Georgetown County, South Carolina

Georgetown County is a county located in the U.S. state of South Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 63,404. Its county seat is Georgetown. The county was founded in 1769. It is named for George III of the United Kingdom.

Georgetown County comprises the Murrells Inlet, SC Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is also included in the Myrtle Beach-Conway, SC Combined Statistical Area.

History
The early history of Georgetown County is closely tied to South Carolina's population growth. By an Act passed in 1768, the Province of South Carolina abolished its many counties and implemented just seven large districts with corresponding judicial seats. To be specific, there were too few government officials to have county circuit courts, consider and legislate local issues, and execute the law. Although the districts de facto began in 1768, they only received their official charters in 1769, after approval by the British Parliament of a modified provincial Act. George Town was one of the seven judicial seats, so it was the namesake and remained the seat of Georgetown District until and through the American Revolution. The 1785 County Court Act created 34 counties state-wide, with four counties within Georgetown District. The four subordinate judicial counties of Kingston County, Liberty County, Williamsburg County and Winyah County (named after the Winyah Bay) within Georgetown District were abolished in 1798. All overarching Districts were dissolved in 1800 with the respective areas of each former judicial county reformed with the executive, legislative and judicial functions that previously powered districts, as Horry District (est. 1801), Marion District (est. 1800), Williamsburg District (est. 1804) and Georgetown District (est. 1800). The current county dates its establishment from 1800 for this reason.

The legislative processes instituted by the post-Civil War state constitution provided for a fundamental decentralization of power from state to local control, so the districts were renamed counties – Georgetown District became Georgetown County in 1868. The county is named after its county seat, Georgetown, which was named about 1734 for George III of the United Kingdom, when he was Prince George. The largest community in the county is Murrells Inlet.

The economy is partially based on trade due to its transportation network and port facilities.

Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1034.83 sqmi, of which 813.61 sqmi is land and 221.22 sqmi (21.38%) is water.

Georgetown County has several rivers, including the Great Pee Dee River, the Waccamaw River, Black River, and Sampit River, all of which flow into Winyah Bay. The Santee River, which forms the southern boundary of the county, empties directly into the Atlantic Ocean. The Intracoastal Waterway crosses the county and Winyah Bay. The rivers and the bay have had a decisive effect on human development of the area, especially as the city of Georgetown has an excellent seaport and harbor.

Georgetown County is a diverse county with four distinct areas:

1. The Atlantic coastline, also called Waccamaw Neck, including the communities of Murrells Inlet, Litchfield, Pawleys Island and DeBordieu, is part of "The Grand Strand" (beach), which includes Myrtle Beach to the north. The Georgetown County part of the Grand Strand used to be rural area, but is exploding with development today. Condos line the shoreline at Litchfield and many of the old cottages at Pawleys are being demolished for larger houses. DeBordieu is a gated community.

Empty beachfront has disappeared and wild areas are rapidly vanishing. A few wilder areas are being saved, as these provide critical habitat as part of the Atlantic Flyway for migratory birds. Huntington Beach State Park preserves some of the coastline and coastal marshes in the northern section, with nearby Brookgreen Gardens preserving a historical rice plantation and some forest. Brookgreen Gardens, with a nature center and many outdoor sculptures is a popular tourist spot.

The University of South Carolina and Clemson University maintain the Belle W. Baruch research site at Hobcaw Barony on Waccamaw Neck. The islands around the outlet of Winyah Bay are designated as the "Tom Yawkey Wildlife Center Heritage Preserve". This area is home to the northernmost naturally occurring hammocks of South Carolina's signature sabal palmetto tree.

2. The riverfronts have had little recent development. Such properties were once used for rice plantations, using a rice variety brought from Africa. After the Civil War, and the loss of slave labor, the plantations gradually ceased production. Today they are primarily wild areas, accessible only by boat. In some areas, the earthworks, such as dikes and water gates used for rice culture, still exist, as well as a few of the plantation houses. Litchfield Plantation has been redeveloped as a country inn; other properties have been developed as planned residential communities. Great blue herons, alligators, and an occasional bald eagle can be seen along the waterways. Fishing is a popular activity.

A tiny community accessible only by boat is on Sandy Island, in the Pee Dee River. Residents are descendants of slaves who worked plantations on the island, and they are trying to keep out development. The Federal government bought land along the rivers for the Waccamaw National Wildlife Refuge, which is intended to protect such wild areas. The visitor center and headquarters of the refuge is located at Yauhannah in the northern part of the county.

3. Georgetown is a small historic city founded in colonial times. It is a popular tourist area and a port for shrimp boats. Yachting "snowbirds" are often seen at the docks in spring and fall; these people follow the seasons along the Intracoastal waterway.

