Richland County | |
|---|---|
 Skyline ofColumbia  Richland County Justice Center | |
 Flag  Seal  Logo | |
| Motto: "Uniquely Urban...Uniquely Rural" | |
 Location within the U.S. state ofSouth Carolina | |
 South Carolina's location within theU.S. | |
| Coordinates:34°02′N80°54′W / 34.03°N 80.90°W /34.03; -80.90 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  South Carolina |
| Founded | March 12, 1785 |
| Named after | The county's "rich land"[1] |
| Seat | Columbia |
| Largest community | Columbia |
| Area | |
• Total | 771.96 sq mi (1,999.4 km2) |
| • Land | 757.28 sq mi (1,961.3 km2) |
| • Water | 14.68 sq mi (38.0 km2) 1.90% |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 416,147 |
• Estimate (2024) | 430,651 |
| • Density | 549.53/sq mi (212.17/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| Congressional districts | 2nd,6th |
| Website | www |
Richland County is acounty located in theU.S. state ofSouth Carolina. As of the2020 census, its population was 416,147,[2] making it thesecond-most populous county in South Carolina, behind onlyGreenville County. Thecounty seat and largest community isColumbia,[3] thestate capital. The county was established on March 12, 1785.[4] Richland County is part of theColumbia, SC Metropolitan Statistical Area. In 2020, thecenter of population of South Carolina was located in Richland County, in the city of Columbia.[5] The county is also the location of thegeographic center of South Carolina, southeast of Columbia.[6]It is located in theMidlands region of South Carolina.
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Richland County was probably named for its "rich land". The county was formed in 1785 as part of the large Camden District.[4] A small part of Richland County was later ceded to adjacentKershaw County in 1791. The county seat and largest city is Columbia, which is also the state capital. In 1786, the state legislature decided to move the capital fromCharleston to a more central location. A site was chosen in Richland County, which is in the geographic center of the state, and a new town was laid out. Richland County's boundaries were formally incorporated on December 18, 1799.[7] Cotton from the surrounding plantations was shipped through Columbia and later manufactured into textiles there. GeneralWilliam T. Sherman captured Columbia during the Civil War and his troops burned the town and parts of the county on February 17, 1865. TheU. S. Army returned on friendlier terms in 1917, whenFort Jackson was established, which is now the largest and most activeInitial Entry Training Center in the U.S. Army. TheSouth Carolina State House is located in downtown Columbia.
According to theU.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 771.96 square miles (1,999.4 km2), of which 757.28 square miles (1,961.3 km2) is land and 14.68 square miles (38.0 km2), or 1.90%, is water.[8] Richland County is situated in the center of South Carolina.
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1790 | 3,930 | — | |
| 1800 | 6,097 | 55.1% | |
| 1810 | 9,027 | 48.1% | |
| 1820 | 12,321 | 36.5% | |
| 1830 | 14,772 | 19.9% | |
| 1840 | 16,397 | 11.0% | |
| 1850 | 20,243 | 23.5% | |
| 1860 | 18,307 | −9.6% | |
| 1870 | 23,025 | 25.8% | |
| 1880 | 28,573 | 24.1% | |
| 1890 | 36,821 | 28.9% | |
| 1900 | 45,589 | 23.8% | |
| 1910 | 55,143 | 21.0% | |
| 1920 | 78,122 | 41.7% | |
| 1930 | 87,667 | 12.2% | |
| 1940 | 104,843 | 19.6% | |
| 1950 | 142,565 | 36.0% | |
| 1960 | 200,102 | 40.4% | |
| 1970 | 233,868 | 16.9% | |
| 1980 | 269,735 | 15.3% | |
| 1990 | 285,720 | 5.9% | |
| 2000 | 320,677 | 12.2% | |
| 2010 | 384,504 | 19.9% | |
| 2020 | 416,147 | 8.2% | |
| 2024 (est.) | 430,651 | [10] | 3.5% |
| U.S. Decennial Census[11] 1790–1960[12] 1900–1990[13] 1990–2000[14] 2010[15] 2020[2] | |||
| Race / Ethnicity(NH = Non-Hispanic) | Pop 2000[16] | Pop 2010[17] | Pop 2020[18] | % 2000 | % 2010 | % 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White alone (NH) | 157,843 | 174,267 | 172,644 | 49.22% | 45.32% | 41.49% |
| Black or African American alone (NH) | 143,773 | 174,549 | 188,141 | 44.83% | 45.40% | 45.21% |
| Native American orAlaska Native alone (NH) | 709 | 987 | 888 | 0.22% | 0.26% | 0.21% |
| Asian alone (NH) | 5,441 | 8,433 | 11,330 | 1.70% | 2.19% | 2.72% |
| Pacific Islander alone (NH) | 228 | 372 | 427 | 0.07% | 0.10% | 0.10% |
| Other race alone (NH) | 442 | 562 | 1,872 | 0.14% | 0.15% | 0.45% |
| Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) | 3,528 | 6,697 | 14,750 | 1.10% | 1.74% | 3.54% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 8,713 | 18,637 | 26,095 | 2.72% | 4.85% | 6.27% |
| Total | 320,677 | 384,504 | 416,147 | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% |
As of the2020 census, 416,147 people, 153,484 households, and 90,802 families were residing in the county.
