| LAURENS COUNTY |
2/2/2010 |
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| Date
Formed: |
1785 |
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| Land Area (square miles): |
715 |
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| County Seat: |
Laurens |
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| Other Cities and Towns: |
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| Clinton, Cross Hill, Fountain Inn, Gray Court, Ware Shoals,
Waterloo |
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| Form of Government: |
Council |
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| Council Members: |
7 |
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| Method of Election |
Single Member |
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| Term Length |
4 years |
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| Council of Government: |
Upper Savannah |
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| County History |
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| Laurens
County and its county seat were named for Revolutionary War leader Henry
Laurens (1724-1792). The county was established in 1785 as a part of Ninety
Six District. This part of the state was settled primarily by Scotch-Irish
and English immigrants in the mid 1700s, and during the American Revolution
quite a few of its residents remained loyal to Great Britain. Several
Revolutionary War battles were fought in the county, including the Battle of
Musgrove's Mill (August 18, 1780). President Andrew Johnson (1808-1875), a
native of North Carolina, worked as a tailor in the town of Laurens for a
brief time in the 1820s. Laurens County was also home to Ann Pamela
Cunningham (1816-1875), the leader of the movement to preserve Mount Vernon,
and educator Wil Lou Gray (1883-1984). |
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| Population Trends |
Value |
Rank |
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Value |
Rank |
| Population
1980: |
52,214 |
20 |
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Numeric Change
1980-2000: |
17,353 |
15 |
| Population
1990: |
58,092 |
19 |
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Numeric Change 2000-2008: |
114 |
27 |
| Population
2000: |
69,567 |
17 |
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Avg. Ann.
Growth Rate 1980-2000: |
1.66% |
13 |
| Population Estimate 2007: |
69,533 |
19 |
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Avg. Ann.
Growth Rate 2000-2008: |
0.02% |
28 |
| Population Estimate 2008: |
69,681 |
19 |
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Percent Change 2006-2008: |
0.21% |
29 |
| Persons Per Square Mile 2008: |
97.5 |
21 |
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| Economic Data |
Value |
Rank |
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Value |
Rank |
| Jobs
1980: |
20,575 |
18 |
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Personal Income (PI) 2007: |
$1,824,304 |
22 |
| Jobs
1990: |
21,692 |
20 |
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Avg. Ann. Growth Rate (PI) 1969-2007: |
7.0% |
31 |
| Jobs
2000: |
22,744 |
22 |
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Per Capita Personal Income 2007: |
$26,237 |
28 |
| Jobs 2006: |
21,726 |
21 |
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% of U.S. PCPI 2007: |
68% |
26 |
| Jobs 2007: |
21,588 |
22 |
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Average Wage Per Job 2007: |
$30,988 |
26 |
| Numeric Change Jobs
2006-2007: |
-138 |
32 |
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% of U.S. Avg.
Wage Per Job 2007: |
71% |
26 |
| Avg Ann Growth Rate Jobs
1980-2000: |
0.53% |
36 |
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Unemployment Rate 2007: |
7.4% |
27 |
| Avg Ann Growth Rate Jobs
2000-2007: |
-0.73% |
27 |
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Avg. Unemployment
1998-2007: |
5.5% |
33 |
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| Tax Data |
Value |
Rank |
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Value |
Rank |
| Assessed Property 2007: |
$162,402,809 |
25 |
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Per Capita Assessed Property 2007: |
$2,334 |
36 |
| County Base Millage Rate
2009: |
0.0798 |
31 |
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Additional
Sales Tax (if applicable) |
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| Value of One Mil 2009: |
$163,000 |
24 |
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Local Option Sales Tax: |
1.0% |
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| Millage Cap FY10: |
4.1% |
29 |
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Capital Projects Sales Tax: |
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| Net Taxable Sales FY07: |
$318,180,894 |
25 |
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School District Sales Tax: |
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| Admissions Tax Collected
FY07: |
$68,917 |
21 |
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Transportation Sales Tax: |
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| Accommodations Tax Collected FY07: |
$102,107 |
25 |
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| Financial &
Employment Data |
Value |
Rank |
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Value |
Rank |
| Total Revenues FY08: |
$29,275,913 |
23 |
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Per Capita Revenues FY08: |
$421 |
44 |
| Total Expenditures FY08: |
$26,554,636 |
26 |
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Per Capita Expenditures FY08: |
$382 |
43 |
| General Fund Budget FY10: |
$16,558,192 |
31 |
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Per Capita General Fund Budget FY10: |
$238 |
45 |
| Total Debt Outstanding
FY08: |
$5,704,139 |
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Per Capita Debt Outstanding FY08: |
$78 |
30 |
| Payroll FY 2008: |
$10,000,947 |
24 |
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Credit Rating(s) FY08 |
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| Full-Time Employees FY10: |
354 |
23 |
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Moody's: |
Baa2 |
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| Part-Time Employees FY10: |
79 |
16 |
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Standard & Poor: |
BBB |
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| Full Time Emp/1,000 Cnty
Residents: |
5.09 |
39 |
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Fitch: |
AA- |
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updated |
2/2/2010 |
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