Westminster, South Carolina

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Coordinates: 34°39′59″N 83°5′43″W / 34.66639, -83.09528
Westminster, South Carolina
Location of Westminster, South Carolina
Country	United States
State	South Carolina
County	Oconee
Area
- Total	3.4 sq mi (8.9 km²)
- Land	3.4 sq mi (8.9 km²)
- Water	0.0 sq mi (0.0 km²)
Elevation	955 ft (291 m)
Population (2000)
- Total	2,743
- Density	796.6/sq mi (307.6/km²)
Time zone	Eastern (EST) (UTC-5)
- Summer (DST)	EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP code	29693
Area code(s)	864
FIPS code	45-76165^[1]
GNIS feature ID	1227504^[2]

Westminster is a city in Oconee County, South Carolina, United States. It was started mostly as a train depot along the railroad. Then as stores, shops and factories started to set up along the train stop, it bloomed into a decent-sized town. The population was 2,743 at the 2000 census. Unfortunately, the train depot burned down in 2005 and the city is now raising money to rebuild it. Westminster is home to several industries; among them are Beacon Blankets (formerly a division of Pillowtex, now a division of Faribault Woolen Mills), a Dunlop Sports golfball factory, and a US Engine Valve plant.

1 Geography
2 Demographics
3 Community
4 References
5 External links

[edit] Geography

Westminster is located at 34°39′59″N, 83°5′43″W (34.666292, -83.095352)^[3].

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 3.4 square miles (8.9 km²), all of it land.

[edit] Demographics

As of the census^[1] of 2000, there were 2,743 people, 1,191 households, and 761 families residing in the city. The population density was 796.6 people per square mile (307.9/km²). There were 1,333 housing units at an average density of 387.1/sq mi (149.6/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 85.60% White, 11.81% African American, 0.04% Native American, 0.18% Asian, 1.20% from other races, and 1.17% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.48% of the population.

There were 1,191 households out of which 26.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.7% were married couples living together, 14.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.1% were non-families. 32.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.30 and the average family size was 2.90.

In the city the population was spread out with 23.5% under the age of 18, 9.6% from 18 to 24, 27.0% from 25 to 44, 24.6% from 45 to 64, and 15.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 89.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.0 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $30,802, and the median income for a family was $36,678. Males had a median income of $30,104 versus $21,690 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,121. About 6.8% of families and 9.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.2% of those under age 18 and 9.8% of those age 65 or over.

[edit] Community

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Westminster is the home of the SC Apple Festival. The annual celebration is held during the first two weeks of September, and features a parade, street vendors and booths, a rodeo, and other family activities. Westminster and the nearby community of Long Creek have several commercial apple orchards. Westminster is also one of the last small towns in the South with a still-functioning textile mill.