Chesterfield County is a county located in the U.S. state of South Carolina. As of the 2020 census, its population was 43,273. Its county seat is Chesterfield. The largest community in the county is Cheraw. It is located north of the Midlands, in the Pee Dee region, on the border with North Carolina.

History The county is named for Philip Stanhope, 4th Earl of Chesterfield, a British politician who opposed the Stamp Act of 1765, which was deeply unpopular in South Carolina, and who was known for always speaking up for the rights of the colonists while he was serving in the British Parliament and when he served as British Secretary of State.History of Chesterfield County, South Carolina by Yates Snowden pg. 3

The county was formed in 1785, but was part of what was then known as Cheraws District until 1800, at which time Chesterfield became a district itself. In the 1700s, the area that would become Chesterfield County was settled primarily by immigrants from England and Wales, as well as by smaller numbers of immigrants from County Antrim, Ireland, in what has since become Northern Ireland. Northern Irish immigrants were overwhelmingly Presbyterians of Scottish descent, due to the fact that they were from Ireland but were of Scottish origins. They were referred to by the rest of colonial society as "Scotch-Irish" however this was not a term they self-applied, preferring to refer to themselves as "Ulstermen" or "Irish Presbyterians."History of Chesterfield County, South Carolina by Yates Snowden pg. 49 Under the post-American Civil War (1861–1865) state constitution of 1867, passed during the Reconstruction era, South Carolina districts became counties with home rule.

On April 10, 2020, a case of Influenza A virus subtype H7N3 was confirmed in what The Post and Courier described as "a commercial turkey flock" which resulted in the disinfecting & quarantine of the farm. This is the 1st confirmed case of H7N3 in the United States since another case was found in Lincoln County, Tennessee on March 5, 2017. Four days later on April 14, a second case was confirmed at a turkey farm in Jefferson, South Carolina resulting in the euthanization of 32,000 turkeys. Clemson University released the map of the control area for the first turkey farm infected by the virus on May 4.

Geography According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (0.83%) is water.

National protected area Carolina Sandhills National Wildlife Refuge

State and local protected areas Angelus Wildlife Management Area Campbells Crossroads Wildlife Management Area Cheraw State Park H. Cooper Black Jr. Memorial Field Trial and Recreation Area McBee Wildlife Management Area Sand Hills State Forest Sand Hills State Forest Wildlife Management Area Sugarloaf Mountain Recreation Area

Major water bodies Black Creek Great Pee Dee River Lake Juniper Lake Robinson Little Carr Creek Lynches River

Adjacent counties Anson County, North Carolina – north Richmond County, North Carolina – northeast Union County, North Carolina – northwest Marlboro County – east Darlington County – southeast Kershaw County – southwest Lancaster County – west

Major highways

(Jefferson) (Pageland)

Major infrastructure Cheraw Municipal Airport Pageland Airport

Demographics

Racial and ethnic composition +Chesterfield 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)25,46825,50527,17228,79025,82966.74%66.11%63.53%61.60%59.69%Black or African American alone (NH)12,24112,81414,04415,17913,15032.08%33.22%32.84%32.48%30.39%Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)37631422231840.10%0.16%0.33%0.48%0.43%Asian alone (NH)11281251712690.03%0.07%0.29%0.37%0.62%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 Census994xx0.02%0.02%0.01%Other race alone (NH)0721501180.00%0.02%0.05%0.11%0.27%Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)x not an option in the 1980 Censusx not an option in the 1990 Census2846461,633xx0.66%1.38%3.77%Hispanic or Latino (any race)4041609711,6662,0861.06%0.41%2.27%3.56%4.82%Total38,16138,57742,76846,73443,273 100.00%100.00%100.00%100.00%100.00%

2020 census As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 43,273, 17,538 households, and 12,399 families, with a median age of 42.9 years; 22.1% of residents were under the age of 18 and 19.4% were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 94.6 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 91.9 males age 18 and over.

Of those households, 29.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them and 32.1% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. Individuals made up 30.1% of households and 13.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. There were 20,408 housing units, 14.1% of which were vacant; owner-occupied units represented 72.7% of the occupied housing stock while renter-occupied units accounted for 27.3%, resulting in homeowner and rental vacancy rates of 1.7% and 10.6%, respectively.

The racial makeup was 60.5% White, 30.6% Black or African American, 0.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% Asian, 0.0% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 2.8% from some other race, and 4.9% from two or more races; Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 4.8% of the population.

16.8% of residents lived in urban areas while 83.2% lived in rural areas.

2010 census At the 2010 census, there were 46,734 people, 18,173 households, and 12,494 families living in the county. The population density was . There were 21,482 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 62.8% white, 32.6% black or African American, 0.5% American Indian, 0.4% Asian, 2.0% from other races, and 1.6% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 3.6% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 16.3% were American, 6.8% were English, 6.0% were German, and 5.9% were Irish.

