Duncan is a town in
Spartanburg County,
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 ...
, United States. Its population was 3,181 at the
2010 census.
History
In 1811, a post office was established on what is now S.C. Highway 290. A tiny settlement sprung up around it, and both the post office and community were named New Hope. In 1854, the town changed its name to Vernonville or Vernonsville in honor of local physician J.J. Vernon.
In the mid-1850s, plans were under way to put a railroad line through Duncan, but the impending Civil War disrupted them. It was not until 1873 that the Atlanta and Richmond Railroad laid a line through the town.
Shortly after the
Civil War
A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...
, Leroy Duncan came to town and began buying land. Duncan was an ambitious man who craved recognition. During celebrations for the new railroad line, he promised townspeople he would provide land for city streets if they would agree to rename the town after him. In 1881, the name change became official.
Duncan became the site of an important footnote in Spartanburg County's African-American history when the Rock Hill Negro School opened in Duncan in 1881.
Within two years of its name change, Duncan boasted a population of 200, along with several general stores, saw and flour mills and a cotton gin. The town received its charter in 1889.
The Hughes Hotel, opened in 1892, became a focal point of the town and drew travelers from the Greenville-Spartanburg road.
Geography
Duncan is located at (34.934983, -82.134801).
The town is concentrated around the intersection of
South Carolina Highway 290 and
South Carolina Highway 292, west of
Spartanburg
Spartanburg is a city in and the county seat of Spartanburg County, South Carolina, United States. The city had a population of 38,732 as of the 2020 census, making it the 11th-most populous city in the state. The Office of Management and Budg ...
and east of
Greenville. Its corporate boundaries extend northward to beyond
U.S. Route 29
U.S. Route 29 or U.S. Highway 29 (US 29) is a north–south United States Numbered Highway that runs for from Pensacola, Florida, to Ellicott City, Maryland, just west of Baltimore, Baltimore, Maryland, in the Eastern United Stat ...
, and southward to
Interstate 85. The
Middle Tyger River passes through the northern part of Duncan, and provides part of the town's boundary with
Lyman to the northeast.
According to the
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...
, the town has a total area of , all land.
Demographics
2020 census
As of the
2020 United States census, there were 4,041 people, 1,323 households, and 843 families residing in the town.
2000 census
As of the
census
A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...
of 2000, there were 2,870 people, 1,125 households, and 811 families residing in the town. 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 1,274 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 65.68%
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 ...
, 30.84%
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 ...
, 0.14%
Native American, 0.66%
Asian, 1.67% from
other races, and 1.01% from two or more races.
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 were 3.41% of the population.
There were 1,125 households, out of which 43.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.3% 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, 29.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.9% were non-families. 24.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.54 and the average family size was 2.96.
In the town, the population was spread out, with 33.0% under the age of 18, 11.0% from 18 to 24, 30.5% from 25 to 44, 14.8% from 45 to 64, and 10.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 28 years. For every 100 females, there were 85.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 73.1 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $27,974, and the median income for a family was $28,547. Males had a median income of $27,236 versus $21,585 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 town was $13,194. About 19.1% of families and 20.3% 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 29.4% of those under age 18 and 13.0% of those age 65 or over.
Economy
Staubli's,
Röchling Group, and
Dräxlmaier Group North American headquarters are located in Duncan.
References
External links
Official siteGovernment information about the Town of Duncan
{{authority control
Towns in Spartanburg County, South Carolina
Towns in South Carolina
Upstate South Carolina