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The Pee Dee is a region in the northeast corner of the U.S. state of South Carolina.[1] It lies along the lower watershed of the Pee Dee River, which was named after the Pee Dee, an Indigenous tribe historically inhabiting the region.

History

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The region was the homeland of the Pee Dee Native Americans, a people who originally occupied the area as part of the South Appalachian Mississippian culture from about 1000 to 1400, leaving the region for unknown reasons. Today, several nonprofit organizations have been recognized by South Carolina as descendants of the historic Pee Dee, including two state-recognized tribes[2] and one state-recognized group.[2] However, none of these organizations are federally recognized.[3][4]

Economy

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See also: Tobacco in the Pee Dee region

The region's largest county is Horry. It encompasses the Grand Strand, which includes the beaches running from the North Carolina state border to the Winyah Bay in Georgetown County in South Carolina. On the coast, the economy is dominated by tourism, and features beaches, amusement parks, shopping, fishing, and golf. The area has become a major retirement center in the United States, in part because of its low cost of living, mild weather, and numerous golf courses. Inland is a belt featuring rivers, marshes, Carolina bays, and sandy rises where forestry is predominant. There are pine plantations and bald cypress timbering. Further inland, on higher ground, but still of only slight relief, is an agricultural belt of cultivation of tobacco, cotton, soybeans and produce.[5]

The region, especially the inland portion, remained mostly rural well into the 20th century. As late as the 1970s, it was still so rural that Florence's second television station, WPDE-TV, obtained a Farmers Home Administration loan to build a studio and tower.[6]

Regional definition

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There is no agreed definition on which of South Carolina's counties are included in the region. The region takes its name from the Pee Dee River. The counties in the Pee Dee region are located, either entirely or partially, within the river's watershed.

Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
1950510,179—
1960532,4504.4%
1970524,091−1.6%
1980624,66919.2%
1990683,8409.5%
2000777,83913.7%
2010871,87612.1%
2020926,0696.2%
2022 (est.)953,9883.0%
U.S. Decennial Census

Always included

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Usually included

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Rarely included

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Politics

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The Pee Dee region has remained relatively constant during the first decade of the 21st century in terms of its voting history. The region's voters have been close during the previous four presidential elections, but lean toward the Republican Party. The tilt of the region is primarily due to the numerous Republicans resident in Horry County along the Atlantic coast.[7]

At the congressional level, the region, including the rarely included counties, is located within three congressional districts. The Pee Dee region is mostly contained in South Carolina's 7th congressional district.

Williamsburg, Clarendon, parts of Sumter, and parts of Florence counties are located in the majority-minority 6th district. Lee and the remaining parts of Sumter counties are located in 5th district.[8] The 5th and 6th districts are represented by Republican Ralph Norman and Democrat Jim Clyburn, respectively.

The 7th district was established following the 2010 census. In the 2012 elections, incumbents Mulvaney and Clyburn won re-election. Republican Tom Rice defeated Democrat Gloria Tinubu, both of Horry County, 54.9% to 45.1%, to represent South Carolina's new House seat.[9]

Presidential Election Results 2000-2012[7]
Year Democrat Republican
2012 47% 139,723 53% 159,629
2008 47% 138,565 53% 153,380
2004 46% 106,776 54% 124,487
2000 47% 96,150 53% 107,954

Cities

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Primary cities

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(population figures is from 2020 census estimates)

Cities with a population of at least 5,000

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Higher education

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4-year colleges

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2-year or specialized colleges

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Media

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The area is served by four commercial broadcast television stations, WBTW CBS 13, WPDE ABC 15, WMBF NBC 32 and WFXB Fox 43, the first two with twin studios at Florence and Myrtle Beach, as well as two educational television stations substations, WHMC-TV, in Conway, South Carolina, and WJPM-TV in Florence, South Carolina

Daily newspapers include The Sun News of Myrtle Beach and The Morning News of Florence. The Georgetown Times is published five times per week.

Major highways

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See also

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References

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[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

Pee Dee

View on Grokipedia
from Grokipedia
The Pee Dee is a geographic and cultural region in northeastern , encompassing the lower watershed of the and primarily comprising the seven counties of , Dillon, , Lee, Marion, , and Williamsburg. Named after the indigenous Pee Dee people, a Siouan tribe inhabiting the area prior to European settlement, the region features a rural dominated by , , and , with serving as its largest urban center and economic hub. The , a blackwater waterway originating in North Carolina's as the before flowing 232 miles southeast through swamps and bottomland forests into , defines the area's hydrology and supports diverse ecosystems including cypress-tupelo swamps and migratory bird habitats. Historically reliant on and farming, the region has transitioned toward , outdoor recreation such as fishing and paddling on its scenic rivers, and events like at , while contending with challenges like rural depopulation and economic stagnation in smaller communities.

