Parris Island, South Carolina
Encyclopedia
Parris Island is a former census-designated place
(CDP), currently a portion of Port Royal
in Beaufort County
, South Carolina
, United States
. The population was 4,841 at the 2000 census
. As defined by the U.S. Census Bureau, Parris Island is included within the Beaufort Urban Cluster and the larger Hilton Head Island
–Beaufort
Micropolitan Statistical Area
. The area was annexed by the town of Port Royal
on October 11, 2002.
It is perhaps best known for its U.S. Marine Corps
training facility Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island
, where about 16,000 Marines
pass through boot camp
every year.
A town named Santa Elena
was founded here by Spanish Conquistador
Pedro Menéndez de Avilés
. It was the capital of La Florida
from 1566 to 1587, during which time Spanish explorers sailed from Santa Elena to explore the Tennessee valley and Chesapeake Bay.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the CDP had a total area of 19.6 square miles (50.8 km²), of which, 12.2 square miles (31.6 km²) of it is land and 7.4 square miles (19.2 km²) of it (37.96%) is water.
The land was previously owned by Zachariah McGill, a wealthy South Carolinian landowner of mixed White/Indian ancestry through the early-to-mid-19th century. Many questions and an unresolved legal battle still linger regarding the sale of Parris Island to the U.S. military in 1883 under questionable circumstances.
of 2000, there were 4,841 people, 318 households, and 297 families residing in the CDP. The population density
was 398.0 people per square mile (153.7/km²). There were 358 housing units at an average density of 29.4/sq mi (11.4/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 69.14% White, 17.35% African American, 0.83% Native American, 1.76% Asian, 0.12% Pacific Islander, 7.13% from other races
, and 3.68% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 13.16% of the population.
There were 318 households out of which 72.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 87.7% were married couples
living together, 4.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 6.3% were non-families. 4.4% of all households were made up of individuals and none had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.31 and the average family size was 3.40.
In the CDP the population was spread out with 10.6% under the age of 18, 72.4% from 18 to 24, 15.7% from 25 to 44, and 1.2% from 45 to 64. The median age was 20 years. For every 100 females there were 303.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 339.3 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $46,335, and the median income for a family was $45,750. Males had a median income of $17,428 versus $16,359 for females. The per capita income
for the CDP was $11,216. About 7.6% of families and 6.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.1% of those under age 18 and none of those age 65 or over.
Census-designated place
A census-designated place is a concentration of population identified by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes. CDPs are delineated for each decennial census as the statistical counterparts of incorporated places such as cities, towns and villages...
(CDP), currently a portion of Port Royal
Port Royal, South Carolina
Port Royal is a town in Beaufort County, South Carolina, United States. Largely because of annexation of surrounding areas , the population of Port Royal rose from 3,950 in 2000 to 10,678 in 2010, a 170% increase. As defined by the U.S...
in Beaufort County
Beaufort County, South Carolina
-National protected areas:*Ernest F. Hollings ACE Basin National Wildlife Refuge *Pinckney Island National Wildlife Refuge-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 155,215 people, 45,532 households, and 33,056 families residing in the county. The population density was 206 people per...
, South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The population was 4,841 at the 2000 census
United States Census, 2000
The Twenty-second United States Census, known as Census 2000 and conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2% over the 248,709,873 persons enumerated during the 1990 Census...
. As defined by the U.S. Census Bureau, Parris Island is included within the Beaufort Urban Cluster and the larger Hilton Head Island
Hilton Head Island, South Carolina
Hilton Head Island or Hilton Head is a resort town in Beaufort County, South Carolina, United States. It is north of Savannah, Georgia, and south of Charleston. The island gets its name from Captain William Hilton...
–Beaufort
Beaufort, South Carolina
Beaufort is a city in and the county seat of Beaufort County, South Carolina, United States. Chartered in 1711, it is the second-oldest city in South Carolina, behind Charleston. The city's population was 12,361 in the 2010 census. It is located in the Hilton Head Island-Beaufort Micropolitan...
Micropolitan Statistical Area
Hilton Head Island-Beaufort micropolitan area
The Hilton Head Island–Beaufort Micropolitan Statistical Area, as defined by the United States Census Bureau, is an area consisting of two counties in South Carolina, anchored by the town of Hilton Head Island and the city of Beaufort....
