Dorchester County, South Carolina facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Dorchester County
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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 | 1897 | |
| Named for | Dorchester, Massachusetts | |
| Seat | St. George | |
| Largest City | North Charleston (partial) | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 576 sq mi (1,490 km2) | |
| • Land | 573 sq mi (1,480 km2) | |
| • Water | 2.6 sq mi (7 km2) 0.4%% | |
| Population
(2010)
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| • Total | 136,555 | |
| • Estimate
(2020)
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164,900 | |
| • Density | 237.07/sq mi (91.54/km2) | |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern) | |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) | |
| Congressional districts | 1st, 6th | |
Dorchester County is a county located in U.S. state of South Carolina. As of the 2010 census, the population was 136,555. Its county seat is St. George.
Dorchester County is included in the Charleston-North Charleston, SC Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Contents
History
Dorchester County is named for its first settlement area, which was established by Congregationalists in 1696. These settlers applied the name "Dorchester" after their last residence in Dorchester, Massachusetts.
Dorchester was not established as a separate county until 1897. However, when it was separately established, it came from parts of the neighboring Colleton and Berkeley counties.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 576 square miles (1,490 km2), of which 573 square miles (1,480 km2) is land and 2.6 square miles (6.7 km2) (0.4%) is water.
Adjacent Counties
- Bamberg County - west
- Berkeley County - east
- Charleston County - southeast
- Colleton County - southwest
- Orangeburg County - northwest
Demographics
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1900 | 16,294 | — | |
| 1910 | 17,891 | 9.8% | |
| 1920 | 19,459 | 8.8% | |
| 1930 | 18,956 | −2.6% | |
| 1940 | 19,928 | 5.1% | |
| 1950 | 22,601 | 13.4% | |
| 1960 | 24,383 | 7.9% | |
| 1970 | 32,276 | 32.4% | |
| 1980 | 58,761 | 82.1% | |
| 1990 | 83,060 | 41.4% | |
| 2000 | 96,413 | 16.1% | |
| 2010 | 136,555 | 41.6% | |
| 2020 (est.) | 164,900 | 20.8% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census 1790-1960 1900-1990 1990-2000 2010-2019 |
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2010 census
At the 2010 census, there were 136,555 people, 50,259 households, and 36,850 families living in the county. The population density was 238.2 inhabitants per square mile (92.0/km2). There were 55,186 housing units at an average density of 96.3 per square mile (37.2/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 67.8% white, 25.8% black or African American, 1.5% Asian, 0.7% American Indian, 0.1% Pacific islander, 1.4% from other races, and 2.6% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 4.4% of the population. In terms of ancestry,
Of the 50,259 households, 40.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.6% were married couples living together, 16.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 26.7% were non-families, and 21.6% of households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.68 and the average family size was 3.11. The median age was 35.6 years.
The median household income was $55,034 and the median family income was $63,847. Males had a median income of $45,659 versus $32,221 for females. The per capita income for the county was $24,497. About 9.0% of families and 11.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.4% of those under age 18 and 9.1% of those age 65 or over.
2020 census
| Race | Num. | Perc. |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 99,145 | 61.37% |
| Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 38,278 | 23.7% |
| Native American | 886 | 0.55% |
| Asian | 3,286 | 2.03% |
| Pacific Islander | 199 | 0.12% |
| Other/Mixed | 8,885 | 5.5% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 10,861 | 6.72% |
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 161,540 people, 57,768 households, and 41,473 families residing in the county.
Municipalities
- Harleyville
- North Charleston
- Reevesville
- Ridgeville
- St. George
- Summerville
Communities
City
- North Charleston (partly in Berkeley County and Charleston County)
Town
- Harleyville
- Reevesville
- Ridgeville
- St. George (county seat)
- Summerville (partly in Berkeley County and Charleston County)
Census-designated place
- Ladson (partly in Berkeley County and Charleston County)
Unincorporated communities
See also
In Spanish: Condado de Dorchester (Carolina del Sur) para niños
