Chester County is a

county A county () is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesL. Brookes (ed.) '' Chambers Dictionary''. Edinburgh: Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, 2005. in some nations. The term is derived from the Old French denoti ...

located in the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its so ...

South Carolina South Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders North Carolina to the north and northeast, the Atlantic Ocean to the southeast, and Georgia (U.S. state), Georg ...

. As of the 2020 census, its population was 32,294. Its

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...

Chester Chester is a cathedral city in Cheshire, England, on the River Dee, Wales, River Dee, close to the England–Wales border. With a built-up area population of 92,760 in 2021, it is the most populous settlement in the borough of Cheshire West an ...

.Chester County is included in the Charlotte- Concord- Gastonia, NC-SC Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History

The county was founded in 1785 and was named after

Chester, Pennsylvania Chester is a city in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is located in the Philadelphia metropolitan area (also known as the Delaware Valley) on the western bank of the Delaware River between Philadelphia and Wilmington, Delaware. ...

. The largest community and county seat is Chester. The county is also included in the Charlotte- Concord- Gastonia, NC-SC Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Geography

According to the

U.S. Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The U.S. Census Bureau is part of the U ...

, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (0.94%) is water.

National protected area

* Sumter National Forest (part)

State and local protected areas

* Chester State Park * Landsford Canal Forest Legacy Area * Landsford Canal State Park

Major water bodies

* Broad River * Catawba River

Adjacent counties

* York County – north * Lancaster County – east * Fairfield County – south * Union County – west

Major highways

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, there were 32,294 people, 12,653 households, and 8,042 families residing in the county.

2010 census

At the 2010 census, there were 33,140 people, 12,876 households, and 9,073 families living in the county. The population density was . There were 14,701 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 59.8% white, 37.4% black or African American, 0.4% American Indian, 0.3% Asian, 0.6% from other races, and 1.5% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 1.4% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 19.9% were American, 7.5% were Irish, 5.6% were English, and 5.1% were

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...

. Of the 12,876 households, 34.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.5% were married couples living together, 19.8% had a female householder with no husband present, 29.5% were non-families, and 25.9% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.56 and the average family size was 3.04. The median age was 40.3 years. The median income for a household in the county was $32,743 and the median income for a family was $42,074. Males had a median income of $39,008 versus $27,701 for females. The per capita income for the county was $17,687. About 18.6% of families and 21.4% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 30.0% of those under age 18 and 18.0% of those age 65 or over.

2000 census

At the 2000 census, there were 34,068 people, 12,880 households, and 9,338 families living in the county. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geog ...

was . There were 14,374 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 59.93%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 38.65%

Black Black is a color that results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without chroma, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness.Eva Heller, ''P ...

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 0.33% Native American, 0.28% Asian, 0.01%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...

, 0.25% from other races, and 0.55% from two or more races. 0.75% of the population were

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race. There were 12,880 households, out of which 32.90% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.80% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

living together, 18.60% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.50% were non-families. 24.20% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.90% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.62 and the average family size was 3.11. In the county, the population was spread out, with 26.90% under the age of 18, 8.40% from 18 to 24, 28.20% from 25 to 44, 23.80% from 45 to 64, and 12.70% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 92.50 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.60 males. The median income for a household in the county was $32,425, and the median income for a family was $38,087. Males had a median income of $30,329 versus $21,570 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the county was $14,709. About 11.90% of families and 15.30% of the population were below the

, including 21.20% of those under age 18 and 14.90% of those age 65 or over.

Law and government

Law enforcement

In 2021, Chester County Sheriff Alex Underwood was found guilty of conspiracy, wire fraud, deprivation of rights and federal program theft, and sentenced to one year in prison.

Politics

Economy

Chester County's economy has an industrial and agricultural base with large areas used for timber production. There are several sawmills in the county and others near it. Forest land ownership is majority family landowners who manage their properties for a variety of uses. Agriculture is also a big segment of the economy with crops consisting of cotton, wheat, oats, rye, beef and dairy cattle, hay, corn, peaches, other vegetables, peanuts, soybeans, and pecans. In 2022, the GDP of Chester County was $1.4 billion (about $43,999 per capita). In chained 2017 dollars, its real GDP was $1.1 billion (about $35,382 per capita). Throughout 2022 to 2024, the unemployment rate has fluctuated between 3.1% and 5.6%. , some of the largest employers in the county include Chester County School District, E & J Gallo Winery, and

Walmart Walmart Inc. (; formerly Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.) is an American multinational retail corporation that operates a chain of hypermarkets (also called supercenters), discount department stores, and grocery stores in the United States and 23 other ...

Media

* Chester Vision or CSN * '' Chester News & Reporter'' * WRBK, 90.3 FM, a noncommercial station that primarily features classic oldies

Communities

City

(county seat and largest community)

Towns

* Fort Lawn * Great Falls * Lowrys * Richburg

Census-designated places

* Eureka Mill * Gayle Mill

Unincorporated communities

* Blackstock * Edgemoor * Lando *

Leeds Leeds is a city in West Yorkshire, England. It is the largest settlement in Yorkshire and the administrative centre of the City of Leeds Metropolitan Borough, which is the second most populous district in the United Kingdom. It is built aro ...

* Sandy River * Wilksburg

Notable people

John Adair John Adair (January 9, 1757 – May 19, 1840) was an American pioneer, slave trader, soldier, and politician. He was the List of Governors of Kentucky, eighth Governor of Kentucky and represented the state in both the United States House of Re ...

, (1757–1840), born in Chester County (although at the time it was believed to be part of

Anson County, North Carolina Anson County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 22,055. Its county seat is Wadesboro. History The area eventually comprising Anson County was originally occupied by Native Ameri ...

), became a member of the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Artic ...

and the

United States Senate The United States Senate is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the upper house, with the United States House of Representatives, U.S. House of Representatives being the lower house. Together, the Senate and ...

, and the 8th governor of

Kentucky Kentucky (, ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north, West Virginia to the ...

* Thomas Griffin and Meeks Griffin, were wrongly executed in South Carolina by electric chair in 1915. They were framed in Chester County in 1913 and pardoned in 2009.

References

External links

* *
Chester County history and images
{{Authority control 1785 establishments in South Carolina Populated places established in 1785