Summerville is a town in the U.S. state of South Carolina situated mostly in Dorchester County, with small portions in Berkeley and Charleston Counties. It lies about 5 miles from the Ashley River. Its population was 50,915 at the 2020 census, making it the seventh-most populous city in South Carolina.
Summerville became an official town on December 17, 1847. That year, the town passed a law against cutting down trees, the nation's first such law, and a $25 fine was issued to anyone who did so without permission. The town's official seal reads " (The Pine is Sacred)".
The 1886 Charleston earthquake affected Summerville, which resulted in a fire that reduced many of the buildings in the town square to ruins. During this earthquake, the Old White Meeting House Ruins and Cemetery, located near Summerville, was also destroyed. Today, Summerville is located within the Middleton Place-Summerville seismic zone, which is the most active seismic zone in South Carolina.
In 1899, the International Congress of Physicians (or "Tuberculosis Congress"
In 2019, Dorchester County announced that it was redeveloping 500 N. Main Street, the biggest tract of land in downtown Summerville.
The Ashley River Road, Middleton Place, Colonial Dorchester State Historic Site, Old White Meeting House Ruins and Cemetery, and the Summerville Historic District are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Geography
The center of Summerville is in southeastern Dorchester County; the town extends northeast into Berkeley and Charleston Counties. It is bordered to the east by the town of Lincolnville and to the southeast by the city of North Charleston. Summerville's town limits extend south as far as the Ashley River next to Old Fort Dorchester State Historical Park.
U.S. Route 78 passes near the center of Summerville, leading southeast to downtown Charleston and northwest to Interstate 95 at St. George. Interstate 26 leads through Summerville's northeast corner, with access from Exit 199, leading southeast to Charleston and northwest to Columbia.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , of which (5.24%) is covered by water.
| collapsed = Y
| Jan high F = 58.2
| Feb high F = 61.9
| Mar high F = 68.5
| Apr high F = 75.6
| May high F = 82.3
| Jun high F = 87.2
| Jul high F = 90.1
| Aug high F = 89.7
| Sep high F = 84.7
| Oct high F = 76.6
| Nov high F = 67.7
| Dec high F = 61.3
| Jan mean F = 46.4
| Feb mean F = 49.4
| Mar mean F = 55.4
| Apr mean F = 62.6
| May mean F = 70.7
| Jun mean F = 77.2
| Jul mean F = 80.5
| Aug mean F = 80.1
| Sep mean F = 74.8
| Oct mean F = 64.8
| Nov mean F = 54.9
| Dec mean F = 49.3
| Jan precipitation inch = 3.63
| Feb precipitation inch = 3.27
| precipitation color = green
| Mar precipitation inch = 3.89
| Apr precipitation inch = 3.45
| May precipitation inch = 3.52
| Jun precipitation inch = 5.60
| Jul precipitation inch = 6.78
| Aug precipitation inch = 6.17
| Sep precipitation inch = 5.88
| Oct precipitation inch = 4.12
| Nov precipitation inch = 2.97
| Dec precipitation inch = 3.42
| Jan low F = 34.5
| Feb low F = 37.0
| Mar low F = 42.2
| Apr low F = 49.5
| May low F = 59.1
| Jun low F = 67.2
| Jul low F = 70.9
| Aug low F = 70.4
| Sep low F = 64.8
| Oct low F = 53.0
| Nov low F = 42.2
| Dec low F = 37.4
| unit precipitation days = 0.1 in
| Jan precipitation days = 10.2
| Feb precipitation days = 8.5
| Mar precipitation days = 7.3
| Apr precipitation days = 7.5
| May precipitation days = 7.0
| Jun precipitation days = 10.3
| Jul precipitation days = 11.9
| Aug precipitation days = 13.0
| Sep precipitation days = 8.9
| Oct precipitation days = 7.0
| Nov precipitation days = 7.3
| Dec precipitation days = 8.9
| Jan avg record high F = 75.9
| Feb avg record high F = 77.8
