Georgetown County, South Carolina

Georgetown County is a county located in the state of South Carolina. As of 2000, the population is 55,797. Its county seat is Georgetown⁶.

Contents

1 Geography 2 Demographics 3 Cities and towns 4 External link

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 2,681 km² (1,035 mi²). 2,110 km² (815 mi²) of it is land and 570 km² (220 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 21.27% water.

Georgetown County has several rivers including The Great Pee Dee River, the Waccamaw River, Black River, and Sampit River all of which flow into Winyah Bay. The Santee River, which forms the southern boundary of the county, empties directly into the Atlantic. The Intracoastal Waterway also crosses the county and Winyah Bay. The rivers and the bay have had a decisive effect on human development of the area, especially as the city of Georgetown has an excellent seaport and harbor.

Georgetown County is an extremely diverse county with four distinct areas:

1. The Atlantic coastline, also called Waccamaw Neck, including the communities of Murrells Inlet, Litchfield, Pawleys Island and DeBordieu are part of The Grand Strand which includes Myrtle Beach to the north. The Georgetown County part of the Grand Strand used to be quaint and somewhat wild, but is exploding with development today. Condos line the shoreline at Litchfield, and many of the old cottages at Pawleys are also being demolished for more upscale homes. DeBordieu is a gated community.

Empty beachfront has disappeared and wild areas are also rapidly vanishing. A few wilder areas are being saved. Huntington Beach State Park preserves a little bit of coastline and coastal marshes in the northern section, with nearby Brookgreen Gardens keeping a historical rice plantation and some forest. Brookgreen Gardens, with a nature center and many outdoor sculptures is a very popular tourist spot. The University of South Carolina and Clemson University maintain the Belle W. Baruch research site at Hobcaw Barony on Waccamaw Neck. The islands around the outlet of Winyah Bay are designated as the Tom Yawkey Wildlife Center Heritage Preserve.

2. The wild riverfronts have very little development, although the areas once thrived as rice plantations, using a rice variety brought from Africa. After the Civil War, and the loss of slave labor, the plantations gradually ceased production. Today they are primarily wild areas, accessible only by boat, with occasional remnants of the old dikes and water gates used for rice culture, as well as a few of the old plantation houses. Great blue herons, alligators, and even an occasional bald eagle can be seen along the waterways. Fishing is a popular activity.

A tiny community exists on Sandy Island, in the Pee Dee River, which is accessible only by boat. The folks who live there are descendants of slaves, and are trying to keep out development. Recently the Federal government began buying land along the rivers for the new Waccamaw Wildlife Refuge which is intended to protect such wild areas. The headquarters of the refuge will be at Yauhannah in the northern part of the county.

3. The city of Georgetown is a small historic city that dates back to colonial times. It is a popular tourist area and a port for shrimp boats. Yachting snow birds are often seen at the docks in spring and fall; these people follow the seasons along the Intracoastal waterway.

4. The inland rural areas are thinly populated and somewhat impoverished. Some higher land is good for agriculture or forestry. There are several Carolina bays, thought to be old craters from a striking meteor shower. These areas are rich in biodiversity, although the largest of them, Carvers Bay, was extensively damaged by use as a practice bombing range during World War II, and by draining.

Demographics

As of the census² of 2000, there are 55,797 people, 21,659 households, and 15,854 families residing in the county. The population density is 26/km² (68/mi²). There are 28,282 housing units at an average density of 13/km² (35/mi²). The racial makeup of the county is 59.69% White, 38.61% Black or African American, 0.14% Native American, 0.23% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.81% from other races, and 0.49% from two or more races. 1.65% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There are 21,659 households out of which 30.20% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.10% are married couples living together, 15.10% have a female householder with no husband present, and 26.80% are non-families. 23.30% of all households are made up of individuals and 9.20% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.55 and the average family size is 3.01.

In the county, the population is spread out with 25.20% under the age of 18, 7.70% from 18 to 24, 25.90% from 25 to 44, 26.20% from 45 to 64, and 15.00% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 39 years. For every 100 females there are 91.80 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 88.40 males.

The median income for a household in the county is $35,312, and the median income for a family is $41,554. Males have a median income of $31,110 versus $20,910 for females. The per capita income for the county is $19,805. 17.10% of the population and 13.40% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 25.80% of those under the age of 18 and 14.00% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.

Cities and towns

• Andrews
• Georgetown
• Murrells Inlet
• Pawleys Island

External link

Belle W. Baruch Institude for Marine and Coastal Sciences (http://inlet.geol.sc.edu/)

Regions of South Carolina
Capital City/Lake Murray Country | Grand Strand | Historic Charleston | Midlands | Old 96 District | Olde English District | Pee Dee | Santee Cooper Country | South Carolina Low Country | Metrolina | Thoroughbred Country | The Upstate
Coastal Plain | Piedmont | Blue Ridge Mountains
Counties
Abbeville | Aiken | Allendale | Anderson | Bamberg | Barnwell | Beaufort | Berkeley | Calhoun | Charleston | Cherokee | Chester | Chesterfield | Clarendon | Colleton | Darlington | Dillon | Dorchester | Edgefield | Fairfield | Florence | Georgetown | Greenville | Greenwood | Hampton | Horry | Jasper | Kershaw | Lancaster | Laurens | Lee | Lexington | Marion | Marlboro | McCormick | Newberry | Oconee | Orangeburg | Pickens | Richland | Saluda | Spartanburg | Sumter | Union | Williamsburg | York