Lancaster is fastest-growing county in SC

Two local counties rank in the top four fastest-growing counties in South Carolina, with Lancaster County leading the way.

Between 2013 and 2014, Lancaster County grew by 2,640 residents, an increase of 3.3 percent, according to Census figures. Lancaster County ranked 26th in the nation for growth.

Next door, York County’s growth rate between 2013 and 2014 was 2.5 percent, with 5,931 new residents. York County is ranked fourth in the state, behind Lancaster, Horry and Beaufort counties. York County ranked 68th nationally.

Chester County, however, saw its population decrease by 264 residents between 2013 and 2014.

Steve Allen, the planning services manager for York County, said the county staff was surprised four years ago when growth suddenly took off after several years of stagnation.

“I wish I could tell you why,” Allen said. “We’re not sure what’s causing this resurgence of growth.”

The majority of York County’s growth is happening in the Fort Mill and Lake Wylie areas, which are absorbing growth from Charlotte, Allen said. That kind of growth will eventually “trickle down” to other York County communities such as Rock Hill, he said.

Similarly, the Indian Land area bordering Charlotte is where the highest levels of growth are in Lancaster County, said Penelope G. Karagounis, Lancaster County planning director. Spillover from Mecklenburg County is fueling those numbers, she said.

Since 2004, when the Sun City Carolina Lakes retirement community was built, northern Lancaster County has seen a steady stream of residential development, she said. There was a slowdown during the recession, but growth has picked up again.

The growth in Lancaster County is reflective of regional trends, Karagounis said, which indicate that more people from other states are moving to the Carolinas.

The 2013-2014 numbers are a continuation of growth Lancaster and York counties have been experiencing since 2010, Census figures show. Between 2010 and 2014, the population of Lancaster County increased by 8.5 percent to 83,160 and the population of York County increased by 8.5 percent to 245,346. York County ranked 97th and Lancaster County ranked 99th for growth in the nation between 2010 and 2014.

This story was originally published March 26, 2015 at 10:29 PM with the headline "Lancaster is fastest-growing county in SC."