At the2010 census, 384,504 people, 145,194 households, and 89,357 families were residing in the county.[19][15] The population density was 507.9 inhabitants per square mile (196.1/km2). There were 161,725 housing units at an average density of 213.6 per square mile (82.5/km2).[20] The racial makeup of the county was 45.3% White, 48.9% African American, 2.2% Asian, 0.3% American Indian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 1.9% from other races, and 2.2% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 4.8% of the population.[19] In terms of ancestry, 9.6% wereGerman, 8.6% wereEnglish, 7.6% wereIrish, and 7.1% wereAmerican.[21]
Of the 145,194 households, 32.9% had children under 18 living with them, 39.6% were married couples living together, 17.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 38.5% were not families, and 30.2% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.43, and the average family size was 3.05. The median age was 32.6 years.[19]
The median income for a household in the county was $47,922 and for a family was $61,622. Males had a median income of $42,453 versus $34,012 for females. The per capita income for the county was $25,805. About 10.0% of families and 14.5% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 17.6% of those under age 18 and 9.7% of those age 65 or over.[22]
Richland County is governed by acounty council,[23] who hold concurrent four-year terms. Richland County is governed under the Council-Administrator form of government, which is very similar to thecouncil–manager form of government. The major difference between the council–manager and council–administrator forms of government is the title of the chief executive.
| County council (as of 2023) | |
|---|---|
| District | Council person |
| District 1 | Jason Branham |
| District 2 | Derrek Pugh |
| District 3 | Yvonne McBride |
| District 4 | Paul Livingston |
| District 5 | Allison Terracio |
| District 6 | Don Weaver |
| District 7 | Gretchen Barron |
| District 8 | Overture Walker (chair) |
| District 9 | Jesica Mackey (vice chair) |
| District 10 | Cheryl English |
| District 11 | Chakisse Newton |
TheSouth Carolina Department of Corrections, headquartered in Columbia and in Richland County,[24] operates several correctional facilities in Columbia and in Richland County. They include theBroad River Correctional Institution,[25] the Goodman Correctional Institution,[26] theCamille Griffin Graham Correctional Institution,[27] the Stevenson Correctional Institution,[28] and the Campbell Pre-Release Center.[29] Graham houses the state's female death row.[30] The State of South Carolina execution chamber is located at Broad River. From 1990 to 1997 Broad River housed the state's male death row.[31]
In March 2008, the Richland County Sheriff's Department acquired anarmored personnel carrier equipped with a.50 calibermachine gun.[32]Reason magazine criticized the acquisition as "overkill".[33]
Richland County was one of the first areas of South Carolina to break away from aSolid South voting pattern. From 1948 to 1988, it only supported the official Democratic candidate for president once, in 1976. It voted for splinter DixiecratStrom Thurmond in 1948, and forunpledged electors in 1956.
Since 1992, Richland County has been one of the stronger Democratic bastions in South Carolina, following the trend of most urban counties across the country.
