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Horry County, SC
Horry County (/ˈɒriː/ OR-ree) is the easternmost county in the U.S. state of South Carolina. As of the 2020 census, its population was 351,029. It is the fourth-most populous county in South Carolina. The county seat is Conway.

Horry County is the central county in the Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC Metropolitan Statistical Area. It is in the Pee Dee region of South Carolina, about 90 miles (140 km) north of Charleston, and about 130 miles (210 km) east of the state capital, Columbia.

History

Horry County (pronounced OR-ree) was created from Georgetown District in 1801. At this time, the county had an estimated population of 550. Isolated by the many rivers and swamps typical of the South Carolina Lowcountry, the area essentially was surrounded by water, forcing its inhabitants to survive without much assistance from the "outside world". This caused the county residents to become an extremely independent populace, and they named their county "The Independent Republic of Horry". The county was named after, and in honor of, Revolutionary War hero Peter Horry who was born in South Carolina around 1743. Horry started his military career in 1775 as one of 20 captains, elected by the Provincial Congress of South Carolina, to serve the 1st and 2nd Regiments. In 1790, he was assigned to the South Carolina militia under Brigadier General Francis Marion.

The population has increased more than fourfold since 1970, as the area has become a destination for retirees and people owning second homes. It has been developed for resorts and retirement communities. The majority-White residents have constituted a majority-Republican voter base since the late 20th century.

On October 29, 2012, the county paid homage to the man for whom the county is named. It commissioned a bronze sculpture of Peter Horry, installing it inside the Horry County Government and Justice Center. The sculpture was designed by artist Garland Weeks. Coastal Monument of Conway designed the stone base. The base of the sculpture is inscribed with the names of the 1801 commissioners on one side and the names of 2011 Horry County Council members on the other; a brief biography of General Peter Horry is on the front. It cost slightly more than $16,200 for both the bust/sculpture and the stone base.

In addition to official and academic resources, local history enthusiasts have contributed to preserving Horry County’s heritage. One example is the Horry County Legacy Project, a website dedicated to documenting and sharing the county’s history. The project, available through the Horry County Museum which features articles, photographs, and other resources that highlight the county’s cultural and historical development. Local historian Nicholas Gallagher has played a significant role in curating and presenting the content on this platform.

Geography

Horry County Museum in Conway

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,254.73 square miles (3,249.7 km), of which 1,133.31 square miles (2,935.3 km) is land and 121.42 square miles (314.5 km) (9.68%) is water. It is the largest county by land area in South Carolina. The highest point in the county is 124 feet (38 m) above sea level.

Horry County is in the northeastern corner of South Carolina. It is a diverse land made up of rivers, beaches, forests, and swamps, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east, the Little Pee Dee River and Drowning Creek (also known as the Lumber River) on its western side, and North Carolina to the north. The Waccamaw River, around 140 miles (230 km) long, runs through southeastern North Carolina and eastern South Carolina into Horry County. The river runs through the coastal plain, along the eastern border between the two states, and into the Atlantic Ocean.

National protected area

State and local protected areas/sites

Major water bodies

Adjacent counties

Demographics

Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
18104,349—
18205,02515.5%
18305,2454.4%
18405,7559.7%
18507,64632.9%
18607,9624.1%
187010,72134.7%
188015,57445.3%
189019,25623.6%
190023,36421.3%
191026,99515.5%
192032,07718.8%
193039,37622.8%
194051,95131.9%
195059,82015.1%
196068,24714.1%
197069,9922.6%
1980101,41944.9%
1990144,05342.0%
2000196,62936.5%
2010269,29137.0%
2020351,02930.4%
2023 (est.)397,47813.2%
U.S. Decennial Census
1790–1960 1900–1990
1990–2000 2010 2020

2020 census

Horry County racial composition
Race Num. Perc.
White (non-Hispanic) 265,729 75.7%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic) 39,367 11.21%
Native American 1,174 0.33%
Asian 4,578 1.3%
Pacific Islander 303 0.09%
Other/mixed 15,574 4.44%
Hispanic or Latino 24,304 6.92%

As of the 2020 census, 351,029 people, 140,260 households, and 89,281 families were residing in the county.

