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  • 21 Aug, 2019

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Pender County, NC
Pender County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 60,203. Its county seat is Burgaw. Pender County is part of the Wilmington, NC Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History

The county was formed in 1875 from New Hanover County. It was named for William Dorsey Pender of Edgecombe County, a Confederate general mortally wounded at the Battle of Gettysburg. Pender County is located in the southeastern portion of the state and shares borders with Bladen, Brunswick, Columbus, Duplin, New Hanover, Onslow, and Sampson counties. The county's eastern border is the Atlantic Ocean. The present land area is 870.76 square miles (2,255.3 km) and the 2020 population was 60,203, doubling since 1990. The estimated county population in 2023 had increased to 68,521. The county commissioners were ordered to hold their first meeting at Rocky Point. The act provided for the establishment of the town of Cowan as the county seat. In 1877, an act was passed repealing that section of the law relative to the town, and another law was enacted, whereby the qualified voters were to vote on the question of moving the county seat to South Washington or any other place which the majority of the voters designated. Whatever place was selected, the town should be called Stanford. In 1879, Stanford was changed to Burgaw, which was by that law incorporated. It is the county seat.

A slave cemetery that was used by the community of Cardinal Acres up until c. 1950 was disturbed by a developer grading a site in 2021.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 934.17 square miles (2,419.5 km), of which 871.30 square miles (2,256.7 km) is land and 62.87 square miles (162.8 km) (6.73%) is water. It is the fifth-largest county in North Carolina by land area.

National protected area

State and local protected areas

Major water bodies

Adjacent counties

Major highways

Demographics

Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
188012,468—
189012,5140.4%
190013,3816.9%
191015,47115.6%
192014,788−4.4%
193015,6866.1%
194017,71012.9%
195018,4234.0%
196018,5080.5%
197018,149−1.9%
198022,21522.4%
199028,85529.9%
200041,08242.4%
201052,21727.1%
202060,20315.3%
2023 (est.)68,52113.8%
U.S. Decennial Census
1790–1960 1900–1990
1990–2000 2010 2020

2020 census

Pender County racial composition
Race Number Percentage
White (non-Hispanic) 44,418 73.78%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic) 7,544 12.53%
Native American 195 0.32%
Asian 319 0.53%
Pacific Islander 23 0.04%
Other/Mixed 2,722 4.52%
Hispanic or Latino 4,982 8.28%

As of the 2020 census, there were 60,203 people, 21,740 households, and 14,676 families residing in the county.

2000 census

At the 2000 census, there were 41,082 people, 16,054 households, and 11,719 families residing in the county. The population density was 47 people per square mile (18 people/km). There were 20,798 housing units at an average density of 24 units per square mile (9.3 units/km). The racial makeup of the county was 72.74% White, 23.58% Black or African American, 0.49% Native American, 0.18% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 2.03% from other races, and 0.94% from two or more races. 3.64% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 16,054 households, out of which 29.40% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.90% were married couples living together, 11.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.00% were non-families. 22.90% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.50% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.49 and the average family size was 2.90.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 23.20% under the age of 18, 7.40% from 18 to 24, 29.50% from 25 to 44, 25.80% from 45 to 64, and 14.10% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 101.20 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.50 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $35,902, and the median income for a family was $41,633. Males had a median income of $31,424 versus $21,623 for females. The per capita income for the county was $17,882. About 9.50% of families and 13.60% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.60% of those under age 18 and 14.40% of those age 65 or over.

Government and politics

Pender County is a member of the regional Cape Fear Council of Governments.

The government is run by a board of commissioners with a county manager.

Pender County is a strong Republican county, voting with the party since 1996. In the 1992 presidential election, Democratic nominee Bill Clinton won the county. In the 2016 presidential election, Republican nominee Donald Trump won the county with 63 percent of the vote, over Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton's 33 percent. Trump continued to increase his margin of victory in Pender in the 2020 and 2024 presidential elections.

