DARLINGTON COUNTY 2/2/2010
Date Formed:  1785
Land Area (square miles): 561
County Seat: Darlington
Other Cities and Towns:
Hartsville, Lamar, Society Hill
Form of Government: Council-Administrator
Council Members: 8
Method of Election Single Member
Term Length 4 years
Council of Government:  Pee Dee
County History
The origin of the name of this county is uncertain, but it may have been named for Darlington, England. The county was formed in 1785, with the county seat at Darlington, and until 1800 it was a part of the Cheraw District. Parts of Darlington County were removed to form Florence County in 1888 and Lee County in 1902. This area was settled in the mid-eighteenth century by Welsh, Scotch-Irish, and English farmers, who grew cotton primarily. In more recent years the county has been best known for the stock car races which take place at the Darlington Raceway. David Rogerson Williams (1776-1830), South Carolina Governor and scientific experimenter, was a native of Darlington; he is remembered for introducing the mule to Southern agriculture. Other prominent Darlington residents were industrialists James Lide Coker (1837-1918) and David R. Coker (1870-1938) and novelists Annie Greene Nelson (1902-1993) and Elizabeth Boatwright Coker (1909-1993). 
Population Trends Value Rank Value Rank
Population 1980:  62,717 16 Numeric Change 1980-2000:  4,677 29
Population 1990:  61,851 17 Numeric Change 2000-2008: -363 34
Population 2000:  67,394 18 Avg. Ann. Growth Rate 1980-2000:  0.37% 38
Population Estimate 2007:  66,806 21 Avg. Ann. Growth Rate 2000-2008:  -0.07% 33
Population Estimate 2008: 67,031 21 Percent Change 2006-2008: 0.34% 26
Persons Per Square Mile 2008:  119.5 19
Economic Data Value Rank Value Rank
Jobs 1980:  22,669 16 Personal Income (PI) 2007: $1,903,828 19
Jobs 1990:  23,775 18 Avg. Ann. Growth Rate (PI) 1969-2007: 7.3% 27
Jobs 2000:  24,938 19 Per Capita Personal Income  2007: $28,498 18
Jobs 2006: 23,591 20 % of U.S. PCPI 2007: 74% 18
Jobs 2007: 23,123 20 Average Wage Per Job 2007: $37,251 8
Numeric Change Jobs 2006-2007: -468 42 % of U.S. Avg. Wage Per Job 2007:  85% 8
Avg Ann Growth Rate Jobs 1980-2000:  0.50% 37 Unemployment Rate 2007: 8.6% 19
Avg Ann Growth Rate Jobs 2000-2007: -1.04% 31 Avg. Unemployment 1998-2007:  7.4% 17
Tax Data Value Rank Value Rank
Assessed Property 2007: $207,826,893 21 Per Capita Assessed Property 2007: $3,084 28
County Base Millage Rate 2009: 0.06657 37 Additional Sales Tax (if applicable) 
Value of One Mil 2009: $193,624 21 Local Option Sales Tax: 1.0%
Millage Cap FY10: 4.2% 26 Capital Projects Sales Tax:  
Net Taxable Sales FY07: $333,214,646 24 School District Sales Tax: 1.0%
Admissions Tax Collected FY07: $352,462 14 Transportation Sales Tax:  
Accommodations Tax Collected FY07:  $67,736 27
Financial & Employment Data Value Rank Value Rank
Total Revenues FY08: $29,577,028 22 Per Capita Revenues FY08: $439 42
Total Expenditures FY08: $23,336,767 29 Per Capita Expenditures FY08: $346 45
General Fund Budget FY10:  $32,451,750 17 Per Capita General Fund Budget FY10: $482 20
Total Debt Outstanding FY08: $4,393,378 30 Per Capita Debt Outstanding FY08: $64 33
Payroll FY 2008: $12,486,100 23 Credit Rating(s) FY08
Full-Time Employees FY10:  360 22 Moody's: A3
Part-Time Employees FY10: 129 9 Standard & Poor: A-
Full Time Emp/1,000 Cnty Residents:   5.34 35 Fitch:  
updated  2/2/2010