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:

Method of Election

Single Member/ Chair at Large

Term Length

4 years

Council of Government:

Appalachian

County History According to the South Carolina State Library Reference Room

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

Numeric Change 1980-2000:

51,930

Population 1990:

226,800

Avg. Ann. Growth Rate 1980-2000:

1.28%

Population 2000:

253,791

Percent Change 2005-2006:

2.0%

Population Estimate 2006:

269,902

Persons Per Square Mile 2006:

339.7

Population Estimate 2007:

275,534

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:

94,962

Personal Income 2006:

$7,627,703

Jobs 1990:

115,226

Per Capita Pers. Income (PCPI) 2006:

$28,261

Jobs 2000:

131,795

% of U.S. PCPI 2006:

77%

Avg. Annual Growth Rate 1980-2000:

1.94%

Average Wage Per Job 2006:

$36,936

Jobs 2005:

126,261

% of U.S. Avg. Wage Per Job 2006:

88%

Jobs 2006:

127,831

Avg. Unemployment 1998-2007:

5.8%

Numeric Change 2005-2006:

1,570

Unemployment Rate 2007 Ann. Avg:

6.0%

Tax Data

Value

Rank

Value

Rank

Assessed Property 2006:

$929,765,982

Per Capita Assessed Property 2005:

$3,664

County Base Millage Rate* 2007:

0.079

Additional Sales Tax (if applicable)

Value of One Mil 2007:

$863,631

Local Option Sales Tax:

Net Taxable Sales FY 2006:

$2,993,181,907

Capital Projects Sales Tax:

Admissions Taxes Collected FY 2006:

$650,314

School District Sales Tax:

Accomodations Taxes Collected FY 2006:

$709,632

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:

$129,387,039

Per Capital Revenues:

$510

Total Expenditures FY 2006:

$128,053,461

Per Capita Expenditures:

$505

General Fund Budget FY 2008:

$84,806,323

Per Capita General Fund Budget:

$334

Total Debt Outstanding FY 2007:

$30,896,562

Per Capita Debt Outstanding:

$112

Credit Ratings(s) FY 2007:

Payroll FY 2008:

$44,620,609

Moodys:

Aa2

Full-Time Employees FY 2008:

1304

Standard & Poor:

Part-Time Employees FY 2008:

210

Fitch:

Full Time Emp/1,000 Cnty Residents:

5.14

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