Florence County is a county located in the U.S. state of South Carolina. As of the 2020 census, its population was 137,059. Its county seat is Florence. Florence County is included in the Florence, South Carolina metropolitan area.
History Florence County was formed from main sections of Darlington and Marion Counties, plus other townships from Williamsburg and Clarendon Counties, starting in 1888. The last section of Williamsburg County was not added until 1921. Florence County was named after its county seat, Florence, which its founder, General William Harllee, in turn, named for his daughter, Florence. On December 26, 1921, Black American male Bill McAllister was lynched for having an affair with a White woman.
Geography According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which (0.47%) are covered by water.
State and local protected areas Lynches River County Park Moore Farms Botanical Garden (part) Pee Dee Station Site Wildlife Management Area Woods Bay State Park (part)
Major water bodies (Great) Pee Dee River Lynches River
Adjacent counties Marlboro County – north Dillon County – northeast Marion County – east Williamsburg County – south Clarendon County – southwest Sumter County – west Lee County – west Darlington County – northwest
Major highways
(truck route)
Major infrastructure Florence Regional Airport Florence Station
Demographics
Racial and ethnic composition +Florence County, South Carolina – Racial and ethnic compositionRace / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)Pop 1980 Pop 1990Pop 2000Pop 2010 Pop 2020% 1980% 1990% 2000% 2010% 2020White alone (NH)68,17669,25273,21674,10569,02161.89%60.56%58.22%54.14%50.36%Black or African American alone (NH)40,79344,13649,22456,20456,87737.03%38.60%39.14%41.06%41.50%Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)971412634243300.09%0.12%0.21%0.31%0.24%Asian alone (NH)1392808701,6602,3090.13%0.24%0.69%1.21%1.68%Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH)x included in the Asian category in the 1980 Censusx included in the Asian category in the 1990 Census202348xx0.02%0.02%0.04%Other race alone (NH)9427411213640.09%0.02%0.03%0.09%0.27%Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)x not an option in the 1980 Censusx not an option in the 1990 Census7441,3183,827xx0.59%0.96%2.79%Hispanic or Latino (any race)8645081,3833,0304,2830.78%0.44%1.10%2.21%3.12%Total110,163114,344125,761136,885137,059 100.00%100.00%100.00%100.00%100.00%
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, the county had 137,059 people living in 54,627 households and 35,763 families.
The median age was 40.5 years; 22.9% of residents were under the age of 18 and 18.6% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 87.7 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 83.9 males age 18 and over.
The racial makeup of the county was 50.9% White, 41.7% Black or African American, 0.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.7% Asian, 0.0% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 1.5% from some other race, and 3.8% from two or more races; Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 3.1% of the population.
According to the 2020 Decennial Census Detailed Housing Characteristics data, 60.8% of residents lived in urban areas while 39.2% lived in rural areas.
There were 54,627 households in the county, of which 31.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them and 35.5% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 29.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. There were 60,594 housing units, of which 9.8% were vacant; of the occupied units, 65.7% were owner-occupied and 34.3% were renter-occupied, with a homeowner vacancy rate of 1.5% and a rental vacancy rate of 8.2%.
2010 census At the 2010 census, 136,885 people, 52,653 households, and 36,328 families were living in the county. The population density was . The 58,666 housing units had an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 54.9% White, 41.3% Black or African American, 1.2% Asian, 0.3% American Indian, 1.1% from other races, and 1.1% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 2.2% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 8.4% were American, 7.8% were English, 6.7% were Irish, and 6.2% were German.
Of the 52,653 households, 35.2% had children under 18 living with them, 44.7% were married couples living together, 19.6% had a female householder with no husband present, 31.0% were not families, and 26.3% of households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.54 and the average family size was 3.06. The median age was 37.6 years.
The median household income was $40,487 and the median family income was $48,896. Males had a median income of $38,934 versus $30,163 for females. The per capita income for the county was $21,932. About 14.5% of families and 18.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 26.1% of those under age 18 and 14.0% of those age 65 or over.
