Powdersville is a census-designated place (CDP) in Anderson County, South Carolina. The population was 10,025 at the 2020 census,.

History

The name Powders comes from the production and trade of gunpowder in the area. One of the first stores in present-day Powdersville was called the Powdersville Area General Store. In 1859 a powder mill was established in present-day Powdersville by John Bowen. During the American Civil War, the area was used to store gunpowder though Columbia remained the primary production site of the state's powder. Due to the area's use of gunpowder, the name Powders became a fixture for the location. The Saluda Valley-Powdersville Water Company was created in 1971 to serve drinking water to around 1,200 customers. In 1992, the name changed to Powdersville Water Company and in 2001 the name changed again to Powdersville Water District. The first high school in Powdersville was established in 2011 as Powdersville High School.

Geography

Powdersville is located in the northern corner of Anderson County. Its northwest border is the Pickens County line, and its northeast border is the Saluda River, which forms the Greenville County line. The southeast border of the CDP is formed by Interstate 85, a six-lane highway with access to Powdersville via exits 39 and 40. Greenville, the largest city in the region, is to the northeast.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of , of which is land and , or 0.90%, is water.

thumb|Powdersville [[town sign]]

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, Powdersville had a population of 10,025. The median age was 37.6 years. 24.8% of residents were under the age of 18 and 15.1% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 96.5 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 96.2 males age 18 and over.

98.8% of residents lived in urban areas, while 1.2% lived in rural areas.

There were 3,710 households in Powdersville, of which 36.9% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 58.6% were married-couple households, 14.7% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 20.9% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 20.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. There were 2,570 families residing in the CDP.

Transportation

State Highways

  • 25px SC 153
  • 25px SC 81

Interstate

References

  • Powdersville.com, local information
  • Powdersville Information Page at SCIway Site
  • The Powdersville Post