| Mar avg record high F = 84.0
| Apr avg record high F = 87.3
| May avg record high F = 93.2
| Jun avg record high F = 96.3
| Aug avg record high F = 96.6
| Jul avg record high F = 97.7
| Sep avg record high F = 93.3
| Oct avg record high F = 87.4
| Nov avg record high F = 81.4
| Dec avg record high F = 76.6
| year avg record high F = 98.7
| Jan avg record low F = 20.6
| Feb avg record low F = 23.1
| Mar avg record low F = 28.2
| Apr avg record low F = 36.6
| May avg record low F = 46.9
| Jun avg record low F = 58.7
| Jul avg record low F = 65.9
| Aug avg record low F = 64.5
| Sep avg record low F = 54.0
| Oct avg record low F = 38.2
| Nov avg record low F = 28.3
| Dec avg record low F = 24.6
| year avg record low F = 18.6
| Jan record high F = 84
| Feb record high F = 87
| Mar record high F = 98
| Apr record high F = 96
| May record high F = 101
| Jun record high F = 104
| Jul record high F = 104
| Aug record high F = 106
| Sep record high F = 107
| Oct record high F = 99
| Nov record high F = 90
| Dec record high F = 87
| Jan record low F = 5
| Feb record low F = -5
| Mar record low F = 19
| Apr record low F = 27
| May record low F = 33
| Jun record low F = 45
| Jul record low F = 56
| Aug record low F = 55
| Sep record low F = 40
| Oct record low F = 26
| Nov record low F = 12
| Dec record low F = 9
Demographics
2020 census
{| class="wikitable"
|+Summerville racial composition (2020)
!Race
!Num.
!Perc.
|-
|White (non-Hispanic)
|33,259
|65.32%
|-
|Black or African American (non-Hispanic)
|10,460
|20.54%
|-
|Native American
|204
|0.4%
|-
|Asian
|800
|1.57%
|-
|Pacific Islander
|67
|0.13%
|-
|Other/multiracial
|2,942
|5.78%
|-
|Hispanic or Latino
|3,183
|6.25%
|}
As of the 2020 census, Summerville had a population of 50,915. The median age was 38.3 years; 23.8% of residents were under 18 and 16.3% were 65 or older. For every 100 females, there were 89.2 males, and for every 100 females 18 and over, there were 85.3 males 18 and over.
Of the 20,127 households in Summerville, 33.7% had children under 18 living in them, 47.3% were married-couple households, 15.7% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 30.4% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 25.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.6% had someone living alone who was 65 or older.
2010 census
{| class="wikitable"
|+Summerville racial composition (2010)
!Race
!Num.
!Perc.
|-
|White (non-Hispanic)
|30,101
|69.37%
|-
|Black or African American (non-Hispanic)
|9,158
|21.11%
|-
|Native American
|161
|0.37%
|-
|Asian
|647
|1.49%
|-
|Pacific Islander
|38
|0.09%
|-
|Other/multiracial
|1,122
|2.59%
|-
|Hispanic or Latino
|2,165
|4.99%
|}
At the 2010 census, It is South Carolina's largest arts and crafts festival. It is held during the last weekend of March or the first weekend of April in the Summerville Azalea Park. It often coincides with the annual Cooper River Bridge Run held in Charleston the same weekend. During the three days of the Flowertown Festival, Summerville sees about 200,000 visitors. Admission and parking is free to all who attend. No alcohol or pets are permitted at the festival. About 200 artists from around the country are invited and display their works for purchase. Area restaurants are featured in the festival's "Taste" section, where tickets can be purchased to sample their offerings. Children can enjoy the carnival in the Children's Jubilee/Kids Fest section.
In 1925, these flowers led Summerville's Chamber of Commerce to adopt the slogan "Flower Town in the Pines". Summerville also claims the title "The Birthplace of Sweet Tea". A recipe for sweet iced tea published in Texas native Marion Cabell's 1879 cookbook Housekeeping in Old Virginia has been cited as evidence against this claim.