United States presidential election results for Pender County, North Carolina
Year Republican Democratic Third party(ies)
No.  % No.  % No.  %
2024 26,042 66.93% 12,460 32.02% 407 1.05%
2020 21,956 64.26% 11,723 34.31% 490 1.43%
2016 17,639 63.26% 9,354 33.54% 892 3.20%
2012 14,617 59.60% 9,632 39.27% 278 1.13%
2008 13,618 57.34% 9,907 41.72% 224 0.94%
2004 10,037 58.75% 6,999 40.97% 49 0.29%
2000 7,661 54.13% 6,415 45.32% 78 0.55%
1996 5,538 46.38% 5,409 45.30% 993 8.32%
1992 4,857 39.07% 5,825 46.86% 1,748 14.06%
1988 4,926 52.84% 4,377 46.95% 20 0.21%
1984 5,079 53.73% 4,354 46.06% 20 0.21%
1980 3,018 40.05% 4,382 58.15% 136 1.80%
1976 2,063 31.56% 4,422 67.65% 52 0.80%
1972 3,327 68.90% 1,415 29.30% 87 1.80%
1968 1,007 17.76% 1,942 34.26% 2,720 47.98%
1964 1,961 37.96% 3,205 62.04% 0 0.00%
1960 1,274 31.71% 2,744 68.29% 0 0.00%
1956 1,009 31.48% 2,196 68.52% 0 0.00%
1952 1,152 36.22% 2,029 63.78% 0 0.00%
1948 304 14.22% 1,334 62.39% 500 23.39%
1944 441 20.29% 1,732 79.71% 0 0.00%
1940 305 11.94% 2,249 88.06% 0 0.00%
1936 333 12.28% 2,379 87.72% 0 0.00%
1932 270 11.87% 1,993 87.64% 11 0.48%
1928 1,300 56.57% 998 43.43% 0 0.00%
1924 253 17.51% 1,175 81.31% 17 1.18%
1920 699 30.67% 1,580 69.33% 0 0.00%
1916 400 29.20% 970 70.80% 0 0.00%
1912 19 1.52% 967 77.11% 268 21.37%

Education

The county is served by Pender County Schools.

Communities

Map of Pender County with municipal and township labels

Towns

Village

Townships

  • Burgaw
  • Canetuck
  • Caswell
  • Columbia
  • Grady
  • Holly
  • Long Creek
  • Rocky Point
  • Topsail
  • Union

Census-designated places

Other unincorporated communities

Notable people

See also

References

  1. ^ "QuickFacts: Pender County, North Carolina". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 22, 2024.
  2. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  3. ^ Proffitt, Martie (April 17, 1983). "Local history offers tasty tidbits". Star-News. pp. 8C. Retrieved November 1, 2015.
  4. ^ Simmonsy, Kassie (March 16, 2021). "African American grave site disturbed by subdivision development". WECT. Retrieved March 17, 2021.
  5. ^ "2020 County Gazetteer Files – North Carolina". United States Census Bureau. August 23, 2022. Retrieved September 9, 2023.
  6. ^ "NCWRC Game Lands". www.ncpaws.org. Retrieved March 30, 2023.
  7. ^ Stahle, D. W.; Edmondson, J. R.; Howard, I. M.; Robbins, C. R.; Griffin, R. D.; Carl, A.; Hall, C. B.; Stahle, D. K.; Torbenson, M. C. A. (May 16, 2019). "Longevity, climate sensitivity, and conservation status of wetland trees at Black River, North Carolina". Environmental Research Communications. 1 (4): 041002. Bibcode:2019ERCom...1d1002S. doi:10.1088/2515-7620/ab0c4a.
  8. ^ Wood, Andy; Shew, Roger (March 30, 2023). "Island Creek Basin Ecosystems: An Imperiled Biodiversity Hotspot". newhanoversheriff.com. Retrieved May 3, 2023.
  9. ^ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 18, 2015.
  10. ^ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved January 18, 2015.
  11. ^ Forstall, Richard L., ed. (March 27, 1995). "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 18, 2015.
  12. ^ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. April 2, 2001. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 27, 2010. Retrieved January 18, 2015.
  13. ^ "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on June 7, 2011. Retrieved October 29, 2013.
  14. ^ "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved December 24, 2021.
  15. ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
  16. ^ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved March 17, 2018.
  17. ^ Who Was Who in America, Historical Volume, 1607–1896. Chicago: Marquis Who's Who. 1963.
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