Greenville County, South Carolina Explained

County:Greenville County
State:South Carolina
Seal:Greenville County Seal.jpg
Seat Wl:Greenville
Largest City Wl:Greenville
City Type:community
Area Total Sq Mi:795.57
Area Land Sq Mi:785.93
Area Water Sq Mi:9.64
Area Percentage:1.21
Population As Of:2020
Population Total:525,534
Pop Est As Of:2023
Population Est:558036
Population Density Sq Mi:668.68
Coordinates:34.89°N -82.37°W
Time Zone:Eastern
Web:www.greenvillecounty.org
Ex Image:Old Greenville County Courthouse 2017.jpg
Ex Image Size:250px
District:3rd
District2:4th
Leader Title:County Administrator
Leader Name:Joseph M. Kernell
Motto:"Unrivaled Quality Of Life"
Founded:1786

Greenville County (; locally) is located in the U.S. state of South Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 525,534, making it the most populous county in the state. Its county seat is Greenville.[1] The county is also home to the Greenville County School District, the largest school system in South Carolina.

Greenville County is the most populous county in Upstate South Carolina as well as the state. It is the central county of the Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC Metropolitan Statistical Area, which in turn is part of the Greenville-Spartanburg-Anderson, SC Combined Statistical Area.[2]

History

18th and 19th centuries

In 1786, due to population growth in Ninety-Six District and the victory of the American Whigs over the British and their colonial Tory and Cherokee allies, the state legislature formed Greenville County (originally spelled Greeneville), named for General Nathanael Greene,[3] the hero of the American southern campaign.[4] Greenville County was the first county created in the overarching Ninety-Six District, but from 1791 to 1798, both neighboring Pendleton County (the other county formed from Cherokee territory in northwestern Ninety-Six District) and it were part of the new overarching Washington District. From 1798 to 1800, it was part of the short-lived overarching Pendleton District. In 1798, all counties were reidentified as "elective districts" to be effective on January 1, 1800; thereafter, the Greenville District was no longer part of Pendleton District. In 1868, the districts were converted back to counties.[5] [6] After the Civil War ended in the 1860s, former slaves gained freedom, the textile industry grew quickly, and cotton farming expanded in the county. Completion of the Southern Railway in 1893 joined the local economy with the rest of the nation.[7]

20th century

The Atlantic Coast Line Railroad's consolidation into the 1900s further linked the county with the national economy, and dozens of textile companies opened, with farm workers migrating to associated mill villages. World War I and creation of the Army National Guard's Camp Sevier in Taylors further increased the county's outside connections in the early 20th century.[8] Duke's Mayonnaise was started in Greenville in 1917 and still has its company headquarters in the county.[9]

World War II brought additional contracts for the textile industry in the 1940s. After the war ended, agriculture decreased and business leaders such as Charles E. Daniel and Roger Milliken pursued other industries to replace textiles. Donaldson Air Force Base was converted into an industrial air park (now Donaldson Center Airport) in the early 1960s, and Greenville–Spartanburg International Airport opened then as well.

The 1960s brought gradual racial desegregation until the county's whole school district was integrated in January 1970. Interstate highways I-85, I-185, and I-385 first crossed the county in the 1960s, promoting growth and better economic placement. The mid-1960s reapportionment of state legislative representation into equal-population election districts brought political change, with metropolitan counties such as Greenville gaining influence over rural counties. Greenville County politicians were elected as state house and senate leaders and as state governors (Richard Riley and Carroll A. Campbell Jr.) in the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of, of which is land and (1.21%) is water.[10]

State and local protected areas/sites

Major water bodies

Adjacent counties

Major infrastructure

Demographics

2020 census

Greenville County racial composition[18] !Race!Num.!Perc.
White (non-Hispanic)343,89765.44%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic)87,12416.58%
Native American8930.17%
Asian12,8752.45%
Pacific Islander3980.08%
Other/mixed22,3224.25%
Hispanic or Latino58,02511.04%

As of the 2020 census, 525,534 people, 199,551 households, and 130,296 families were residing in the county.

