Lancaster () is a city in and the county seat of Lancaster County, South Carolina, United States, located in the Charlotte Metropolitan Area. As of the 2020 census, Lancaster had a population of 8,460. The city was named after the famous House of Lancaster.
Contents
History
The following are listed on the National Register of Historic Places:
Robert Barnwell Allison House
Craig House
Cureton House
Thomas Walker Huey House
Lancaster Cotton Oil Company
Lancaster County Courthouse
Lancaster County Jail
Lancaster Downtown Historic District
Lancaster Presbyterian Church
Mount Carmel A.M.E. Zion Campground
North Carolina-South Carolina Cornerstone
Perry-McIlwain-McDow House
Leroy Springs House
Wade-Beckham House
Waxhaw Presbyterian Church Cemetery
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 5.9 square miles (15 km2), of which 5.8 square miles (15 km2) is land and 0.1 square miles (0.26 km2) (1.36%) is water.
Demographics
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, Lancaster had a population of 8,460, with 3,535 households and 2,064 families residing in the city.
The median age was 37.7 years. 26.5% of residents were under the age of 18 and 18.9% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 80.3 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 72.5 males age 18 and over.
Of those households, 32.9% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 29.0% were married-couple households, 18.9% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 46.5% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 35.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
There were 3,897 housing units, of which 9.3% were vacant. The homeowner vacancy rate was 3.2% and the rental vacancy rate was 6.8%.
99.9% of residents lived in urban areas, while 0.1% lived in rural areas.
2010 census
As of the census of 2010, there were 10,160 people, 5,396 households, and 3,115 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,406.2 inhabitants per square mile (542.9/km2). There were 3,778 housing units at an average density of 649.7 per square mile (250.9/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 49.49% African American, 47.54% White, 0.12% Native American, 0.88% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 1.15% from other races, and 0.78% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.25% of the population.
There were 3,396 households, out of which 27.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 35.5% were married couples living together, 22.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.7% were non-families. 33.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.37 and the average family size was 3.01.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 25.8% under the age of 18, 8.9% from 18 to 24, 26.8% from 25 to 44, 21.8% from 45 to 64, and 16.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 83.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 77.1 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $28,650, and the median income for a family was $33,380. Males had a median income of $27,090 versus $22,382 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,828. About 18.0% of families and 23.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 33.2% of those under age 18 and 17.8% of those age 65 or over.
Education
Lancaster is home to the Lancaster County School District, SC which has around 11 elementary schools, 5 middle schools, and 4 high schools. In 2008 South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford named Andrew Jackson Middle School, located in nearby Kershaw, as the recipient of the state's Best Special Education School Award. The City is also home to the University of South Carolina at Lancaster, also known as USCL.
Public Schools Located in Lancaster:
Lancaster High School
Andrew Jackson High School
Indian Land High School
Andrew Jackson Middle School
Indian Land Middle School
A.R. Rucker Middle School
Buford Elementary School
Indian Land Intermediate
Indian Land Elementary
Buford Middle School
Buford High School
Erwin Elementary School
South Middle School
North Elementary School
McDonald Green Elementary School
Brooklyn Springs Elementary School
Clinton Elementary School
Discovery Elementary School
Southside Pre-School
Media
Lancaster is mentioned in the novelette, Facing Demons: An All Hallows' Eve Tale by Kevin Matthew Hayes.
Notable people
Tom Addison – former professional football player with the Boston Patriots, 1960-1968
Francis Bell – member of the South Carolina Senate
Cathy Smith Bowers – poet and professor; North Carolina Poet Laureate, 2010–2012
Tom Caskey - human geneticist
Danny Clyburn – baseball player
Don Dixon – musician and producer
Charles Duke – NASA astronaut who walked on the Moon during the Apollo 16 mission
John P. Gaston – member of the South Carolina House of Representatives
Mark Hammond - South Carolina Secretary of State
Hattie N. Harrison – Maryland legislator and educator
Jim Hodges – former governor of South Carolina
Andrew Jackson – seventh president of the United States
Nina Mae McKinney – one of the early African-American film stars in the United States
Julie Roberts – country music singer
Aaron Robinson – professional baseball player, primarily with the New York Yankees
J. Marion Sims – controversial founder of gynecology