Jasper County, South Carolina

Jasper County is the southernmost county in the U.S. state of South Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 28,791. Its county seat is Ridgeland and its largest community is Hardeeville. The county was formed in 1912 from portions of Hampton County and Beaufort County. Jasper County is included in the Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal, SC Metropolitan Statistical Area. It is located in the Lowcountry region of the state.

WWW jaspercountysc.org

History

The county was founded in 1912 and was named after William Jasper. The county seat is Ridgeland while the largest community is Hardeeville. The county is also in the Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal, SC Metropolitan Statistical Area.
For several decades, in contrast to neighboring Beaufort County, Jasper was one of the poorest counties in the state. Recent development from 2000 onwards has given the county new residents, expanded business opportunities, and a wealthier tax base.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of, of which is land and is water.

National protected areas

State and local protected areas/sites

Frampton Plantation House
Kingfisher Pond Recreation Area
Old House Plantation
Tillman Sand Ridge Heritage Preserve/Wildlife Management Area
Turtle Island Wildlife Management Area

Major water bodies

Adjacent counties

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 28,791 people, 11,272 households, and 7,298 families residing in the county. The median age was 43.1 years. 19.8% of residents were under the age of 18 and 22.6% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 100.9 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 100.1 males age 18 and over.
10.9% of residents lived in urban areas, while 89.1% lived in rural areas.
Of these households, 26.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them and 29.2% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 26.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
There were 12,862 housing units, of which 12.4% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 71.7% were owner-occupied and 28.3% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.8% and the rental vacancy rate was 13.8%.

Racial and ethnic composition

The racial makeup of the county was 47.6% White, 33.5% Black or African American, 0.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% Asian, 0.1% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 10.5% from some other race, and 7.1% from two or more races. [Hispanic and Race (United States Census)|Latino Americans|Hispanic or Latino] residents of any race comprised 17.6% of the population.

2010 census

At the 2010 census, there were 24,777 people, 8,517 households, and 5,944 families living in the county. The population density was. There were 10,299 housing units at an average density of. The racial makeup of the county was 46.0% black or African American, 43.0% white, 0.7% Asian, 0.5% American Indian, 0.1% Pacific islander, 8.3% from other races, and 1.4% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 15.1% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 7.1% were Irish, and 2.5% were American.
Of the 8,517 households, 36.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.2% were married couples living together, 18.6% had a female householder with no husband present, 30.2% were non-families, and 24.8% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.73 and the average family size was 3.23. The median age was 34.6 years.
The median income for a household in the county was $37,393 and the median income for a family was $45,800. Males had a median income of $31,999 versus $24,859 for females. The per capita income for the county was $17,997. About 14.2% of families and 21.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 32.2% of those under age 18 and 14.5% of those age 65 or over.

2000 census

At the 2000 census, there were 20,678 people, 7,042 households, and 5,091 families living in the county. The population density was. There were 7,928 housing units at an average density of. The racial makeup of the county was 52.69% Black or African American, 42.39% White, 0.37% Native American, 0.44% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 3.39% from other races, and 0.67% from two or more races. 5.75% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 7,042 households, out of which 34.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.1% were married couples living together, 18.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.7% were non-families. 23.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.75 and the average family size was 3.22.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 26.8% under the age of 18, 10.3% from 18 to 24, 30.7% from 25 to 44, 21.2% from 45 to 64, and 11.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 111.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 111.3 males age 18 and over.
The median income for a household in the county was $30,727, and the median income for a family was $36,793. Males had a median income of $29,407 versus $21,055 for females. The per capita income for the county was $14,161. About 15.4% of families and 20.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 26.3% of those under age 18 and 21.4% of those age 65 or over.

Law and government

Jasper County is governed by a five-member partisan county council, who are elected in staggered four year terms. The council appoints a county administrator who is tasked with running the day-to-day operations of the county, with the exception of the Sheriff's Office.
Mary Gordon Ellis, the first woman elected to the South Carolina legislature, represented Jasper County in the state senate for one term, from 1928 to 1932, after having served as state superintendent of schools.

Politics

Like most counties in the rural Black Belt of South Carolina, Jasper has long leaned Democratic. However, in 2024, Donald Trump was able to flip the county Republican for the first time since Richard Nixon carried it in 1972.

Economy

In 2022, the GDP was $1.7 billion, and the real GDP was $1.3 billion in chained 2017 dollars.
, some of the largest employers in the county include AmeriGas, the city of Hardeeville, Publix, and Walmart.

Industry	Employment Counts	Employment Percentage	Average Annual Wage
Accommodation and Food Services	740	6.6	23,920
Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services	956	8.6	45,968
Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting	111	1.0	63,336
Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation	170	1.5	41,236
Construction	1,801	16.1	70,252
Educational Services	594	5.3	53,560
Finance and Insurance	110	1.0	61,048
Health Care and Social Assistance	2,094	18.7	34,580
Information	24	0.2	99,476
Management of Companies and Enterprises	288	2.6	58,396
Manufacturing	295	2.6	37,336
Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction	385	3.4	63,648
Other Services	850	7.6	59,852
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services	173	1.5	62,244
Public Administration	1,752	15.7	49,296
Real Estate and Rental and Leasing	174	1.6	51,480
Retail Trade	172	1.5	97,968
Transportation and Warehousing	293	2.6	70,720
Utilities	21	0.2	83,916
Wholesale Trade	173	1.5	70,344
Total	11,176	100.0%	51,570

Transportation

Major highways

Railroads

CSX Transportation's Charleston Subdivision currently operates both freight trains and passenger trains along the line, but does not stop anywhere within the county. The line also runs along the Hampton-Jasper County border northeast of the bridge over the Tullifinny River.
Another active CSX line within the county is the Columbia Subdivision which bisects the northwest corner of Jasper County between the Georgia state line and Hampton County. This line also operates freight as well as Amtrak passenger trains.