Darlington County, South Carolina

Darlington County
Darlington County
County
	Darlington County Courthouse
	Seal
	Motto(s): "Experience Darlington County, South Carolina, At The Speed Of Life"
	Location within the U.S. state of South Carolina
	South Carolina's location within the U.S.
	Coordinates: 34°20′N 79°58′W / 34.33°N 79.96°W
Country	United States
State	South Carolina
Founded	1785
Named for	Unknown; possibly Darlington, England
Seat	Darlington
Largest community	Hartsville
Area
• Total	566.25 sq mi (1,466.6 km2)
• Land	560.59 sq mi (1,451.9 km2)
• Water	5.66 sq mi (14.7 km2) 1.00%
Population (2020)
• Total	62,905
• Estimate (2023)	62,416
• Density	112.21/sq mi (43.32/km2)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district	7th
Website	www.darcosc.com

Darlington County is a county in the U.S. state of South Carolina. As of the 2020 census, its population was 62,905.^[1] Its county seat is Darlington.^[2] Hartsville is the largest community in the county. Darlington County is home to the Darlington Raceway, which hosts the annual NASCAR Southern 500. Darlington County is also home to Coker College in Hartsville. Darlington County was named by an act in March 1785.

Darlington County is included in the Florence, SC Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History

The county was founded in 1785. While no records exist regarding the namesake of the county, it could possibly be named after Darlington, England. The county seat is Darlington and the largest community is Hartsville.

Geography

Interactive map of Darlington County

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 566.25 square miles (1,466.6 km²), of which 560.59 square miles (1,451.9 km²) is land and 5.66 square miles (14.7 km²) (1.00%) is water.^[3]

State and local protected areas/sites

Major water bodies

Adjacent counties

Florence County – southeast
Marlboro County – northeast
Chesterfield County – northwest
Lee County – southwest
Kershaw County – west

Major highways

Major infrastructure

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1800	7,631		—
1810	9,047		18.6%
1820	10,949		21.0%
1830	13,728		25.4%
1840	14,822		8.0%
1850	16,830		13.5%
1860	20,361		21.0%
1870	26,243		28.9%
1880	34,485		31.4%
1890	29,134		−15.5%
1900	32,388		11.2%
1910	36,027		11.2%
1920	39,126		8.6%
1930	41,427		5.9%
1940	45,198		9.1%
1950	50,016		10.7%
1960	52,928		5.8%
1970	53,442		1.0%
1980	62,717		17.4%
1990	61,851		−1.4%
2000	67,394		9.0%
2010	68,681		1.9%
2020	62,905		−8.4%
2023 (est.)	62,416	^[1]	−0.8%
U.S. Decennial Census^[5] 1790–1960^[6] 1900–1990^[7] 1990–2000^[8] 2010^[9] 2020^[1]

2020 census

Darlington County racial composition^[10]
Race	Num.	Perc.
White (non-Hispanic)	33,821	53.77%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic)	25,386	40.36%
Native American	136	0.22%
Asian	290	0.46%
Pacific Islander	4	0.01%
Other/Mixed	1,872	2.98%
Hispanic or Latino	1,396	2.22%

As of the 2020 census, there were 62,905 people, 24,801 households, and 17,344 families residing in the county.

2010 census

At the 2010 census, there were 68,681 people, 26,531 households, and 18,552 families living in the county.^[11] The population density was 122.4 inhabitants per square mile (47.3/km²). There were 30,297 housing units at an average density of 54.0 per square mile (20.8/km²).^[12] The racial makeup of the county was 55.9% white, 41.6% black or African American, 0.3% Asian, 0.3% American Indian, 0.9% from other races, and 1.1% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 1.7% of the population.^[11] In terms of ancestry, 9.5% were American, 7.0% were English, and 5.3% were Irish.^[13]

Of the 26,531 households, 34.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.0% were married couples living together, 20.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 30.1% were non-families, and 26.0% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.54 and the average family size was 3.04. The median age was 39.6 years.^[11]

The median income for a household in the county was $38,379 and the median income for a family was $46,894. Males had a median income of $40,089 versus $29,255 for females. The per capita income for the county was $20,096. About 14.6% of families and 20.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 30.7% of those under age 18 and 15.1% of those age 65 or over.^[14]

2000 census

At the 2000 census,^[15] there were 67,394 people, 25,793 households, and 18,441 families living in the county. The population density was 120 inhabitants per square mile (46/km²). There were 28,942 housing units at an average density of 52 per square mile (20/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 56.98% White, 41.70% Black or African American, 0.19% Native American, 0.21% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.39% from other races, and 0.52% from two or more races. 0.98% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 25,793 households, out of which 32.20% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.30% were married couples living together, 18.70% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.50% were non-families. 25.10% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.20% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.57 and the average family size was 3.07.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 26.30% under the age of 18, 9.00% from 18 to 24, 28.20% from 25 to 44, 24.40% from 45 to 64, and 12.10% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.80 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.60 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $31,087, and the median income for a family was $37,662. Males had a median income of $30,947 versus $20,998 for females. The per capita income for the county was $16,283. About 16.40% of families and 20.30% of the population were below the poverty line, including 26.70% of those under age 18 and 22.10% of those age 65 or over.