2010 census

At the 2000 census, 451,225 people, 176,531 households, and 119,362 families were residing in the county.[19] [20] The population density was . The 195,462 housing units had an average density of .[21] The racial makeup of the county was 73.8% White, 18.1% African American, 2.0% Asian, 0.3% American Indian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 3.9% from other races, and 1.9% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 8.1% of the population.[19] In terms of ancestry, 13.0% were American, 11.6% were German, 10.9% were English, and 10.7% were Irish.[22]

Of the 176,531 households, 33.7% had children under 18 living with them, 49.7% were married couples living together, 13.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 32.4% were not families, and 27.0% were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.49, and the average family size was 3.03. The median age was 37.2 years.[19]

The median income for a household in the county was $46,830 and for a family was $59,043. Males had a median income of $45,752 versus $33,429 for females. The per capita income for the county was $25,931. About 10.8% of families and 14.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 20.0% of those under age 18 and 9.1% of those age 65 or over.[23]

Race and ethnicity

Greenville County Racial Breakdown of Population
Racial composition 2010 2019
73.8% 76.3%
18.1% 18.4%
2.0% 2.7%
0.3% 0.5%
0.1% 0.1%
1.9% 2.0%
3.8% 0.0%

Ancestry

As of 2016, the largest self-reported ancestry groups in Greenville County were:[24]

Ancestry Percent
(2016)
12.9%
German 11.0%
Irish 10.2%
American 9.9%
3.1%
Italian 3.1%
2.9%
French 2.2%
Polish 1.5%
Dutch 1.2%
0.7%
Swedish 0.7%
Norwegian 0.6%

Government and politics

Greenville County is governed by a 12-member county council. The current county administrator is Joseph Kernell, whom the council appointed in January 2004 after voting in late 2003 to hire him. Kernell was previously the county administrator for St. Charles County, Missouri. Other staff hired by the council include a clerk and an attorney.[25] [26]

Council members are elected by voters in each of the 12 state legislative districts (17–28) within the county and serve staggered four-year terms.[27]

County Council members
DistrictName / party[28] [29] Home[30] Elected
17Travelers Rest2022[31]
18Greer2016[32] [33]
19Greenville2022
20Travelers Rest2020[34]
21Greer2020
22Greenville2020
23Greenville2022
24 (vice chair)Greenville2008[35]
25Greenville2016[36] (1984)[37]
26Pelzer2022
27Simpsonville2004[38]
28 (chair)Mauldin2018[39]

From the latter half of the 20th century onward, Greenville County has voted overwhelmingly Republican in presidential elections. It has gone Republican in every presidential election since 1960, and in all but one election since 1952. Jimmy Carter of neighboring Georgia failed to win the county in 1976 despite winning the state. Carter's 1976 run is the last time a Democrat received 40% or more of the county's vote, and one of only two official Democratic candidates to do so since 1948. In 2020, Joe Biden became the first Democrat to obtain over 100,000 votes in the county, and Donald Trump's 18.2% margin of victory was the lowest for any Republican since 1980. Biden came within 320 votes of being only the second Democrat in 72 years to win 40% of the county's vote.

The county also rejects Democrats at the state level; it was one of the first areas of the state where Republicans were able to break the long Democratic monopoly on state and local offices.

Law enforcement

When Greenville County was formed in 1786, it was served by the sheriff of the Ninety Six District. A Washington District, including Greenville and Pendleton Counties, existed from 1791 to 1799. (Pendleton was split in 1826 into Pickens and Anderson Counties.) One of the district's first sheriffs, Revolutionary War hero Robert Maxwell, served from 1795 to 1797, when he was killed in an ambush.[40]

Sheriffs in South Carolina were originally elected by the state legislature. In 1808, a law was enacted to provide for the election of the sheriff directly by the citizens of the county, rather than by politicians. This method of election was placed into the South Carolina State Constitution in 1868 and the Office of Sheriff in Greenville County began.