Geography and Boundaries

Regional Definition and Variations

The Pee Dee region comprises the northeastern portion of , centered on the lower watershed of the , which drains approximately 17,400 square miles across parts of North and before emptying into . This geographic core influences local , , and , distinguishing the area from the state's Upstate, , and Lowcountry regions. Administrative and promotional definitions often specify seven counties—Darlington, Dillon, Florence, , Marion, Marlboro, and Williamsburg—as the Pee Dee's primary extent, aligning with the Pee Dee Council of Governments' boundaries, which extend westward to the Lynches River and southward to the Black River. These counties, covering about 3,500 square miles and home to roughly 400,000 residents as of 2020 Census data, form the basis for regional , initiatives, and . Variations arise from differing emphases on hydrology, culture, or economics; broader delineations, used in some state tourism and planning contexts, incorporate up to twelve counties including Chesterfield, Clarendon, Georgetown, Horry, and Sumter to capture shared agricultural histories and coastal influences. Historians sometimes restrict the term to counties directly abutting the —such as Marlboro, which is legally bounded westward by the river—excluding inland areas like Lee or Clarendon to emphasize indigenous and early colonial ties to the waterway. Such discrepancies reflect no single statutory definition but practical adaptations by entities like councils of government versus promotional boards.

Physical Features and Environment

The Pee Dee region encompasses the northeastern of , characterized by low-relief, flat to gently rolling topography with elevations generally ranging from along coastal margins to 140–200 feet inland. This terrain includes subtle swells, broad drainage areas, and extensive floodplain features shaped by riverine deposition, with minimal elevation changes dominated by soil variations rather than dramatic landforms. Central to the region's hydrology is the Great Pee Dee River, a slow-moving blackwater Coastal Plain river originating in the Appalachian foothills and winding through cypress swamps, bottomland hardwood forests, and wetlands before discharging into Winyah Bay; tributaries such as the Little Pee Dee and Lynches Rivers contribute to a basin overlaying wetlands, forests, and agricultural lands across seven fully encompassed counties. Soils vary from prime agricultural classes (1 and 2) abundant in Marlboro, Dillon, and Darlington counties—featuring loamy and sandy textures ideal for crops—to clayey types in lowlands and wet, sandy strips near wetlands, reflecting the Coastal Plain's sedimentary origins. Vegetation includes bottomland hardwood forests, stands, mixed pine-hardwood uplands, and cypress-tupelo swamps in wetlands, interspersed with old fields and croplands; these habitats support diverse , including species like Atlantic and , as well as birds, mammals, reptiles, and amphibians in protected areas such as the Pee Dee . The features hot summers with average highs of 91°F, mild winters with lows around 36°F, and annual precipitation of 46–52 inches, predominantly from thunderstorms and frontal systems, fostering the region's wetland-dominated environment while contributing to periodic flooding.

Historical Development

Indigenous and Pre-Colonial Periods

The indigenous inhabitants of the Pee Dee region in northeastern South Carolina belonged primarily to Siouan-speaking groups, with the Pee Dee (or Pedee) people occupying the central river valley watershed before European contact around 1500 AD. These societies practiced a mixed subsistence economy, relying on maize agriculture—introduced regionally around AD 1000—along with hunting deer and small game, fishing in the Pee Dee River, and gathering wild plants. Archaeological surveys indicate human occupation dating back to the Late Archaic period (ca. 3000–1000 BC), with evidence of seasonal camps and lithic tools, transitioning to more sedentary villages in the Woodland period (ca. 1000 BC–AD 1000) characterized by cord-marked pottery and bow-and-arrow technology. The most prominent pre-colonial cultural expression in the Pee Dee area falls within the South Appalachian Mississippian tradition (ca. AD 1000–1500), a variant of broader Mississippian mound-building societies adapted to the and environments. The Pee Dee culture, as identified archaeologically, featured hierarchical chiefdoms with platform mounds for elite residences and ceremonies, though major mound complexes like Town Creek in southern (spanning AD 1150–1400) represent the core of this tradition, with influences extending southward into along the river. In the portion, Mississippian-influenced sites are rarer and smaller, often limited to riverine villages without large earthworks, as seen in excavations at County locations 38FL240 and 38FL249, which yielded domestic structures, shell-tempered , and triangular projectile points indicative of maize-dependent communities. These groups participated in extensive trade networks exchanging coastal shells, copper ornaments from the , and local chert tools, linking the Pee Dee valley to areas from Georgia to . Social organization included matrilineal clans, with evidence of status differentiation in burials featuring grave goods like gorgets and pipes. Adjacent Siouan tribes, such as the along the lower Pee Dee and Waccamaw rivers and the upstream, interacted through alliances and conflicts, but the Pee Dee maintained primary control over the mid-river territories. Pre-contact population densities were low, with chiefdoms likely comprising 500–2000 individuals per , sustained by floodplain farming and resources.

