| CHARLESTON COUNTY |
2/2/2010 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Date
Formed: |
1769 |
|
|
|
|
|
| Land Area (square miles): |
919 |
|
|
|
|
|
| County Seat: |
Charleston |
|
|
|
|
|
| Other Cities and Towns: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Awendaw, Folly Beach, Hollywood, Isle of Palms, Kiawah Island,
Lincolnville, McClellanville, Meggett, Mount Pleasant, North Charleston,
Ravenel, Seabrook Island, Sullivan's Island, Summerville |
|
|
| Form of Government: |
Council-Administrator |
|
|
|
|
| Council Members: |
9 |
|
|
|
|
|
| Method of Election |
Single Member |
|
|
|
|
|
| Term Length |
4 years |
|
|
|
|
|
| Council of Government: |
Berkeley-Charleston-Dorchester |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| County History |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Charleston County and the city of Charleston are the most
historic locations in the state. English settlers arrived in the colony of
Carolina in 1670 and established a town at Albemarle Point on the west bank
of the Ashley River. The settlement, named Charles Town in honor of King
Charles II of England, was subsequently moved a few miles away to a peninsula
between the Ashley and Cooper rivers. Charles Towne (renamed Charleston in
1783) was the political, social, and economic center of the state throughout
the colonial and antebellum periods, and it served as the capital until 1790.
Charleston District was formed in 1769, but portions were later split off to
form Colleton (1800) and Berkeley (1882) counties. During the Revolutionary
War the American forces defeated the attacking British fleet at Charleston in
June 1776. At another Charleston fort,
Fort Sumter, federal troops were fired on by Confederate forces in April
1861, signaling the start of the Civil War. Charleston County has had many
famous residents, including three signers of the United States Constitution:
Charles Pinckney (1757-1824), Charles Cotesworth Pinckney (1746-1825), and
John Rutledge (1739-1800). |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Population Trends |
Value |
Rank |
|
|
Value |
Rank |
| Population
1980: |
276,974 |
2 |
|
Numeric Change
1980-2000: |
32,995 |
11 |
| Population
1990: |
295,039 |
2 |
|
Numeric Change 2000-2008: |
38,077 |
5 |
| Population
2000: |
309,969 |
3 |
|
Avg. Ann.
Growth Rate 1980-2000: |
0.59% |
36 |
| Population Estimate 2007: |
343,522 |
3 |
|
Avg. Ann.
Growth Rate 2000-2008: |
1.54% |
10 |
| Population Estimate 2008: |
348,046 |
3 |
|
Percent Change 2006-2008: |
1.30% |
14 |
| Persons Per Square Mile 2008: |
378.7 |
3 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Economic Data |
Value |
Rank |
|
|
Value |
Rank |
| Jobs
1980: |
155,599 |
2 |
|
Personal Income (PI) 2007: |
$13,295,048 |
2 |
| Jobs
1990: |
206,648 |
1 |
|
Avg. Ann. Growth Rate (PI) 1969-2007: |
7.8% |
15 |
| Jobs
2000: |
215,368 |
3 |
|
Per Capita Personal Income 2007: |
$38,702 |
2 |
| Jobs 2006: |
235,982 |
3 |
|
% of U.S. PCPI 2007: |
100% |
2 |
| Jobs 2007: |
244,415 |
3 |
|
Average Wage Per Job 2007: |
$38,270 |
3 |
| Numeric Change Jobs
2006-2007: |
8,433 |
1 |
|
% of U.S. Avg.
Wage Per Job 2007: |
87% |
3 |
| Avg Ann Growth Rate Jobs
1980-2000: |
1.92% |
17 |
|
Unemployment Rate 2007: |
5.3% |
44 |
| Avg Ann Growth Rate Jobs
2000-2007: |
1.93% |
7 |
|
Avg. Unemployment
1998-2007: |
4.3% |
43 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Tax Data |
Value |
Rank |
|
|
Value |
Rank |
| Assessed Property 2007: |
$2,655,343,903 |
1 |
|
Per Capita Assessed Property 2007: |
$8,566 |
4 |
| County Base Millage Rate
2009: |
0.0544 |
42 |
|
Additional
Sales Tax (if applicable) |
|
|
| Value of One Mil 2009: |
$2,702,398 |
1 |
|
Local Option Sales Tax: |
1.0% |
|
| Millage Cap FY10: |
5.2% |
14 |
|
Capital Projects Sales Tax: |
|
|
| Net Taxable Sales FY07: |
$6,481,986,892 |
1 |
|
School District Sales Tax: |
|
|
| Admissions Tax Collected
FY07: |
$4,487,509 |
2 |
|
Transportation Sales Tax: |
0.5% |
|
| Accommodations Tax Collected FY07: |
$8,991,222 |
2 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Financial &
Employment Data |
Value |
Rank |
|
|
Value |
Rank |
| Total Revenues FY08: |
$366,439,542 |
1 |
|
Per Capita Revenues FY08: |
$1,182 |
3 |
| Total Expenditures FY08: |
$388,419,367 |
1 |
|
Per Capita Expenditures FY08: |
$1,253 |
4 |
| General Fund Budget FY10: |
$167,500,000 |
1 |
|
Per Capita General Fund Budget FY10: |
$540 |
13 |
| Total Debt Outstanding
FY08: |
$162,297,917 |
3 |
|
Per Capita Debt Outstanding FY08: |
$484 |
3 |
| Payroll FY 2008: |
$64,035,628 |
2 |
|
Credit Rating(s) FY08 |
|
|
| Full-Time Employees FY10: |
2,278 |
1 |
|
Moody's: |
Aa1 |
|
| Part-Time Employees FY10: |
133 |
7 |
|
Standard & Poor: |
AAA |
|
| Full Time Emp/1,000 Cnty
Residents: |
7.35 |
15 |
|
Fitch: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
updated |
2/2/2010 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|