2010 census

At the 2010 census, 269,291 people, 112,225 households, and 72,254 families resided in the county. The population density was 237.5 inhabitants per square mile (91.7/km). The 185,992 housing units averaged 164.0 per square mile (63.3/km). The racial makeup of the county was 79.9% White, 13.4% Black or African American, 1.0% Asian, 0.5% American Indian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 3.1% from other races, and 2.0% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 6.2% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 15.3% were American, 13.4% were African American (which can include other ethnicities), 13.3% were Irish, 12.8% were German, 11.3% were English, and 6.1% were Italian.

Of the 112,225 households, 27.3% had children under 18 living with them, 47.2% were married couples living together, 12.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 35.6% were not families, and 26.8% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.37, and the average family size was 2.84. The median age was 41.1 years.

The median income for a household in the county was $43,142 and for a family was $51,608. Males had a median income of $37,351 versus $29,525 for females. The per capita income for the county was $24,811. About 11.6% of families and 16.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 25.2% of those under age 18 and 7.5% of those age 65 or over.

Law, government, and politics

Horry County Ralph Ellis Complex near Little River

State delegation

Horry County has a South Carolina House of Representatives delegation made up of 10 state representatives. In addition, the county has a South Carolina Senate delegation made up of five state senators. The delegations work concurrently to represent county issues in Columbia.

State House of Representatives delegation

The county's State House of Representatives delegation is currently made up of:

District Representative Party Residence
55 Jackie E. Hayes Dem Dillon
56 Tim McGinnis Rep Myrtle Beach
57 Lucas Atkinson Dem Marion
58 Jeff Johnson Rep Conway
68 Heather Ammons Crawford Rep Myrtle Beach
103 Carl Anderson Dem Georgetown
104 William Bailey Rep North Myrtle Beach
105 Kevin Hardee Rep Loris
106 Val Guest, Jr. Rep Myrtle Beach
107 Case Brittain Rep Myrtle Beach

State Senate delegation

The county's State Senate delegation is currently made up of:

District Representative Party Residence
28 Greg Hembree Republican North Myrtle Beach
30 Kent M. Williams Democratic Marion
32 Ronnie A. Sabb Democratic Greeleyville
33 Luke A. Rankin Republican Myrtle Beach
34 Stephen Goldfinch Republican Murrells Inlet

County council

The county council of Horry County consists of members who represent 11 single-member districts with a chairman voted at-large. The county council meets at the Horry County Government and Justice Center in the first week of every month. Patricia S. Hartley is the clerk to council, members of the county council include:

Current county council members

Name District Term Expires
Johnny Gardner Chairman December 31, 2026
Jenna L. Dukes 1 December 31, 2026
Bill Howard 2 December 31, 2026
Dennis J. DiSabato, Jr. 3 December 31, 2024
Gary Loftus 4 December 31, 2024
Tyler Servant 5 December 31, 2026
Cam Crawford 6 December 31, 2024
Tom Anderson 7 December 31, 2026
Michael Masciarelli 8 December 31, 2026
R. Mark Causey 9 December 31, 2024
Danny Hardee 10 December 31, 2024
Al Allen 11 December 31, 2022

Past composition of the county council

Period Year Chairman (at-large) District 1 District 2 District 3 District 4 District 5 District 6 District 7 District 8 District 9 District 10 District 11
Past 2007 Liz Gilland Harold Worley Unknown Unknown Unknown Unknown Unknown Unknown Unknown Unknown Unknown Al Allen
2008
2009 Marion Foxworth Gary Loftus Unknown Unknown Unknown Unknown W. Paul Prince Jody Prince
2010
2011 Tom Rice Brent Schulz Paul Price Unknown Carl Schwartzkopf James Frazier
2012
2013 Bob Grabowski*
2014
2015 Mark Lazarus Bill Howard Tyler Servant James Frazier Johnny Vaught Bob Grabowski*
2016
2017 Dennis DiSabato Cam Crawford Danny Hardee
2018
2019 Johnny Gardner Orton Bellamy
2020
Current 2021 R. Mark Causey
2022
* Note: Bob Grabowski's seat was renumbered from District 6 to District 8 during the redistricting of council seats.

