Hampton County, South Carolina

Hampton County
County
Hampton County Courthouse
Seal
Motto(s):  "Pro Bono Publico" (Latin) (For the Public Good)
Location within the U.S. state of South Carolina
South Carolina's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 32°47′N81°08′W / 32.78°N 81.14°W / 32.78; -81.14
Country	United States
State	South Carolina
Founded	1878
Named for	Wade Hampton III
Seat	Hampton
Largest community	Hampton
Area
• Total	562.71 sq mi (1,457.4 km2)
• Land	559.98 sq mi (1,450.3 km2)
• Water	2.73 sq mi (7.1 km2)  0.49%
Population  (2020)
• Total	18,561
• Estimate  (2023)	18,122
• Density	33.15/sq mi (12.80/km2)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district	6th
Website	www.hamptoncountysc.org

Hampton County is a rural county located in the U.S. state of South Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 18,561. ^[1] Its county seat is Hampton. ^[2] It was named for Confederate Civil War general Wade Hampton, who in the late 1870s, with the ending of Reconstruction, was elected as governor of South Carolina. ^[3]

History

The county is named for Wade Hampton III, one of the country's leading slaveowners and a Lieutenant General for the Confederacy during the American Civil War. After the war, he led the Redeemers and Red Shirts on a campaign to reestablish Democratic rule South Carolina. At the end of the Reconstruction era he became Governor and then U.S. Senator from South Carolina.

The county had a peak of population in 1910, when agriculture was still the mainstay of the economy. Thousands of African Americans left after that for urban areas, especially in the North, in the Great Migration. The mechanization of agriculture reduced farm jobs.

Geography

Interactive map of Hampton County

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 562.71 square miles (1,457.4 km²), of which 559.98 square miles (1,450.3 km²) is land and 2.73 square miles (7.1 km²) (0.49%) is water. ^[4]

National protected area

• Ernest F. Hollings ACE Basin National Wildlife Refuge (part)

State and local protected areas

• Hamilton Ridge Wildlife Management Area ^[5]
• James W Webb Wildlife Center and Game Management Area ^[6]
• Lake Warren State Park
• Palachucola Wildlife Management Area ^[5]
• Webb Wildlife Center ^[5]

Major water bodies

• Coosawhatchie River
• Lake George Warren
• Little Salkehatchie River
• Salkehatchie River
• Savannah River

Adjacent counties

• Bamberg County – north
• Colleton County – east
• Beaufort County – southeast
• Jasper County – south
• Effingham County, Georgia – southwest
• Screven County, Georgia – west
• Allendale County – northwest

Major highways

• I-95
• US 21
• 
  US 17 Alt.
• US 278
• US 321
• US 601
• SC 3
• SC 63
• SC 68
• SC 333
• SC 363

Major infrastructure

• Yemassee Station

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1880	18,741		—
1890	20,544		9.6%
1900	23,738		15.5%
1910	25,126		5.8%
1920	19,550		−22.2%
1930	17,243		−11.8%
1940	17,465		1.3%
1950	18,027		3.2%
1960	17,425		−3.3%
1970	15,878		−8.9%
1980	18,159		14.4%
1990	18,191		0.2%
2000	21,386		17.6%
2010	21,090		−1.4%
2020	18,561		−12.0%
2023 (est.)	18,122	[1]	−2.4%
U.S. Decennial Census [7] 1790–1960 [8] 1900–1990 [9] 1990–2000 [10] 2010 [11] 2020 [1]

2020 census

Hampton County racial composition ^[12]

Race	Num.	Perc.
White (non-Hispanic)	7,802	42.03%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic)	9,536	51.38%
Native American	41	0.22%
Asian	100	0.54%
Pacific Islander	17	0.09%
Other/Mixed	399	2.15%
Hispanic or Latino	666	3.59%

As of the 2020 census, there were 18,561 people, 6,993 households, and 4,148 families residing in the county.

