| Aiken County, South Carolina | |
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| Map | |
 Location in the state of South Carolina |
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 South Carolina's location in the U.S. |
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| Statistics | |
| Founded | 1871 |
|---|---|
| Seat | Aiken |
| Area - Total - Land - Water |
1,080 sq mi (2,797 km²) 8 sq mi (21 km²), 0.72% |
| Population - (2000) - Density |
142,552 132/sq mi (51/km²) |
| Website: www.aikencounty.net | |
Aiken County is a county located in the U.S. state of South Carolina. In 2000, its population was 142,552; in 2005, the U.S. Census Bureau estimated that its population had reached 150,181.[1] Its county seat is Aiken.[2]
Aiken County is part of the Augusta, Georgia metropolitan area.
Contents |
History
Both Aiken County and its county seat of Aiken are named after William Aiken (1779-1831) who was the first president of the South Carolina Railroad Company. In 1871, Aiken County was formed from pieces of Barnwell, Edgefield, Lexington, and Orangeburg counties.[3]
After the Civil War, the county became a hot spot as a winter home for affluent Northerners. The county still remains popular with horse trainers and riders.
In the 1950s, Aiken County along with the nearby counties of Allendale and Barnwell was chosen as the location for storage of nuclear materials and various fissile materials, now known as the Savannah River Site Developed during Cold War tension the site is now scheduled for various parts of the site to be decommissioned.[3]
Law/Government
Mr. Ronnie Young is the chairman of the Aiken County Council. The other members and their districts are as follows:
- Kathy Rawls- District 1
- Scott Singer- District 2
- LaWana McKenzie- District 3
- Chuck Smith- District 4
- Eddie Butler- District 5
- Charles Barton- District 6
- Gary Bunker- District 7
- Willar H. Hightower Jr.- District 8[4]
- Mike Hunt- Aiken County Sheriff [4]
Geography
The county seat of Aiken County is Aiken, SC. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,080 square miles (2,798 km²), of which, 1,073 square miles (2,778 km²) of it is land and 8 square miles (20 km²) of it (0.72%) is water.
Adjacent Counties
- Saluda County, South Carolina - north
- Lexington County, South Carolina - northeast
- Orangeburg County, South Carolina - east
- Barnwell County, South Carolina - south
- Burke County, Georgia - southwest
- Edgefield County, South Carolina - west
- Richmond County, Georgia - west
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Saluda County | Lexington County | |
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| Edgefield County and Richmond County, Georgia |  |
Orangeburg County | ||
 Aiken County, South Carolina  |
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| Burke County, Georgia | Barnwell County |
Major Highways
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Demographics
As of the census[5] of 2000, there were 142,552 people, 55,587 households, and 39,411 families residing in the county. The population density was 133 people per square mile (51/km²). There were 61,987 housing units at an average density of 58 per square mile (22/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 71.37% White, 25.56% Black or African American, 0.40% Native American, 0.63% Asian, 0.03% Pacific IRace (United States Census), and 1.18% from two or more races. 2.12% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 22.0% were of American, 9.7% English, 8.4% German and 7.9% Irish ancestry according to Census 2000.
There were 55,587 households out of which 33.10% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.30% were married couples living together, 13.80% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.10% were non-families. 25.20% 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 2.53 and the average family size was 3.03.
In the county, the population was spread out with 26.20% under the age of 18, 8.80% from 18 to 24, 28.90% from 25 to 44, 23.30% from 45 to 64, and 12.80% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 92.90 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.20 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $37,889, and the median income for a family was $45,769. Males had a median income of $36,743 versus $23,810 for females. The per capita income for the county was $18,772. About 10.60% of families and 13.80% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.90% of those under age 18 and 12.50% of those age 65 or over.[6]
Cities, towns, unincorporated areas, and CDPs
- Aiken
- Bath
- Beech Island
- Belvedere
- Burnettown
- Clearwater
- Gloverville
- Graniteville
- Jackson
- Langley
- Monetta
- New Ellenton
- North Augusta
- Perry
- Salley
- Vaucluse
- Wagener
- Warrenville
- Windsor
Historic places
See also
References
- ^ US Census Bureau Data
- ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. http://www.naco.org/Template.cfm?Section=Find_a_County&Template=/cffiles/counties/usamap.cfm. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^ a b Mary Morgan (19 March, 2007). ""History"". http://www.statelibrary.sc.gov/aiken-county.html. Retrieved 2008-03-29.
- ^ a b ""Aiken County Government"". http://aikencounty.net/SGovernment.cfm. Retrieved 2008-03-29.
- ^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^ US Census Bureau Demographics Data
External links
- Aiken County Historical Society
- University of South Carolina Aiken Open Source Project
- Aiken County Government Homepage
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