Laurens County, South Carolina facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Laurens County
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Laurens County Courthouse and Confederate Monument
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| Motto(s):
"A Great Place In South Carolina"
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Location within the U.S. state of South Carolina
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 South Carolina's location within the U.S. |
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| Country |  United States |
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| State |  South Carolina |
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| Founded | 1785 | ||
| Named for | Henry Laurens | ||
| Seat | Laurens | ||
| Largest community | Laurens | ||
| Area | |||
| • Total | 722.93 sq mi (1,872.4 km2) | ||
| • Land | 712.87 sq mi (1,846.3 km2) | ||
| • Water | 10.06 sq mi (26.1 km2) 1.39% | ||
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 67,539 | ||
| • Estimate
(2023)
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68,873 | ||
| • Density | 94.74/sq mi (36.58/km2) | ||
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern) | ||
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) | ||
| Congressional district | 3rd | ||
Laurens County is a county located in the U.S. state of South Carolina. As of the 2020 census, its population was 67,539. Its county seat is Laurens.
Laurens County is included in the Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC Metropolitan Statistical Area.
History
Laurens County was formed on March 12, 1785. It was named after Henry Laurens, the fifth president of the Continental Congress.
One of nine modern counties of the Colonial Ninety-Six District, Laurens County hosted more "official" (i.e. officially recognized and contemporaneously documented by competent governments) battles than did half of the original colonies. The Battle of Musgrove Mill was the first time during the American Revolution that regular soldiers of Great Britain were defeated in battle by militia.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 722.93 square miles (1,872.4 km2), of which 712.87 square miles (1,846.3 km2) is land and 10.06 square miles (26.1 km2) (1.39%) is water.
National protected area
- Sumter National Forest (part)
State and local protected areas/sites
- Cliff Pitts Wildlife Management Area
- Clinton Reservoir Tract
- Gray Court Tract Wildlife Management Area
- Lake Rabon Park
- Laurens County Park
- Musgrove Mill State Historic Site
Major water bodies
- Bush River
- Enoree River
- Lake Greenwood
- Lake Rabon
- Saluda River
Adjacent counties
- Spartanburg County – north
- Union County – northeast
- Newberry County – southeast
- Greenwood County – south
- Abbeville County – southwest
- Anderson County – west
- Greenville County – northwest
Major highways
I-26
I-385
US 25
US 25 Bus.
US 76
US 76 Bus.
US 221
US 221 Truck
SC 14
SC 39
SC 49
SC 56
SC 56 Bus.
SC 66
SC 66 Conn.
SC 72
SC 72 Bus.
SC 101
SC 127
SC 252
SC 252 Truck
SC 418
SC 560
Major infrastructure
- Laurens County Airport
Demographics
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1790 | 9,337 | — | |
| 1800 | 12,809 | 37.2% | |
| 1810 | 14,982 | 17.0% | |
| 1820 | 17,682 | 18.0% | |
| 1830 | 20,863 | 18.0% | |
| 1840 | 21,584 | 3.5% | |
| 1850 | 23,407 | 8.4% | |
| 1860 | 23,858 | 1.9% | |
| 1870 | 22,536 | −5.5% | |
| 1880 | 29,444 | 30.7% | |
| 1890 | 31,610 | 7.4% | |
| 1900 | 24,311 | −23.1% | |
| 1910 | 26,650 | 9.6% | |
| 1920 | 42,560 | 59.7% | |
| 1930 | 42,094 | −1.1% | |
| 1940 | 44,185 | 5.0% | |
| 1950 | 46,974 | 6.3% | |
| 1960 | 47,609 | 1.4% | |
| 1970 | 49,713 | 4.4% | |
| 1980 | 52,214 | 5.0% | |
| 1990 | 58,092 | 11.3% | |
| 2000 | 69,567 | 19.8% | |
| 2010 | 66,537 | −4.4% | |
| 2020 | 67,539 | 1.5% | |
| 2023 (est.) | 68,873 | 3.5% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census 1790–1960 1900–1990 1990–2000 2010 2020 |
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2020 census
| Race | Num. | Perc. |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 44,358 | 65.68% |
| Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 15,937 | 23.6% |
| Native American | 144 | 0.21% |
| Asian | 295 | 0.44% |
| Pacific Islander | 24 | 0.04% |
| Other/Mixed | 2,634 | 3.9% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 4,147 | 6.14% |
As of the 2020 census, there were 67,539 people, 25,901 households, and 16,961 families residing in the county.