Colonial Era to Antebellum Agriculture

European settlement in the Pee Dee region commenced in the early 1730s, following the Yemassee War of 1715 that reduced indigenous resistance and opened interior lands. Welsh Calvinist Baptists, migrating from and other colonies, established the Welsh Neck settlement along the upper in present-day County around 1736–1737, acquiring tracts such as the 20,000-acre Welch Tract granted by the colonial government. Initial agriculture focused on subsistence and frontier crops, with settlers clearing riverine forests to cultivate , , corn, , and hogs on small family farms. By the 1720s, emerged as the dominant in the lower Pee Dee's valleys, exploiting the region's flat, swampy lowlands suitable for flooded impoundments. Enslaved Africans, imported from West African rice-cultivating societies, provided critical expertise in seed selection, tidal irrigation, and methods like scaffold drying, enabling rapid expansion. From 1700 to 1730, rice exports surged over 2000 percent, positioning the Pee Dee—particularly areas like Mars Bluff in Florence County—as America's premier rice-producing zone, with plantations diking thousands of acres for controlled flooding. underpinned this system; by 1740, Africans constituted two-thirds of the coastal and riverine population, performing grueling tasks in malarial swamps while owners profited from exports via Charleston. Indigo complemented rice in the mid-18th century, introduced in the 1740s as a crop thriving on similar alluvial soils, but its production waned after the 1790s due to European competition and dye shortages. Antebellum diversification accelerated with Eli Whitney's 1793 , shifting upland Pee Dee farms toward short-staple ; South Carolina's output escalated from 94,000 pounds in 1793 to 40 million pounds by 1811. In the Pee Dee, planters like the Gibsons amassed holdings—such as the 10,000-acre Gibson Plantation in Marion District by 1850, yielding 206 bales annually alongside , , and oats—supported by hundreds of enslaved laborers valued at over $119,000. , especially high-value bright leaf varieties suited to sandy soils, gained traction in the upper Pee Dee by the , prompting organizations like the 1839 Planters Club to promote and markets. River navigation facilitated exports, but soil exhaustion and reliance on coerced labor characterized the era's .

Civil War, Reconstruction, and Sharecropping

During the American Civil War, the Pee Dee region contributed significantly to South Carolina's Confederate military efforts, with local units such as the Pee Dee Legion—also known as Harllee's Legion or the 9th Battalion South Carolina Infantry (Smith's)—organized in 1861 from counties including Florence, Darlington, and Marlboro, comprising seven companies that later merged into larger formations. The 21st South Carolina Infantry Regiment also drew men primarily from the Pee Dee area, serving in coastal defenses and later inland campaigns until surrendering at Appomattox in April 1865. Industrial activity included the construction of the CSS Pee Dee, a 170-foot steam-powered gunboat built near Florence starting in 1862 but launched only in February 1865 due to resource shortages; it was scuttled on February 25, 1865, in the Great Pee Dee River to avoid Union capture, with its three cannons recovered from the riverbed in 2015. Florence served as a site for the Florence Stockade, a prison camp established in 1864 for over 2,800 Union captives, where harsh conditions led to approximately 2,300 deaths from disease and malnutrition by war's end, facilitated by the region's rail connections. Northeastern South Carolina, including the Pee Dee, avoided major battles and Sherman's March devastation, but economic disruption from blockades and conscription strained the plantation-based cotton economy reliant on enslaved labor. Reconstruction in the Pee Dee, beginning after South Carolina's readmission to the Union in 1868, focused on integrating freed African Americans—numbering tens of thousands in the region, formerly enslaved on rice, cotton, and tobacco plantations—into society amid planter resistance and federal oversight via the Freedmen's Bureau. Educational initiatives targeted freedmen, with efforts by Northern missionaries and local advocates establishing schools despite opposition from white landowners who viewed literacy as a threat to labor control; by 1870, rudimentary schools operated in Florence and Darlington counties, though funding was inconsistent and enrollment limited by poverty and intimidation. Political violence and the rise of groups like the Ku Klux Klan suppressed black voting and office-holding, contributing to the collapse of Radical Reconstruction by 1877, after which Democratic "Redeemers" regained control, enforcing segregationist policies that persisted into the Jim Crow era. Sharecropping emerged as the dominant postbellum agricultural system in the Pee Dee by the late , where freedmen and poor whites rented land from former in exchange for a share of the crop—typically one-third to one-half—often advancing seeds, tools, and supplies at high interest rates that perpetuated cycles. In tobacco-centric areas like and Horry counties, the crop's revival from 1889 onward integrated sharecroppers into auction-based markets, but low yields and market fluctuations exacerbated tenancy, with many families trapped in subsistence farming; by 1900, over 60% of Pee Dee farms operated under or tenancy arrangements. Rice production at sites like Mars Bluff saw African American sharecroppers continue cultivation on subdivided lands, though flooding and labor shifts diminished its viability. This system, while providing nominal over wage labor, effectively maintained economic dependence on landowners, hindering and contributing to persistent through the early .

