DHEC’s Environmental Justice Strong program, or EJ Strong, in collaboration with the University of South Carolina’s South Carolina Section of the American Water Works Association (SCAWWA) and Water Environment Association of South Carolina (WEASC) Carolina Water Club Student Chapter, recently initiated a water monitoring endeavor in partnership with students from Lower Richland High School as part of the Lower Richland’s Citizens Earning and Learning Initiative.
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Today is International Women’s Day, a time to honor the remarkable achievements of women across various fields. We applaud the accomplishments of women who work in the fields of health care and the environment who are making significant contributions to our community.
DHEC would like to shine a special spotlight on Seema Shrivastava-Patel, Chairwoman of the S.C. Board of Health and Environmental Control.
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The first and award-winning South Carolina State Health Assessment was released in 2018 as a snapshot of South Carolina’s health indicators, issues, and potential outcomes. Because the document is pretty lengthy (approximately 346 pages to be exact), we will tackle each section at a glance and summarize the most pertinent information. Our first blog post introduced general information about the assessment, including contributors, definitions of indicators, issues, and possible outcomes, and why the assessment is important.
What is the demographic makeup of South Carolina?
South Carolina’s population is growing consistently. The state population has increased from 4.6 million in 2010 to about 5 million in 2017, an increase of 8.6% compared to an overall 5.5% increase in the United States. In 2016, there were 4,961,119 residents in South Carolina. The five most populated counties in the state were:
Men made up 48.5% of the population, while women were 51.5%.
Why is South Carolina’s population increasing?
The state’s growth is attributable to three main drivers:
Another factor can be attributed to the growing elderly community. The proportion of South Carolinians who are over 65 years old increased from 13.7% in 2010 to 16.7% in 2017.
Race/Ethnicity Makeup of South Carolina
The three largest racial/ethnic groups in South Carolina in 2016 were non-Hispanic Whites (3.1 million), non-Hispanic Blacks (1.3 million) and Hispanic/Latino (272,791). Of the Hispanic/Latino residents, 55.3% were of Mexican origin, 12% were from Puerto Rico, 5.2% from Guatemala, and 5.0% Honduras.
Marital Status
In 2016, nearly half of South Carolina residents – 15 years old and older, were married (46.2%); 32.7% of residents had never been married; 11.1% were divorced; 7.0% were widowed; and 3.0% were separated. The median age of first marriage was 29.9 years for men and 28.4 years for women.
Education Factors
From 2002 to 2017, the percentage of South Carolina students who graduated from high school increased from 77.3% in 2002 to 84.6% in 2017. In 2017, the South Carolina graduation rate was the highest it had been in 17 years.
In nationwide comparison, South Carolina fairs well in educational attainment among adults. See below.
Income Levels
The median income for individuals varied based on the level of education obtained. As the level of education increased so did the median earnings. Individuals with a bachelor’s degree in South Carolina had median earnings of $46,083, compared to $51,676 for the United States. Median household income for South Carolina in 2016 was $48,501, compared to $57,617 for the United States.
Approximately 735,960 individuals (15.3%) lived below the federal poverty level (FPL). The 2018 FPL for individuals is $12,140 and for a family of four is $25,100. More than one-third of South Carolinians lived under 200% of the FPL (35.4%). This is higher than the percent of United States residents.
Housing
In 2016, 68.6% of homes in South Carolina were owner-occupied, while 31.4% were renter-occupied. The median rent was $841. The highest median rent was seen in Beaufort County at $1,170. Most homeowners paid between $1,000-$1,499 or $500-$999 on monthly owner costs. Selected monthly owner costs were calculated from the sum of payment for mortgages, real estate taxes, various insurances, utilities, fuels, mobile home costs, and condominium fees. The median South Carolina homeowner spent $1,182 on selected monthly owner costs.
South Carolina is a diverse and growing population. For more demographics, including disability status, languages spoken at home, and veteran status, view the full report.
A collection of health and environmental posts from other governmental blogs.
Celebrating America’s Health Centers: Our Healthcare Heroes
I wouldn’t be here today if not for this health center. I didn’t realize all the help they offer and how many people use them until I became a patient … The staff has always treated me with the utmost respect. I can never thank them enough. I’ll have a place in my heart for these folks for the rest of my life.” -Phillip, a patient at a health center in Virginia
For Phillip and more than 27 million other adults and children across the country, health centers provide affordable, high-quality and patient-centered primary healthcare that would otherwise be out of their reach.
