Georgetown County, South Carolina

Georgetown County is a located in the  of. In 2000, its population was 55,797; in 2005, the estimated that its population had reached 60,983. Its is.

Geography
According to the, the county has a total area of 2,681 (1,035 ). 2,110 km² (815 sq mi) of it is land and 570 km² (220 sq mi) of it (21.27%) is water.

Georgetown County has several rivers including the Great, the , , and , all of which flow into Winyah Bay. The, which forms the southern boundary of the county, empties directly into the. The also crosses the county and Winyah Bay. The rivers and the bay have had a decisive effect on human development of the area, especially as the city of has an excellent  and.

Georgetown County is a diverse county with four distinct areas:

1. The Atlantic coastline, also called , including the communities of Murrells Inlet, Litchfield, and DeBordieu are part of The Grand Strand which includes  to the north. The Georgetown County part of the Grand Strand used to be quaint and somewhat wild, but is exploding with development today. Condos line the shoreline at Litchfield, and many of the old cottages at Pawleys are also being demolished for more upscale homes. DeBordieu is a.

Empty beachfront has disappeared and wild areas are also rapidly vanishing. A few wilder areas are being saved. preserves a little bit of coastline and coastal marshes in the northern section, with nearby keeping a historical   and some. Brookgreen Gardens, with a nature center and many outdoor s is a very popular tourist spot. The and  maintain the  research site at Hobcaw Barony on Waccamaw Neck. The islands around the outlet of Winyah Bay are designated as the Tom Yawkey Wildlife Center Heritage Preserve. This area is home to the northernmost natural occurring hammocks of South Carolina's signature tree.

2. The wild riverfronts have very little development, although the areas once thrived as  plantations, using a rice variety brought from. After the, and the loss of labor, the plantations gradually ceased production. Today they are primarily wild areas, accessible only by, with occasional remnants of the old dikes and water gates used for rice culture, as well as a few of the old plantation houses. Some of the plantations, such as, have been redeveloped as Country Inns or planned communities. Great blue s, s, and even an occasional can be seen along the waterways. is a popular activity.



A tiny community exists on, in the Pee Dee River, which is accessible only by boat. The folks who live there are descendants of slaves, and are trying to keep out development. Recently the Federal government began buying land along the rivers for the new which is intended to protect such wild areas. The headquarters of the refuge will be at Yauhannah in the northern part of the county.



3. The city of Georgetown is a small historic city that dates back to colonial times. It is a popular tourist area and a port for boats. Yachting  are often seen at the docks in spring and fall; these people along the Intracoastal waterway.

4. The inland rural areas are thinly populated and somewhat impoverished. Some higher land is good for or. There are several s, thought to be old craters from a striking meteor shower. These areas are rich in, although the largest of them, Carvers Bay, was extensively damaged by use as a practice bombing range during , and by draining.

Adjacent Counties

 * - north
 * - northeast
 * - southwest
 * - southwest
 * - northwest

Demographics


As of the of 2000, there were 55,797 people, 21,659 households, and 15,854 families residing in the county. The was 26/km² (68/sq mi). There were 28,282 housing units at an average density of 13/km² (35/sq mi). The racial makeup of the county was 59.69%, 38.61% or , 0.14% , 0.23% , 0.03% , 0.81% from , and 0.49% from two or more races. 1.65% of the population were or  of any race.

There were 21,659 households out of which 30.20% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.10% were living together, 15.10% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.80% were non-families. 23.30% 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 2.55 and the average family size was 3.01.

In the county, the population was spread out with 25.20% under the age of 18, 7.70% from 18 to 24, 25.90% from 25 to 44, 26.20% from 45 to 64, and 15.00% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 91.80 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.40 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $35,312, and the median income for a family was $41,554. Males had a median income of $31,110 versus $20,910 for females. The for the county was $19,805. About 13.40% of families and 17.10% of the population were below the, including 25.80% of those under age 18 and 14.00% of those age 65 or over.