McCormick County, South Carolina | |
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 Seal | |
| Motto: "The Natural Place Of Life" | |
 Location within the U.S. state ofSouth Carolina | |
 South Carolina's location within theU.S. | |
| Coordinates:33°54′N82°19′W / 33.90°N 82.32°W /33.90; -82.32 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  South Carolina |
| Founded | 1916 |
| Named after | Cyrus McCormick |
| Seat | McCormick |
| Largest community | McCormick |
| Area | |
• Total | 393.61 sq mi (1,019.4 km2) |
| • Land | 358.87 sq mi (929.5 km2) |
| • Water | 34.74 sq mi (90.0 km2) 8.83% |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 9,526 |
• Estimate (2024) | 9,983 |
| • Density | 26.54/sq mi (10.25/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| Congressional district | 3rd |
| Website | mccormickcountysc |
McCormick County is acounty located in theU.S. state ofSouth Carolina. As of the2020 census, its population was 9,526,[1] making it thesecond-least populous county in South Carolina. Itscounty seat isMcCormick.[2] The county was formed in 1916 from parts ofEdgefield,Abbeville, andGreenwood counties.[3]
The county was founded in 1916 with portions of Edgefield, Abbeville, and Greenwood counties and was named afterCyrus McCormick. The largest community and county seat is McCormick.
According to theU.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 393.61 square miles (1,019.4 km2), of which 358.87 square miles (929.5 km2) is land and 34.74 square miles (90.0 km2) (8.83%) is water.[4] It is the smallest county in South Carolina by land area and second-smallest by total area. McCormick County is in theSavannah River basin.
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1920 | 16,444 | — | |
| 1930 | 11,471 | −30.2% | |
| 1940 | 10,367 | −9.6% | |
| 1950 | 9,577 | −7.6% | |
| 1960 | 8,629 | −9.9% | |
| 1970 | 7,955 | −7.8% | |
| 1980 | 7,797 | −2.0% | |
| 1990 | 8,868 | 13.7% | |
| 2000 | 9,958 | 12.3% | |
| 2010 | 10,233 | 2.8% | |
| 2020 | 9,526 | −6.9% | |
| 2024 (est.) | 9,983 | [6] | 4.8% |
| U.S. Decennial Census[7] 1790–1960[8] 1900–1990[9] 1990–2000[10] 2010[11] 2020[1] | |||
| Race / Ethnicity(NH = Non-Hispanic) | Pop 2000[12] | Pop 2010[13] | Pop 2020[14] | % 2000 | % 2010 | % 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White alone (NH) | 4,426 | 4,941 | 5,155 | 44.45% | 48.28% | 54.12% |
| Black or African American alone (NH) | 5,349 | 5,069 | 3,916 | 53.72% | 49.54% | 41.11% |
| Native American orAlaska Native alone (NH) | 7 | 9 | 27 | 0.07% | 0.09% | 0.28% |
| Asian alone (NH) | 29 | 34 | 36 | 0.29% | 0.33% | 0.38% |
| Pacific Islander alone (NH) | 3 | 3 | 2 | 0.03% | 0.03% | 0.02% |
| Other race alone (NH) | 5 | 12 | 32 | 0.05% | 0.12% | 0.34% |
| Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) | 53 | 84 | 235 | 0.53% | 0.82% | 2.47% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 86 | 81 | 123 | 0.86% | 0.79% | 1.29% |
| Total | 9,958 | 10,233 | 9,526 | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% |
As of the2020 census, there were 9,526 people, 3,957 households, and 2,513 families residing in the county.
At the2010 census, there were 10,233 people, 4,027 households, and 2,798 families living in the county.[15][11] The population density was 28.5 inhabitants per square mile (11.0/km2). There were 5,453 housing units at an average density of 15.2 per square mile (5.9/km2).[16] The racial makeup of the county was 49.7% black or African American, 48.7% white, 0.3% Asian, 0.1% Pacific islander, 0.1% American Indian, 0.2% from other races, and 0.9% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 0.8% of the population.[15] In terms of ancestry, 10.7% wereEnglish, 10.2% wereAmerican, 10.2% wereGerman, and 6.0% wereIrish.[17]
Of the 4,027 households, 21.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.4% were married couples living together, 15.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 30.5% were non-families, and 27.4% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.22 and the average family size was 2.65. The median age was 50.0 years.[15]
The median income for a household in the county was $35,858 and the median income for a family was $43,021. Males had a median income of $32,606 versus $28,067 for females. The per capita income for the county was $19,411. About 14.2% of families and 18.2% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 37.6% of those under age 18 and 7.9% of those age 65 or over.[18]
At the2000 census,[19] there were 9,958 people, 3,558 households and 2,604 families living in the county. Thepopulation density was 28 people per square mile (11 people/km2). There were 4,459 housing units at an average density of 12 per square mile (4.6/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 53.88%Black orAfrican American, 44.78%White, 0.07%Native American, 0.29%Asian, 0.03%Pacific Islander, 0.38% fromother races, and 0.57% from two or more races. 0.86% of the population wereHispanic orLatino of any race.