Industrialization and 20th-Century Shifts

The Pee Dee region, long dominated by , saw nascent industrialization in the early primarily through small-scale operations and processing facilities tied to cash crops like and . In Darlington County, a was established in 1883, marking one of the earliest ventures, though it remained secondary to farming. By 1925, in Marlboro County hosted three mills alongside operations like Pee Dee Knitting, which produced undergarments, reflecting modest expansion in and fabric production fueled by local raw materials. These efforts were constrained by the region's rural character, underdeveloped , and reliance on rail hubs like for commodity export rather than diversified production. World War II catalyzed temporary economic surges, with increased agricultural demand sustaining and output while military installations, such as the Florence Army Air Base, spurred logistics and support industries. Postwar mechanization of farms displaced laborers, prompting deliberate industrial recruitment starting in the late 1940s; Marlboro County, for instance, targeted to absorb surplus rural workers, attracting firms in textiles and light assembly during the 1950s and 1960s. Marion County similarly transitioned partially from agrarian dependence, building on prewar mills to incorporate broader . 's rail-centric expanded into timber processing and warehousing, with population and output growth averaging above state norms through the 1950s. By the mid-20th century, textiles peaked as a pillar, employing thousands regionally amid 's statewide mill boom, but Pee Dee's share lagged behind the upstate's denser clusters due to flatter terrain and weaker water power. The 1970s onward brought contraction as global imports eroded competitiveness, closing mills and displacing workers; lost over 20% of jobs from 1982 to 1991, with Pee Dee facilities like those in facing similar attrition from and . This shift underscored causal vulnerabilities in low-wage, labor-intensive sectors, prompting uneven diversification into services and distribution by century's end, though metrics remained elevated compared to urbanized areas.

Post-2000 Economic and Social Changes

The Pee Dee region's economy faced significant challenges in the early 2000s, marked by substantial job losses in the sector due to global competition from low-wage countries following China's 2001 entry into the and ongoing offshoring trends. South Carolina's manufacturing employment, heavily concentrated in textiles within Pee Dee counties like and , declined by over 21% statewide from 2000 onward, contributing to regional unemployment rates consistently 2-3 percentage points above state and national averages during the 2000s recession and the . Median household income growth lagged, increasing only 10.73% from 2000 to 2010, exacerbating persistent in four of the six counties (Chesterfield, Dillon, Marion, ), where rates remained more than double the state average. Diversification efforts accelerated post-2010, with shifts toward healthcare, advanced manufacturing, and logistics; healthcare became the largest employer with over 22,000 workers by 2025, followed by manufacturing at around 20,000. The 2018 opening of the SC Inland Port in Dillon spurred distribution and logistics growth, attracting investments like Nan Ya Plastics expansions, while recent industrial projects in Florence County alone generated $164 million in capital and 490 jobs in 2024. Average annual wages rose 5.7% in the preceding four quarters to $51,436 by early 2025, though still below the national average of $74,181, reflecting lower cost of living but structural wage gaps. Median household income surged 31% from 2011 to 2022, supported by workforce training programs at technical colleges achieving over 90% job placement rates. Socially, the region experienced net of approximately 5% from 2017 to 2022 and 10% in the broader Pee Dee area from 2010 to 2020, driven by outmigration from rural counties seeking better opportunities elsewhere, with losses of 8-12% in Dillon, Marion, , and . This outmigration compounded an aging demographic and contributed to labor shortages, though Florence County saw marginal growth of 0.13% over the decade due to urban pull factors. rates fell overall to 21% by the from higher levels earlier in the century, alongside improved high school graduation rates, yet 52% of residents hold high school diplomas or less, perpetuating socioeconomic challenges amid uneven recovery. stood at 4.3% in May 2025, above the national 4.0%, highlighting ongoing vulnerabilities despite targeted economic initiatives.

Demographics and Society

The Pee Dee region, encompassing Chesterfield, , Dillon, , Marion, and counties, recorded a of 326,466 in the for 2018–2022. Racial composition reflects a higher proportion of or African American residents at 42.8%, compared to the statewide figure of 25.3%; residents constitute the plurality at approximately 52%, with smaller shares for or Latino (around 4%), Asian (1%), and Native American or multiracial groups (under 2% combined). The region features a higher of residents of color and older individuals relative to averages, with median age exceeding the state norm of 39.5 years in rural counties. Population growth from 2010 to 2020 was minimal overall, at under 2%, driven by modest increases in County (from 131,517 to 138,299) that offset declines in rural counties such as (from 67,966 to 62,788), Dillon (from 32,502 to 28,114), and Marion (from 33,062 to 29,039). This pattern stems from out-migration tied to limited economic opportunities in agriculture-dependent areas, contrasting with statewide growth of 10.7%. Rural Pee Dee counties have experienced sustained stagnation or shrinkage since the mid-20th century, exacerbated by the decline of and industries, leading to net losses from younger workers seeking elsewhere. Projections indicate further decline, with the state's demographers forecasting an average 17% drop in the most rural Pee Dee counties by 2042, attributed to persistent poverty, aging demographics, and low in-migration. Urban centers like show resilience, with stabilizing around 140,000 in the due to healthcare and retail sectors, but the region's overall remains low at about 120 persons per , underscoring rural depopulation risks.

