Sumter County, South Carolina

Sumter County is a county located in the U.S. state of South Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 105,556.[2] Its county seat is Sumter.[3]

Sumter County
County
Sumter County Courthouse
Sumter County Courthouse
Flag of Sumter County
Flag
Official seal of Sumter County
Seal
Official logo of Sumter County
Logo
Nickname: 
The Gamecock County
Map of South Carolina highlighting Sumter County
Location within the U.S. state of South Carolina
Map of the United States highlighting South Carolina
South Carolina's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 33°55′N 80°23′W
Country United States
State South Carolina
FoundedJanuary 1, 1800[1]
Named forThomas Sumter
SeatSumter
Largest communitySumter
Area
 • Total682.09 sq mi (1,766.6 km2)
 • Land665.08 sq mi (1,722.5 km2)
 • Water17.01 sq mi (44.1 km2)  2.49%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total105,556
 • Estimate 
(2022)
104,012
 • Density158.71/sq mi (61.28/km2)
Time zoneUTC−5 (Eastern)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional districts5th, 6th
Websitewww.sumtercountysc.org

Sumter County comprises the Sumter, SC Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is also included in the Columbia-Sumter-Orangeburg, SC Combined Statistical Area.[4] The county is also part of "The Midlands" area.

It is the home of Shaw AFB, headquarters to the 9th Air Force, AFCENT, United States Army Central, with a number of other tenant units. It is one of largest bases in the USAF's Air Combat Command.

History
Statue of Thomas Sumter on the Sumter County Courthouse lawn in Sumter

Sumter County was created from Clarendon, Claremont and Salem Counties as Sumter District in 1798, named after General Thomas Sumter,[5] and became effective in 1800.[6] When the home of Sumter District's clerk of records burnt in 1801, the formative records of the three predecessor counties were also destroyed in the conflagration.[5] So documentary evidence that the three counties were within St. Mark's Parish (formed in 1757 from Prince Frederick's Parish, Craven County) in Camden District (formed 1769) derives from family genealogies and legislative records.

On 19 December 1855, a legislative act was passed partitioning Sumter District by forming Clarendon District, with the same boundaries as defined for Clarendon County in 1785. When effectuated in 1857, a northeastern part of Sumter District (formerly in Salem County) was also separated in the partition (the area east of a line drawn from the northernmost point of old Clarendon County continued north-northeasterly to a point on the boundary line with Darlington District (Sumter County's northeastern cornerpoint abutting Florence County since 1888).

The Sumter District gained a form of self-rule and was renamed Sumter County under the 1868 Constitution.[7]

In 1898, a northwestern part of Sumter County was detached to form part of the first Lee County, but its formation was declared unconstitutional in 1899. In 1902, an even larger northern part of Sumter County (more or less the remaining part of former Salem County) was properly legally detached to form the major sections of the current Lee County, of which some acreage reverted in 1914.

In 1921 southern Sumter County received a section from Clarendon County, of which some acreage reverted in 1922, creating the current boundaries of Sumter County.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 682.09 square miles (1,766.6 km2), of which 665.08 square miles (1,722.5 km2) is land and 17.01 square miles (44.1 km2) (2.49%) is water.[8] It is drained by the Black River and its tributaries.[9] Its western border is formed by the Wateree River. One of South Carolina's most famous areas are the High Hills of Santee comprising the western part of the county. The county is one of five that borders Lake Marion, also known as South Carolina's "Inland Sea".

State and local protected areas/sites

Major water bodies

Adjacent counties

Major highways

Major infrastructure

Demographics
Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
18003,571—
181019,054433.6%
182025,26932.6%
183028,27711.9%
184027,892−1.4%
185033,22019.1%
186023,859−28.2%
187025,2685.9%
188037,03746.6%
189043,60517.7%
190051,23717.5%
191038,472−24.9%
192043,04011.9%
193045,9026.6%
194052,46314.3%
195057,6349.9%
196074,94130.0%
197079,4256.0%
198088,24311.1%
1990102,63716.3%
2000104,6462.0%
2010107,4562.7%
2020105,556−1.8%
2022 (est.)104,012[2]−1.5%
U.S. Decennial Census[11]
1790–1960[12] 1900–1990[13]
1990–2000[14] 2010[15] 2020[2]

2020 census
Sumter County racial composition[16]
Race Num. Perc.
White (non-Hispanic) 46,442 44.0%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic) 48,536 45.98%
Native American 338 0.32%
Asian 1,400 1.33%
Pacific Islander 87 0.08%
Other/Mixed 4,451 4.22%
Hispanic or Latino 4,302 4.08%

As of the 2020 census, there were 105,556 people, 44,105 households, and 29,777 families residing in the county.

2010 census

At the 2010 census, there were 107,456 people, 40,398 households, and 28,311 families residing in the county.[17] The population density was 161.6 inhabitants per square mile (62.4/km2). There were 46,011 housing units at an average density of 69.2 per square mile (26.7/km2).[18] The racial makeup of the county was 48.2% white, 46.9% black or African American, 1.1% Asian, 0.4% American Indian, 0.1% Pacific islander, 1.4% from other races, and 1.9% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 3.3% of the population.[17] In terms of ancestry, 7.2% were Subsaharan African, 6.9% were American, 6.1% were English, 5.9% were German, and 5.7% were Irish.[19]

Of the 40,398 households, 36.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.6% were married couples living together, 20.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 29.9% were non-families, and 25.8% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.59 and the average family size was 3.11. The median age was 35.4 years.[17]