2010 census

At the 2010 census, there were 21,090 people, 7,598 households, and 5,211 families living in the county. ^{[13] [11]} The population density was 37.7 inhabitants per square mile (14.6/km²). There were 9,140 housing units at an average density of 16.3 per square mile (6.3/km²). ^[14] The racial makeup of the county was 53.9% black or African American, 42.7% white, 0.5% Asian, 0.3% American Indian, 1.3% from other races, and 1.3% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 3.5% of the population. ^[13] In terms of ancestry, 6.4% were Irish, 6.3% were American, 5.6% were German, and 5.3% were English. ^[15]

Of the 7,598 households, 35.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.0% were married couples living together, 19.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 31.4% were non-families, and 28.1% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.57 and the average family size was 3.15. The median age was 38.4 years. ^[13]

The median income for a household in the county was $34,846 and the median income for a family was $43,234. Males had a median income of $31,935 versus $26,826 for females. The per capita income for the county was $16,262. About 17.2% of families and 20.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 27.9% of those under age 18 and 19.7% of those age 65 or over. ^[16]

2000 census

At the 2000 census, ^[17] there were 21,386 people, 7,444 households, and 5,315 families living in the county. The population density was 38 people per square mile (15 people/km²). There were 8,582 housing units at an average density of 15 per square mile (5.8/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 55.67% Black or African American, 42.89% White, 0.20% Native American, 0.17% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.62% from other races, and 0.43% from two or more races. 2.56% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 7,444 households, out of which 34.60% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.90% were married couples living together, 18.80% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.60% were non-families. 25.80% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.20% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.64 and the average family size was 3.19.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 27.60% under the age of 18, 8.50% from 18 to 24, 29.70% from 25 to 44, 22.10% from 45 to 64, and 12.10% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 103.80 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 103.90 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $28,771, and the median income for a family was $34,559. Males had a median income of $29,440 versus $20,418 for females. The per capita income for the county was $13,129. About 17.80% of families and 21.80% of the population were below the poverty line, including 27.60% of those under age 18 and 21.70% of those age 65 or over.

Government and politics

United States presidential election results for Hampton County, South Carolina ^[18]

Year	Republican		Democratic		Third party(ies)
	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
2024	3,801	46.17%	4,328	52.57%	104	1.26%
2020	3,906	41.98%	5,323	57.21%	76	0.82%
2016	3,488	39.61%	5,170	58.71%	148	1.68%
2012	3,312	35.98%	5,834	63.37%	60	0.65%
2008	3,439	36.78%	5,816	62.20%	95	1.02%
2004	3,097	38.64%	4,832	60.28%	87	1.09%
2000	2,798	36.06%	4,896	63.10%	65	0.84%
1996	2,111	28.85%	4,828	65.98%	378	5.17%
1992	2,402	32.63%	4,332	58.85%	627	8.52%
1988	2,826	44.81%	3,435	54.47%	45	0.71%
1984	3,464	47.92%	3,736	51.69%	28	0.39%
1980	2,217	33.58%	4,329	65.56%	57	0.86%
1976	1,773	30.99%	3,923	68.56%	26	0.45%
1972	2,891	57.56%	2,086	41.53%	46	0.92%
1968	1,671	31.95%	2,107	40.29%	1,452	27.76%
1964	2,259	61.09%	1,439	38.91%	0	0.00%
1960	1,322	62.59%	790	37.41%	0	0.00%
1956	359	17.46%	564	27.43%	1,133	55.11%
1952	1,633	67.48%	787	32.52%	0	0.00%
1948	10	0.62%	81	4.99%	1,531	94.39%
1944	3	0.35%	575	67.65%	272	32.00%
1940	24	1.96%	1,198	98.04%	0	0.00%
1936	8	0.63%	1,253	99.37%	0	0.00%
1932	18	1.00%	1,782	99.00%	0	0.00%
1928	19	1.70%	1,098	98.30%	0	0.00%
1924	3	0.41%	730	99.05%	4	0.54%
1920	0	0.00%	623	100.00%	0	0.00%
1916	0	0.00%	852	100.00%	0	0.00%
1912	0	0.00%	631	100.00%	0	0.00%
1904	0	0.00%	1,079	100.00%	0	0.00%
1900	1	0.11%	936	99.89%	0	0.00%

