Dillon County, South Carolina | |
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 Flag  Seal | |
| Nickname: The Golden Land | |
 Location within the U.S. state ofSouth Carolina | |
 South Carolina's location within theU.S. | |
| Coordinates:34°23′N79°22′W / 34.39°N 79.37°W /34.39; -79.37 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  South Carolina |
| Founded | 1910 |
| Named after | James W. Dillon[1] |
| Seat | Dillon |
| Largest community | Dillon |
| Area | |
• Total | 406.82 sq mi (1,053.7 km2) |
| • Land | 405.07 sq mi (1,049.1 km2) |
| • Water | 1.75 sq mi (4.5 km2) 0.43% |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 28,292 |
• Estimate (2024) | 27,577 |
| • Density | 69.845/sq mi (26.967/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| Congressional district | 7th |
| Website | www |
Dillon County is acounty located in theU.S. state ofSouth Carolina. As of the2020 census, the county's population was 28,292.[2] Thecounty seat isDillon.[3]
Founded in 1910 from a portion ofMarion County, both Dillon County and the city of Dillon were named for prosperous local citizen James W. Dillon (1826–1913), an Irishman who settled there and led a campaign to bring the railroad into the community. The result of this effort was the construction of the Wilson Short Cut Railroad, which later became part of theAtlantic Coast Line Railroad. It stimulated greater prosperity directly linking Dillon County to the national network of railroads.[4]
According to theU.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 406.82 square miles (1,053.7 km2), of which 405.07 square miles (1,049.1 km2) is land and 1.75 square miles (4.5 km2) (0.43%) is water.[5] It is the fifth-smallest county in South Carolina by area.
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1910 | 22,615 | — | |
| 1920 | 25,278 | 11.8% | |
| 1930 | 25,733 | 1.8% | |
| 1940 | 29,625 | 15.1% | |
| 1950 | 30,930 | 4.4% | |
| 1960 | 30,584 | −1.1% | |
| 1970 | 28,838 | −5.7% | |
| 1980 | 31,083 | 7.8% | |
| 1990 | 29,114 | −6.3% | |
| 2000 | 30,722 | 5.5% | |
| 2010 | 32,062 | 4.4% | |
| 2020 | 28,292 | −11.8% | |
| 2024 (est.) | 27,577 | [7] | −2.5% |
| U.S. Decennial Census[8] 1790–1960[9] 1900–1990[10] 1990–2000[11] 2010[12] 2020[2] | |||
| Race | Num. | Perc. |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 12,987 | 45.9% |
| Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 12,709 | 44.92% |
| Native American | 603 | 2.13% |
| Asian | 63 | 0.22% |
| Pacific Islander | 1 | 0.0% |
| Other/Mixed | 1,073 | 3.79% |
| Hispanic orLatino | 856 | 3.03% |
As of the2020 United States census, there were 28,292 people, 11,029 households, and 7,016 families residing in the county.
At the2010 census, there were 32,062 people, 11,923 households, and 8,342 families living in the county.[14][12] The population density was 79.2 inhabitants per square mile (30.6/km2). There were 13,742 housing units at an average density of 33.9 per square mile (13.1/km2).[15] The racial makeup of the county was 48.0% white, 46.1% black or African American, 2.5% American Indian, 0.2% Asian, 1.5% from other races, and 1.6% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 2.6% of the population.[14] In terms of ancestry, 13.5% wereAmerican, 6.5% wereEnglish, and 5.4% wereIrish.[16]
Of the 11,923 households, 36.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.2% were married couples living together, 23.9% had a female householder with no husband present, 30.0% were non-families, and 26.5% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.65 and the average family size was 3.20. The median age was 36.7 years.[14]
The median income for a household in the county was $26,818 and the median income for a family was $34,693. Males had a median income of $31,973 versus $22,100 for females. The per capita income for the county was $14,684. About 26.2% of families and 30.5% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 43.8% of those under age 18 and 23.7% of those age 65 or over.[17]
At the2000 census,[18] there were 30,722 people, 11,199 households, and 8,063 families living in the county. Thepopulation density was 76 people per square mile (29 people/km2). There were 12,679 housing units at an average density of 31 per square mile (12/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 47%White, 49%Black orAfrican American, 2.21%Native American, 0.34%Asian, 0.03%Pacific Islander, 0.99% fromother races, and 0.70% from two or more races. 1.75% of the population wereHispanic orLatino of any race.
