Life in York County also means having access and protection of the services that let us all live a little easier. The excellent hospitals, low crime rate, and low level of bureaucratic red tape enhance the lives of all the 160,000 people who live here.

Law enforcement within York County falls within the jurisdiction of many bodies. The York County Sheriff's Department covers all unincorporated county areas plus the towns of Hickory Grove, McConnells, Sharon and Smyrna. City and towns with full time police departments include:

City of Rock Hill Police Department Tega Cay Police Department
City of York Police Department Clover Police Department
Fort Mill Police Department

Seventeen fire districts provide protection to all of York County with the exception of the City of Rock Hill, which has its own fire department. The fire districts operate under a mutual aid agreement which provides back-up support should an emergency occur. The City of Rock Hill also has a mutual aid agreement with its three adjacent fire districts.

York County has a wide range of medical services available, with specialists in most branches. Piedmont Medical Center is a 268 bed hospital located in Rock Hill. Four ambulance departments strategically located throughout the county provide a quick response for emergencies. Additionally, a new 43,000 sq. ft. Heart Center, a 90,000 sq. ft. Women's Center, and a 48,000 Rehabilitation Center round out a complete medical facility.The Carolina Surgical Center offers outpatient facilities for a complete range of specialties. Open 12 hours a day 365 days a year, Piedmont West Urgent Care provides occupational medicine services to area residents.

Businesses new to the area can locate permitting and zoning code information for York County at www.yorkcountygov.com.