Goose Creek | |
|---|---|
 | |
 Flag  Seal | |
| Motto: "Small Town Vibe. Big Time Recreation." | |
 Location in South Carolina | |
  Goose Creek Location in the United States | |
| Coordinates:33°00′36″N80°00′26″W / 33.01000°N 80.00722°W /33.01000; -80.00722[1] | |
| Country | United States |
| State | South Carolina |
| County | Berkeley |
| Incorporated | 1961 |
| Named after | A creek resembling a goose[2] |
| Area | |
• Total | 42.84 sq mi (110.95 km2) |
| • Land | 42.34 sq mi (109.67 km2) |
| • Water | 0.49 sq mi (1.28 km2) 1.14% |
| Elevation | 13 ft (4.0 m) |
| Population | |
• Total | 45,946 |
| • Density | 1,085.0/sq mi (418.93/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| ZIP Code | 29445 |
| Area codes | 843, 854 |
| FIPS code | 45-29815[5] |
| GNIS feature ID | 2403714[1] |
| Website | cityofgoosecreek |
Goose Creek is the most populous city inBerkeley County in theU.S. state ofSouth Carolina. The population was 45,946 at the2020 census, making it the7th-most populous city in the state.[6] Most ofNaval Support Activity Charleston is in Goose Creek. As defined by theU.S. Office of Management and Budget, and used only by theU.S. Census Bureau and other federal agencies for statistical purposes, Goose Creek is included within theCharleston-North Charleston, SC Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Although the city of Goose Creek was established in 1961,[7] its history dates back many centuries. In the 1670s theEtiwan moved to the area to escape theWesto, seeking protection among the plantations of early colonists who were often referred to as the "Goose Creek men", mostly settled a few miles north of Charleston near a stream called Goose Creek, a tributary of the Cooper River. The Goose Creek men became leaders of the early Indian trade, and by the 1690s many held important offices in the colonial government. At first the Goose Creek men dealt mainly inIndian slaves, while later thedeerskin trade dominated. Several colonial governors were Goose Creek men, such asJames Moore andRobert Daniell.[8][9][10] Other prominent men included brothers Daniel andPierre Bacot.[11]
TheOtranto Plantation Indigo Vats andSt. James Church are listed on theNational Register of Historic Places.[12]
Goose Creek is located in southern Berkeley County. It is bordered to the east by theCooper River and the Back River, to the southeast by an outer portion of the city ofCharleston, to the southwest by the city ofHanahan and (farther to the west) the city ofNorth Charleston inCharleston County, and to the west by the unincorporated community ofLadson.
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 42.84 square miles (111.0 km2), of which 42.35 square miles (109.7 km2) is land and 0.49 square miles (1.3 km2) (1.14%) is water.[3]
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 3,825 | — | |
| 1980 | 17,811 | 365.6% | |
| 1990 | 24,692 | 38.6% | |
| 2000 | 29,208 | 18.3% | |
| 2010 | 35,938 | 23.0% | |
| 2020 | 45,946 | 27.8% | |
| 2024 (est.) | 50,352 | [13] | 9.6% |
| U.S. Decennial Census[14][4] | |||
As of the2020 census, Goose Creek had a population of 45,946 people and 10,341 families. The median age was 33.1 years; 23.1% of residents were under the age of 18 and 11.9% were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 104.3 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 103.9 males age 18 and over.[15]
As of the2020 census, 96.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 4.0% lived in rural areas.[16]
As of the2020 census, there were 16,298 households in Goose Creek, of which 35.9% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 52.8% were married-couple households, 15.9% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 25.8% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 21.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[15]
As of the2020 census, there were 17,269 housing units, of which 5.6% were vacant. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.4% and the rental vacancy rate was 8.3%.[15]
| Race | Number | Percent |
|---|---|---|
| White | 27,725 | 60.3% |
| Black or African American | 9,995 | 21.8% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 292 | 0.6% |
| Asian | 1,620 | 3.5% |
| Native Hawaiian andOther Pacific Islander | 66 | 0.1% |
| Some other race | 2,244 | 4.9% |
| Two or more races | 4,004 | 8.7% |
| Hispanic or Latino (of any race) | 4,349 | 9.5% |
At the2010 census[5] there were 35,938 people, 8,947 households, and 7,443 families residing in the city. The population density was 921.6 inhabitants per square mile (355.8/km2). There were 9,482 housing units at an average density of 299.2 units per square mile (115.5 units/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 78.50%White, 14.22%African American, 0.59%Native American, 2.66%Asian, 0.12%Pacific Islander, 1.56% fromother races, and 2.36% from two or more races.Hispanic orLatino of any race were 4.05% of the population.
There were 8,947 households, out of which 49.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 68.9% weremarried couples living together, 10.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 16.8% were non-families. 12.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 2.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.94 and the average family size was 3.22.
In the city, the distribution of the population by age was 29.6% under the age of 18, 18.2% from 18 to 24, 32.5% from 25 to 44, 15.4% from 45 to 64, and 4.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 26 years. For every 100 females, there were 115.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 120.3 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $45,919, and the median income for a family was $47,937. Males had a median income of $31,965 versus $23,754 for females. Theper capita income for the city was $16,905. About 5.8% of families and 6.8% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 8.0% of those under the age of 18 and 7.3% of those 65 and older.
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Portions of theCharleston metropolitan area (Charleston, North Charleston, Goose Creek, andHanahan) are home to branches of the United States military. During the Cold War, the Naval Base (1902–1996) became the third largest U.S. homeport serving over 80 ships and submarines. In addition, theCharleston Naval Shipyard repaired frigates, destroyers, cruisers, sub tenders, and submarines. The shipyard was also equipped for the refueling of nuclear subs.
During this period, the Weapons Station was the Atlantic Fleet's loadout base for all nuclearballistic missile submarines. Two SSBN "Boomer" squadrons and a sub tender were homeported at the Weapons Station, while one SSN attack squadron,Submarine Squadron 4, and a sub tender were homeported at the Naval Base. At the 1996 closure of the Station's Polaris Missile Facility Atlantic (POMFLANT), over 2,500 nuclear warheads and theirUGM-27 Polaris,UGM-73 Poseidon, andUGM-96 Trident I delivery missiles (SLBM) were stored and maintained, guarded by a U.S. Marine Corps security force company.
In 2010, the Air Force base (3,877 acres) and Naval Weapons Station (>17,000 acres) merged to formJoint Base Charleston. Today, Joint Base Charleston, encompassing over 20,877 acres (8,449 ha) and supporting 53 military commands and federal agencies, provides service to over 79,000 airmen, sailors, soldiers, Marines, Coast Guardsmen, DOD civilians, dependents, and retirees.
The Goose Creek Police Department is housed at the Marguerite H. Brown Municipal Center, along with the City Hall and Municipal Court, and is an active department within the community of Goose Creek. The Goose Creek Police Department is aCALEA accredited agency and works to maintain a good relationship with the citizens using thecommunity policing method.[18]
There are three high schools that serve the Goose Creek area.Goose Creek High School andStratford High School serve students inside Goose Creek, whileCane Bay High School is located outside Goose Creek city limits and serves students from both in and out of Goose Creek's city limits. Goose Creek High School is the home of the Berkeley County School of the Arts (BCA) Program.
Goose Creek has apublic library, a branch of the Berkeley County Library System.[19]
Geographic data related toGoose Creek, South Carolina atOpenStreetMapMunicipalities and communities ofBerkeley County, South Carolina,United States | ||
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| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
Municipalities and communities ofCharleston County, South Carolina,United States | ||
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| Ghost town | ||
| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
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