2000 census At the 2000 census, 125,761 people, 47,147 households, and 33,804 families lived in the county. The population density was . The 51,836 housing units had an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 58.65% White, 39.34% Black or African American, 0.22% Native American, 0.70% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.39% from other races, and 0.68% from two or more races. 1.10% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. Of the 47,147 households 33.8% had children under 18 living with them, 49.7% were married couples living together, 18.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.3% were not families. About 24.5% of households were one person and 8.2% were one person 65 or older. The average household size was 2.59 and the average family size was 3.08.
The age distribution was 25.9% under 18, 9.7% from 18 to 24, 28.9% from 25 to 44, 23.6% from 45 to 64, and 11.80% 65 or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 88.7 males. For every 100 females 18 and over, there were 84.2 males.
The median household income was $35,144 and the median family income was $41,274. Males had a median income of $32,065 versus $21,906 for females. The per capita income for the county was $17,876. About 13.50% of families and 16.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 22.3% of those under 18 and 16.5% of those 65 or over.
According to the 2000 census, the population of Florence County was classified as 58% urban and 42% rural, containing the two urban areas of Florence (population 67,314) and Lake City (8,728). Along with Darlington County, it comprises part of the Florence metropolitan statistical area.
Law and government Law enforcement In 2020, Florence County Sheriff Kenney Boone pled guilty to embezzlement and misconduct in office. He was not sentenced to jail time. , the sheriff is T.J. Joye.
Politics As part of the Solid South, Florence County was strongly Democratic throughout its early existence. In recent years, though, Florence has shifted to a Republican-leaning county, having not voted Democratic at the presidential level since Jimmy Carter in 1976. However, it has done so by relatively modest margins, as the county has been decided by a single-digit margin in every election since 2008. In 2020, incumbent Republican president Donald Trump narrowly carried Florence County, winning 32,615 votes (50.56%) to 31,153 (48.29%) for Democratic candidate Joe Biden. Typically, Democratic strength is concentrated in the City of Florence, while the suburban and rural areas lean strongly Republican.
Most of the county is located within the state's 7th congressional district, which is represented by Republican Russell Fry. A small portion of the county, specifically the areas around Lake City, is located in the majority-minority 6th district, and is represented by Democrat Jim Clyburn.
Economy In 2022, the GDP of Florence County was $8.5 billion (about $62,154 per capita). The real GDP was $7.2 billion (about $52,808 per capita) in chained 2017 dollars. In 2022-2024, the unemployment rate has fluctuated between 2.3-3.8%.
Duke Energy, Francis Marion University, GE HealthCare, Honda, McLeod Health, Otis Worldwide, QVC, Ruiz Foods, and Walmart are some of the largest employers in the county.
+ Employment and Wage Statistics by Industry in Florence County, South Carolina Industry Employment count Employment (%) Average annual wage ($) Accommodation and Food Services 7,326 11.1 20,124 Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services 4,207 6.4 34,632 Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing, and Hunting 191 0.3 49,036 Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation 661 1.0 27,768 Construction 1,800 2.7 63,024 Educational Services 4,188 6.3 48,360 Finance and Insurance 1,584 2.4 88,192 Health Care and Social Assistance 15,179 22.9 59,124 Information 569 0.9 69,732 Manufacturing 7,301 11.0 64,896 Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction 34 0.1 43,420 Other Services (except Public Administration) 1,599 2.4 39,364 Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 2,217 3.4 78,000 Public Administration 3,165 4.8 50,336 Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 844 1.3 51,636 Retail Trade 8,811 13.3 33,592 Transportation and Warehousing 3,572 5.4 46,436 Utilities 183 0.3 90,064 Wholesale Trade 2,713 4.1 65,416 Total 66,144 100.0% 49,641
Communities Cities Florence (county seat and largest community) Johnsonville Lake City
Towns
Coward Olanta Pamplico Quinby Scranton Timmonsville
Census-designated places Danwood
Other unincorporated communities Cartersville Effingham Evergreen Hannah Kingsburg Mars Bluff Poston
Notable people Donald Henry Gaskins (1933–1991), serial killer Roger K. Kirby (born 1960), politician Kent Lee (1923–2017), US Navy admiral Georganna Sinkfield (born 1943), politician
See also List of counties in South Carolina National Register of Historic Places listings in Florence County, South Carolina Chaloklowa Chickasaw, state-recognized group that resides in the county
References
Work cited
Further reading
External links
Florence County history and images