Florence County, South Carolina

Florence County is a county located in the U.S. state of South Carolina. As of the 2020 census, its population was 137,059. Its county seat is Florence.

Florence County is included in the Florence, SC Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History
Florence County was formed from main sections of Darlington and Marion Counties, plus other townships from Williamsburg and Clarendon Counties, starting in 1888. The last section of Williamsburg County was not added until 1921. Florence County was named after its county seat, Florence, which its founder, General William Harllee in turned named for his daughter, Florence. On December 26, 1921, Bill McAllister was lynched for having an affair with a white woman.

Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 804.28 sqmi, of which 800.51 sqmi is land and 3.77 sqmi (0.47%) is water.

State and local protected areas

 * Lynches River County Park
 * Moore Farms Botanical Garden (part)
 * Pee Dee Station Site Wildlife Management Area
 * Woods Bay State Park (part)

Major water bodies

 * Great Pee Dee River
 * Lynches River

Adjacent counties

 * Marlboro County – north
 * Dillon County – northeast
 * Marion County – east
 * Williamsburg County – south
 * Clarendon County – southwest
 * Sumter County – west
 * Lee County – west
 * Darlington County – northwest

Major highways

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Major infrastructure

 * Florence Regional Airport
 * Florence Station

2020 census
As of the 2020 census, there were 137,059 people, 53,047 households, and 35,763 families residing in the county.

2010 census
At the 2010 census, there were 136,885 people, 52,653 households, and 36,328 families living in the county. The population density was 171.1 /mi2. There were 58,666 housing units at an average density of 73.3 /mi2. The racial makeup of the county was 54.9% white, 41.3% black or African American, 1.2% Asian, 0.3% American Indian, 1.1% from other races, and 1.1% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 2.2% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 8.4% were American, 7.8% were English, 6.7% were Irish, and 6.2% were German.

Of the 52,653 households, 35.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.7% were married couples living together, 19.6% had a female householder with no husband present, 31.0% were non-families, and 26.3% of households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.54 and the average family size was 3.06. The median age was 37.6 years.

The median household income was $40,487 and the median family income was $48,896. Males had a median income of $38,934 versus $30,163 for females. The per capita income for the county was $21,932. About 14.5% of families and 18.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 26.1% of those under age 18 and 14.0% of those age 65 or over.

2000 census
At the 2000 census, there were 125,761 people, 47,147 households, and 33,804 families living in the county. The population density was 157 /mi2. There were 51,836 housing units at an average density of 65 /mi2. The racial makeup of the county was 58.65% White, 39.34% Black or African American, 0.22% Native American, 0.70% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.39% from other races, and 0.68% from two or more races. 1.10% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. Of the 47,147 households 33.80% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.70% were married couples living together, 18.10% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.30% were non-families. 24.50% of households were one person and 8.20% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.59 and the average family size was 3.08.

The age distribution was 25.90% under the age of 18, 9.70% from 18 to 24, 28.90% from 25 to 44, 23.60% from 45 to 64, and 11.80% 65 or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 88.70 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.20 males.

The median household income was $35,144 and the median family income was $41,274. Males had a median income of $32,065 versus $21,906 for females. The per capita income for the county was $17,876. About 13.50% of families and 16.40% of the population were below the poverty line, including 22.30% of those under age 18 and 16.50% of those age 65 or over.

According to the 2000 census, the population of Florence County was classified as 58% urban and 42% rural, containing the two urban areas of Florence (2000 pop. 67,314) and Lake City (8,728). Along with Darlington County, it comprises part of the Florence, SC Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Law enforcement
In 2020, Florence County Sheriff Kenney Boone pled guilty to embezzlement and misconduct in office. He was not sentenced to jail time. the current sheriff is T.J. Joye.

Politics
As part of the “Solid South,” Florence County was strongly Democratic throughout its early existence. In recent years, though, Florence has shifted to a Republican-leaning county, having not voted Democratic at the presidential level since Jimmy Carter in 1976. However, it has done so by relatively modest margins as the county has been decided by a single-digit margin in every election since 2008. In 2020, incumbent Republican president Donald Trump narrowly carried Florence County, winning 32,615 votes (50.56%) to 31,153 (48.29%) for Democratic candidate Joe Biden.

Typically, Democratic strength is concentrated in the City of Florence, while the suburban and rural areas lean strongly Republican.

Most of the county is located within the state's 7th congressional district, which is represented by Republican Russell Fry. A small portion of the county, specifically the areas around Lake City, is located in the majority-minority 6th district, and is represented by Democrat Jim Clyburn.

Economy
In 2022, the GDP of Florence County was $8.5 billion (about $62,154 per capita). The real GDP was $7.2 billion (about $52,808 per capita) in chained 2017 dollars. In 2022-2024, the unemployment rate has fluctuated between 2.3-3.8%.

Duke Energy, Francis Marion University, GE HealthCare, Honda, McLeod Health, Otis Worldwide, QVC, Ruiz Foods, and Walmart are some of the largest employers in the county.

Cities

 * Florence (county seat and largest community)
 * Johnsonville
 * Lake City

Towns

 * Coward
 * Olanta
 * Pamplico
 * Quinby
 * Scranton
 * Timmonsville

Census-designated places

 * Danwood

Other unincorporated communities

 * Cartersville
 * Effingham
 * Evergreen
 * Hannah
 * Kingsburg
 * Mars Bluff
 * Poston

Notable people

 * Donald Henry Gaskins (1933–1991), serial killer
 * Roger K. Kirby (born 1960), politician
 * Kent Lee (1923–2017), Navy admiral
 * Georganna Sinkfield (born 1943), politician