JASPER COUNTY 2/2/2010
Date Formed:  1912
Land Area (square miles): 656
County Seat: Ridgeland
Other Cities and Towns:
Hardeeville
Form of Government: Council-Administrator
Council Members: 5
Method of Election At Large
Term Length 4 years
Council of Government:  Lowcountry
County History
Jasper County was named for Revolutionary War hero Sergeant William Jasper (ca.1750-1779). The county was formed in 1912 from parts of Beaufort and Hampton counties. This area of the state was the home of the Yemassee and Coosaw Indians until colonial times. In 1732 Swiss-German immigrants led by Jean Pierre Purry established a settlement called Purrysburgh on the Savannah River, but the town did not survive. Other settlers built extensive rice plantations, some of which now form the Savannah River National Wildlife Refuge. Two other towns in the county, Coosawhatchie and Pocotaligo, served at different times as the seat of government for Beaufort District. During the Civil War the Confederate Army defeated federal troops at the Battle of Honey Hill in November 1864. Jasper County was home to Thomas Heyward, Jr. (1746-1809), a signer of the Declaration of Independence, and Henry Martyn Robert (1837-1923), author of Robert's Rules of Order.
Population Trends Value Rank Value Rank
Population 1980:  14,504 43 Numeric Change 1980-2000:  6,174 26
Population 1990:  15,487 43 Numeric Change 2000-2008: 1,652 22
Population 2000:  20,678 40 Avg. Ann. Growth Rate 1980-2000:  2.12% 7
Population Estimate 2007:  21,900 39 Avg. Ann. Growth Rate 2000-2008:  1.00% 16
Population Estimate 2008: 22,330 39 Percent Change 2006-2008: 1.93% 10
Persons Per Square Mile 2008:  34.0 44
Economic Data Value Rank Value Rank
Jobs 1980:  3,571 45 Personal Income (PI) 2007: $578,489 38
Jobs 1990:  4,382 43 Avg. Ann. Growth Rate (PI) 1969-2007: 8.7% 8
Jobs 2000:  5,535 41 Per Capita Personal Income  2007: $26,415 27
Jobs 2006: 8,410 35 % of U.S. PCPI 2007: 68% 26
Jobs 2007: 8,980 33 Average Wage Per Job 2007: $33,071 19
Numeric Change Jobs 2006-2007: 570 17 % of U.S. Avg. Wage Per Job 2007:  75% 19
Avg Ann Growth Rate Jobs 1980-2000:  2.75% 9 Unemployment Rate 2007: 6.1% 37
Avg Ann Growth Rate Jobs 2000-2007: 8.89% 1 Avg. Unemployment 1998-2007:  4.5% 40
Tax Data Value Rank Value Rank
Assessed Property 2007: $120,055,830 27 Per Capita Assessed Property 2007: $5,806 7
County Base Millage Rate 2009: 0.126 15 Additional Sales Tax (if applicable) 
Value of One Mil 2009: $118,000 26 Local Option Sales Tax: 1.0%
Millage Cap FY10: 5.8% 10 Capital Projects Sales Tax: Ended 11-02
Net Taxable Sales FY07: $381,779,325 22 School District Sales Tax: 1.0%
Admissions Tax Collected FY07: $47,965 25 Transportation Sales Tax:  
Accommodations Tax Collected FY07:  $281,239 15
Financial & Employment Data Value Rank Value Rank
Total Revenues FY08: $22,545,248 31 Per Capita Revenues FY08: $1,090 6
Total Expenditures FY08: $29,185,069 22 Per Capita Expenditures FY08: $1,411 1
General Fund Budget FY10:  $27,430,637 20 Per Capita General Fund Budget FY10: $1,327 1
Total Debt Outstanding FY08: $11,331,682 23 Per Capita Debt Outstanding FY08: $505 2
Payroll FY 2008: $8,794,306 26 Credit Rating(s) FY08
Full-Time Employees FY10:  273 27 Moody's:  
Part-Time Employees FY10: 26 34 Standard & Poor:  
Full Time Emp/1,000 Cnty Residents:   13.20 1 Fitch:  
updated  2/2/2010