South Carolina History

Though not separated from its sister state to the north until 1729, South Carolina has a proud history of individualism. In March 1776, four months before the Declaration of Independence was signed, South Carolina declared itself free of English rule and appointed its own president. A few years later, South Carolina was the first state to ratify the Articles of Confederation. But after the election of President Abraham Lincoln, South Carolina's right to continue keeping African slaves - who comprised more than half of its pre-war population- became a crucial economic issue. Maverick South Carolina then became the first state to secede from the Union in December 1860, and it was the site for the first battle of the Civil War, at Fort Sumter in Charleston, in 1861.

South Carolina Demographics and Real Estate Information

Until 1800 a major colonial city - 4th largest behind Philadelphia, New York and Boston - Charleston is an historical and architectural treasure, christened "the Best Mannered City in the U.S." by an etiquette expert. But Charleston today is growing fast, along with other metro areas along the coast. In 2006 the estimated population of South Carolina was 4,321,249, comprised of 68.4% white and 29.2% black. Thanks to its warm climate, beautiful beaches, and hundreds of golf courses, South Carolina is the new retirement mecca, attractive to thousands of retirees for its affordability. Indeed, recently the median sales price for real estate in Horry County (Myrtle Beach), the hottest market in SC, was $172,000 compared to $300,000 in Palm Beach County, Florida's most popular market. For the entire state, the median home value in 2006 was $106,578 while the median income was $35,031.

South Carolina Tourism and Economy

Boasting more than 100 golf courses, Myrtle Beach is the epicenter of the Grand Strand, a 60-mile stretch of beaches separated from the SC mainland by the Intracoastal Waterway. More than 16 million vacationers visit the Myrtle Beach area each year; other favorite destinations along the coast are the upscale golf and tennis resorts of Hilton Head Island and Kiawah Island. Not surprisingly, tourism is the leading sector of South Carolina's economy.

Manufacturing and agriculture also contribute significantly to South Carolina's economy. Cotton is still king in SC, but tobacco, peaches, and livestock are also major products, and like its equally forested neighbors, North Carolina and Georgia, lumber and paper also generate substantial income in South Carolina.

On the opposite end of the technology spectrum, South Carolina is also home to the Savannah River Site and National Laboratory, established near Aiken by the Department of Energy in the 1950s to produce plutonium and tritium for nuclear weapons. Now a research center and nuclear waste handling facility, the 300-square-mile Savannah River Site employs more than 12,000 people including chemists, engineers, environmental scientists and radioactive materials handlers.