Law enforcement

The Horry County Police Department provides 24-hour services to the unincorporated areas of the county. It is the only county police department in South Carolina. The Horry County Sheriff's Office is responsible for courthouse security, processing of warrants, fingerprinting, registration of sex offenders, funeral escorts, background checks, and managing the J. Reuben Long Detention Center. The South Carolina Highway Patrol has a Troop 5 barracks in Conway, and provides services throughout the county. Myrtle Beach, Conway, Briarcliffe Acres, Atlantic Beach, Surfside Beach, Loris, and Aynor all have their own police departments, which patrol within the relevant town or city's border. North Myrtle Beach has a Public Safety Department, which provides police and fire services in the city of North Myrtle Beach.

In March 2020, Todd Cox, a former Horry County police officer, was fined $300 for failing to investigate reports of sex crimes against children. He and three other officers had been indicted in 2016 on charges of coercing sex and ignoring cases.

Party strength

Horry County used to be loyally Democratic, even by the standards of the Solid South. In 1936, Republican candidate Alf Landon did not receive a single vote in Horry County. In 1964, though, Barry Goldwater carried the county by a margin almost as large as John F. Kennedy's 1960 margin. It has voted Republican in every election since, with the exception of supporting the third-party candidacy of Alabama Governor George Wallace in 1968 and neighboring Georgia's Jimmy Carter in 1976. While conservative Democrats continued to hold most local offices into the 1990s, today, there are almost no elected Democrats left above the county level. No Democratic presidential candidate has received more than 40% of the county's vote since 2000.

United States presidential election results for Horry County, South Carolina
Year Republican Democratic Third party(ies)
No.  % No.  % No.  %
2024 141,719 68.81% 62,325 30.26% 1,910 0.93%
2020 118,821 66.11% 59,180 32.92% 1,743 0.97%
2016 89,288 67.17% 39,410 29.65% 4,222 3.18%
2012 72,127 64.17% 38,885 34.60% 1,381 1.23%
2008 64,609 61.65% 38,879 37.10% 1,310 1.25%
2004 50,447 62.01% 29,547 36.32% 1,353 1.66%
2000 40,300 56.55% 29,113 40.85% 1,852 2.60%
1996 26,159 47.86% 23,722 43.40% 4,772 8.73%
1992 23,489 45.87% 18,896 36.90% 8,819 17.22%
1988 24,843 64.68% 13,316 34.67% 250 0.65%
1984 20,396 69.23% 8,940 30.34% 127 0.43%
1980 14,323 49.62% 13,888 48.12% 653 2.26%
1976 9,339 37.18% 15,720 62.59% 58 0.23%
1972 15,324 76.84% 4,437 22.25% 183 0.92%
1968 3,924 26.97% 3,924 26.97% 6,701 46.06%
1964 8,293 60.37% 5,444 39.63% 0 0.00%
1960 3,768 38.55% 6,006 61.45% 0 0.00%
1956 1,092 13.36% 4,835 59.17% 2,244 27.46%
1952 3,716 45.29% 4,489 54.71% 0 0.00%
1948 113 2.85% 503 12.70% 3,345 84.45%
1944 137 5.02% 2,403 88.09% 188 6.89%
1940 164 7.21% 2,111 92.79% 0 0.00%
1936 0 0.00% 2,927 100.00% 0 0.00%
1932 29 0.89% 3,224 99.11% 0 0.00%
1928 27 2.16% 1,224 97.84% 0 0.00%
1924 1 0.07% 1,346 99.70% 3 0.22%
1920 49 2.79% 1,709 97.21% 0 0.00%
1916 0 0.00% 1,638 99.57% 7 0.43%
1912 13 1.47% 863 97.73% 7 0.79%
1908 56 4.30% 1,247 95.70% 0 0.00%
1904 40 3.92% 980 96.08% 0 0.00%
1900 79 5.61% 1,330 94.39% 0 0.00%
1896 196 12.50% 1,372 87.50% 0 0.00%