Economy

In 2022, the GDP was $542.4 million (about $29,930 per capita), ^[19] and the real GDP was $431.3 million (about $23,798 per capita) in chained 2017 dollars. ^[20] In 2022 through 2023, the average unemployment rate has been 2.8-2.9%. ^[21]

Some of the largest employers in the county include the United States Department of Justice, Food Lion, The Habit Burger Grill, Hampton Regional Medical Center, and Le Creuset. ^[22]

Employment and Wage Statistics by Industry in Hampton County, South Carolina - Q3 2023 ^[22]

Industry	Employment Counts	Employment Percentage (%)	Average Annual Wage ($)
Accommodation and Food Services	357	8.6	17,940
Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services	63	1.5	31,772
Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting	323	7.8	67,860
Construction	239	5.8	56,888
Finance and Insurance	77	1.9	40,768
Health Care and Social Assistance	679	16.4	40,300
Manufacturing	448	10.8	58,968
Other Services (except Public Administration)	151	3.6	36,504
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services	114	2.7	70,356
Public Administration	595	14.3	52,780
Real Estate and Rental and Leasing	19	0.5	43,368
Retail Trade	538	13.0	25,272
Transportation and Warehousing	186	4.5	63,544
Utilities	23	0.6	84,968
Wholesale Trade	336	8.1	62,296
Total	4,148	100.0%	46,987

Communities

Towns

• Brunson
• Estill
• Fairfax (mostly in Allendale County)
• Furman
• Gifford
• Hampton (county seat and largest community)
• Luray
• Scotia
• Varnville
• Yemassee (partly in Beaufort County)

Unincorporated communities

• Crocketville
• Lena
• McPhersonville
• Nixville

See also

• List of counties in South Carolina
• National Register of Historic Places listings in Hampton County, South Carolina

References

1. "QuickFacts: Hampton County, South Carolina". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 22, 2024.
2. "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
3. Gannett, Henry (1905). The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States. Govt. Print. Off. pp.  148.
4. "2020 County Gazetteer Files – South Carolina". United States Census Bureau. August 23, 2022. Retrieved September 10, 2023.
5. "SCDNR Public Lands". www2.dnr.sc.gov. Retrieved April 1, 2023.
6. "SCDNR - Wildlife Management Area Maps". www.dnr.sc.gov. Retrieved July 27, 2022.
7. "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 17, 2015.
8. "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved March 17, 2015.
9. Forstall, Richard L., ed. (March 27, 1995). "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 17, 2015.
10. "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 17, 2015.
11. "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on June 6, 2011. Retrieved November 22, 2013.
12. "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved December 15, 2021.
13. "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 9, 2016.
14. "Population, Housing Units, Area, and Density: 2010 - County". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved March 9, 2016.
15. "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 9, 2016.
16. "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 9, 2016.
17. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved May 14, 2011.
18. Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved March 13, 2018.
19. U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (January 1, 2001). "Gross Domestic Product: All Industries in Hampton County, SC". FRED, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. Retrieved May 3, 2024.
20. U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (January 1, 2001). "Real Gross Domestic Product: All Industries in Hampton County, SC". FRED, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. Retrieved May 3, 2024.
21. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (January 1, 1990). "Unemployment Rate in Hampton County, SC". FRED, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. Retrieved May 3, 2024.
22. "Hampton County" (PDF). Community Profiles (04000049). Columbia, SC: S.C. Department of Employment & Workforce - Business Intelligence Department. April 19, 2024.

External links

• Geographic data related to Hampton County, South Carolina at OpenStreetMap
• Official website
• Hampton County history and images