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 1892 | 146 | 15.63% | 788 | 84.37% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1896 | 468 | 32.91% | 925 | 65.05% | 29 | 2.04% |
| 1900 | 62 | 12.23% | 445 | 87.77% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1904 | 122 | 9.09% | 1,220 | 90.91% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1908 | 236 | 11.76% | 1,750 | 87.19% | 21 | 1.05% |
| 1912 | 23 | 1.30% | 1,557 | 88.17% | 186 | 10.53% |
| 1916 | 292 | 11.20% | 2,283 | 87.57% | 32 | 1.23% |
| 1920 | 295 | 10.81% | 2,434 | 89.19% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1924 | 88 | 3.48% | 2,369 | 93.60% | 74 | 2.92% |
| 1928 | 444 | 12.33% | 3,158 | 87.67% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1932 | 119 | 2.64% | 4,371 | 97.13% | 10 | 0.22% |
| 1936 | 152 | 2.21% | 6,728 | 97.79% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1940 | 167 | 3.38% | 4,781 | 96.62% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1944 | 140 | 1.98% | 6,590 | 93.12% | 347 | 4.90% |
| 1948 | 670 | 7.29% | 2,419 | 26.31% | 6,104 | 66.40% |
| 1952 | 15,925 | 64.17% | 8,890 | 35.83% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1956 | 6,714 | 29.99% | 6,154 | 27.49% | 9,516 | 42.51% |
| 1960 | 20,736 | 63.94% | 11,694 | 36.06% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1964 | 27,306 | 60.35% | 17,939 | 39.65% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1968 | 26,215 | 50.96% | 18,198 | 35.37% | 7,032 | 13.67% |
| 1972 | 39,746 | 64.11% | 21,462 | 34.62% | 787 | 1.27% |
| 1976 | 32,727 | 46.78% | 36,855 | 52.68% | 380 | 0.54% |
| 1980 | 36,337 | 49.87% | 33,158 | 45.50% | 3,374 | 4.63% |
| 1984 | 46,773 | 57.44% | 32,212 | 39.56% | 2,444 | 3.00% |
| 1988 | 43,841 | 52.74% | 36,420 | 43.81% | 2,862 | 3.44% |
| 1992 | 43,744 | 41.17% | 53,648 | 50.49% | 8,858 | 8.34% |
| 1996 | 39,092 | 41.05% | 52,222 | 54.84% | 3,916 | 4.11% |
| 2000 | 50,164 | 43.07% | 63,179 | 54.24% | 3,138 | 2.69% |
| 2004 | 56,212 | 42.01% | 76,283 | 57.01% | 1,306 | 0.98% |
| 2008 | 57,941 | 35.11% | 105,656 | 64.02% | 1,440 | 0.87% |
| 2012 | 53,105 | 33.37% | 103,989 | 65.34% | 2,060 | 1.29% |
| 2016 | 52,469 | 31.10% | 108,000 | 64.01% | 8,253 | 4.89% |
| 2020 | 58,313 | 30.09% | 132,570 | 68.40% | 2,939 | 1.52% |
| 2024 | 58,019 | 31.81% | 121,110 | 66.39% | 3,282 | 1.80% |
In 2022, theGDP was $32 billion (about $75,222 per capita),[35] and thereal GDP was $27.3 billion (about $64,302 per capita) inchained 2017 dollars.[36]
| Rank | Employer | Employees |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Prisma Health | 16,000 |
| 2 | Blue Cross Blue Shield | 10,000 |
| 3 | University of South Carolina | 7,000 |
| 4 | South Carolina Department of Corrections | 5,000 |
| 5 | Richland County School District One | 5,000 |
| 6 | South Carolina Department of Transportation | 5,000 |
| 7 | South Carolina Department of Mental Health | 5,000 |
| 8 | South Carolina Department of Social Services | 5,000 |
| 9 | Richland County School District Two | 4,000 |
| 10 | South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control | 4,000 |
| Industry | Employment Counts | Employment Percentage (%) | Average Annual Wage ($) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accommodation and Food Services | 21,045 | 9.5 | 22,100 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 16,431 | 7.4 | 41,652 |
| Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 807 | 0.4 | 48,776 |
| Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation | 3,934 | 1.8 | 22,412 |
| Construction | 6,934 | 3.1 | 69,108 |
| Educational Services | 19,160 | 8.6 | 57,252 |
| Finance and Insurance | 20,736 | 9.4 | 74,516 |
| Health Care and Social Assistance | 33,974 | 15.3 | 71,812 |
| Information | 2,769 | 1.2 | 75,348 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | 1,375 | 0.6 | 98,956 |
| Manufacturing | 12,069 | 5.4 | 70,980 |
| Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction | 122 | 0.1 | 78,208 |
| Other Services (except Public Administration) | 6,864 | 3.1 | 44,876 |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 13,750 | 6.2 | 88,556 |
| Public Administration | 24,376 | 11.0 | 61,620 |
| Real Estate and Rental and Leasing | 3,862 | 1.7 | 57,252 |
| Retail Trade | 20,720 | 9.4 | 36,920 |
| Transportation and Warehousing | 4,567 | 2.1 | 59,488 |
| Utilities | 701 | 0.3 | 89,076 |
| Wholesale Trade | 7,335 | 3.3 | 86,944 |
| Total | 221,531 | 100.0% | 58,839 |
I-20 (Interstate 20) travels from west to east and connects Columbia to Atlanta and Augusta in the west and Florence in the east. It serves the nearby towns and suburbs of Pelion, Lexington, West Columbia, Sandhill, Pontiac, and Elgin. Interstate 20 is also used by travelers heading to Myrtle Beach, although the interstate's eastern terminus is in Florence.
I-26 (Interstate 26) travels from northwest to southeast and connects the Columbia area to the other two major population centers of South Carolina: the Greenville–Spartanburg area in the northwestern part of the state and theNorth Charleston–Charleston area in the southeastern part of the state.