Socioeconomic Metrics and Poverty Persistence

The Pee Dee region's rate stood at 21.3% for all individuals from 2019 to 2023, exceeding the state average of 14.2% and the national figure of 12.4%. Median household income in the area was approximately $57,462 during the same period, trailing the state median of around $66,800 and the U.S. median of $78,500. averaged 4.3% as of May 2025, slightly above the national rate of 4.0% but reflective of recent stabilization after higher historical levels. remains a constraining factor, with only 23.1% of adults aged 25-64 holding a or higher in recent estimates, compared to over 35% nationally; conversely, 10.6% lacked a , and 34.1% held only a high school credential.
MetricPee Dee Region
Poverty Rate (2019-2023)21.3%14.2%12.4%
Median Household Income (2019-2023)$57,462$66,818$78,538
Unemployment Rate (May 2025)4.3%N/A4.0%
Bachelor's or Higher (25-64, recent)23.1%N/A~36.5%
Data sourced from and state labor reports. Poverty persistence in the Pee Dee is evidenced by the designation of four out of six core counties—typically including Dillon, Marion, , and Chesterfield—as "persistent poverty" areas under U.S. Department of criteria, defined by rates exceeding 20% in the 1990, 2000, and 2010 censuses. Regional poverty has declined from 58% in 1960 to 21% today, yet remains over double the national average, sustained by structural dependencies on and textiles that faced sharp declines from global competition, automation, and demand shifts starting in the late . Manufacturing job losses exacerbated this, with historical unemployment 2-3% above state and national benchmarks, compounded by low average wages and over 50% of the population holding high school diplomas or less, limiting adaptation to higher-skill sectors. These dynamics reflect causal chains rooted in post-agricultural transition failures: rural geography and underinvestment in education and infrastructure hindered diversification into services or advanced manufacturing, while outmigration of skilled workers deepened labor quality deficits. Median household income growth lagged state trends from 2000 onward, with post-2010 gains of about 31% insufficient to close gaps, as low educational capital perpetuated reliance on volatile, low-wage employment in remaining agriculture and entry-level industry. Policy interventions, such as workforce development under WIOA, have yielded modest unemployment reductions but have not reversed entrenched human capital shortfalls, underscoring the need for targeted skill-building over cyclical aid.

Economy and Industry

Agricultural Foundations and Transitions

The Pee Dee region's agricultural foundations rested on labor-intensive cash crops, particularly in the antebellum era and from the late onward, with the latter fueled by rising national demand for cigarette tobaccos. Tobacco's value—an acre yielding the equivalent of ten acres of —spurred economic expansion, transforming rural landscapes with curing barns and supporting market towns, though this prosperity was underpinned by enslaved labor on plantations. By the early , Pee Dee farms integrated with rotations, but wartime price corrections in the exposed vulnerabilities to commodity fluctuations. Tobacco production, once a Pee Dee staple since its expansion, has undergone sharp decline amid reduced rates, regulations, and the 2004 federal buyout program, dropping South Carolina's output 81.7% to 11.5 million pounds by 2023. Local farmers have observed this erosion firsthand, prompting diversification into row crops like corn, soybeans, , , and across over 1.3 million acres in the broader Pee Dee basin. Contemporary transitions emphasize crop rotation and alternative enterprises for resilience, including agritourism linkages between farms and experiential tourism, alongside Clemson University's research into new plant-based systems and soil improvements for vegetables. These strategies, informed by empirical enterprise budgets, address economic trade-offs from monoculture dependencies while leveraging the region's prime soils in counties like Darlington and Marlboro. Diversification has historically mitigated risks, sustaining farm incomes amid mid-20th-century market shifts in traditional outputs.

Manufacturing, Services, and Modern Sectors

The sector remains a cornerstone of the Pee Dee , with a location of 1.91 relative to national averages, reflecting a higher concentration of activity. in stood at 39,148 workers in recent assessments, projected to reach 42,345 by the late 2020s, driven by subsectors such as plastics, fibers, automotive parts, and assembly. Notable facilities include Honda's plant in Timmonsville, County, which produces all-terrain vehicles and side-by-sides, contributing to transportation equipment's prominence. In Marion County, operations focus on plastic injection molding (e.g., PSI with 98 employees), pavers (Marion Ceramics, 70 employees), and automotive components (DMA Sales, 44 employees). County hosts advanced plastics and fibers production, alongside firms like Nan Ya Plastics and Clarios for batteries. A proposed plant in the region, announced to create 1,600 jobs, halted construction in June 2025 amid market challenges. Services dominate employment, with and social assistance as the largest sector, employing 50,799 workers currently and projected to grow to 59,742. This includes major providers like McLeod Health in , supporting regional medical clusters. and distribution benefit from proximity to ports, generating an 11.1% share of statewide port-related economic impacts, including $1.4 billion in wages across associated activities. Retail and also contribute, bolstered by like Interstate 95 and industrial parks such as Pee Dee Commerce City. Emerging modern sectors emphasize advanced manufacturing and targeted expansions in healthcare, pharmaceuticals, and tourism. Florence County attracted over $164 million in industrial investments in 2024, yielding 490 new jobs in distribution and automotive-related fields. Local strategies promote pharmaceutical production and medical services as growth clusters, leveraging existing skills in metalworking and assembly from the region's industrial history. Tourism initiatives focus on historical sites and natural assets, though it remains secondary to core industries amid persistent poverty in four of six counties. Overall GDP in the Pee Dee workforce development area grew 4.5% nominally in 2023, following 8.9% in 2022, signaling modest diversification.

