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Greenville County Planning Commission |
Population Element
The Population Element evaluates Greenville County's population and the changes in population that have occurred. Population characteristics and trends are important ingredients in assessing an area's needs. An examination of past demographic trends, coupled with a forecast of future growth, is important to the planning process and the programming of services, housing, education, and recreational facilities. Failure to assess and address these needs could have a negative effect on future growth.
In this element of the plan, the following topics have been inventoried for Greenville County: Historic Trends and Characteristics, Urban vs. Rural, Age Composition, Migration and Mobility, Household Composition, Education, Income, Population Forecasts, and Economic Forecasts. The following is a summary of the results of the information compiled on population.
Figure 1
describes the population trend in
Greenville County between 1970 and 1990 according to the U.S. Census
Bureau and the 1998 estimate by the Greenville County Planning Commission
based upon recent building permit information. The population grew from
240,744 in 1970 to 320,167 in 1990, and then increased to 371,765 in 1998.
The 1990s had the greatest population influx in this area
since the population boom after World War II. Most of it is due to the excellent economy, low unemployment rates, and an improving quality of life.
Not only is the population increasing but it is diversifying as well. The Hispanic population in Greenville County is believed to have surged up 47 percent between 1990 and 1996 according to census estimates made in January 1999. Nationally, the Hispanic population has been the fastest growing in the U.S. during the 1990s, and Greenville County has not been immune to the phenomenon.
The median age of the population has risen steadily in the county from 27.3 in 1970 to 29.7 in 1980 and 33.4 in 1990. One reason for the increase is that senior citizens are living longer lives. According to recent findings by the Community Planning Council of Greenville County, there were 42,310 residents over age 65 in 1997, comprising 12.6 percent of the population, compared to only 17,989 residents in 1970, comprising 7.4 percent of the population. With the advancement of technology in the medical field and society's increasing health consciousness, people age 65 and over are becoming the fastest-growing age cohort in the country.
The data indicates a population that is increasing in education levels. There has been a significant increase in the last 20 years in the numbers and percentage of the population that have graduated from high school and attended college.
While population increase is often a sign of a growing community, growing pains, such as a loss of family values, poverty, and quality of life, can occur. The Census reported that the percentage of residents living in a rural environment decreased from 30 percent to 23 percent between 1970 and 1990.
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