A Profile of South Carolina

Wed Jan 16, 2008 12:04 PM EST

politics, south-carolina, profile, carolina

The Associated Press

A look at South Carolina, where Republicans hold their primary Saturday and Democrats hold their primary Jan. 26.

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NUMBERS

Population: 4,321,249

AGE

Median age: 37.1

Percentage of population 65 and over: 12.8 percent

Percentage of population 85 and over: 1.5 percent

RACE

Race: 68.5 percent white, 29 percent black, 1.1 percent Asian; 3.5 percent Hispanic/Latino origin

LANGUAGE

Language other than English spoken at home: 5.2 percent

EDUCATION

High school graduate: 82 percent

Bachelor's degree: 24 percent

Advanced degree: 8 percent

MONEY

Median household income: $39,454

Families below poverty level: 11 percent

Homeownership rate: 72.2 percent

DELEGATES

45 Democrat, 24 Republican (The national party stripped 23 Republican delegates from South Carolina because the state broke party rules when it moved its primary before Feb. 5.)

ELECTORAL VOTES

Six

2004 PRESIDENTIAL RESULTS

George W. Bush, 58 percent; John Kerry 41 percent

REGISTERED VOTERS

2,243,933 (Voters do not register by party.)

WORK FORCE

Education, health and social services: 19 percent

Manufacturing: 15 percent

Retail trade: 11 percent

Leisure and hospitality: 10 percent

ECONOMY

_Gross state product: $149.2 billion

_Manufacturing: $26.3 billion

_Government: $23.4 billion

_Real estate and rental leasing: $16.9 billion

_Retail trade: $12 billion

_Construction: $9.1 billion

_Wholesale trade: $9.1 billion

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LARGEST NONGOVERNMENT EMPLOYERS

(More than 9,000 workers): Wal-Mart Stores Inc., BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina, Bi-Lo LLC, Palmetto Health. (4,001-9,000 workers): Greenville Hospital System, Michelin North America Inc., Food Lion LLC, Target Stores Inc., Washington Savannah River Co., Milliken & Co., UPS, Piggy Wiggly Carolina Co. Inc., Scana Corp., McLeod Health, American Services, Lexington County Health Services District, BMW Manufacturing Co. LLC, Verizon Wireless, Robert Bosch LLC and Verizon Communications.

SOUTH CAROLINA QUICK FACTS:

— Since 1980, no candidate has won the Republican Party nomination without winning the South Carolina primary

— Economic base has gone from agriculture to textiles and other manufacturing to tourism

— Eighth state to ratify the U.S. Constitution (1788), first state to secede from the U.S. (1860)

— 187 miles of Atlantic coastline

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Sources: U.S. Census Bureau: Census QuickFacts 2000, 2004 and 2006, American Community Survey 2003 and 2006; South Carolina Election Commission; Bureau of Economic Statistics 2006; 2007 South Carolina Big 50 Compiled by Scott McElveen LLP for the South Carolina Chamber.