Government
Summerville has a council form of government, with a town council acting as the chief legislative and executive body of the municipality. Day-to-day operations and legislation implementation are delegated to a town administrator hired to assist the town council in its executive functions. The council has seven members - a mayor elected at-large and six other members elected from single-member districts. By tradition, the mayor presides over council meetings and serves as spokesperson for the council. Summerville has had five mayors in the past 15 years: Berlin G. Myers (1972–2011), Bill Collins (2011–2016), Wiley Johnson (2016–2020), Ricky Waring (2020–2024), and Russ Touchberry (2024- ).
Fire department
The Town of Summerville Fire and Rescue comprises 97 full-time firefighters and 19 volunteers. These firemen operate out of six stations across town and are subdivided into five engine companies and two ladder companies. Also included in the department is the Fire Marshall Office, which comprises a chief fire marshall and two assistants. The department operates on a 24/48 schedule and maintains a Class 1 ISO rating. In 2025, the 2026 budget for the Summerville Fire Department was estimated at $12.8 million. The current fire chief is Brent Melcher.
Police department
The Town of Summerville Police Department consists of 120 sworn officers and 29 civilian staff members, with 2.33 full-time law enforcement officers per 1,000 residents. The estimated 2026 budget for the Summerville Police Department was $15.4 million. The current chief of police is Doug Wright.
EMS and medical centers
Emergency medical services (EMS) for the town are provided primarily by Dorchester County EMS. In some cases, these services are provided by both Charleston and Berkley County EMS, due to small parts of the town being in these counties.
While the city of Charleston is the primary medical center for the area, Summerville is home to the Summerville Medical Center and many different Medical University of South Carolina campuses, which serve the town.
Crime
This table shows the service statistics collected by the Summerville Police Department. In 2023, the Summerville Police Department received 94,446 calls for service, resulting in 2,030 arrests.
{|class="wikitable sortable"
|+ Reported crimes
! Crime
! 2025
! 2024
! 2023
! 2022
! 2021
! 2020
! 2019
! 2018
! 2017
! 2016
! 2015
! 2014
! 2013
|-
|Arson
|style-"text-align:right;"|1
|style="text-align:right;"|1
|style="text-align:right;"|0
|style="text-align:right;"|4
|style="text-align:right;"|1
|style="text-align:right;"|1
|style="text-align:right;"|0
|style="text-align:right;"|6
|style="text-align:right;"|5
|style="text-align:right;"|0
|style="text-align:right;"|3
|style="text-align:right;"|0
|style="text-align:right;"|2
|-
|Aggravated assault
|style-"text-align:right;"|25
|style="text-align:right;"|14
|style="text-align:right;"|12
|style="text-align:right;"|20
|style="text-align:right;"|19
|style="text-align:right;"|155
|style="text-align:right;"|30
|style="text-align:right;"|219
|style="text-align:right;"|145
|style="text-align:right;"|136
|style="text-align:right;"|57
|style="text-align:right;"|64
|style="text-align:right;"|36
|-
|Burglary
|style-"text-align:right;"|102
|style="text-align:right;"|74
|style="text-align:right;"|113
|style="text-align:right;"|142
|style="text-align:right;"|128
|style="text-align:right;"|155
|style="text-align:right;"|183
|style="text-align:right;"|264
|style="text-align:right;"|224
|style="text-align:right;"|235
|style="text-align:right;"|235
|style="text-align:right;"|203
|style="text-align:right;"|215
|-
|Criminal sex. conduct
|style-"text-align:right;"|59
|style="text-align:right;"|155
|style="text-align:right;"|52
|style="text-align:right;"|48
|style="text-align:right;"|72
|style="text-align:right;"|97
|style="text-align:right;"|92
|style="text-align:right;"|69
|style="text-align:right;"|43
|style="text-align:right;"|23
|style="text-align:right;"|31
|style="text-align:right;"|21
|style="text-align:right;"|24
|-
|Homicide
|style-"text-align:right;"|0
|style="text-align:right;"|6
|style="text-align:right;"|2
