ORANGEBURG COUNTY 5/14/12
Date Formed:  1769 Orangeburg,Orangeburg,Orangeburg,Orangeburg
Land Area (square miles): 1,106
County Seat: Orangeburg
Other Cities and Towns: Bowman, Branchville, Cope, Cordova, Elloree, Eutawville, Holly Hill, Livingston, Neeses, North, Norway, Rowesville, Santee, Springfield, Vance, Woodford
Form of Government: Council-Administrator
Council Members: 7
Method of Election Single Member
Term Length 4 years
Council of Government:  Lower Savannah
County History
Orangeburg County was named for William IV (1711-1751), Prince of Orange, the son-in-law of King George II. Orangeburg District was established in 1769, and from 1785 to 1791 it included four counties: Lexington, Orange, Winton, and Lewisburg. The district was reduced in size when Barnwell (1800) and Lexington (1804) districts were formed; parts of Orangeburg also went to form Aiken (1871) and Calhoun (1908) counties. Swiss and German farmers moved into this region around 1735, and English settlers from the lowcountry followed. The battle of Eutaw Springs was fought there during the Revolutionary War on September 8, 1781; it was the last major battle of the war in South Carolina. Large plantations using slave labor were established in Orangeburg in the nineteenth century, and the county became a major producer of cotton. Railroads arrived in the area early; Branchville became the first railroad junction in the state in 1840. Union troops under General Sherman passed through Orangeburg in February 1865. Orangeburg County was the birthplace of historian Alexander S. Salley (1871-1961) and singer Eartha Kitt.
Population Trends Value Rank Value Rank
Census Population 1990 84,803 15 Numeric Change Census 1990-2010 7,698 25
Census Population 2000 91,582 16 Numeric Change Pop. Est. 2010-2011 -429 46
Census Population 2010 92,501 16 Percent Change Pop. Est. 2010-2011 -0.5% 30
Population Estimate 2010 92,339 16 Persons Per Square Mile 83.6 23
Population Estimate 2011 91,910 16
Economic Data Value Rank Value Rank
Jobs 2010 32,976 15 Personal Income 2010, in thousands $2,613,881 16
Jobs 2009 33,708 15 Per Capita Personal Income  2010 $28,307 26
Jobs 2008 32,976 15 % of U.S. Per Capita PI 2010 71% 26
Avg. Ann. Growth Rate Jobs 1990-2010 -0.3% 25 Average Wage Per Job 2010 $33,602 28
Percent Change Jobs 2009-2010 -2.2% 32 % of U.S. Avg. Wage Per Job 2010 71% 28
Numeric Change Jobs 2009-2010 -732 38 Unemployment Rate 2011 14.5% 10
Tax Data Value Value
Assessed Property 2010 $308,316,699 Per Capita Assessed Property 2010 $3,333
County Base Millage Rate 2011 0.1247 Additional Sales Tax, if applicable
Value of One Mil 2011 $226,826 Local Option Sales Tax  
Net Taxable Sales FY10 $620,390,183 Capital Projects Sales Tax 1.0%
Admissions Tax Collected FY10 $185,615 School District Sales Tax  
Accommodations Tax Collected FY10 $483,172 Transportation Sales Tax  
County Finance & Employment Data Value
Total Revenues FY10 $72,277,465 Value
Total Expenditures FY10 $96,968,716 Per Capita Revenues FY10 $781
General Fund Budget FY12 $31,342,257 Per Capita Expenditures FY10 $1,048
Total Debt Outstanding FY11 $55,489,911 Per Capita Gen. Fund Budget FY12 $339
Payroll FY12 $18,154,135 Per Capita Debt Outstanding FY11 $604
Full-Time Employees FY12 511 Credit Rating(s) FY11
Part-Time Employees FY12 184 Moody's: A2
Full-Time Emp/1,000 Cnty Residents 5.52 Standard & Poor: A