Sumter County, South Carolina


Sumter County is a county located in the U.S. state of South Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 105,556. Its county seat is Sumter. Sumter County comprises the Sumter, SC Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is also included in the Columbia-Sumter-Orangeburg, SC Combined Statistical Area. The county is also part of "The Midlands" area.
It is the home of Shaw AFB, headquarters to the 9th Air Force, AFCENT, United States Army Central, with a number of other tenant units. It is one of largest bases in the USAF's Air Combat Command.
On September 17, 2024, the National Park Service announced that the City of Sumter and Sumter County were jointly named a World War II Heritage City.
In Sumter County, there is somewhat of a large population of people with Turkish ancestry that descend from Joseph Benenhaley and other Turks who fled the Ottoman Empire and settled in Sumter County to serve in the American Revolution.

History

Sumter County was created from Clarendon, Claremont and Salem Counties as Sumter District in 1798, named after General Thomas Sumter, and became effective in 1800. When the home of Sumter District's clerk of records burnt in 1801, the formative records of the three predecessor counties were also destroyed in the conflagration. As a result, documentary evidence that the three counties were within St. Mark's Parish in Camden District derives from family genealogies and legislative records.
On December 19, 1855, a legislative act was passed partitioning Sumter District by forming Clarendon District, with the same boundaries as defined for Clarendon County in 1785. When effectuated in 1857, a northeastern part of Sumter District was also separated in the partition.
The Sumter District gained a form of self-rule and was renamed Sumter County under the 1868 Constitution.
In 1898, a northwestern part of Sumter County was detached to form part of the first Lee County, but its formation was declared unconstitutional in 1899. In 1902, an even larger northern part of Sumter County was properly legally detached to form the major sections of the current Lee County, of which some acreage reverted in 1914.
In 1921, southern Sumter County received a section from Clarendon County, of which some acreage reverted in 1922, creating the current boundaries of Sumter County.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of, of which is land and is water. It is drained by the Black River and its tributaries. Its western border is formed by the Wateree River. One of South Carolina's most famous areas are the High Hills of Santee comprising the western part of the county. The county is one of five that borders Lake Marion, also known as South Carolina's "Inland Sea".

State and local protected areas/sites

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, there were 105,556 people, 41,904 households, and 29,777 families residing in the county.
The median age was 38.9 years, 22.9% of residents were under the age of 18, and 17.7% were 65 years of age or older; for every 100 females there were 91.9 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 89.0 males age 18 and over.
The racial makeup of the county was 44.9% White, 46.3% Black or African American, 0.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.4% Asian, 0.1% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 1.8% from some other race, and 5.1% from two or more races; Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 4.1% of the population.
65.2% of residents lived in urban areas, while 34.8% lived in rural areas.
Of those households, 30.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 34.3% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present, 29.4% were single-person households, and 12.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
There were 46,753 housing units, of which 10.4% were vacant; among occupied units, 65.7% were owner-occupied and 34.3% were renter-occupied, with homeowner and rental vacancy rates of 1.4% and 8.0%, respectively.

2010 census

At the 2010 census, there were 107,456 people, 40,398 households, and 28,311 families residing in the county. The population density was. There were 46,011 housing units at an average density of. The racial makeup of the county was 48.2% white, 46.9% black or African American, 1.1% Asian, 0.4% American Indian, 0.1% Pacific islander, 1.4% from other races, and 1.9% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 3.3% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 7.2% were Subsaharan African, 6.9% were American, 6.1% were English, 5.9% were German, and 5.7% were Irish.
Of the 40,398 households, 36.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.6% were married couples living together, 20.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 29.9% were non-families, and 25.8% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.59 and the average family size was 3.11. The median age was 35.4 years.
The median income for a household in the county was $39,137 and the median income for a family was $45,460. Males had a median income of $36,101 versus $28,421 for females. The per capita income for the county was $18,944. About 15.5% of families and 19.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 29.1% of those under age 18 and 14.7% of those age 65 or over.

Government and politics

A Republican-leaning swing county beginning around 1950, Sumter County has supported Democrats in every election beginning in 2004. Republicans have still gained over 40% of the vote since then, however, and the Democrat margins of victory were narrow in both 2004 and 2024.

Economy

In 2022, the GDP was $5 billion, and the real GDP was $4.2 billion in chained 2017 dollars.
As of April 2024, some of the largest employers in the county include Becton Dickinson, Central Carolina Technical College, the city of Sumter, Continental AG, the United States Department of Defense, Eaton Corporation, SKF, JCPenney, Pilgrim's Pride, Prisma Health, Speedway, and Walmart.
IndustryEmployment CountsEmployment Percentage Average Annual Wage
Accommodation and Food Services3,53710.018,980
Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services1,7364.942,380
Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting2410.749,244
Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation3421.016,692
Construction2,5297.263,388
Educational Services2,9128.348,048
Finance and Insurance8242.373,060
Health Care and Social Assistance5,45315.553,768
Information1870.562,608
Management of Companies and Enterprises2230.693,912
Manufacturing6,36618.162,140
Other Services 9782.839,312
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services9342.775,036
Public Administration2,5107.158,448
Real Estate and Rental and Leasing2210.643,680
Retail Trade4,49712.829,796
Transportation and Warehousing8962.560,476
Utilities1430.479,248
Wholesale Trade7102.061,568
Total35,239100.0%49,611

Education

All areas in the county are in the Sumter County Consolidated School District. Additionally, the University of South Carolina Sumter is located in the county.

Communities

Cities