|style="text-align:right;"|5
|style="text-align:right;"|2
|style="text-align:right;"|5
|style="text-align:right;"|5
|style="text-align:right;"|2
|style="text-align:right;"|5
|style="text-align:right;"|4
|style="text-align:right;"|5
|style="text-align:right;"|1
|style="text-align:right;"|0
|-
|Larceny
|style-"text-align:right;"|1,528
|style="text-align:right;"|1,555
|style="text-align:right;"|1,589
|style="text-align:right;"|1,832
|style="text-align:right;"|1,826
|style="text-align:right;"|1,889
|style="text-align:right;"|1,925
|style="text-align:right;"|1,523
|style="text-align:right;"|1,587
|style="text-align:right;"|1,594
|style="text-align:right;"|1,070
|style="text-align:right;"|1,304
|style="text-align:right;"|1,191
|-
|Motor vehicle theft
|style-"text-align:right;"|171
|style="text-align:right;"|202
|style="text-align:right;"|300
|style="text-align:right;"|270
|style="text-align:right;"|214
|style="text-align:right;"|207
|style="text-align:right;"|187
|style="text-align:right;"|167
|style="text-align:right;"|123
|style="text-align:right;"|109
|style="text-align:right;"|182
|style="text-align:right;"|123
|style="text-align:right;"|93
|-
|Robbery
|style-"text-align:right;"|8
|style="text-align:right;"|15
|style="text-align:right;"|15
|style="text-align:right;"|23
|style="text-align:right;"|18
|style="text-align:right;"|27
|style="text-align:right;"|34
|style="text-align:right;"|46
|style="text-align:right;"|46
|style="text-align:right;"|27
|style="text-align:right;"|31
|style="text-align:right;"|25
|style="text-align:right;"|29
|-
|Total
|style-"text-align:right;"|1,894
|style="text-align:right;"|2,022
|style='text-align:right;"|2,083
|style='text-align:right;"|2,344
|style='text-align:right;"|2,280
|style='text-align:right;"|2,536
|style='text-align:right;"|2,456
|style='text-align:right;"|2,296
|style='text-align:right;"|2,178
|style='text-align:right;"|2,128
|style='text-align:right;"|1,614
|style='text-align:right;"|1,741
|style='text-align:right;"|1,590
|}
Education
Public education in the portions of Summerville in Dorchester County is administered by Dorchester School District Two,<!--Ref clarifies that Dorchester SD 2 only covers parts of Summerville in Dorchester County!--> which operates Summerville High School, Ashley Ridge High School, and Fort Dorchester High School. Summerville High School's Memorial Stadium, which has a capacity of around 6,500, is used for American football games.
All areas in Berkeley County are in the Berkeley County School District. All areas in Charleston County are in the Charleston County School District.
Summerville has a public library, a branch of the Dorchester County Library.
Private schools in the area include Pinewood Preparatory School.
Notable people
<!---♦♦♦ Please keep the list in alphabetical order by LAST NAME ♦♦♦--->
- Jonathan Amon, soccer player
- Christopher Celiz, army ranger and Medal of Honor recipient
- Jenn Colella, comedian, actress, and singer
- Janet Cone, college athletic director at UNC Asheville
- Chuck Eidson, professional basketball player
- Sam Esmail, film and television producer known for Mr. Robot and Homecoming
- Brett Gardner, professional baseball player
- A. J. Green, professional football player
- Charles Green, known as Angry Grandpa on YouTube
- Shanola Hampton, actress
- Brad Hawkins, actor, martial artist and country music singer
- De'Angelo Henderson, professional football player
- Keith Jennings, professional football player
- Milton Jennings, professional basketball player
- Stanford Jennings, professional football player
- Dro Kenji, rapper and singer
- Annie Virginia McCracken, author
- John McKissick, high school football coach
- Fern Michaels, author
- Johnny Wactor, actor
Transportation
Interstate 26 is a major thoroughfare with four exits in the town: Jedburg Road, Nexton Parkway, US Route 17A, and College Park Road.
US 78, US 176, SC 165, SC 642, and SC 61 all pass through the town.
For recreational aviation, there is the Summerville Airport.
See also
- List of municipalities in South Carolina
References
Further reading
External links
- Summerville & Dorchester County's official tourism site