Folly Beach, South Carolina

History

The Folly North Site (38CH1213) and Secessionville Historic District are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Geography

Folly Beach is located 11 miles (18 km) south of downtown Charleston at 32°39′58″N 79°56′21″W (32.666152, -79.939213), along the Atlantic Ocean.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 18.9 square miles (48.9 km²), of which 12.5 square miles (32.4 km²) is land and 6.4 square miles (16.5 km²), or 33.72%, is water.

Known to Charleston locals as "the Edge of America", Folly Beach is home to numerous surf spots, the most popular being the Washout, 10th Street and the Folly Beach Pier. Despite its usually calm conditions, Folly Beach has gained prominence as one of the more popular surf spots along the East Coast. Folly Beach is an eclectic beach community with surf shops, restaurants, gift shops, offices, and bars along Center Street; the main road and gateway to the community.

Endangered North Atlantic right whales, the state animal of Georgia and South Carolina migrate along the coast during the migration seasons.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 2,116 people, 1,060 households, and 489 families residing in the city. The population density was 172.7 people per square mile (66.6/km²). There were 1,747 housing units at an average density of 142.5 per square mile (55.0/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 96.64% White, 0.76% African American, 0.47% Native American, 0.19% Asian, 0.52% from other races, and 1.42% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.42% of the population.

There were 1,060 households out of which 13.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.0% were married couples living together, 4.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 53.8% were non-families. 33.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.00 and the average family size was 2.51.

In the city, the age distribution of the population shows 10.9% under the age of 18, 13.6% from 18 to 24, 33.5% from 25 to 44, 29.6% from 45 to 64, and 12.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 104.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 104.6 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $46,935, and the median income for a family was $66,058. Males had a median income of $34,125 versus $30,075 for females. The per capita income for the city was $30,493. About 4.6% of families and 12.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.7% of those under age 18 and 2.5% of those age 65 or over.

Government

The city is run by an elected strong Mayor-council government system.

Mayor

Tim Goodwin

Council members

DJ Rich, Pennell Clamp, Laurie Hull, Dale Stuckey, Eddie Ellis, and Theresa Marshall

Voting patterns

In 2006, the city's residents voted against Amendment 1, which sought to ban same-sex marriage in South Carolina. Statewide, the measure passed by 78% to 22% but the voters of Folly Beach rejected it by 503 votes (49%) to 528 (51%).

County parks

The Charleston County Park and Recreation Commission (CCPRC) operates numerous facilities within Charleston County. Within Folly Beach, the county operates Folly Beach County Park and Folly Beach Fishing Pier.