The median income for a household in the county was $39,137 and the median income for a family was $45,460. Males had a median income of $36,101 versus $28,421 for females. The per capita income for the county was $18,944. About 15.5% of families and 19.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 29.1% of those under age 18 and 14.7% of those age 65 or over.[20]

Government and politics
United States presidential election results for Sumter County, South Carolina[21][22]
Year Republican Democratic Third party
No. %No. %No. %
2020 21,000 42.93% 27,379 55.97% 541 1.11%
2016 18,745 42.52% 24,047 54.55% 1,294 2.94%
2012 19,274 40.74% 27,589 58.32% 446 0.94%
2008 18,581 41.89% 25,431 57.33% 346 0.78%
2004 18,074 48.84% 18,695 50.52% 234 0.63%
2000 15,915 51.89% 14,365 46.83% 392 1.28%
1996 12,080 47.57% 12,198 48.04% 1,114 4.39%
1992 12,576 47.29% 11,852 44.56% 2,168 8.15%
1988 13,161 57.72% 9,502 41.67% 138 0.61%
1984 12,909 57.14% 9,566 42.35% 115 0.51%
1980 10,557 52.45% 9,205 45.74% 364 1.81%
1976 9,332 46.87% 10,471 52.59% 109 0.55%
1972 10,892 64.83% 5,801 34.53% 107 0.64%
1968 5,451 33.43% 6,103 37.42% 4,754 29.15%
1964 7,729 67.19% 3,775 32.81% 0 0.00%
1960 4,633 63.91% 2,616 36.09% 0 0.00%
1956 1,356 22.47% 937 15.53% 3,741 62.00%
1952 4,726 70.12% 2,014 29.88% 0 0.00%
1948 154 4.43% 605 17.40% 2,718 78.17%
1944 73 3.04% 2,111 87.92% 217 9.04%
1936 58 2.74% 2,062 97.26% 0 0.00%
1932 59 3.14% 1,809 96.43% 8 0.43%
1928 174 12.65% 1,202 87.35% 0 0.00%
1924 18 1.48% 1,136 93.42% 62 5.10%
1920 194 14.43% 1,150 85.57% 0 0.00%
1916 142 9.34% 1,357 89.28% 21 1.38%
1912 31 3.12% 910 91.64% 52 5.24%
1908 173 12.28% 1,228 87.15% 8 0.57%
1904 137 12.97% 919 87.03% 0 0.00%
1900 150 11.12% 1,199 88.88% 0 0.00%
1896 326 17.16% 1,550 81.58% 24 1.26%
1892 639 29.29% 1,535 70.35% 8 0.37%

Education

All areas in the county are in the Sumter County Consolidated School District.[23] Additionally, the University of South Carolina Sumter is located in the county.[24]

Communities

Cities
  • Sumter (county seat and largest community)

Towns

Census-designated places

Unincorporated communities

Notable people

See also

References
  1. "Sumter County, South Carolina". Retrieved September 7, 2022.
  2. "U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Sumter County, South Carolina". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved June 13, 2022.
  3. "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  4. "OMB Bulletin No. 23-01: Revised Delineations of Metropolitan Statistical Areas, Micropolitan Statistical Areas, and Combined Statistical Areas, and Guidance on Uses of the Delineations of These Areas" (PDF). United States Office of Management and Budget. July 21, 2023. Retrieved August 10, 2023.
  5. Sumter County, South Carolina Genealogy, FamilySearch.org, accessed April 2020.
  6. "South Carolina: Individual County Chronologies". South Carolina Atlas of Historical County Boundaries. The Newberry Library. 2009. Archived from the original on January 3, 2017. Retrieved March 21, 2015.
  7. Sumter District, South Carolina. FamilySearch.org, accessed April 2020.
  8. "2020 County Gazetteer Files – South Carolina". United States Census Bureau. August 23, 2022. Retrieved September 10, 2023.
  9. Ripley, George; Dana, Charles A., eds. (1879). "Sumter, the name of four counties in the United States. I. An E. county of South Carolina" . The American Cyclopædia.
  10. "SCDNR Public Lands". www2.dnr.sc.gov. Retrieved April 1, 2023.
  11. "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 19, 2015.
  12. "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved March 19, 2015.
  13. Forstall, Richard L., ed. (March 27, 1995). "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 19, 2015.
  14. "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. April 2, 2001. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 9, 2022. Retrieved March 19, 2015.
  15. "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved April 14, 2014.
  16. "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved December 7, 2021.
  17. "DP-1 Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 Demographic Profile Data". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved March 11, 2016.
  18. "Population, Housing Units, Area, and Density: 2010 - County". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved March 11, 2016.
  19. "DP02 SELECTED SOCIAL CHARACTERISTICS IN THE UNITED STATES – 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved March 11, 2016.
  20. "DP03 SELECTED ECONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS – 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved March 11, 2016.
  21. Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved March 13, 2018.
  22. "Our Campaigns - U.S. President". Retrieved January 22, 2021.
  23. "2020 Census – School District Reference Mmap: Sumter County, SC" (PDF). U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved January 17, 2023. - Text list
  24. "USC Sumter". sc.edu. Retrieved March 4, 2023.
  25. Jones, Martha S. (2020). Vanguard : how Black women broke barriers, won the vote, and insisted on equality for all. New York, NY. pp. 218–226. ISBN 978-1-5416-1861-9. OCLC 1135569243.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  26. "Freddie Solomon". SC Football Hall of Fame | Become a life changer for our youth!. Retrieved January 18, 2023.
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