In 2017, Sheriff Will Lewis was suspended by Governor Henry McMaster for misconduct, perjury, and obstruction of justice. These charges came out of a sexual assault lawsuit filed by Lewis' female assistant. Although the sheriff said the relationship was consensual, he settled the claim for an undisclosed sum.[41] Lewis was found guilty in 2019 and sentenced to a year of prison, although he did not begin his sentence until October 2021.[42]

, the sheriff of Greenville County is Hobart Lewis. The sheriff's office includes five divisions: Administrative Services, Community Services, Uniform Patrol, Criminal Investigations, and Judicial Services.[43]

Economy

CommunityWorks Federal Credit Union was chartered in 2014 to serve the residents of Greenville County. It is sponsored by CommunityWorks, Inc., a nonprofit community-development financial institution, and receives assistance from the United Way of Greenville County and the Hollingsworth Fund.[44]

In 2022, the GDP of Greenville County was $40.6 billion (approx. $72,712 per capita).[45] In chained 2017 dollars, it had a real GDP of $34.3 billion (approx. $61,507 per capita).[46] From 2022 through 2024, the unemployment rate has fluctuated between 2.1-3.3% within the county.[47]

Some of the largest employers in the county include Bon Secours, Charter Communications, GE Power, Lockheed Martin, Michelin, Prisma Health, Publix, TD Bank, the United States Postal Service, and Walmart.[48]

Industry! style="text-align:right;"
Employment CountsEmployment Percentage (%)Average Annual Wage ($)
Accommodation and Food Services 27,980 9.6 23,920
Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services 28,877 9.9 42,848
Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting 210 0.1 37,960
Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation 5,632 1.9 22,516
Construction 15,291 5.2 77,896
Educational Services 18,844 6.4 51,168
Finance and Insurance 12,361 4.2 80,756
Health Care and Social Assistance 43,180 14.8 67,756
Information 4,850 1.7 73,684
Management of Companies and Enterprises 6,100 2.1 93,548
Manufacturing 31,693 10.8 71,708
Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction 81 0.0 87,256
Other Services (except Public Administration) 7,077 2.4 46,540
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 21,485 7.3 87,308
Public Administration 7,535 2.6 57,616
Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 4,143 1.4 58,500
Retail Trade 30,485 10.4 38,584
Transportation and Warehousing 11,422 3.9 59,436
Utilities 890 0.3 71,760
Wholesale Trade 14,230 4.9 83,096
Total 292,366 100.0% 59,212

Education

School districts serving the county include:[49]

The Greenville County Library System includes 11 libraries that provide meeting spaces, programs, books and other educational resources for county residents.[52] The library system is managed by a board of trustees whose 11 members serve 4-year terms after appointment by the county council. Terms expire at the end of November in odd-numbered years, with half expiring every two years.[53] In October 2023, after some prior controversy, the library board voted to remove all themed displays from its facilities except those pertaining to paid holidays.[54]

Healthcare

The Greenville Memorial Hospital was formerly operated by the municipal government, with Greenville Health System being the operating authority.[55] In 2016, Prisma Health began leasing the hospital and directly operating.[56] The GHA is the portion of the Greenville Health System that still existed after the hospital transitioned into being operated by Prisma.[55] The Greenville Health Authority (GHA) is the owner of the hospital facilities operated by Prisma. Members of the South Carolina Legislature select a majority of the seats of the board of directors of the GHA.[57]

Communities

In the past, Greenville County was partitioned into townships.[58] Their former names and boundaries were used for United States census counting purposes and census documentation through 1960, after which census counting divisions were used. The 2010 Census lists six cities and 16 census designated places that are fully or partially within Greenville County.[59]