Economic Challenges, Policies, and Criticisms

The Pee Dee region faces entrenched economic challenges, including persistent affecting four of its six counties, where rates exceed twice the national average of approximately 11.5% as of recent U.S. data. in the Pee Dee Workforce Development Area stood at 5.1% in September 2024, surpassing the national rate of 4.1% and reflecting structural issues like limited job diversity beyond and declining . Average hourly wages across occupations averaged $23.97 in 2023, constraining household income amid rising costs, while rural population projections indicate a 17% decline in the most isolated counties by 2042, exacerbating a cycle of outmigration due to scarce high-skill . Regional policies emphasize workforce training and infrastructure via the (WIOA), with the Greater Pee Dee Regional Plan (2024-2028) targeting skill gaps through partnerships like SC Works centers to reduce unemployment disparities. The Pee Dee Council of Governments' 2027 Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy promotes diversification into advanced manufacturing and broadband access, building on historical shifts from farming, while state-level incentives under the Department of Commerce offer tax credits and grants to attract investments, such as the $936 million in capital announcements for 1,872 jobs in 2022. Criticisms of these approaches highlight crony capitalist tendencies, as South Carolina's incentive programs lack systematic evaluation of job delivery against taxpayer subsidies, with failures like the AESC plant setback in 2025 underscoring risks of unfulfilled promises. Local governance issues, including financial mismanagement in entities like the Marlboro County —prompting state intervention probes for in July 2025—erode trust in resource allocation. External pressures, such as Duke Energy's rate hikes in 2022 disproportionately burdening low-income households without offsetting regional aid, compound perceptions of policy shortsightedness. Despite some reductions since 1960 (from 58% to 21%), critics argue initiatives fail to address root causes like education quality and overreliance on volatile sectors, perpetuating dependency rather than fostering self-sustaining growth.

Politics and Governance

Political Landscape and Voting Patterns

The Pee Dee region's political landscape is marked by conservative dominance, driven by rural voters' priorities such as intervention, Second Amendment rights, and traditional social values, though Democratic strength persists in counties with large African American populations comprising over 40% of residents, like Marion (47%), Williamsburg (64%), and (53%). These demographic realities create a partisan divide, with whiter, coastal-influenced areas like Horry County leaning heavily Republican and inland black-belt counties providing reliable Democratic margins. South Carolina's lack of party registration means voters select affiliations at primaries, but election outcomes reveal consistent Republican advantages in aggregate, reflecting national realignments since the when the region transitioned from Democratic solidarity to GOP alignment amid civil rights shifts and economic . In federal contests, the Pee Dee, spanning much of , supports Republicans reliably; in 2020, defeated Democrat Melissa Watson 61.8% to 38.2% district-wide, buoyed by strong rural turnout. Presidential voting patterns show similar splits: won statewide with 55.1% against Joe Biden's 44.1%, but Pee Dee counties varied sharply due to demographics. Trump carried Horry County 65.7%-32.7%, Georgetown 56.0%-43.0%, Darlington 50.8%-47.5%, Dillon 50.1%-48.9%, and 50.6%-48.1%, while losing majority-Black counties like Williamsburg (34.5%-64.5%), Marion (39.2%-60.2%), (44.2%-55.2%), and (35.5%-63.5%).
CountyTrump %Biden %
50.847.5
Dillon50.148.9
50.648.1
Horry65.732.7
35.563.5
Marion39.260.2
44.255.2
Williamsburg34.564.5
Georgetown56.043.0
Statewide races reinforce this: In the 2022 gubernatorial election, Republican defeated Democrat Joe Cunningham 57.9%-40.6% statewide, winning Pee Dee strongholds like Horry (70%-30%) and (55.5%-44.5%), but falling short in Democratic-leaning areas such as Williamsburg (40%-60%) and Marion (46%-54%). proved competitive with McMaster at 49.7%. These patterns indicate causal links between racial demographics, economic stagnation in agriculture-dependent counties, and partisan loyalty, with Republicans gaining from population growth in retiree-heavy Horry while Democrats hold urban-adjacent and majority-minority precincts.
CountyMcMaster %Cunningham %
5842
Dillon55.544.5
55.544.5
Horry7030
4159
Marion4654
49.750.3
Williamsburg4060
Georgetown6040