There were 11,199 households, out of which 34.60% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.80% weremarried couples living together, 22.30% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.00% were non-families. 25.10% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.90% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.71 and the average family size was 3.24.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 29.10% under the age of 18, 9.50% from 18 to 24, 27.50% from 25 to 44, 22.40% from 45 to 64, and 11.50% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 87.40 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.60 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $26,630, and the median income for a family was $32,690. Males had a median income of $26,908 versus $18,007 for females. Theper capita income for the county was $13,272. About 19.40% of families and 24.20% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 33.30% of those under age 18 and 26.60% of those age 65 or over.
Dillon County was one of the few counties nationwide that voted forHillary Clinton in2016 andDonald Trump in2020.
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 1912 | 2 | 0.29% | 680 | 98.12% | 11 | 1.59% |
| 1916 | 0 | 0.00% | 972 | 100.00% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1920 | 5 | 0.50% | 1,003 | 99.50% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1924 | 3 | 0.50% | 598 | 99.50% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1928 | 21 | 3.63% | 558 | 96.37% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1932 | 20 | 1.96% | 998 | 98.04% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1936 | 5 | 0.45% | 1,104 | 99.55% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1940 | 25 | 2.80% | 868 | 97.20% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1944 | 27 | 2.69% | 864 | 86.06% | 113 | 11.25% |
| 1948 | 24 | 1.33% | 808 | 44.89% | 968 | 53.78% |
| 1952 | 1,473 | 48.28% | 1,578 | 51.72% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1956 | 313 | 10.49% | 1,879 | 62.97% | 792 | 26.54% |
| 1960 | 1,439 | 35.17% | 2,652 | 64.83% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1964 | 2,742 | 49.72% | 2,773 | 50.28% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1968 | 2,396 | 35.73% | 2,178 | 32.48% | 2,132 | 31.79% |
| 1972 | 4,364 | 72.32% | 1,604 | 26.58% | 66 | 1.09% |
| 1976 | 2,527 | 33.08% | 5,089 | 66.62% | 23 | 0.30% |
| 1980 | 3,385 | 42.31% | 4,518 | 56.48% | 97 | 1.21% |
| 1984 | 4,646 | 57.71% | 3,360 | 41.74% | 44 | 0.55% |
| 1988 | 3,793 | 53.66% | 3,251 | 45.99% | 25 | 0.35% |
| 1992 | 3,575 | 38.07% | 4,953 | 52.75% | 862 | 9.18% |
| 1996 | 2,774 | 39.29% | 3,992 | 56.54% | 295 | 4.18% |
| 2000 | 3,975 | 44.22% | 4,930 | 54.84% | 85 | 0.95% |
| 2004 | 4,301 | 46.57% | 4,832 | 52.32% | 102 | 1.10% |
| 2008 | 5,874 | 43.78% | 7,408 | 55.21% | 135 | 1.01% |
| 2012 | 5,427 | 41.63% | 7,523 | 57.71% | 85 | 0.65% |
| 2016 | 5,637 | 48.19% | 5,834 | 49.87% | 227 | 1.94% |
| 2020 | 6,582 | 50.24% | 6,436 | 49.13% | 83 | 0.63% |
| 2024 | 6,526 | 55.02% | 5,241 | 44.19% | 94 | 0.79% |
In 2022, theGDP of Dillon County as $887.9 million (about $32,055 per capita).[20] Inchained 2017 dollars, thereal GDP was $742.1 million (about $27,808 per capita).[21] Between 2022 through 2024, the unemployment rate of the county has fluctuated between 3.6 and 5.7%.[22]
Food Lion,Harbor Freight Tools,McLeod Health,Perdue Farms, andWalmart comprise some of the largest employers in the county.[23]
| Industry | Employment Counts | Employment Percentage (%) | Average Annual Wage ($) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accommodation and Food Services | 1,065 | 15.4 | 18,460 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 174 | 2.5 | 25,792 |
| Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 105 | 1.5 | 40,144 |
| Construction | 112 | 1.6 | 34,424 |
| Finance and Insurance | 129 | 1.9 | 45,396 |
| Health Care and Social Assistance | 1,106 | 15.9 | 43,368 |
| Information | 30 | 0.4 | 67,340 |
| Manufacturing | 1,844 | 26.6 | 45,188 |
| Other Services (except Public Administration) | 87 | 1.3 | 45,136 |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 125 | 1.8 | 51,896 |
| Public Administration | 561 | 8.1 | 39,624 |
| Real Estate and Rental and Leasing | 30 | 0.4 | 35,516 |
| Retail Trade | 1,399 | 20.2 | 30,316 |
| Wholesale Trade | 169 | 2.4 | 66,768 |
| Total | 6,936 | 100.0% | 37,311 |
Geographic data related toDillon County, South Carolina atOpenStreetMapPlaces adjacent to Dillon County, South Carolina | ||||||||||||||||
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Municipalities and communities ofDillon County, South Carolina,United States | ||
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