Of the 18,173 households, 34.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.6% were married couples living together, 18.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 31.2% were non-families, and 27.4% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.52 and the average family size was 3.05. The median age was 39.3 years.

The median income for a household in the county was $32,979 and the median income for a family was $41,225. Males had a median income of $35,965 versus $26,881 for females. The per capita income for the county was $17,162. About 17.6% of families and 22.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 33.6% of those under age 18 and 18.0% of those age 65 or over.

2000 census At the 2000 census, there were 42,768 people, 16,557 households, and 11,705 families living in the county. The population density was . There were 18,818 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 64.34% White, 33.22% Black or African American, 0.34% Native American, 0.30% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 1.04% from other races, and 0.75% from two or more races. 2.27% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 16,557 households, out of which 33.40% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.60% were married couples living together, 16.30% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.30% were non-families. 25.90% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.00% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.54 and the average family size was 3.05.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 26.60% under the age of 18, 8.50% from 18 to 24, 29.00% from 25 to 44, 23.90% from 45 to 64, and 12.00% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 93.20 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.00 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $29,483, and the median income for a family was $36,200. Males had a median income of $30,205 versus $20,955 for females. The per capita income for the county was $14,233. About 16.70% of families and 20.30% of the population were below the poverty line, including 24.70% of those under age 18 and 24.20% of those age 65 or over. Law and Government Politics After the 2020 Redistricting Cycle, the South Carolina House of Representatives, Chesterfield County is located in South Carolina's 53rd, 54th, and 65th House districts and is represented by Republican Richie Yow in the 53rd, Democrat Representative Patricia Moore "Pat" Henegan in the 54th, and Republican Representative Cody Mitchell in the 65th. In the South Carolina Senate, Chesterfield is located in Senate district 27 and 29. It was represented by Democrat, and former 2010 candidate for governor, Vincent Sheheen, in District 27 until 2020. The district is now represented by Republican Penry Gustavson.

In the US House of Representatives, Chesterfield County is entirely located in South Carolina's . As of the 2022 House elections, it is represented by Republican Russell Fry, who comes from Horry County. Chesterfield County was formerly located in South Carolina's which was one of the seats that the Democrats lost to the Republicans during the 2010 election; before the 2010 election, congressman John M. Spratt had represented the district since 1983 but was defeated 55% to 45% by Republican Mick Mulvaney in 2010.

Law enforcement As of 2023, the current sheriff is Cambo Streater. In 2014, Sheriff Sam Parker was found guilty of charges that he used inmates for personal work and provided them contraband such as alcohol and an iPad. He was sentenced to two years of prison.

Economy In 2022, the GDP of Chesterfield County was $1.7 billion (about $38,443 per capita). This is a real GDP of $1.4 billion (approx. $31,029 per capita) in chained 2017 dollars. In 2022 through 2024, the unemployment rate has fluctuated between 2-4.5%.

, some of the top employers in the county include Black+Decker, Chesterfield County School District, Crown Holdings, McLeod Health, Northeastern Technical College, and Walmart. + Employment and Wage Statistics by Industry in Chesterfield County, South Carolina Industry Employment Counts Employment Percentage (%) Average Annual Wage ($) Accommodation and Food Services 974 7.3 15,652 Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services 584 4.4 49,868 Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting 292 2.2 41,236 Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation 36 0.3 21,320 Construction 510 3.8 40,560 Finance and Insurance 186 1.4 51,688 Health Care and Social Assistance 1,401 10.5 49,244 Information 149 1.1 60,372 Manufacturing 4,786 35.8 56,888 Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction 96 0.7 66,924 Other Services (except Public Administration) 226 1.7 38,324 Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 132 1.0 45,448 Public Administration 630 4.7 38,636 Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 46 0.3 37,544 Retail Trade 1,232 9.2 28,340 Transportation and Warehousing 1,655 12.4 55,796 Utilities 117 0.9 69,160 Wholesale Trade 300 2.2 56,108 Total 13,352 100.0% 47,713

Education The county's youth are educated through the Chesterfield County School District. The South Point Christian School is a private school in Pageland that offers Kindergarten through 12th grade.

Northeastern Technical College has branches in Pageland and Cheraw.

High schools Central High School, Pageland Cheraw High School, Cheraw Chesterfield High School, Chesterfield McBee High School, McBee

Middle schools Chesterfield/Ruby Middle School, Chesterfield/Ruby Long Middle School, Cheraw New Heights Middle School, Jefferson

Elementary schools Cheraw Intermediate School, Cheraw