Elgin

Elgin is an incorporated town in Kershaw County, South Carolina, United States. It is located approximately 20 miles (32 km) northeast of the center of Columbia, the state's capital. As of the 2010 census, the town's population was 1,311, and in 2018 the estimated population was1,579. Elgin lies within the Carolina Sandhills region of the Atlantic Coastal Plain province. One dune on the south side of White Pond has yielded a luminescence date of ~92,300 years before present (BP) In late 2021 and 2022, southeastern Kersaw County experienced over 40 earthquakes, 11 of which exceeded a 2.5 magnitude. 6 of the quakes exceeded a 3.0 magnitude, the largest of which registering at a 3,6. The town was originally named "Blaney", and originally established in 1898 as "Jeffers" The community did not see much growth until the Seaboard Air Line Railroad began expansion in the area in 1900. The post office was renamed Jeffers in 1900, and was eventually renamed Elgin by the post office office. In 2010, most of the population, 89.1%, of Elgin is a high school graduate or higher. In the 2020 United States census, there were 1,634 people, 597 households, and 488 families residing in the town. The median income for a single household was $58,500, with the median family income being $66,350. 7.8% of all people were listed as listed as below the poverty level.

Geography

Elgin is located in southwestern Kershaw County at 34°1011N 80°4730W (34.169773, -80.791782), along U.S. Route 1. According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 1.06 square miles (2.74 km²), all land. Elgin lies within the Carolina Sandhills region of the Atlantic Coastal Plain province. One dune on the south side of White Pond has yielded a luminescence date of ~92,300 years before present (BP) In late 2021 and 2022, southeastern Kersaw County experienced over 40 earthquakes, 11 of which exceeded a 2.5 magnitude. 6 of the quakes exceeded a 3.0 magnitude, the largest of which registering at a3.6. The town is home to the White Pond, a noted landmark on maps since the early 1800s. Several scientists have taken various core samples from White Pond that could reveal information on temperatures of non-glaciated areas during the Ice Age, and information on plant and animal life in the area during the past. It is also home to Elgin High School, which was founded in the early 1900s. The school is located on the banks of the Little Piedmont River, which is a tributary of the Pamlico River. It was the site of the Battle of the Palmetto, which took place in the late 1700s and 1800s, and is now a tourist attraction.

Demographics

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 1,634 people, 597 households, and 488 families residing in the town. Most of the population, 89.1%, of Elgin is a high school graduate or higher. The median income for a single household was $58,500, with the median family income being $66,350. 7.8% of families and 9.7% of all people were listed as below the poverty level. The average household size was 2.71 and the average family size was 3.05 people. Elgin's population age is fairly evenly spread, leaning only slightly toward the younger generations. 29.9% of people are under the age of 20, 26.1% are between the ages of 20 and 40, 28.3% are Between 40 and 60, and 15.7%. The median for the town is 36.8 years of age. In the 2010 census, the town held 1,311 individuals, 521 housing units (of which only 484 were occupied), and 375 families of the 1, 311 people 1,095 (83.5%) were white, 146 (11.1%) black, 6 (.5%) American Indian, 3 (.2%) Asian, 32 (2.4%) some other race, and 29 (2.2%) of mixed race. About 5% are of Hispanic or Latino descent. The town's median earnings for male workers was $50,341, while Median earnings for female workers was only $34,471.

History

Elgin was originally known as Jeffers after its first postmaster, William T. Jeffers. The town grew by over 50% between the 2000 and 2010 census, going from 806 to 1311 residents. The Elgin National Watch Company moved to the area in 1962 to build a $1 million assembly plant. In 1967 the plant was sold to B. F. Goodrich, a manufacturer of tennis shoes, due to the company's inability to compete with foreign-made products. In 2005, a new sewer system was completed for the town and a new municipal complex was finished to house the town hall, police department, and fire station. Elgin's current mayor is Melissa Emmons, who has been in her position since 2007. The U.S. Census Bureau estimates the town's population at 1311 in 2010. The population of Elgin was 806 in 2000, and 1306 in 2010, according to the Census Bureau's most recent estimate. It is located on the eastern seaboard of the United States, near the border with Missouri. It was once known as Blaney, after a New York banker who helped fund the railroad expansion in the region. In 1907, the town was officially chartered and incorporated on January 23, 1907. In 1958, the Whitehead Brothers Sand Company opened up a $300,000 sand foundry between Lugoff and Blaney. The Hardwicke Chemical Company broke ground at a 15-acre site near Elgin in 1962.

Transportation

Since 1931, US Route 1 has been the town's Main Street, running parallel to Interstate 20. Exit 87, 3 miles (5 km) southeast of the town center, provides access from I-20. The town's major highways are Interstate 20, USRoute 1, SC Highway 12, and SC Highway 7. It is also possible to get to the town from other parts of the state by taking a ferry or taking a bus to the nearest airport. The nearest airport is in Charleston, South Carolina, about 30 miles (50 km) to the east. The closest airport is at Port St. Lucie, Florida, about 20 miles (32 km) away. The city's main bus station is at the intersection of Interstate 20 and Highway 12. It was built in the early 20th century as part of the city's development. It opened in 1881 and has been named after a local resident, William "Bill" Williams. It has been renamed after William "Billy" Williams, who was a local businessman. It's also known as "Main Street" or "Main Avenue" in the town. It runs parallel to the Interstate 20/SC Highway 12 split. It also runs along the South Carolina-South Carolina state line, which is also called "Main" and "Highway 12" The town has a population of about 2,000 people (2,000 in 2010) and 1,200 people (1,200 in 2011) in the surrounding areas. The main town center is located at the center of the community.

