Beaufort area growing, City of Beaufort making up lost ground

Flickr user .m for matthijs
Generally South Carolina areas were growing, but more rural areas of the state saw population losses.

Amongst towns with 1,000 or more inhabitants, the Beaufort area was the fourth fastest growing in South Carolina, with the City of Beaufort posting growth, making up some of its population loss.

The latest update comes from U.S. Census population estimates from April 2010 to July 2011. The Charleston area was ranked number 8 on the national top 10 list with 2.6% growth over the period with Myrtle Beach following slightly behind Charleston.

The third fastest growing area in the state was the Greenville area, growing at 1.8%.

The City of Beaufort — whose population had declined 5% from 12,950 persons in 2000 to 2010 — recovered at a pace of 0.96% to 12,534 persons. It was the second slowest growing area in the county with more than 1,000 persons, besting only Port Royal that grew at 0.71%.

The state average growth was 0.91%. Beaufort County grew at a pace of 1.03% during the period to an estimated 164,684 persons.

2010 2011 Rank
South Carolina 4,637,106 4,679,230 0.91%
Bluffton town 12,600 12,734 1.06% 76
Balance of Beaufort County 89,878 90,830 1.06% 77
Hilton Head Island town 37,281 37,675 1.06% 78
Beaufort County 163,007 164,684 1.03% 79
Balance of Jasper County 17,912 18,093 1.01% 80
Hardeeville city 2,989 3,018 0.97% 83
Beaufort city 12,415 12,534 0.96% 86
Jasper County 24,957 25,195 0.95% 87
Ridgeville town 1,983 1,998 0.76% 93
Port Royal town 10,714 10,790 0.71% 102

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