I-77 (Interstate 77) begins in Lexington county and ends inCleveland, Ohio, and is frequently used by travelers on the east coast heading to or fromFlorida.
I-126 (Interstate 126) branches off from I-26 and leads into downtown Columbia and provides access toRiverbanks Zoo.
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Public transportation in Richland County is provided by the COMET, or officially the Central Midlands Regional Transit Authority (CMRTA). The bus system is the main public transit system for the greater Columbia area and services approximately 2,800,000 passengers annually.[39] In Richland County, the bus system runs in the areas ofColumbia,Forest Acres,Fort Jackson,Irmo,St. Andrews, Northeast Richland, Lower Richland, andEastover. Additionally, COMET offers Dial-a-ride transit (DART), which provides personalized service passengers with disabilities.[40]
TheUniversity of South Carolina's transit system, which is maintained by COMET, services an additional 1,000,000 passengers annually.[41]
Columbia has oneAmtrak station (CLB) that serves over 30,000 passengers per year on theSilver Star rail line.[42] Additionally, Richland County has an operating facility forCSX Transportation, a company that transports over one million carloads of freight on South Carolina's rail network.[43]
| Name | Enrollment | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Richland School District 1[45] | 23,975 | Central and southern portions of the county |
| Richland School District 2[46] | 28,303 | Northeastern portions of the county |
| Lexington & Richland County School District Five[47] | 16,780 | Northwestern portions of the county |
| Fort Jackson | Varies | The on-post areas of Fort Jackson are served by theDepartment of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) for elementary grades, with District 2 serving that area for secondary grades. |
| Name | Enrollment[d] | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| University of South Carolina | 34,731 | |
| Midlands Technical College | 8,794 | |
| Benedict College | 2,090 | HBCU |
| Medical University of South Carolina | 3,312[e] | Main Campus:Charleston |
| Columbia International University | 2,039 | |
| South University-Columbia | 1,132 | Main Campus:Savannah, Georgia |
| Columbia College | 1,200 | |
| Allen University | 590 | HBCU |
| Virginia College-Columbia | 404 | Main Campus:Birmingham, Alabama |
| Remington College-Columbia | 272 | Main Campus:Lafayette, Louisiana |
| Branches | Circulation | Annual Visitors (counted once) |
|---|---|---|
| 11 | 3,300,000 | 364,000 |
| Hospital | Approximate Annual Patients |
|---|---|
| Medical University of South Carolina: Downtown[f] | 1,000,000[49] |
| Medical University of South Carolina: Northeast[f] | |
| Prisma Health Baptist: Taylor and Marion Streets | 1,500,000[50] |
| Prisma Health Baptist: Parkridge | |
| Prisma Health: Richland | |
| William Jennings Bryan Dorn Veterans Affairs Medical Center | 1,130,000[51] |
| Moncrief Army Community Hospital | 400,000[52] |
| Lexington Medical Center: Northeast |
The population ranking of the following table is based on the 2020 census of Richland County.[53]
† =county seat
| Rank | Name | Type | Population (2020 census) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | †Columbia | City | 136,632 |
| 2 | St. Andrews | CDP | 20,675 |
| 3 | Dentsville | CDP | 14,431 |
| 4 | Cayce | City | 13,781 |
| 5 | Irmo | Town | 11,569 |
| 6 | Forest Acres | City | 10,617 |
| 7 | Woodfield | CDP | 9,199 |
| 8 | Lake Murray of Richland | CDP | 8,110 |
| 9 | Blythewood | Town | 4,772 |
| 10 | Capitol View | CDP | 4,653 |
| 11 | Arthurtown | CDP | 2,294 |
| 12 | Hopkins | CDP | 2,514 |
| 13 | Elgin | Town | 1,634 |
| 14 | Gadsden | CDP | 1,301 |
| 15 | Olympia | CDP | 1,087 |
| 16 | Arcadia Lakes | Town | 865 |
| 17 | Eastover | Town | 614 |
Richland County was one of several counties across the country used as a filming location for theA&Erealitydocumentary seriesLive PD, which worked incollaboration with the Richland County Sheriff's Department. The show first premiered in 2016 and aired for four years until its cancellation in 2020.[54] In 2022, an unofficial revival of the show,On Patrol: Live, aired onReelz. It features Curtis Wilson from the Richland County Sheriff's Department as well as theBerkeley County Sheriff's Office.[55][56]
Geographic data related toRichland County, South Carolina atOpenStreetMapPlaces adjacent to Richland County, South Carolina | ||||||||||||||||
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Municipalities and communities ofRichland County, South Carolina,United States | ||
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| Cities |  | |
| Towns | ||
| CDPs | ||
| Other communities | ||
| Footnotes | ||
| International | |
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| National | |
| Other | |
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