2010 census
At the 2010 census, there were 66,537 people, 25,525 households, and 17,707 families living in the county. The population density was 93.2 inhabitants per square mile (36.0/km2). There were 30,709 housing units at an average density of 43.0 per square mile (16.6/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 70.4% white, 25.4% black or African American, 0.3% Asian, 0.2% American Indian, 0.1% Pacific islander, 2.3% from other races, and 1.3% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 4.1% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 11.8% were American, 9.8% were Irish, 9.6% were German, and 8.8% were English.
Of the 25,525 households, 32.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.6% were married couples living together, 17.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 30.6% were non-families, and 26.1% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.51 and the average family size was 3.00. The median age was 39.9 years.
The median income for a household in the county was $37,529 and the median income for a family was $45,769. Males had a median income of $36,807 versus $26,799 for females. The per capita income for the county was $18,757. About 14.1% of families and 19.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 31.0% of those under age 18 and 14.6% of those age 65 or over.
Economy
In 2022, the GDP was $2.7 billion (about $39,119 per capita), and the real GDP was $2.4 billion (about $34,835 per capita) in chained 2017 dollars.
As of April 2024[update], some of the largest employers in the county include CeramTec, National Healthcare, Presbyterian College, Shaw Industries, Sterilite, and Walmart.
| Industry | Employment Counts | Employment Percentage (%) | Average Annual Wage ($) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accommodation and Food Services | 1,325 | 6.4 | 16,432 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 942 | 4.5 | 25,844 |
| Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 71 | 0.3 | 47,996 |
| Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation | 294 | 1.4 | 18,564 |
| Construction | 630 | 3.0 | 53,716 |
| Educational Services | 1,753 | 8.4 | 50,752 |
| Finance and Insurance | 277 | 1.3 | 47,164 |
| Health Care and Social Assistance | 2,038 | 9.8 | 56,628 |
| Information | 82 | 0.4 | 60,216 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | 4 | 0.0 | 101,140 |
| Manufacturing | 7,641 | 36.7 | 57,772 |
| Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction | 32 | 0.2 | 64,792 |
| Other Services (except Public Administration) | 295 | 1.4 | 38,896 |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 281 | 1.3 | 63,440 |
| Public Administration | 1,623 | 7.8 | 41,340 |
| Real Estate and Rental and Leasing | 61 | 0.3 | 44,304 |
| Retail Trade | 1,773 | 8.5 | 29,380 |
| Transportation and Warehousing | 1,014 | 4.9 | 54,392 |
| Utilities | 272 | 1.3 | 66,924 |
| Wholesale Trade | 428 | 2.1 | 64,740 |
| Total | 20,836 | 100.0% | 48,348 |
Education
There are three public school districts in the county. Laurens County District 55 covers what is generally the northeastern half of the county while District 56 covers the southwestern half. The Ware Shoals area is covered by the multi-county Greenwood County District 51. There are two public high schools in the county: Laurens (in Dist. 55) and Clinton (in Dist. 56).
Public K-12 education includes M. S. Bailey Child Development Center, Clinton Elementary, Eastside Elementary, E.B. Morse Elementary, Ford Elementary, Hickory Tavern Elementary, Joanna-Woodson Elementary, Gray Court-Owings Elementary & Middle, Clinton Middle, Hickory Tavern Middle, Laurens Middle, Sanders Middle, Clinton High, and Laurens District 55 High.
Private K-12 education includes Laurens Academy, Summit Classical Charter School, and Thornwell Charter School.
Presbyterian College, located in Clinton, is a four-year liberal-arts school founded in 1880.
Communities
Cities
- Clinton
- Fountain Inn (mostly in Greenville County)
- Laurens (county seat and largest community)
Towns
- Cross Hill
- Gray Court
- Ware Shoals (mostly in Greenwood County; partly in Abbeville County)
- Waterloo
Census-designated places
Unincorporated communities
- Barksdale
- Hickory Tavern
- Kinards (partly in Newberry County)
- Madden
- Owings
Notable people
- James Adair, (c. 1709–1783), historian and resided in Laurens County in later life
- Andrew Johnson, 17th president of the United States, worked as a tailor in Laurens during the 1820s
- William Dunlap Simpson, 78th governor of South Carolina and chief justice of the South Carolina Supreme Court from 1880 to 1890
- Pat Cannon, former representative for Florida's 4th congressional district
See also
In Spanish: Condado de Laurens (Carolina del Sur) para niños