Cities

Census-designated places

Other unincorporated communities

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Find a County . June 7, 2011 . National Association of Counties . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20110531210815/http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx . May 31, 2011 .
  2. Web site: July 21, 2023 . OMB Bulletin No. 23-01: Revised Delineations of Metropolitan Statistical Areas, Micropolitan Statistical Areas, and Combined Statistical Areas, and Guidance on Uses of the Delineations of These Areas . August 10, 2023 . United States Office of Management and Budget.
  3. Web site: History VisitGreenvilleSC . June 11, 2022 . www.visitgreenvillesc.com.
  4. Web site: Historic Valley Forge: General Nathanael Greene . . 2006 . 1954 . Charles William . Heathcote . February 7, 2022 .
  5. Web site: Greenville County, South Carolina . Carolana.com . J.D. . Lewis . February 7, 2022.
  6. Web site: History Greenville, SC - Official Website . June 11, 2022 . www.greenvillesc.gov.
  7. Encyclopedia: Greenville County . August 5, 2022 . South Carolina Encyclopedia . A. V. Jr. . Huff . July 12, 2023 .
  8. Encyclopedia: Camp Sevier . July 20, 2022 . South Carolina Encyclopedia . Samuel K. . Fore . July 12, 2023 .
  9. News: Worth The Whisk: How The Woman Behind Duke's Mayo Became A Tycoon . June 7, 2018 . National Public Radio . Jarrett . Dieterle . Maria . Ribas . July 13, 2023 .
  10. Web site: August 23, 2022 . 2020 County Gazetteer Files – South Carolina . September 10, 2023 . United States Census Bureau.
  11. Web site: SCDNR Public Lands . 2023-04-01 . www2.dnr.sc.gov.
  12. News: Giving Matters: The Nature Conservancy of South Carolina protects treasured landscapes from the mountains to the sea . August 15, 2019 . Greenville Journal . Rebecca . Howerton . July 18, 2022 .
  13. News: A walk in Cedar Falls Park yields unexpected pleasures . October 20, 2015 . . Ann . Green . limited . July 18, 2022 .
  14. Web site: Lake Robinson . June 12, 2017 . Kidding Around Greenville . Maria . Bassett . Bethany Winston . July 18, 2022 .
  15. Web site: Mountain Bridge Wilderness Area . July 21, 2022 . www.visitgreenvillesc.com . en-us.
  16. Web site: Pleasant Ridge Park . Greenville County Parks, Recreation & Tourism . July 18, 2022 .
  17. Web site: July 8, 2023 . North Saluda Reservoir Near Tigerville, SC - 021623961 . July 16, 2023 . waterdata.usgs.gov . en.
  18. Web site: Explore Census Data. December 14, 2021. data.census.gov.
  19. Web site: DP-1 Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 Demographic Profile Data. March 9, 2016. United States Census Bureau. https://archive.today/20200213021327/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/DPDP1/0500000US45045. February 13, 2020. dead.
  20. Web site: State & County QuickFacts . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20110606130113/http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/45/45045.html . June 6, 2011 . March 17, 2015 . United States Census Bureau.
  21. Web site: Population, Housing Units, Area, and Density: 2010 – County. March 9, 2016. United States Census Bureau. https://archive.today/20200213191311/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_SF1/GCTPH1.CY07/0500000US45045. February 13, 2020. dead.
  22. Web site: DP02 SELECTED SOCIAL CHARACTERISTICS IN THE UNITED STATES – 2006–2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. March 9, 2016. United States Census Bureau. https://archive.today/20200213010753/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/10_5YR/DP02/0500000US45045. February 13, 2020. dead.
  23. Web site: DP03 SELECTED ECONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS – 2006–2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. March 9, 2016. United States Census Bureau. https://archive.today/20200213020651/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/10_5YR/DP03/0500000US45045. February 13, 2020. dead.
  24. Web site: American FactFinder - Results . June 18, 2018 . https://archive.today/20200213035859/https://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/16_5YR/DP02/0500000US45045 . February 13, 2020 . dead .
  25. Web site: Greenville County Council wants to review county administrator's $280K annual contract . January 30, 2019 . The Greenville News . Anna B. . Mitchell . June 3, 2019 . limited .
  26. Web site: County Administrator . Greenville County, South Carolina . June 3, 2013 .
  27. Web site: County Council . Greenville County, South Carolina . June 3, 2021 .
  28. Web site: Candidate filing for November 2020 . https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/https://www.greenvillecounty.org/VoterRegistration/pdf/2020Candidatefile.pdf . October 9, 2022 . live . June 25, 2020 . Greenville County, South Carolina . June 3, 2021 .
  29. News: Record absentee votes recorded as polls open today . November 6, 2018 . Greer Today . June 3, 2021 .
  30. Web site: County Council Member Information . Greenville County, South Carolina . June 3, 2021 .
