large
Term Length 4 years
Council of Government:  Appalachian
County History
Spartanburg County and its county seat were named for the Spartan Regiment, a local militia unit that fought in the Revolutionary War. The county was formed in 1785 as a part of Ninety Six District, and from 1791 to 1799 it was part of Pinckney District. A part of Spartanburg County later went to form Cherokee County in 1897. European settlers, primarily Scotch-Irish, began moving into this area from Pennsylvania and Virginia in the late eighteenth century. For many years the primary occupations were small scale cattle raising and cotton farming. Areas with mineral springs, such as Glenn Springs, were also popular summer resorts for lowcountry residents. Following the Civil War, textile manufacturing became the dominant industry, and Spartanburg County remains an important manufacturing center today. Some well known Spartanburg residents are hymn writer and publisher William Walker (1809-1875), U.S. Army General William C. Westmoreland, and industrialist Roger Milliken.
Population Trends Value Rank Value Rank
Population 1980:  201,861 4 Numeric Change 1980-2000:  51,930 6
Population 1990:  226,800 4 Numeric Change 2000-2007: 21,743 9
Population 2000:  253,791 4 Avg. Ann. Growth Rate 1980-2000:  1.28% 18
Population Estimate 2006:  269,902 4 Avg. Ann. Growth Rate 2000-2007:  1.22% 13
Population Estimate 2007: 275,534 4 Percent Change 2006-2007: 2.04% 8
Persons Per Square Mile 2007:  339.7 5
Economic Data Value Rank Value Rank
Jobs 1980:  94,962 4 Personal Income (PI) 2006: $7,627,703 5
Jobs 1990:  115,226 4 Avg. Ann. Growth Rate (PI) 1969-2006: 7.6% 21
Jobs 2000:  131,795 4 Per Capita Personal Income  2006: $28,261 13
Jobs 2005: 126,261 4 % of U.S. PCPI 2006: 77% 13
Jobs 2006: 127,831 5 Average Wage Per Job 2006: $36,936 3
Numeric Change Jobs 2005-2006: 1,570 8 % of U.S. Avg. Wage Per Job 2006:  88% 3
Avg. Annual Growth Rate 1980-2000:  1.94% 16 Unemployment Rate 2007: 6.0% 30
Avg. Annual Growth Rate 2000-2006: 0.20% 22 Avg. Unemployment 1998-2007:  5.8% 30
Tax Data Value Rank Value Rank
Assessed Property 2005: $929,765,982 6 Per Capita Assessed Property 2005: $3,664 20
County Base Millage Rate 2007: 0.079 30 Additional Sales Tax (if applicable) 
Value of One Mil 2007: $863,631 7 Local Option Sales Tax:  
Millage Cap FY09: 4.9% 8 Capital Projects Sales Tax:  
Net Taxable Sales FY06: $2,993,181,907 6 School District Sales Tax:  
Admissions Tax Collected FY06: $650,314 10 Transportation Sales Tax:  
Accommodations Tax Collected FY06:  $709,632 9
Financial & Employment Data Value Rank Value Rank
Total Revenues FY06: $129,387,039 6 Per Capita Revenues: $510 33
Total Expenditures FY06: $128,053,461 6 Per Capita Expenditures: $505 29
General Fund Budget FY08:  $84,806,323 7 Per Capita General Fund Budget: $334 37
Total Debt Outstanding FY07: $30,896,562 14 Per Capita Debt Outstanding: $112 31
Payroll FY 2008: $44,620,609 6 Credit Rating(s) FY07
Full-Time Employees FY08:  1,304 6 Moody's: Aa2
Part-Time Employees FY08 210 2 Standard & Poor: A
Full Time Emp/1,000 Cnty Residents:   5.14 37 Fitch: AA