A small rural county in South Carolina has seen its white population increase in recent years, with no county in the United States experiencing such explosive growth.
Jasper County, tucked away in the state’s southeastern corner, has seen its share of white residents rise as more retirees flock to the area for warmer weather and lower taxes.
As a result, the increasing growth of the white population can largely be attributed to people of retirement age who have migrated there.
One of the positive effects of this influx of retirees has been the proliferation of 55-plus communities in the area, such as Latitude Margaritaville Hilton Head.
A small rural county in South Carolina has seen its white population increase in recent years, and no county in the U.S. has matched its explosive growth.
Retiree migration is a disturbing trend that began in Hilton Head a few decades ago before eventually arriving in Jasper County, located between Savannah and Beaufort County.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Jasper County experienced the fastest growth of all counties in South Carolina and was the ninth fastest-growing county in the nation.
Most of that growth has occurred in the cities of Ridgeland and Hardeeville, according to the mail and the messenger.
Today, Ridgeland’s population is about seven times what it was in 1990, while Ridgeland, with fewer than 4,000 residents, plans to have more than 40,000 within two decades.
At the time of the 2020 census, Jasper County was already majority white (44 percent), compared to its Black population (40 percent). Hispanics accounted for almost all of the rest of the total.
Jasper County, tucked away in the southeastern corner of the state, has seen its share of white residents rise as more retirees flock to the area for warmer weather and lower taxes.
One consequence of this influx of retirees has been the proliferation of 55-plus communities in the area, such as Latitude Margaritaville Hilton Head.
Another draw for retirees is Latitude Margaritaville Hilton Head, a sprawling 55-plus community covering more than 2,700 acres in southern Jasper County.
But by 2023, the white population has increased even more, according to recently released census estimates.
The data revealed that the number of white residents had increased, making them 48 percent of the population.
While the number of black residents did not really change, due to the increase in the white population, their percentage was diluted.
The proportion of the black population plummeted to 32 percent.
One Black Jasper County local expressed little surprise at the changing racial makeup in the area.
The growing white population can largely be attributed to people of retirement age who have immigrated to South Carolina.
Reginald White, whose family has owned property in the Cherry Hill neighborhood, said mail and messaging that “the rapid growth of the area’s white population and the slow decline of the black population were not a surprise.”
He explained that much of the county’s economic vitality comes from the hospitality industry, which is located in neighboring Beaufort County.
White said many young black people are leaving the area in hopes of finding better-paying jobs further away. He said he has witnessed this happen in his own family.
“Many people are leaving the area to find better-paying jobs,” White said.
He continued: “I would say that Jasper County’s economy is causing a lot of young people to leave in search of better career opportunities.”
In 2023, Jasper County Administrator Andrew Fulghum said the county’s explosive growth stemmed from an influx of retirees.
In 2023, Jasper County Administrator Andrew Fulghum told delivery courierthat the county’s explosive growth arose from an influx of retirees.
The county offers many benefits to the prospective new resident, including a growing housing supply, a median housing cost that is approximately $150,000 cheaper than in Beaufort County, and quick access to the interstate.
Data from the latest census appears to confirm Fulghum’s claim. In 2020, 28 percent of Jasper County residents were over 59. Just three years later, it’s now 34 percent.
Another draw for retirees is Latitude Margaritaville Hilton Head, a massive 55+ community covering more than 2,700 acres in southern Jasper County.
