Anderson County, South Carolina

Anderson County is a county located in the U.S. state of South Carolina. As of the 2020 census, its population was 203,718. Its county seat is Anderson. Named for Revolutionary War leader Robert Anderson, the county is located in northwestern South Carolina, along the state line of Georgia. Anderson County is included in the Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC Metropolitan Statistical Area. Anderson County contains 55950 acre Lake Hartwell, a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers lake with nearly 1000 mi of shoreline for residential and recreational use. The area is a growing industrial, commercial and tourist center. It is the home of Anderson University, a private, selective comprehensive university of approximately 4,000 undergraduate and graduate students.

History
Anderson County was founded in 1826 after the dissolution of the Pendleton District and was named after Robert Anderson, an American Revolutionary War general. During the Civil War, the county became a center of ammunitions production for the Confederate States Army. The county seat and largest city is Anderson; both the county and city are also located in the Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC Metropolitan Statistical Area. Agriculturally, the county is ranked high in production. Its ranked first in the southeast, second in the south, and twenty-third in the United States according to the United States Department of Commerce. Cotton, corn, and various fruits and vegetables are grown along with a large poultry industry located the county.

Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 755.76 sqmi, of which 713.85 sqmi is land and 41.91 sqmi (5.55%) is water. Anderson County is in the Savannah River basin and the Saluda River basin.

State and local protected areas

 * Broyles Recreation Area
 * Fant's Grove Wildlife Management Area
 * Sadlers Creek State Park

Major water bodies

 * Chattooga River
 * Lake Hartwell
 * Saluda River
 * Savannah River
 * Lake Secession

Adjacent counties

 * Pickens County – north
 * Greenville County – northeast
 * Laurens County – east
 * Abbeville County – south
 * Elbert County, Georgia – southwest
 * Hart County, Georgia – west
 * Oconee County – northwest

Major highways
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Major infrastructure

 * Anderson Regional Airport

2020 census
As of the 2020 census, there were 203,718 people, 75,825 households, and 52,038 families residing in the county.

2010 census
At the 2010 census, there were 187,126 people, 73,829 households, and 51,922 families residing in the county. The population density was 261.6 PD/sqmi. There were 84,774 housing units at an average density of 118.5 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the county was 80.1% white, 16.0% black or African American, 0.8% Asian, 0.3% American Indian, 1.3% from other races, and 1.5% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 2.9% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 15.9% were American, 13.6% were Irish, 10.8% were English, and 10.2% were German.

Of the 73,829 households, 33.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.1% were married couples living together, 14.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 29.7% were non-families, and 25.4% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.50 and the average family size was 2.98. The median age was 39.7 years.

The median income for a household in the county was $42,871 and the median income for a family was $53,229. Males had a median income of $41,885 versus $30,920 for females. The per capita income for the county was $22,117. About 12.4% of families and 15.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 23.0% of those under age 18 and 10.2% of those age 65 or over.

Law and government
Anderson County has a Council-Administrator form of government under South Carolina law. County Council members are elected from seven single-member districts for two-year terms. All seven council seats are open for election every two years.

Anderson County Councilmen are:
 * District 1: John B. Wright Jr. (North Anderson)
 * District 2: Glenn A. Davis (South & East Anderson)
 * District 3: S. Ray Graham (Belton/Starr/Iva area)
 * District 4: Brett Sanders (Pendleton area)
 * District 5: Tommy Dunn (West Anderson)
 * District 6: Jimmy Davis (Powdersville area)
 * District 7: M. Cindy Wilson (Williamston/Honea Path area)

The Anderson County Administrator is Rusty Burns.

Operations
Anderson County has ten divisions:
 * Administration
 * Parks, Recreation & Tourism
 * Central Services
 * Economic Development
 * Emergency Services
 * EMS & Special Operations
 * Environmental Services
 * Finance
 * Planning
 * Transportation

Politics
Since the 1970s, Anderson County has been a rock-solid Republican bastion, with the party going on a streak of winning the county in each presidential election since 1984. The exceptions came in 1976 and 1980, when Southerner Jimmy Carter overwhelmingly captured the county in the former election and fairly solidly in the latter.

Economy
Early industry in the county was textile mills, processing southern cotton. In the 21st century, industry has diversified with more than 230 manufacturers, including 22 international companies. The top major industries in Anderson include manufacturers of automotive products, metal products, industrial machinery, plastics, publishing and textiles. There are more than 27 BMW suppliers in the upstate, which is recognized internationally as an automotive supplier hub. The plastic industry has a strong presence in the upstate, with 244 plastic companies located within the 10 counties of the northwest corner of SC. Anderson County has 11 automotive suppliers and is a major player in the plastic industry, with 27 plastic companies located within its borders.

, some of the top employers in the county include AnMed Health Medical Center, Anderson University, Bosch, the City of Anderson, Glen Raven, Inc., Ingles, Michelin, Walmart, and Walgreens. Between 2021 and 2024, the unemployment rate has fluctuated around 3%. In 2022, its GDP was $9.1 billion (approx. $44,670 per capita). In chained 2017 dollars, its real GDP was $7.6 billion (approx. $37,306 per capita).

Cities

 * Anderson (county seat and largest community)
 * Belton
 * Clemson (mostly in Pickens County)
 * Easley (mostly in Pickens County)

Towns

 * Honea Path (partly in Abbeville County)
 * Iva
 * Pelzer
 * Pendleton
 * Starr
 * West Pelzer
 * Williamston

Census-designated places

 * Centerville
 * Fair Play (mostly in Oconee County)
 * Homeland Park
 * Northlake
 * Piedmont (partly in Greenville County)
 * Powdersville

Unincorporated communities

 * Craytonville
 * La France
 * Sandy Springs
 * Townville (partly in Oconee County)
 * Cheddar
 * Piercetown