  31. News: Greenville County's new council leaders, ready for change . November 9, 2022 . . Kennedi . Harris . January 16, 2023 .
  32. News: Three Greenville County Council districts headed to primary elections . May 29, 2016 . The Greenville News . Amanda . Coyne . June 3, 2021 . limited . Barnes will face off in a rematch of the 2012 Republican primary. In that race, Barnes won the election but was later kicked off the ballot .
  33. News: Greenville County Council incumbents, primary victors win . November 9, 2016 . The Greenville News . Amanda . Coyne . June 3, 2021 . limited . Mike Barnes ... was also unopposed after winning his primary in June .
  34. News: Willis Meadows elected chair of Greenville County Council . January 5, 2021 . . Anne . Maxwell . June 4, 2021 .
  35. Web site: Liz Seman, District 24 . Greenville County, South Carolina . June 5, 2021 . first elected in 2008 to represent District 24 .
  36. News: Greenville County SC Councilman In Hot Water Over Taxes . May 17, 2019 . . June 5, 2021 . since returning to public life in 2016 .
  37. News: Three Greenville County Council districts headed to primary elections . May 29, 2016 . The Greenville News . Amanda . Coyne . June 5, 2021 . limited . Fant served on Greenville County Council from 1984 to 1988 .
  38. News: Greenville County Council candidate accuses council of mishandling coronavirus pandemic . October 7, 2020 . The Post and Courier . Greenville . Nathaniel . Cary . June 5, 2021 . Kirven ... has served on the council since 2004 .
  39. Web site: Dan Tripp, District 28 . Greenville County, South Carolina . June 5, 2021 . Tripp was elected in November of 2018 .
  40. Web site: History . Greenville County Sheriff's Office . May 28, 2021 . January 18, 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190118180626/http://www.gcso.org/history.php . dead .
  41. News: LaFleur . Elizabeth . Grand jury indicts suspended Greenville Sheriff Will Lewis on 2 new criminal charges . March 18, 2019 . Greenville News . February 19, 2019.
  42. Web site: Gross. Daniel J.. Former Greenville sheriff fears prison violence after SC court denies rehearing. November 9, 2021. The Greenville News. en-US.
  43. Web site: Greenville County Sheriff's Office Greenville County SC. November 9, 2021. www.gcso.org.
  44. News: Birch. Ray. CommunityWorks FCU Is First New CU Charter Of The Year. April 3, 2014. Credit Union Journal. April 3, 2014.
  45. Web site: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis . 2001-01-01 . Gross Domestic Product: All Industries in Greenville County, SC . 2024-05-03 . FRED, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis.
  46. Web site: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis . 2001-01-01 . Real Gross Domestic Product: All Industries in Greenville County, SC . 2024-05-03 . FRED, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis.
  47. Web site: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics . 1990-01-01 . Unemployment Rate in Greenville County, SC . 2024-05-03 . FRED, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis.
  48. April 19, 2024 . Greenville County . Community Profiles . S.C. Department of Employment & Workforce - Business Intelligence Department . Columbia, SC . 4000045.
  49. Web site: 2020 Census – School District Reference Map: Greenville County, SC. https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/DC2020/PL20/st45_sc/schooldistrict_maps/c45045_greenville/DC20SD_C45045.pdf . October 9, 2022 . live. U.S. Census Bureau. August 1, 2022. - Text list
  50. Web site: Schools . South Carolina Public Charter School District . October 2, 2022 .
  51. Web site: Our Schools . Charter Institute at Erskine . October 2, 2022 .
  52. Web site: The Greenville County Library System . Greenville County . November 21, 2023 .
  53. Web site: Library Board of Trustees . Greenville County . November 21, 2023 .
  54. News: Greenville County Library Board votes 6-4 to remove displays unless concerning 'paid holidays' . October 24, 2023 . Greenville News . Savannah . Moss . November 21, 2023 .
  55. Web site: Home. Greenville Health Authority. November 20, 2021.
  56. Web site: Navarro. Marcus. Greenville lawmakers want a more "proactive" Health Authority. Greenville News. April 21, 2021. October 7, 2021.
  57. Web site: Mitchell. Anna B.. Greenville Health Authority removes Prisma-linked president as hospital lease review nears. Post and Courier. February 21, 2021. November 20, 2021. The changes are significant in that the GHA board owns the facilities from which Prisma runs healthcare in the Upstate..
  58. https://sites.rootsweb.com/~sccgpss/townships.html Rootsweb: South Carolina Townships – Greenville County.
  59. See http://factfinder.census.gov https://www.census.gov https://www.census.gov for population numbers and for municipality and CDP lists in the 2010 Census.
  60. Web site: Gowensville SC . September 28, 2022 . www.gowensville.org.