4. The inland rural areas are thinly populated. Some upland areas are good for agriculture or forestry. Several Carolina bays are thought to be craters from a meteor shower. These areas are rich in biodiversity. Carvers Bay, the largest, was extensively damaged by use as a practice bombing range by US military forces during World War II. Draining of the bay has further damaged its environment.

National protected areas

 * North Inlet-Winyah Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve
 * Waccamaw National Wildlife Refuge (part)

State and local protected areas/sites

 * Baruch-North Island Reserve
 * Bellefield House
 * Black River Cypress Preserve
 * Brookgreen Gardens
 * Friendfield Village
 * Georgetown Historic District
 * Hobcaw House
 * Huntington Beach State Park
 * Mansfield Plantation
 * Murrells Inlet Historic District
 * North Santee Bar Seabird Sanctuary
 * Pee Dee River Rice Planters Historic District
 * Samworth Wildlife Management Area
 * Santee-Delta Wildlife Management Area
 * Tom Yawkey Wildlife Center Heritage Preserve
 * Wee Tee State Forest (part)

Major water bodies

 * Atlantic Ocean (North Atlantic Ocean)
 * Black Mingo Swamp
 * Black River
 * Great Pee Dee River
 * Intracoastal Waterway
 * Little Pee Dee River
 * Little River
 * Long Bay
 * Murrells Inlet
 * North Santee River
 * Sampit River
 * Santee River
 * South Santee River
 * Waccamaw River
 * Wadmacon Creek
 * Winyah Bay

Adjacent counties

 * Horry County – northeast
 * Marion County – north
 * Williamsburg County – northwest
 * Berkeley County – west
 * Charleston County – southwest

Major infrastructure

 * Georgetown Airport
 * Port of Georgetown

2020 census
As of the 2020 census, there were 63,404 people, 25,498 households, and 17,334 families residing in the county.

2010 census
At the 2010 census, there were 60,158 people, 24,524 households, and 17,282 families living in the county. The population density was 73.9 PD/sqmi. There were 33,672 housing units at an average density of 41.4 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the county was 63.2% white, 33.6% black or African American, 0.5% Asian, 0.2% American Indian, 1.6% from other races, and 0.9% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 3.1% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 13.5% were English, 9.0% were Irish, 8.7% were American, and 7.6% were German.

Of the 24,524 households, 29.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.8% were married couples living together, 15.6% had a female householder with no husband present, 29.5% were non-families, and 25.4% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.43 and the average family size was 2.89. The median age was 45.4 years.

The median income for a household in the county was $42,666 and the median income for a family was $54,115. Males had a median income of $39,127 versus $28,390 for females. The per capita income for the county was $23,942. About 13.2% of families and 19.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 32.3% of those under age 18 and 11.1% of those age 65 or over.

2000 census
At the 2000 census, there were 55,797 people, 21,659 households, and 15,854 families living in the county. The population density was 68 /mi2. There were 28,282 housing units at an average density of 35 /mi2. The racial makeup of the county was 59.69% White, 38.61% Black or African American, 0.14% Native American, 0.23% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.81% from other races, and 0.49% from two or more races. 1.65% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 21,659 households, out of which 30.20% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.10% were married couples living together, 15.10% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.80% were non-families. 23.30% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.20% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.55 and the average family size was 3.01.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 25.20% under the age of 18, 7.70% from 18 to 24, 25.90% from 25 to 44, 26.20% from 45 to 64, and 15.00% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.80 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.40 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $35,312, and the median income for a family was $41,554. Males had a median income of $31,110 versus $20,910 for females. The per capita income for the county was $19,805. About 13.40% of families and 17.10% of the population were below the poverty line, including 25.80% of those under age 18 and 14.00% of those age 65 or over.

Economy
In 2022, the GDP of Georgetown County was $3.3 billion (approx. $50,598 per capita). In chained 2017 dollars, the real GDP of Georgetown County was $2.8 billion (about $41,996 per capita). In 2022 through 2024, the unemployment rate has fluctuated between 2.4-4.9%.

Some of the largest employers in the county include AGRU, Food Lion, International Paper, ScribeAmerica, and Walmart.

City

 * Georgetown (county seat)

Towns

 * Andrews (partly in Williamsburg County)
 * Pawleys Island

Census-designated places

 * Murrells Inlet (largest community)
 * Garden City (mostly in Horry County)

Unincorporated communities

 * Belle Isle
 * DeBordieu
 * Graves
 * Hopewell (partly in Williamsburg County)
 * Kensington
 * Litchfield Beach
 * Maryville
 * North Santee
 * Oatland
 * Plantersville
 * Pleasant Hill
 * Prince George
 * Sampit
 * Sandy Island
 * Spring Gully
 * Yauhannah