Laurens, South Carolina
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Laurens, South Carolina | |
| Nickname: "Gateway to the Upstate" | |
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| Country | United States |
|---|---|
| State | South Carolina |
| County | Laurens |
| Government | |
| - Mayor | Sharon Brownlee |
| Population (2000) | |
| - City | 9,916 |
| - Density | 936.3/sq mi (361.5/km²) |
| - Metro | 69,567 (Laurens County) |
| Time zone | EST (UTC-5) |
| - Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) |
| Website: laurenscounty.org | |
Laurens is a city in Laurens County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 9,916 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Laurens CountyGR6. Located in the western part of South Carolina, it is named after Henry Laurens, who was president of the Continental Congress during the Revolutionary War. The Textile and glass industry was at one point a major source of employment; however, most of the old mills have closed over the last 20-30 years.
Original maps indicate the town may have originally been called Laurensville. The first reference to it being called Laurens is a town charter in 1873.
Laurens and Laurens County is part of the Old 96 District, which also includes Abbeville County, Greenwood County, McCormick County, and Edgefield County.
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[edit] Geography
Laurens is located at (34.500717, -82.018271)GR1.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 27.4 km² (10.6 mi²), all land.
[edit] Demographics
As of the censusGR2 of 2000, there were 9,916 people, 3,952 households, and 2,596 families residing in the city. The population density was 361.5/km² (936.6/mi²). There were 4,396 housing units at an average density of 160.3/km² (415.2/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 53.72% White, 43.57% African American, 0.26% Native American, 0.16% Asian, 0.11% Pacific Islander, 1.34% from other races, and 0.84% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.42% of the population.
There were 3,952 households out of which 30.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.0% were married couples living together, 23.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.3% were non-families. 31.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.38 and the average family size was 2.97.
In the city the population was spread out with 25.0% under the age of 18, 8.4% from 18 to 24, 25.2% from 25 to 44, 21.7% from 45 to 64, and 19.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 81.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 74.0 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $28,756, and the median income for a family was $36,656. Males had a median income of $28,149 versus $21,883 for females. The per capita income for the city was $14,582. About 12.9% of families and 17.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 25.8% of those under age 18 and 15.5% of those age 65 or over.
In the unofficial census of 2005, there were estimated 9,824 individuals residing in the city.
[edit] Government
The Laurens County City Hall is located on the town square. The form of government is Mayor/Council. Sharon Brownlee currently serves as mayor, and members of City Council include: Marian Miller, Richard Griffin, Joel Blackwell, Frank Richardson, James Taylor, and Johnnie Bolt.
[edit] Education
The main educational institutions in Laurens include:
Hickory Tavern Elementary School
E.B. Morse Elementary School
Ford Elementary School
Hickory Tavern Middle School
Gray Court-Owings Elementary/Middle
Laurens Middle School
Sanders Middle School
Laurens High School
Laurens Academy
Lighthouse Christian Academy
[edit] Climate
Laurens has a generally mild climate. The average wintertime high is 59°F and the average wintertime low is 36°F. The average summertime high is 89°F and the average summertime low is 65°F. The city averages around 4.6" of rainfall monthly. The last significant snowfall was in early 2004.
[edit] Media
The city's main and only newspaper, The Laurens Advertiser, is published every Wednesday. A smaller version, called The Laurens Advertiser EXTRA, is published and distributed every Friday and distributed via mail. Unlike the large version of the Advertiser, the Advertiser EXTRA is distributed free of charge, without subscription to many residents throughout Laurens county. Laurens is also the home of WLBG-AM 860, which carries a News/Talk format as 'Real Radio 860.'
[edit] Trivia
In March 2005, Laurens, became the second subject of The Learning Channel's Town Haul. During the filming, several projects were completed. These included a park, a barbershop, a teen club, and amphitheater. Residents of the town were thrilled to have TLC in town filming for a month.
Blues/gospel legend Reverend Gary Davis was born in Laurens.
[edit] External links
- Maps and aerial photos
- Street map from Google Maps, or Yahoo! Maps, or Windows Live Local
- Satellite image from Google Maps, Windows Live Local, WikiMapia
- Topographic map from TopoZone
- Aerial image or topographic map from TerraServer-USA
Laurens County Chamber of Commerce