According to the 2000 census, Darlington County was classified as 41% urban and 59% rural. It contains the two urbanized areas of Hartsville (2000 pop. 14,907) and Darlington (12,066). The county's population is included within the Florence, SC Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Government and politics

United States presidential election results for Darlington County, South Carolina^[16]
Year	Republican		Democratic		Third party
Year	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
2020	16,832	51.92%	15,220	46.95%	365	1.13%
2016	14,989	50.51%	13,888	46.80%	797	2.69%
2012	14,434	47.87%	15,457	51.27%	259	0.86%
2008	14,544	49.58%	14,505	49.45%	285	0.97%
2004	13,416	52.71%	11,829	46.47%	209	0.82%
2000	11,290	51.64%	10,253	46.90%	320	1.46%
1996	8,220	45.18%	8,943	49.15%	1,031	5.67%
1992	8,912	44.00%	9,090	44.88%	2,251	11.11%
1988	9,854	55.23%	7,625	42.73%	364	2.04%
1984	11,100	58.70%	7,456	39.43%	354	1.87%
1980	8,289	48.39%	8,489	49.55%	353	2.06%
1976	6,678	39.52%	10,165	60.16%	54	0.32%
1972	11,756	72.04%	4,414	27.05%	149	0.91%
1968	4,947	35.38%	3,803	27.20%	5,231	37.42%
1964	6,717	57.28%	5,010	42.72%	0	0.00%
1960	3,494	42.81%	4,668	57.19%	0	0.00%
1956	1,597	22.47%	2,908	40.91%	2,603	36.62%
1952	3,463	37.72%	5,718	62.28%	0	0.00%
1948	104	3.77%	726	26.30%	1,930	69.93%
1944	46	2.33%	1,808	91.41%	124	6.27%
1940	60	4.12%	1,395	95.88%	0	0.00%
1936	12	0.60%	1,995	99.40%	0	0.00%
1932	31	2.15%	1,409	97.78%	1	0.07%
1928	48	4.06%	1,135	95.94%	0	0.00%
1924	3	0.31%	956	98.96%	7	0.72%
1920	18	1.41%	1,262	98.59%	0	0.00%
1916	5	0.34%	1,462	99.46%	3	0.20%
1912	0	0.00%	883	99.77%	2	0.23%
1904	42	2.79%	1,464	97.21%	0	0.00%
1900	83	6.32%	1,230	93.68%	0	0.00%

Economy

In 2022, the GDP of Darlington County was $3.3 billion (approx. $52,531 per capita).^[17] In chained 2017 dollars, its real GDP was $2.7 billion (approx. $42,579 per capita).^[18] Between 2022 and 2024, the unemployment rate has fluctuated between 2.4-4.2% within the county.^[19]

As of April 2024^[update], some of the largest employers in the county include Coker University, Duke Energy Progress Inc, Sonoco, and Walmart.^[20]

Employment and Wage Statistics by Industry in Darlington County, South Carolina^[20]
Industry	Employment Counts	Employment Percentage (%)	Average Annual Wage ($)
Accommodation and Food Services	1,654	8.1	17,212
Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services	1,066	5.2	39,832
Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting	150	0.7	34,424
Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation	277	1.4	18,304
Construction	1,400	6.9	53,872
Educational Services	1,577	7.7	40,248
Finance and Insurance	345	1.7	60,008
Health Care and Social Assistance	2,801	13.7	46,072
Information	49	0.2	93,028
Management of Companies and Enterprises	92	0.5	67,392
Manufacturing	3,849	18.9	86,164
Other Services (except Public Administration)	503	2.5	34,112
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services	331	1.6	48,620
Public Administration	1,424	7.0	39,364
Real Estate and Rental and Leasing	99	0.5	61,880
Retail Trade	2,370	11.6	30,992
Transportation and Warehousing	940	4.6	50,596
Utilities	736	3.6	107,744
Wholesale Trade	740	3.6	73,684
Total	20,403	100.0%	52,075

Communities

Cities

Darlington (county seat)
Hartsville (largest community)

Towns

Census-designated places

Other unincorporated communities

Notable people

Harry G. Byrd, Major League Baseball right-handed starting pitcher who played for the Philadelphia Athletics, New York Yankees, Baltimore Orioles, Chicago White Sox, and Detroit Tigers. He was born in Darlington. SC 151 in Darlington is named Harry Byrd Highway in his honor.
William G. Farrow, lieutenant in the United States Army Air Corps who participated in the Doolittle Raid; born in Darlington in 1918^[21]
Albert Haynesworth, a professional football player who played primarily for the Tennessee Titans and Washington Redskins; born in Hartsville
W. W. Hicks, member of the Louisiana House of Representatives for Webster Parish, 1900 to 1904; born in Darlington County in 1843
Orlando Hudson, former Major League baseball player; born in Darlington
Jordan Lyles, Major League baseball player; born in Hartsville.
Bobo Newsom, Major League Baseball pitcher with the Tigers, Senators, Cubs, Dodgers, Yankees, Giants, and Red Sox. He compiled a 211–222 record over 20 seasons, including a 21–5 season in 1940. SC 151 in Hartsville is named Bobo Newsom Highway in his honor.
James E. Williams, sailor of the United States Navy during the 1950s and 1960s. He was the most highly decorated enlisted man in the history of the United States Navy and a recipient of the Congressional Medal of Honor.