Swansea, South Carolina
13 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1946 and the latest in 1986. It stands in the Swansea census division. It lies in ZIP code area 29160. It stands on Fourth Creek. The Survey maps it on the Swansea quadrangle. 722 people lived here at the 2020 count. It stands 354 feet above sea level.
On record in Swansea
Buildings and businesses the archive holds for this place. Each opens its own page, with the source record it came from.
On the National Register 1 record
- Peter M. and Alice Oliver Houselisted 2023
Population over time
2 figuresSwansea fell from 827 to 722 between 2010 and 2020. These are the recorded population figures Wikidata holds for this place, reached through the Geographic Names Information System number this page is keyed on rather than by name, so they belong to this place and not to another of the same name. Most are census counts, but not all are: an early figure may be a founding or settlement estimate, and an estimate published within five years of a census is left out. The change column is computed, and is left blank where more than 20 years separate a figure from the one before it, because a gap that long is not a change between two counts.
| Year | People | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 827 | |
| 2020 | 722 | -105 (-13%) |
Topographic sheets covering this place
8 surveys from 13 printed sheetsMatched by testing this settlement's coordinate against the published boundary of every sheet in the United States Geological Survey's historical collection. Each opens the scanned sheet at the Survey.
- 1946 USGS Woodford quadrangle1:62500, 3 printings
- 1954 USGS Augusta quadrangle1:250000
- 1957 USGS Augusta quadrangle1:250000, 3 printings
- 1958 USGS Augusta quadrangle1:250000
- 1961 USGS Augusta quadrangle1:250000, 2 printings
- 1962 USGS Augusta quadrangle1:250000
- 1983 USGS Aiken quadrangle1:100000
- 1986 USGS Swansea quadrangle1:24000
Fires near this place
388 since 1992Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 388 fires within 5 miles of Swansea between 1992 and 2020, burning about 1,249 acres in total. 14 started naturally. 16 were recorded as arson. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a fire counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.
| Reported cause | Fires |
|---|---|
| Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 187 |
| Debris and open burning | 110 |
| Misuse of fire by a minor | 29 |
| Equipment and vehicle use | 20 |
| Arson/incendiarism | 16 |
| Natural | 14 |
| Smoking | 5 |
| Recreation and ceremony | 3 |
| Railroad operations and maintenance | 2 |
| Other causes | 1 |
| Power generation/transmission/distribution | 1 |
The most recent of them, most recent first, with the day each was reported and the service that recorded it.
| Date | Cause | Size | Reported by | Name on the report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 September 2001 | Arson/incendiarism | 3.0 acres | South Carolina Forestry Commission | not named |
| 7 September 1999 | Arson/incendiarism | 1.0 acres | South Carolina Forestry Commission | not named |
| 29 September 2012 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 1.0 acres | South Carolina Forestry Commission | not named |
| 29 September 1993 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | South Carolina Forestry Commission | not named |
| 29 September 1993 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | South Carolina Forestry Commission | not named |
| 23 September 2019 | Arson/incendiarism | 1.0 acres | South Carolina Forestry Commission | not named |
| 20 September 2003 | Misuse of fire by a minor | under an acre | South Carolina Forestry Commission | not named |
| 2 September 2014 | Natural | 1.0 acres | South Carolina Forestry Commission | not named |
Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:
Mines and quarries near this place
2 within 5 milesRegional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 2 workings within 5 miles of Swansea: 1 unknown, 1 plant. 1 still produces. What was taken out: Iron, Zirconium, Thorium, Titanium, Copper. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a quarry counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.
| Where | Site | Commodity | Status | Recorded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (Facility) Gaston Copper Smelter | Copper | Plant | ||
| Congaree Creek | Iron, Zirconium, Thorium, Titanium | Unknown | Placer , Modern , Fluvial |
Storms near this place
41 since 1994Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Swansea in 41 storm reports between 1994 and 2025: 30 thunderstorm wind, 9 hail, 1 flash flood, 1 tornado. The reports record 1 death. Each account below is quoted exactly as the forecast office filed it, from the NOAA Storm Events Database, and each date opens the federal record of that event.
