Tega Cay, South Carolina

Geography and climate

Tega Cay is located at 35°2′14″N 81°1′29″W (35.037262, -81.024644). According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 3.2 square miles (8.2 km²), of which, 2.5 square miles (6.4 km²) of it is land and 0.7 square miles (1.7 km²) of it (21.27%) is water. The city has 13 mi (21 km) of shoreline. Tega Cay's ZIP Code is 29708. The city's area code is 803. The surprisingly hilly terrain is densely forested, containing many species of hardwoods and pines, and wildlife. Recreational facilities located in Tega Cay include 27 holes of golf with a clubhouse and pavilion, a croquet court, and 8 lighted tennis courts, several miles of walking trails, and 4 city owned parks of which 2 have baseball and soccer fields available for public use with waterfront amenities including a beach and swimming center, a marina, and 3 areas to launch boats. 2 more waterfront parks are still in the planning stages. The climate of Tega Cay is that of a Humid subtropical climate, which is characterized by hot, humid summers and cool, dry winters. Snow is somewhat common in the city, nearly 3-4 times a year on average.

Government

Tega Cay is run under a manager-council government framework. The City Manager is chief executive position in this form of Government. The Council of Tega Cay is composed of four members plus the Mayor who serves as a member of Council, selected from at-large districts. The city maintains its own Police Department, Fire Department and Public Works Department. Other positions in the town include Recreation Director, Horticulturist, Code Enforcement officers, and administrative staff.

The City has a combo (volunteer and paid) Fire Department with an ISO rating of 2. Several other governmental positions in the town, including the Beautification Committee, the Community Relations Committee, the Planning Commission, the Stormwater Committee and the Board of Zoning Appeals, are all staffed by volunteers as well. Based on the mini-cities concept, trash collection, curbside recycling, repaving and similar requirements are contracted out. The fiscal year runs from October 1 through September 30.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 4,044 people, 1,509 households, and 1,228 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,630.0 people per square mile (629.6/km²). There were 1,577 housing units at an average density of 635.7 per square mile (245.5/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 95.87% White, 2.13% African American, 0.12% Native American, 0.82% Asian, 0.10% Pacific Islander, 0.37% from other races, and 0.59% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.91% of the population.

There were 1,509 households out of which 37.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 74.6% were married couples living together, 5.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 18.6% were non-families. 15.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 4.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.68 and the average family size was 2.99.

In the city, the population was spread out with 26.8% under the age of 18, 4.3% from 18 to 24, 29.1% from 25 to 44, 30.6% from 45 to 64, and 9.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 93.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.8 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $80,227, and the median income for a family was $82,926. Males had a median income of $61,745 versus $35,082 for females. The per capita income for the city was $37,275. About 1.3% of families and 1.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.1% of those under age 18 and none of those age 65 or over.

Students attend Fort Mill schools, which are located nearby and are considered among the best in the state.