Economy

See also: Economy of South Carolina

In 2022, the GDP was $18.3 billion (about $45,922 per capita), and the real GDP was $15.3 billion (about $38,472 per capita) in chained 2017 dollars.

In 2013, PTR Industries, a gunmaker, relocated to the Cool Springs Business Park near Aynor from Bristol, Connecticut. That state had passed restrictive gun control legislation following the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting.

Twenty-one PTR employees relocated from Bristol. The company stated that it would hire an additional 30 workers in the first quarter of 2014, with a goal of having 120 employees by 2017.

As of April 2024, some of the largest employers in the county include Adidas, the city of Myrtle Beach, Coastal Carolina University, Food Lion, Hilton Grand Vacations, Publix, and Walmart.

Employment and Wage Statistics by Industry in Horry County, South Carolina - Q3 2023
Industry Employment Counts Employment Percentage (%) Average Annual Wage ($)
Accommodation and Food Services 34,736 23.7 29,588
Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services 8,498 5.8 42,744
Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting 211 0.1 49,608
Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation 5,831 4.0 26,260
Construction 8,791 6.0 59,644
Educational Services 8,771 6.0 59,592
Finance and Insurance 3,203 2.2 77,532
Health Care and Social Assistance 17,448 11.9 62,556
Information 1,813 1.2 65,468
Management of Companies and Enterprises 515 0.4 79,300
Manufacturing 3,534 2.4 52,208
Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction 69 0.0 74,204
Other Services (except Public Administration) 3,713 2.5 37,492
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 4,815 3.3 68,796
Public Administration 6,859 4.7 56,836
Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 4,787 3.3 44,356
Retail Trade 26,720 18.2 35,152
Transportation and Warehousing 3,141 2.1 48,568
Utilities 629 0.4 73,892
Wholesale Trade 2,730 1.9 61,308
Total 146,814 100.0% 45,424

Transportation

Major highways

Airports

Mass transit

  • The Coast RTA bus system operates seven days a week, 364 days a year, on 15 routes throughout the Horry County/Grand Strand area, including Myrtle Beach, North Myrtle Beach, Surfside Beach, Garden City, Conway, Loris, and Aynor.

