| CHARLESTON COUNTY | |
| Date Formed: | 1769 |
| Land Area (square miles): | 919 |
| County Seat: | Charleston |
| Other Cities and Towns: | |
| Awendaw, Folly Beach, Hollywood, Isle of Palms, Kiawah Island, Lincolnville, McClellanville, Meggett, Mount Pleasant, North Charleston, Ravenel, Seabrook Island, Sullivan's Island, Summerville | |
| Form of Government: | Council-Administrator |
| Council Members: | 9 |
| Method of Election | Single Member |
| Term Length | 4 years |
| Council of Government: | Berkeley-Charleston-Dorchester |
County History
Charleston County and the city of Charleston are the most historic locations in the state. English settlers arrived in the colony of Carolina in 1670 and established a town at Albemarle Point on the west bank of the Ashley River. The settlement, named Charles Town in honor of King Charles II of England, was subsequently moved a few miles away to a peninsula between the Ashley and Cooper rivers. Charles Towne (renamed Charleston in 1783) was the political, social, and economic center of the state throughout the colonial and antebellum periods, and it served as the capital until 1790. Charleston District was formed in 1769, but portions were later split off to form Colleton (1800) and Berkeley (1882) counties. During the Revolutionary War the American forces defeated the attacking British fleet at Charleston in June 1776. At another Charleston fort, Fort Sumter, federal troops were fired on by Confederate forces in April 1861, signaling the start of the Civil War. Charleston County has had many famous residents, including three signers of the United States Constitution: Charles Pinckney (1757-1824), Charles Cotesworth Pinckney (1746-1825), and John Rutledge (1739-1800).
| Population 1980: | 276,974 | 2 | Numeric Change 1980-2000: | 32,995 | 11 |
| Population 1990: | 295,039 | 2 | Numeric Change 2000-2007: | 33,004 | 5 |
| Population 2000: | 309,969 | 3 | Avg. Ann. Growth Rate 1980-2000: | 0.59% | 36 |
| Population Estimate 2006: | 340,806 | 3 | Avg. Ann. Growth Rate 2000-2007: | 1.52% | 10 |
| Population Estimate 2007: | 342,973 | 3 | Percent Change 2006-2007: | 0.63% | 20 |
| Persons Per Square Mile 2007: | 373.2 | 3 | |||
| Economic Data | Value | Rank | Value | Rank | |
| Jobs 1980: | 155,599 | 2 | Personal Income (PI) 2006: | $12,380,254 | 2 |
| Jobs 1990: | 206,648 | 1 | Avg. Ann. Growth Rate (PI) 1969-2006: | 7.8% | 16 |
| Jobs 2000: | 215,368 | 3 | Per Capita Personal Income 2006: | $36,326 | 2 |
| Jobs 2005: | 230,314 | 3 | % of U.S. PCPI 2006: | 99% | 2 |
| Jobs 2006: | 235,982 | 3 | Average Wage Per Job 2006: | $36,365 | 6 |
| Numeric Change Jobs 2005-2006: | 5,668 | 3 | % of U.S. Avg. Wage Per Job 2006: | 87% | 6 |
| Avg. Annual Growth Rate 1980-2000: | 1.92% | 17 | Unemployment Rate 2007: | 4.5% | 43 |
| Avg. Annual Growth Rate 2000-2006: | 0.44% | 10 | Avg. Unemployment 1998-2007: | 4.4% | 42 |
| Tax Data | Value | Rank | Value | Rank | |
| Assessed Property 2005: | $2,909,831,775 | 1 | Per Capita Assessed Property 2005: | $9,387 | 3 |
| County Base Millage Rate 2007: | 0.0544 | 42 | Additional Sales Tax (if applicable) | ||
| Value of One Mil 2007: | $2,511,392 | 1 | Local Option Sales Tax: | 1.0% | |
| Millage Cap FY09: | 3.5% | 20 | Capital Projects Sales Tax: | ||
| Net Taxable Sales FY06: | $6,578,697,190 | 2 | School District Sales Tax: | ||
| Admissions Tax Collected FY06: | $4,218,019 | 2 | Transportation Sales Tax: | 0.5% | |
| Accommodations Tax Collected FY06: | $8,213,651 | 2 | |||
| Financial & Employment Data | Value | Rank | Value | Rank | |
| Total Revenues FY06: | $415,699,563 | 1 | Per Capita Revenues: | $1,341 | 2 |
| Total Expenditures FY06: | $310,253,975 | 1 | Per Capita Expenditures: | $1,001 | 5 |
| General Fund Budget FY08: | $140,800,000 | 1 | Per Capita General Fund Budget: | $454 | 19 |
| Total Debt Outstanding FY07: | $275,306,250 | 2 | Per Capita Debt Outstanding: | $825 | 5 |
| Payroll FY 2008: | $64,035,628 | 3 | Credit Rating(s) FY07 | ||
| Full-Time Employees FY08: | 2,278 | 1 | Moody's: | Aa1 | |
| Part-Time Employees FY08 | 133 | 6 | Standard & Poor: | AAA |
Source: http://www.sccounties.org/counties/profiles/charleston-profile.htm