Local Issues and Policy Debates

The Pee Dee region's local policy debates often revolve around combating entrenched and fostering amid rural depopulation and limited . According to the Pee Dee Regional Council of Governments' 2023 Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy, four of the six core counties—Dillon, Marion, , and Williamsburg—meet federal criteria for persistent , with area-wide poverty rates surpassing 25% and more than double the U.S. average of 11.5% as of 2022 data. Policymakers debate the balance between aggressive tax abatements to lure manufacturing plants, as pursued in and counties, and bolstering agricultural supports like upgrades, with rural advocates criticizing state economic incentives for disproportionately favoring coastal or urban projects over Pee Dee's and poultry-dependent economy. Marion County's 2025 strategic plan emphasizes removing investment barriers through targeted zoning reforms and programs, yet local councils face pushback from residents wary of over-reliance on external grants that may not yield sustainable jobs. Education governance sparks ongoing contention, particularly over state-mandated interventions in failing districts plagued by low graduation rates—averaging below 80% in counties like Marion and Dillon—and teacher shortages exacerbated by low pay relative to urban areas. Williamsburg County School District 1, encompassing Pee Dee communities, exited state on October 23, 2024, after a 2018 takeover for fiscal mismanagement and sub-50% proficiency in core subjects, highlighting debates on whether centralized oversight improves outcomes or stifles local innovation in curriculum and hiring. Local officials advocate for expanded vouchers, as echoed in Governor McMaster's 2025 prioritizing parental options for low-income families, against unions and district administrators who argue such measures drain public school resources without addressing root causes like family instability and limited access. Environmental policies center on the Pee Dee River's management, where flooding from hurricanes like in 2018 caused over $1 billion in regional damages and debates persist over agricultural runoff contributing to downstream sedimentation. The South Carolina Department of Environmental Services convened Pee Dee Basin Council meetings starting in June 2022 to develop water planning frameworks, balancing farmers' needs for unrestricted use against calls for enhanced wetlands restoration funded by federal bills. Stakeholders in and Georgetown counties debate stricter controls, with groups contending that overregulation hampers crop yields in an area where farming employs 15-20% of the workforce, while environmental advocates cite elevated nutrient levels threatening fisheries. Governance and cultural debates reflect the region's conservative leanings, including efforts to curb perceived ideological excesses in public institutions. In September 2025, State Representative Lucas McDaniel, representing Pee Dee districts, proposed the "Remembering Act" to streamline dismissal of university staff for posts deemed disruptive, following backlash against employees' online rhetoric amid national campus tensions. This initiative underscores local frustrations with academic environments influenced by external progressive funding, prioritizing institutional neutrality over free speech absolutism, though opponents warn of chilling effects on faculty retention in understaffed regional colleges.

Culture and Institutions

Cultural Heritage and Traditions

The Pee Dee region's cultural heritage originates with the indigenous Pee Dee people, a Siouan-speaking tribe associated with the South Appalachian Mississippian tradition, who inhabited the area from at least the and constructed ceremonial mound complexes like Town Creek Indian Mound in present-day , reflecting influences extending into . Their featured copper tools, shell-tempered pottery, and shell artifacts including beads, gorgets, and pins, evidencing trade networks and craftsmanship adapted to riverine environments. European contact began in the early , with Spanish explorer de Chicora noting Pee Dee villages in 1521, but sustained colonial settlement from the 1740s onward displaced native populations while introducing plantation agriculture reliant on enslaved Africans, whose labor and traditions profoundly shaped subsequent regional identity. African American traditions, forged under and persisting post-, form a core of Pee Dee heritage, including cuisine derived from available staples like , , and native plants, alongside remedies such as snakeroot for snakebites and boneset for fevers. Practices like ""—a symbolic bypassing denied legal unions—and intricate by groups such as Bernice's Quilting Club, which embed storytelling patterns, preserve communal memory and resilience. Gullah-influenced elements, though more pronounced coastally, appear inland through paint on doorways (a lime-indigo mixture warding off spirits) and Watch Night services on , commemorating and religious continuity from enslavement eras. Cemeteries like Foundry Hill in Chesterfield County serve as repositories of slave-era burials, underscoring demographic realities where enslaved Africans often outnumbered white settlers. Contemporary traditions emphasize agricultural and performative legacies through annual festivals, such as the South Carolina Pecan Festival in Florence—held since 2005 and drawing tens of thousands—which integrates music across nine stages, pecan-centric cuisine, and family activities tied to the region's historic nut production. The Harvesting Heritage: Pee Dee Palate, hosted by the South Carolina State Museum, spotlights Black foodways with live demonstrations of dishes like Chicken Bog (a rice-based stew) and tastings of local strawberries and pecans, linking culinary practices to antebellum agriculture in settlements like Jamestown. Cheraw's status as the birthplace of jazz pioneer Dizzy Gillespie in 1917 underscores a musical thread, complemented by venues like the Francis Marion University Performing Arts Center hosting concerts and theater. ArtFields, an annual event in Lake City since 2010, transforms downtown into a venue for over 40 international artists, promoting visual arts amid Pee Dee's rural context. These events collectively sustain a heritage blending native, African, and European strands, often centered on communal gatherings rather than formalized rituals.

Media, Arts, and Community Life

Local media in the Pee Dee region primarily consists of television stations affiliated with major networks, serving and surrounding counties with , weather, and sports coverage. News13, based in Myrtle Beach but extending to the Pee Dee, provides breaking news and local reporting for areas including and counties. Similarly, WMBF News offers live updates and Weather for and the broader region. Print and digital outlets include SCNow.com, which delivers daily news on , politics, and community events in , and The Post and Courier's Pee Dee edition, focusing on regional business, sports, and local issues. Arts and in the Pee Dee emphasize local heritage through museums, galleries, and festivals that highlight regional and creativity. The County Museum features exhibitions of Pee Dee artifacts, including works by native artist William H. Johnson, alongside educational programs and family workshops. Annual events such as the Festival in integrate art displays, live music, and culinary traditions, drawing visitors to celebrate agricultural roots. Other festivals, including the Food Truck Festival and Pee Dee Farmers Market, foster community engagement with local vendors and performances. Community life revolves around nonprofit organizations and events that address development, , and across the region's counties. The Boys & Girls Clubs of the Pee Dee Area serve through after-school programs aimed at and responsibility, particularly in underserved areas. The Eastern Carolina Community Foundation supports grants and initiatives in Chesterfield, , Dillon, , , and Marion counties to enhance quality of life via . Groups like the Pee Dee Coalition organize events to combat family violence and , while broader activities include agricultural festivals and extension programs from institutions like .