Education

Elgin has a public library, a branch of the Kershaw County Library. The town has a high school, a middle school, and an elementary school. Elgin is located in Kershaw county, South Carolina. It is located near the town of Elgin, North Carolina, and the town's population is about 2,000. The school district has a total enrollment of about 3,000 students. The high school has a population of 1,200. The middle school has about 1,100 students and the elementary school has around 1,300 students. It has an estimated population of 2,100. The public library has a branch in Elgin and a satellite branch in Horry County, South Carolina. It also has a satellite library in Piedmont, North Cape Pilot County, South Cleveland, North Conyers, Georgia, and Pleasant Cartersville, Mississippi, in Kershaw County, Spartan Cousins Creek Cotton Carpool Dale, Dorothy Crowley Dixon Dawson Dunn, Phenix City, and Hickory Creeks Dewey Doolittle Dolliver Doliver Crocker Duliver Elderly Crimson. The Elgin High School has a student population of about 1.2 million.

Arts and culture

Elgin is home to the Catfish Stomp, an annual Christmas parade that takes place every year down Main Street. The parade is one of the largest in the state. Elgin is also home to a number of other cultural events, such as the St. Patrick's Day parade and the Stonewall Jackson Days parade.

Air Quality, Water Quality, Superfund Sites & UV Index

The Air Quality index is in Elgin, Kershaw County, South Carolina = 86. These Air Quality index is based on annual reports from the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The number of ozone alert days is used as an indicator of air quality, as are the amounts of seven pollutants including particulates, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, lead, and volatile organic chemicals. The Water Quality Index is 55. A measure of the quality of an area’s water supply as rated by the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The EPA has a complex method of measuring the watershed quality, using 15 indicators such as pollutants, turbidity, sediments, and toxic discharges. The Superfund Sites Index is 90. Higher is better (100=best). Based upon the number and impact of EPA Superfund pollution sites in the county, including spending on the cleanup efforts. The UV Index in Elgin = 4.9 and is a measure of an area's exposure to the sun's ultraviolet rays. This is most often a combination of sunny weather, altitude, and latitude. The UV Index has been defined by the WHO (www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/radiation-the-ultraviolet-(uv)-index) and is uniform worldwide.

Employed

The most recent city population of 91,184 individuals with a median age of 36.7 age the population grows by 23.35% in Elgin, Kershaw County, South Carolina population since 2000 and are distributed over a density of 1,510.17 residents per square mile of area (582.86/km²). There are average 2.7 people per household in the 367 households with an average household income of $58,726 a year. The unemployment rate in Alabama is 10.50% of the available work force and has dropped -2.52% over the most recent 12-month period and the projected change in job supply over the next decade based on migration patterns, economic growth, and other factors will increase by 24.46%. The number of physicians in Elgin per 100,000 population = 132.1.

Weather

The annual rainfall in Elgin = 47 inches and the annual snowfall = 0.6 inches. The annual number of days with measurable precipitation (over .01 inch) = 105. The average number of days per year that are predominantly sunny = 214. 90 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily high temperature for the month of July and 32.2 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily low temperature for the month of January. The Comfort Index (higher=better) is 31, where higher values mean a more pleasant climate. The Comfort Index measure recognizes that humidity by itself isn't the problem. (Have you noticed nobody ever complains about the weather being 'cold and humid?) It's in the summertime that we notice the humidity the most, when it's hot and muggy. Our Comfort Index uses a combination of afternoon summer temperature and humidity to closely predict the effect that the humidity will have on people.

Median Home Cost

The percentage of housing units in Elgin, Kershaw County, South Carolina which are owned by the occupant = 82.52%. A housing unit is a house, apartment, mobile home, or room occupied as separate living quarters. The average age of homes = 22 years with median home cost = $126,920 and home appreciation of -1.10%. This is the value of the years most recent home sales data. Its important to note that this is not the average (or arithmetic mean). The median home price is the middle value when you arrange all the sales prices of homes from lowest to highest. This is a better indicator than the average, because the median is not changed as much by a few unusually high or low values. The property tax rate of $3.52 shown here is the rate per $1,000 of home value. If for simplification for example the tax rate is $14.00 and the home value is $250,000, the property tax would be $14.00 x ($250,000/1000), or $3500. This is the 'effective' tax rate.

Study

The local school district spends $4,429 per student. There are 11.5 students for each teacher in the school, 326 students for each Librarian and 386 students for each Counselor. 5.85% of the area’s population over the age of 25 with an Associate Degree or other 2-year college degree, 9.95% with a master’s degree, Ph.D. or other advanced college degree and 5.69% with high school diplomas or high school equivalency degrees (GEDs).