Dillon County is a county located in the U.S. state of South Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the county's population was 28,292. The county seat is Dillon.

History Founded in 1910 from a portion of Marion County, both Dillon County and the city of Dillon were named for prosperous local citizen James W. Dillon (1826–1913), an Irishman who settled there and led a campaign to bring the railroad into the community. The result of this effort was the construction of the Wilson Short Cut Railroad, which later became part of the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad. It stimulated greater prosperity directly linking Dillon County to the national network of railroads.

Geography According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (0.43%) is water. It is the fifth-smallest county in South Carolina by area.

State and local protected areas/sites Bass Community Park Dillon County Museum Little Pee Dee State Park Little Pee Dee State Park Bay Heritage Preserve

Major water bodies Cud Swamp Great Pee Dee River Little Pee Dee River Lumber River Maidendown Swamp Reedy Creek

Adjacent counties Robeson County, North Carolina – north Columbus County, North Carolina – north Horry County – east Marion County – south Florence County – southwest Marlboro County – west

Major highways

Major infrastructure Dillon County Airport Dillon Station Inland Port Dillon, major rail depot in the county

Demographics

Racial and ethnic composition +Dillon County, South Carolina – Racial and ethnic compositionRace / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)Pop 1980 Pop 1990Pop 2000Pop 2010 Pop 2020% 1980% 1990% 2000% 2010% 2020White alone (NH)17,46715,84415,30915,15212,98756.19%54.42%49.83%47.26%45.90%Black or African American alone (NH)12,80612,70513,87914,73012,70941.20%43.64%45.18%45.94%44.92%Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)4124236647516031.33%1.45%2.16%2.34%2.13%Asian alone (NH)576510076630.18%0.22%0.33%0.24%0.22%Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH)x included in the Asian category in the 1980 Censusx included in the Asian category in the 1990 Census881xx0.03%0.02%0.00%Other race alone (NH)012134750.00%0.00%0.07%0.11%0.27%Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)x not an option in the 1980 Censusx not an option in the 1990 Census202478998xx0.66%1.49%3.53%Hispanic or Latino (any race)341765398338561.10%0.26%1.75%2.60%3.03%Total31,08329,11430,72232,06228,292 100.00%100.00%100.00%100.00%100.00%

2020 census As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 28,292, 11,195 households, and 7,016 families residing within its borders.

The racial makeup of the county was 46.5% White, 45.0% Black or African American, 2.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% Asian, 0.0% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 1.9% from some other race, and 4.1% from two or more races, while Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 3.0% of the population.

The median age was 41.0 years, with 24.0% of residents under the age of 18 and 18.5% of residents 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 87.8 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 83.6 males age 18 and over.

Of the 11,195 households, 31.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them and 38.7% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 30.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

There were 12,779 housing units, of which 12.4% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 66.9% were owner-occupied and 33.1% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.7% and the rental vacancy rate was 7.8%.

30.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 70.0% lived in rural areas.

2010 census At the 2010 census, there were 32,062 people, 11,923 households, and 8,342 families living in the county. The population density was . There were 13,742 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 48.0% white, 46.1% black or African American, 2.5% American Indian, 0.2% Asian, 1.5% from other races, and 1.6% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 2.6% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 13.5% were American, 6.5% were English, and 5.4% were Irish.

Of the 11,923 households, 36.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.2% were married couples living together, 23.9% had a female householder with no husband present, 30.0% were non-families, and 26.5% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.65 and the average family size was 3.20. The median age was 36.7 years.

The median income for a household in the county was $26,818 and the median income for a family was $34,693. Males had a median income of $31,973 versus $22,100 for females. The per capita income for the county was $14,684. About 26.2% of families and 30.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 43.8% of those under age 18 and 23.7% of those age 65 or over.

2000 census At the 2000 census, there were 30,722 people, 11,199 households, and 8,063 families living in the county. The population density was . There were 12,679 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 47% White, 49% Black or African American, 2.21% Native American, 0.34% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.99% from other races, and 0.70% from two or more races. 1.75% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 11,199 households, out of which 34.60% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.80% were married couples living together, 22.30% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.00% were non-families. 25.10% 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 2.71 and the average family size was 3.24.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 29.10% under the age of 18, 9.50% from 18 to 24, 27.50% from 25 to 44, 22.40% from 45 to 64, and 11.50% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 87.40 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.60 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $26,630, and the median income for a family was $32,690. Males had a median income of $26,908 versus $18,007 for females. The per capita income for the county was $13,272. About 19.40% of families and 24.20% of the population were below the poverty line, including 33.30% of those under age 18 and 26.60% of those age 65 or over. Government and politics Dillon County was one of the few counties nationwide that voted for Hillary Clinton in 2016 and Donald Trump in 2020.

Economy In 2022, the GDP of Dillon County as $887.9 million (about $32,055 per capita). In chained 2017 dollars, the real GDP was $742.1 million (about $27,808 per capita). Between 2022 through 2024, the unemployment rate of the county has fluctuated between 3.6 and 5.7%.

Food Lion, Harbor Freight Tools, McLeod Health, Perdue Farms, and Walmart comprise some of the largest employers in the county. + Employment and Wage Statistics by Industry in Dillon County, South Carolina Industry Employment Counts Employment Percentage (%) Average Annual Wage ($) Accommodation and Food Services 1,065 15.4 18,460 Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services 174 2.5 25,792 Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting 105 1.5 40,144 Construction 112 1.6 34,424 Finance and Insurance 129 1.9 45,396 Health Care and Social Assistance 1,106 15.9 43,368 Information 30 0.4 67,340 Manufacturing 1,844 26.6 45,188 Other Services (except Public Administration) 87 1.3 45,136 Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 125 1.8 51,896 Public Administration 561 8.1 39,624 Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 30 0.4 35,516 Retail Trade 1,399 20.2 30,316 Wholesale Trade 169 2.4 66,768 Total 6,936 100.0% 37,311

Attractions Dillon County Museum Dillon Motor Speedway Little Pee Dee State Park South of the Border

Communities Cities Dillon (county seat and largest community)

Towns Lake View Latta

Census-designated places Floydale Hamer Little Rock Newtown

Other unincorporated communities

Bass Crossroads Berrys Crossroads Bingham Bronson Crossroads Bunker Hill Carmichael Crossroads Carolina Carter Landing Centerville Cotton Valley Dalcho Dothan Dunbarton Five Forks Fork Forrest Hills Gaddys Crossroads Gaddys Mill Galavon Hayestown High Hill Crossroads Jacksonville Judson Kemper Kentyre Linkside Mallory Mallory Beach Manning Crossroads May Hilltop McCormick Crossroads Minturn Mount Calvary Newtown Oak Grove Oakland Crossroads Oliver Crossroads Pittman Corner Riverdale Selma Sinclair Crossroads South of the Border Squires Squires Curve Temperance Hill

See also List of counties in South Carolina National Register of Historic Places listings in Dillon County, South Carolina

References

Further reading

External links

Dillon County history and images