Education and Research Facilities

The Pee Dee region of features several higher education institutions emphasizing undergraduate degrees, technical training, and agricultural research tailored to local economic needs. , a public four-year institution founded in 1970 and located in , serves primarily students from the Pee Dee area with an enrollment of approximately 4,261 students across its 832-acre campus, offering programs in liberal arts, sciences, business, and education. The university maintains a student-faculty ratio supporting personalized instruction, with about 95% of its students from . Technical colleges provide accessible two-year programs focused on workforce development. Florence-Darlington Technical College, established in and serving , , and Marion counties through multiple campuses, delivers associate degrees, diplomas, and certificates in fields such as health sciences, industrial technologies, and business, with an emphasis on and seamless transfer to four-year universities. Northeastern Technical College, based in with additional sites in Pageland, Bennettsville, and Dillon, offers over 20 associate degrees and numerous certificates in areas like , administrative support, and , supporting rural Pee Dee communities through and online options. Private institutions complement public offerings, including in Hartsville, a providing bachelor's degrees in disciplines such as , , and , with initiatives like the Pee Dee Scholars program to bolster STEM access for low-income regional students. The University of South Carolina School of Medicine's Florence Regional Campus trains third- and fourth-year medical students through clinical rotations, addressing healthcare education gaps in the area. Research facilities center on , vital to the region's . The Pee Dee Research and Education Center in conducts applied research on crop systems, including , , and alternative plants, to enhance yield, pest management, and sustainability, while delivering extension education to farmers for economic stability.

Infrastructure and Urban Areas

Major Cities and Population Centers

is the largest city and primary center in the Pee Dee region, situated in Florence County with an estimated of 40,950 as of 2025. It functions as the regional hub for commerce, healthcare, and transportation, encompassing the , which had a of approximately 205,581 in 2023. Other significant population centers include smaller cities that primarily serve as county seats and local anchors, often with economies tied to , , and retail. Hartsville, the largest city in Darlington County, has an estimated of 7,378. Georgetown, in Georgetown County along the coast, reports 8,926 residents. The following table summarizes populations of key Pee Dee cities based on 2025 estimates:
CityCountyPopulation
Florence40,950
GeorgetownGeorgetown8,926
HartsvilleDarlington7,378
BennettsvilleMarlboro6,312
DillonDillon6,172
MarionMarion6,047
DarlingtonDarlington5,967
MullinsMarion3,803
These centers are dispersed across the region's rural landscape, with many experiencing population stagnation or decline amid broader trends of out-migration from small towns in counties like Chesterfield, Dillon, and Williamsburg, as documented in 2020-2023 census analyses.

Transportation Networks and Highways

The Pee Dee region is traversed by Interstate 95 (I-95), the primary north-south corridor connecting Dillon County in the north to the area, spanning approximately 199 miles through eastern and facilitating freight and passenger traffic parallel to the Atlantic coast about 50 miles inland. This interstate includes two bridges over the Great and ten overflow bridges in the floodplain between mile markers 172 and 180, which are undergoing a Planning and Environmental Linkages (PEL) study by the (SCDOT) to address structural deficiencies, flood vulnerabilities, and capacity constraints as of 2024. Recent SCDOT initiatives include pavement rehabilitation on segments like US Highway 52 (also known as Hoffmeyer Road) and Highway in County, part of a $775 million statewide improvement program announced in May 2023. Secondary state highways form a supporting network, with US 52 serving as a key east-west route through and counties, linking urban centers to rural areas, while SC 38 and SC 9 provide connectivity to border communities in and Dillon counties. The Pee Dee Regional Council of Governments (PDCOG) collaborates with SCDOT on long-range planning, incorporating major arterials into the 2020-2040 plan, which emphasizes safety enhancements, congestion relief, and integration with local roads in counties including Chesterfield, , Dillon, , Marion, and . Rail networks include the Pee Dee River Railway (PDRR), a short-line freight carrier operating 25 miles of track from McColl to Bennettsville in Marlboro County since 1987 as a of & Rockfish Railroad, handling commodities like lumber and agricultural products previously abandoned by CSX. Larger Class I railroads such as CSX maintain mainline presence for intermodal and bulk transport through , supporting regional logistics hubs. Public transit is managed by the Pee Dee Regional Transportation Authority (PDRTA), offering fixed-route bus services, demand-response options, and paratransit across six counties since its establishment, with connections to Florence Regional Airport (FLO) for regional . Regional Airport, located in Florence County, provides commercial flights via and United, cargo operations, and ground transportation including on-site rentals from Avis, , Enterprise, and others, serving as the primary gateway for the Pee Dee with expansions planned for international cargo by 2025.

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