Communities

Cities

Towns

Census-designated places

Unincorporated communities & neighborhoods

See also

References

  1. ^ "Zip Code List - 295 in South Carolina". Capital Impact Government Gateway. Retrieved February 20, 2018.
  2. ^ "QuickFacts: Horry County, South Carolina". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 22, 2024.
  3. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  4. ^ Gannett, Henry (1905). The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States. Govt. Print. Off. pp. 161.
  5. ^ "Horry County 2011-2012 Budget: Community Profile on page 24" (PDF). May 16, 2012. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 16, 2012. Retrieved July 31, 2017.
  6. ^ Dickerson, Brad (October 29, 2012). "Horry County honors its namesake". The Sun News. Archived from the original on October 31, 2012. Retrieved October 30, 2012.
  7. ^ Williams, Taylor (October 29, 2012). "Horry County unveils sculpture of its namesake". WPDE. Retrieved March 4, 2023.
  8. ^ "Sculpture of Gen. Peter Horry being unveiled". ABC Columbia. October 30, 2012. Retrieved March 4, 2023.
  9. ^ "2020 County Gazetteer Files – South Carolina". United States Census Bureau. August 23, 2022. Retrieved September 10, 2023.
  10. ^ "At times, like now, modest tax increases are absolutely necessary". The Sun News. June 13, 2021. Retrieved June 13, 2021.
  11. ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on May 16, 2012. Retrieved September 17, 2012.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) Horry County 2011-2012 Budget: Community Profile on page 24
  12. ^ "A Historical Look at Horry County". Archived from the original on June 26, 2012.
  13. ^ "SCDNR Public Lands". www2.dnr.sc.gov. Retrieved April 1, 2023.
  14. ^ "Dunes Lake, South Carolina". Lake-Link. Retrieved July 4, 2023.
  15. ^ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 17, 2015.
  16. ^ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved March 17, 2015.
  17. ^ Forstall, Richard L., ed. (March 27, 1995). "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 17, 2015.
  18. ^ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. April 2, 2001. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 9, 2022. Retrieved March 17, 2015.
  19. ^ "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on June 6, 2011. Retrieved November 22, 2013.
  20. ^ "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved December 15, 2021.
  21. ^ "DP-1 Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 Demographic Profile Data". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved March 9, 2016.
  22. ^ "Population, Housing Units, Area, and Density: 2010 - County". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved March 9, 2016.
  23. ^ "DP02 SELECTED SOCIAL CHARACTERISTICS IN THE UNITED STATES – 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved March 9, 2016.
  24. ^ "DP03 SELECTED ECONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS – 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved March 9, 2016.
  25. ^ "County Council". Horry County Government. February 24, 2023. Retrieved February 24, 2023.
  26. ^ "Pat Hartley". LinkedIn. February 23, 2023. Retrieved February 23, 2023.
  27. ^ "Home | SCVotes". scvotes.gov. Retrieved July 9, 2022.
  28. ^ "Horry County Government: Police Department Info Page". horrycounty.org. Horry County Government. Archived from the original on July 14, 2014. Retrieved July 9, 2014.
  29. ^ "Horry County Government: Sheriff's Office Info Page". horrycounty.org. Horry County Government. Archived from the original on July 14, 2014. Retrieved July 9, 2014.
  30. ^ Retrieved 2011-06-04
  31. ^ "City of North Myrtle Beach - Public Safety". City of North Myrtle Beach - Public Safety. Retrieved March 9, 2020.
  32. ^ Lang, Alex (March 9, 2020). "Horry County officer charged with not investigating child sex crimes gets $300 fine". Myrtle Beach Sun News. Retrieved March 9, 2020.
  33. ^ Collins, Jeffrey (September 16, 2016). "Indictments: Former SC officers coerced sex; ignored cases". Associated Press. Retrieved March 9, 2020.
  34. ^ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved March 13, 2018.
  35. ^ U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (January 1, 2001). "Gross Domestic Product: All Industries in Horry County, SC". FRED, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. Retrieved May 4, 2024.
  36. ^ U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (January 1, 2001). "Real Gross Domestic Product: All Industries in Horry County, SC". FRED, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. Retrieved May 4, 2024.
  37. ^ "PTR Industries". Archived from the original on January 8, 2014. Retrieved January 8, 2014.
  38. ^ "Cool Springs Business Park" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on January 8, 2014.
  39. ^ Miller, Joshua (January 7, 2014). "Locked & loaded: Gun maker finds warmer surroundings in South Carolina after leaving Connecticut". Fox News. Retrieved January 7, 2014.
  40. ^ "Horry County" (PDF). Community Profiles (4000051). Columbia, SC: S.C. Department of Employment & Workforce - Business Intelligence Department. April 19, 2024.
  41. ^ "Coast RTA". coastrta.com.

Further reading

  • Horry County, South Carolina, 1730-1993, Catherine Heniford Lewis, University of South Carolina Press, 1998, ISBN 1-57003-207-6
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