. The area was annexed by the town of Port Royal
Port Royal, South Carolina
Port Royal is a town in Beaufort County, South Carolina, United States. Largely because of annexation of surrounding areas , the population of Port Royal rose from 3,950 in 2000 to 10,678 in 2010, a 170% increase. As defined by the U.S...
on October 11, 2002.
It is perhaps best known for its U.S. Marine Corps
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
training facility Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island
Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island
Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island is an military installation located within Port Royal, South Carolina, approximately south of Beaufort, the community that is typically associated with the installation. MCRD Parris Island is used for the training of enlisted Marines...
, where about 16,000 Marines
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
pass through boot camp
United States Marine Corps Recruit Training
United States Marine Corps Recruit Training, commonly known as "boot camp", is a program of initial training that each recruit must successfully complete in order to join the United States Marine Corps...
every year.
A town named Santa Elena
Santa Elena, la Florida
Santa Elena was a Spanish settlement founded by Pedro Menéndez de Avilés on what is now Parris Island, South Carolina. There had been a number of earlier attempts to establish colonies in the area by both the Spanish and the French, who had been inspired by earlier accounts of the plentiful land...
was founded here by Spanish Conquistador
Conquistador
Conquistadors were Spanish soldiers, explorers, and adventurers who brought much of the Americas under the control of Spain in the 15th to 16th centuries, following Europe's discovery of the New World by Christopher Columbus in 1492...
Pedro Menéndez de Avilés
Pedro Menéndez de Avilés
Pedro Menéndez de Avilés was a Spanish admiral and explorer, best remembered for founding St. Augustine, Florida in 1565. This was the first successful Spanish foothold in La Florida and remained the most significant city in the region for several hundred years. St...
. It was the capital of La Florida
Spanish Florida
Spanish Florida refers to the Spanish territory of Florida, which formed part of the Captaincy General of Cuba, the Viceroyalty of New Spain, and the Spanish Empire. Originally extending over what is now the southeastern United States, but with no defined boundaries, la Florida was a component of...
from 1566 to 1587, during which time Spanish explorers sailed from Santa Elena to explore the Tennessee valley and Chesapeake Bay.
Geography
Parris Island is located at 32°19′44"N 80°41′41"W (32.328944, -80.694619).According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the CDP had a total area of 19.6 square miles (50.8 km²), of which, 12.2 square miles (31.6 km²) of it is land and 7.4 square miles (19.2 km²) of it (37.96%) is water.
The land was previously owned by Zachariah McGill, a wealthy South Carolinian landowner of mixed White/Indian ancestry through the early-to-mid-19th century. Many questions and an unresolved legal battle still linger regarding the sale of Parris Island to the U.S. military in 1883 under questionable circumstances.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 4,841 people, 318 households, and 297 families residing in the CDP. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 398.0 people per square mile (153.7/km²). There were 358 housing units at an average density of 29.4/sq mi (11.4/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 69.14% White, 17.35% African American, 0.83% Native American, 1.76% Asian, 0.12% Pacific Islander, 7.13% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 3.68% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 13.16% of the population.
There were 318 households out of which 72.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 87.7% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 4.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 6.3% were non-families. 4.4% of all households were made up of individuals and none had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.31 and the average family size was 3.40.
In the CDP the population was spread out with 10.6% under the age of 18, 72.4% from 18 to 24, 15.7% from 25 to 44, and 1.2% from 45 to 64. The median age was 20 years. For every 100 females there were 303.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 339.3 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $46,335, and the median income for a family was $45,750. Males had a median income of $17,428 versus $16,359 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the CDP was $11,216. About 7.6% of families and 6.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.1% of those under age 18 and none of those age 65 or over.
See also
- Parris Island MuseumParris Island MuseumThe Parris Island Museum is located at Building 111, Panama Street, Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island in Parris Island, South Carolina, United States. The museum consists of a facility and includes exhibits focusing on the history of the United States Marine Corps and Port Royal region...
- USS Parris Island (AG-72)USS Parris Island (AG-72)USS Parris Island was a patrol craft escort named for Parris Island, South Carolina ....