There were 3,558 households, out of which 24.80% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.80% weremarried couples living together, 17.60% had a female householder with no husband present and 26.80% were non-families. 24.40% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.20% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.39 and the average family size was 2.82.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 19.50% under the age of 18, 8.30% from 18 to 24, 27.60% from 25 to 44, 28.10% from 45 to 64 and 16.50% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 113.70 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 115.80 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $31,577, and the median income for a family was $38,822. Males had a median income of $28,824 versus $21,587 for females. Theper capita income for the county was $14,770. About 15.10% of families and 17.90% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 26.50% of those under age 18 and 11.90% of those age 65 or over.
Like most rural South Carolina counties with a tight Black-white population ratio, the Democratic Party has fared well in McCormick County compared to others across the South, especially with the national party's cultural turn to the left in the 2000s and 2010s. However, in 2016Donald Trump won the county by one fewer vote thanBarack Obama did in 2012, marking the first GOP victory in the area sinceRichard Nixon in 1972. Trump carried the county again in both subsequent elections, winning it by over 17 points in 2024.
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 1916 | 0 | 0.00% | 637 | 99.69% | 2 | 0.31% |
| 1920 | 0 | 0.00% | 557 | 100.00% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1924 | 15 | 2.72% | 520 | 94.37% | 16 | 2.90% |
| 1928 | 20 | 3.14% | 615 | 96.70% | 1 | 0.16% |
| 1932 | 5 | 0.93% | 530 | 99.07% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1936 | 8 | 1.20% | 656 | 98.80% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1940 | 11 | 2.56% | 419 | 97.44% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1944 | 1 | 0.28% | 307 | 86.72% | 46 | 12.99% |
| 1948 | 0 | 0.00% | 30 | 4.04% | 713 | 95.96% |
| 1952 | 577 | 48.04% | 624 | 51.96% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1956 | 102 | 11.74% | 485 | 55.81% | 282 | 32.45% |
| 1960 | 347 | 33.79% | 680 | 66.21% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1964 | 939 | 65.34% | 498 | 34.66% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1968 | 466 | 21.08% | 988 | 44.69% | 757 | 34.24% |
| 1972 | 1,302 | 60.22% | 844 | 39.04% | 16 | 0.74% |
| 1976 | 640 | 26.37% | 1,774 | 73.09% | 13 | 0.54% |
| 1980 | 797 | 30.60% | 1,774 | 68.10% | 34 | 1.31% |
| 1984 | 1,186 | 43.51% | 1,526 | 55.98% | 14 | 0.51% |
| 1988 | 1,172 | 40.22% | 1,722 | 59.09% | 20 | 0.69% |
| 1992 | 899 | 29.46% | 1,846 | 60.48% | 307 | 10.06% |
| 1996 | 1,104 | 35.35% | 1,858 | 59.49% | 161 | 5.16% |
| 2000 | 1,704 | 46.54% | 1,896 | 51.79% | 61 | 1.67% |
| 2004 | 2,396 | 46.78% | 2,648 | 51.70% | 78 | 1.52% |
| 2008 | 2,437 | 46.58% | 2,755 | 52.66% | 40 | 0.76% |
| 2012 | 2,467 | 47.81% | 2,653 | 51.41% | 40 | 0.78% |
| 2016 | 2,652 | 50.84% | 2,479 | 47.53% | 85 | 1.63% |
| 2020 | 2,958 | 51.92% | 2,687 | 47.17% | 52 | 0.91% |
| 2024 | 3,565 | 57.94% | 2,513 | 40.84% | 75 | 1.22% |
In 2022, theGDP was $278 million (about $27,961 per capita),[21] and thereal GDP was $222.8 million (about $22,410 per capita) inchained 2017 dollars.[22]
As of April 2024, some of the largest employers in the county includeFood Lion, theUnited States Department of Defense, and theUnited States Postal Service.[23]
| Industry | Employment Counts | Employment Percentage (%) | Average Annual Wage ($) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accommodation and Food Services | 94 | 5.5 | 16,484 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 66 | 3.9 | 42,224 |
| Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 37 | 2.2 | 41,548 |
| Construction | 92 | 5.4 | 50,336 |
| Finance and Insurance | 23 | 1.3 | 50,648 |
| Health Care and Social Assistance | 351 | 20.5 | 34,996 |
| Information | 5 | 0.3 | 70,304 |
| Manufacturing | 113 | 6.6 | 42,588 |
| Other Services (except Public Administration) | 205 | 12.0 | 28,600 |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 85 | 5.0 | 65,208 |
| Public Administration | 380 | 22.2 | 47,528 |
| Real Estate and Rental and Leasing | 23 | 1.3 | 94,380 |
| Retail Trade | 226 | 13.2 | 23,764 |
| Wholesale Trade | 13 | 0.8 | 34,268 |
| Total | 1,713 | 100.0% | 38,862 |
There is one school district in the entire county, theMcCormick County School District.[24]
The state-operatedSouth Carolina Governor's School for Agriculture at John de la Howe is in anunincorporated area in the county.[25]
The McCormick County Library provides library services.[26]
Gettys Rd[...]Dela Howe Family Cir
Geographic data related toMcCormick County, South Carolina atOpenStreetMapPlaces adjacent to McCormick County, South Carolina | ||||||||||||||||
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Municipalities and communities ofMcCormick County, South Carolina,United States | ||
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| Unincorporated community | ||
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