| When | Event | Place named | Harm | What the report says |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| August 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | Swansea | 1 killed, $12,000 | Sheriff reported one person killed when his pickup truck was hit by a falling tree. Several trees were taken down in the Swansea area. |
| September 2016 | Flash Flood | Swansea | $5,000 | Media reported Jones Wire Road was washed out. |
| June 1995 | Thunderstorm Wind | Swansea | $5,000 | no account filed |
| August 2015 | Thunderstorm Wind | Swansea | $3,000 | SCE&G reported powerlines down between Dixiana and Gaston with outages on Busbee Road. |
| July 2012 | Thunderstorm Wind | Swansea | $2,000 | Post Office reported a couple of trees down in Swansea. |
| March 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Swansea | $2,000 | DOT reported a few trees down on U.S 321 from Swansea to Woodford. |
| August 2008 | Thunderstorm Wind | Swansea | $2,000 | Aiken Electric reported large branches and a couple of power linds down in the Swansea area which produced some minor power outages. |
| January 2014 | Thunderstorm Wind | Swansea | $1,000 | SC Highway Patrol reported a couple of trees down along I-26 near the Lexington/Calhoun county line. |
| July 2009 | Thunderstorm Wind | Swansea | $1,000 | DOT reported a couple of trees down on hwy 321 near the Orangeburg county line. |
| June 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Swansea | $500 | Highway Patrol reported a tree in the roadway near SC 6 and Sardis Church road. |
| May 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | Swansea | - | An NWS Survey Team determined a strong macroburst with winds of 90 mph caused numerous uprooted and snapped trees along and around Pine Plain Rd near Swansea. One home was damaged due to a fallen tree, but no injuries were reported. |
| September 2024 | Tornado (EF0) | Swansea | - | The tornado, which began in Calhoun County and produced EF1 damage, continued into Lexington County and crossed St Matthews Rd near Chaplin Rd where EF0 tree damage occurred. The tornado continued to the northwest and continued in Calhoun County. |
| August 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | Swansea | - | MPing report of wind damage. |
| August 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | Swansea | - | Trained Spotter reported trees down blocking intersection of Cartin Road and Basil Road. |
| May 2022 | Thunderstorm Wind | Swansea | - | SC Highway Patrol reported tree down along I-26 near Miler Marker 130, east bound. |
| June 2019 | Thunderstorm Wind | Swansea | - | SCHP reported trees down near Jones-Wire Rd and Martin Neese Rd. Time estimated. |
| May 2017 | Thunderstorm Wind | Swansea | - | Trees down on US Hwy 321 near border of Lexington Co and Orangeburg Co. |
| July 2016 | Hail | Swansea | - | Law enforcement reported pea size hail near Swansea. |
| March 2012 | Hail | Swansea | - | Nicke size hail reported by a fireman who lived east of Swansea. |
| July 2012 | Thunderstorm Wind | Swansea | - | Highway Patrol reported trees down along W E Jeffcoat Road near Burns Road. |
| July 2012 | Hail | Swansea | - | Post Office reported nickel size hail in Swansea. |
| April 2008 | Thunderstorm Wind | Swansea | - | DOT reported large branches down on hwy 6 a couple miles east of Swansea. |
| May 2008 | Hail | Swansea | - | Emergency Manager reported golf ball size hail. |
| July 2008 | Thunderstorm Wind | Swansea | - | Reported large limbs down on the south side of Swansea. |
| March 2008 | Hail | Swansea | - | Off duty employee reported quarter size hail. |
| July 2007 | Thunderstorm Wind | Swansea | - | Sheriff reported several trees down on powerlines in the Swansea area. |
| June 2007 | Hail | Swansea | - | Post Office reported penny size hail on the northeast side of town and dime size hail in town. |
| August 2007 | Thunderstorm Wind | Swansea | - | SKYWARN spotter reported damage to Sandhills Intermediate school. Metal flashing removed from building. Time estimated. |
| August 2007 | Hail | Swansea | - | EM reported golf ball size hail. |
| April 2006 | Thunderstorm Wind | Swansea | - | Aiken Electric reported large limbs down on powerlines. |
| July 2006 | Thunderstorm Wind | Swansea | - | NWS employee reported a tree and large branches down. |
| June 2005 | Hail | Swansea | - | General public reported half dollar size hail in downtown and golf ball size hail northeast of town. |
| June 2004 | Thunderstorm Wind | Swansea | - | Sheriff reported trees down in Swansea. |
| May 2004 | Thunderstorm Wind | Swansea | - | Sheriff reported trees and powerlines down in Sansea. |
| June 2001 | Thunderstorm Wind | Swansea | - | Sheriff reported several trees down in the Swansea area. |
| January 2000 | Thunderstorm Wind | Swansea | - | Swansea police reported large branches down around town. |
| December 2000 | Thunderstorm Wind | Swansea | - | Highway dept. reported several trees down in the Swansea area. |
| January 1997 | Hail | Swansea | - | no account filed |
| May 1996 | Thunderstorm Wind | Swansea | - | no account filed |
| May 1996 | Thunderstorm Wind | Swansea | - | no account filed |
| June 1994 | Thunderstorm Wind | Swansea | - | no account filed |
Nearest settlements
The eight closest, with where each one stands in the county. Distances are straight-line, computed from the Geographic Names Information System coordinates.
| Map | Place | Distance | Sheets |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gaston | 5.4 miles | 12 | |
| Sharpes Hill | 6.1 miles | 13 | |
| Testo | 7.2 miles | 13 | |
| Pelion | 8.0 miles | 13 | |
| Macedon | 8.2 miles | 13 | |
| Thor | 8.7 miles | 12 | |
| Glenn Village | 9.8 miles | 13 | |
| Edmund | 10.1 miles | 13 |
Elsewhere
Matched on this settlement's Geographic Names Information System number rather than its name, so it cannot be a different place of the same name in another state.
| Wikipedia article on Swansea | An encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied. |
| Wikidata item Q3239937 | The structured record the population and elevation above come from. Public domain (CC0). |
Provenance
This settlement is recorded in the Geographic Names Information System as feature 1231848. The sheet list is computed by point-in-boundary test against the United States Geological Survey's historical topographic inventory. Both are works of the United States government and carry no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.
Wildfire. Short, Karen C. 2022. Spatial wildfire occurrence data for the United States, 1992-2020 [FPA_FOD_20221014]. 6th Edition. Fort Collins, CO: Forest Service Research Data Archive. https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS-2013-0009.6 Collected with United States Government funding and usable without additional permissions or fees.
Mines and quarries. USGS Mineral Resources Data System (MRDS) https://mrdata.usgs.gov/mrds/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.
Storms. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/stormevents/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105. Narratives are quoted verbatim from the National Weather Service report and are not edited or summarised.







