Top, left to right: Powdersville Branch Library, water tower, Saluda River, Powdersville Main, Highway 153, Bethesda Church, Powdersville Volunteer Fire Department
The name Powders comes from the production and trade of gunpowder in the area. One of the first stores in present-day Powdersville was called the Powdersville Area General Store. In 1859 a powder mill was established in present-day Powdersville by John Bowen. During the American Civil War, the area was used to store gunpowder though Columbia remained the primary production site of the state's powder. Due to the area's use of gunpowder, the name Powders became a fixture for the location.[6] The Saluda Valley-Powdersville Water Company was created in 1971 to serve drinking water to around 1,200 customers. In 1992, the name changed to Powdersville Water Company and in 2001 the name changed again to Powdersville Water District.[7][8] The first high school in Powdersville was established in 2011 as Powdersville High School.[9]
According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 14.0 square miles (36.3 km2), of which 13.9 square miles (35.9 km2) is land and 0.12 square miles (0.3 km2), or 0.90%, is water.
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 10,025 people, 3,515 households, and 2,570 families residing in the CDP.
2000 census
As of the census[4] of 2000, there were 5,362 people, 1,989 households, and 1,615 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 384.4 inhabitants per square mile (148.4/km2). There were 2,133 housing units at an average density of 152.9 per square mile (59.0/km2). The racial makeup of the CDP was 94.18% White, 4.35% African American, 0.26% Native American, 0.37% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 0.21% from other races, and 0.58% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.14% of the population.
There were 1,989 households, out of which 37.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 69.8% were married couples living together, 8.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 18.8% were non-families. 16.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.70 and the average family size was 3.01.
In the CDP, the population was spread out, with 26.0% under the age of 18, 7.0% from 18 to 24, 30.4% from 25 to 44, 27.2% from 45 to 64, and 9.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.1 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $50,255, and the median income for a family was $57,131. Males had a median income of $41,297 versus $25,136 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $20,901. About 2.4% of families and 2.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.1% of those under age 18 and 7.3% of those age 65 or over.
Religion
The largest religious group in Powdersville is Protestant. The oldest church congregation in Powdersville dating back to 1833 is Bethesda Church.
Public education in Powdersville is administered by Anderson County School District One. The district operates Concrete Primary School, Powdersville Elementary School, Powdersville Middle School and Powdersville High School.
Powdersville has a public library, a branch of the Anderson County Library System.[13]