Health centers use a holistic approach to patient care, treating the entire person by integrating mental health, oral health, substance use disorder and primary medical care services. The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) funds nearly 1,400 health centers operating more than 11,000 service delivery sites in communities across the country. — From the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) blog
CDC’s Tracking Network in Action: Extreme Heat
Extremely hot weather can make you sick. Stay cool and hydrated to protect yourself. The Tracking Network provides data and tools that you can use to see how extreme heat may affect your health. — From the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Your Health – Your Environment blog
When to seek care for a sinus infection
Most adults have experienced a sinus infection and know how annoying and painful they can be.
Acute sinus infections generally stem from the common cold. The pressure felt in the face, forehead and behind the eyes is caused by the inflammation of the sinus cavities and nasal passageway. — From Flourish, Palmetto Health’s blog
Collaborating to Make Stronger Emergency Managers
Building a “Culture of Preparedness” and readying a nation for disaster isn’t limited to the United States.
A three-day summit at the Emergency Management Institute that focused on emergency management training and education continues the collaboration between FEMA and Mexico’s National Center for Disaster Prevention.
Supported by the U.S. Northern Command’s Humanitarian Assistance Branch, the two agencies agreed to a six to 10 year project that will strengthen emergency management training and education in both countries. They committed to sharing knowledge in emergency management training, exercises, and education to support and enhance the capacities of the each nation. — From the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) blog
Do you ever wake up with a stiffness in your neck? What about pain in your neck that gets worse after holding your head in one place for a long time? These are typical signs of neck pain. Other symptoms of neck pain include muscle tightness and spasms, headaches, decreased ability to move your head, and difficulty sleeping.
Approximately 10 to 25 percent of people complain about having a severe neck pain episode at least once in their lives. Aging and everyday damage contribute to the commonness of neck pain, and while these causes of neck pain cannot be avoided, there are many that can. — From Flourish, Palmetto Health’s blog
By Amanda Ley
Watershed Manager—Broad/Edisto Basins
Champions of the Environment Program Coordinator
S.C. Watershed Atlas Coordinator
Bureau of Water
South Carolina students and teachers have been doing their part for the environment for 25 years! DHEC started Champions of the Environment in 1993 with the goal of
Jackson Creek Elementary School: Wood Duck Habitat Installation (25th Anniversary Champion)
encouraging, enabling, and recognizing youth environmental education projects that develop awareness, promote behavior change, or improve and protect our water, air, and land.
Over the years, Champions has been providing monetary awards to students and teachers to carry out environmental education projects. By participating in hands-on environmental activities, students benefit the environment and become life-long environmental stewards.
In the first year of the program, monthly awards recognized students who were actively developing solutions to environmental problems. Winners were featured in a TV commercial, and received Champions’ medallions and savings bonds.
Irmo High School: The Bee’s Needs (25th Anniversary Champion)
Today, the Champions program awards eight $2,000 grants each year and several smaller grants to help get projects started. Grant winners are featured in a statewide TV commercial, their project is highlighted on the Champions of the Environment webpage, and they receive local recognition for their environmental work.
Over the years, Champions projects have evolved to keep up with current environmental issues. Initially, projects included recycling, gardening, and water quality. Now, this competitive grant program awards innovative projects involving alternative energy, bee keeping, stormwater management, habitat restoration, energy efficiency, and Adopt-A-Stream monitoring. Many schools partner with local environmental organizations, giving students the chance to work on real world projects alongside professionals.
Since 1993, 323 projects have been awarded, impacting thousands of students from kindergarten through 12th grade. Additionally, people all over the state have heard and seen Champion’s environmental awareness messages via the TV spots featuring the winning schools. They are aired annually and are now also featured on social media platforms.
Strong partnership supports Champions program
Since its beginning, the Champions program has enjoyed a strong commitment from its business partners. The team effort between Champions’ public-private partnership has been instrumental to the long-term success of the Champions program, and has made it possible to fund so many environmental education projects. Today, the Partnership consists of DHEC, International Paper, and SCE&G, with assistance from the Environmental Education Association of South Carolina.
Champions’ long-term goal is to foster an environmental ethic in youth that remains intact as they become adults, resulting in citizens who will both respect and protect our natural resources. Some of the first Champions would be in their 40s now, with families of their own, instilling environmental stewardship in the next generation.
Visit the DHEC website to learn more about the Champions of the Environment program and to see the list of 2017-2018 grant recipients and details about their projects.
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