Pender County, North Carolina
County in North Carolina, United States
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Pender County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, its population was 60,203.[1] Its county seat is Burgaw.[2] Pender County is part of the Wilmington, NC metropolitan statistical area.
Pender County, North Carolina | |
|---|---|
Pender County Courthouse in Burgaw | |
 Seal  Logo | |
| Motto: "Find Your Treasure" | |
 Location within the U.S. state of North Carolina | |
| Coordinates: 34.51°N 77.89°W | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  North Carolina |
| Founded | 1875 |
| Named after | William Dorsey Pender |
| Seat | Burgaw |
| Largest community | Hampstead |
| Area | |
• Total | 934.17 sq mi (2,419.5 km2) |
| • Land | 871.30 sq mi (2,256.7 km2) |
| • Water | 62.87 sq mi (162.8 km2) 6.73% |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 60,203 |
• Estimate (2024) | 70,077  |
| • Density | 69.1/sq mi (26.7/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| Congressional district | 7th |
| Website | www |
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.[3] 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 km2) and the 2020 population was 60,203, doubling since 1990. The estimated county population in 2023 had increased to 68,521.[1] 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 until around 1950 was disturbed by a developer grading a site in 2021.[4]
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 934.17 square miles (2,419.5 km2), of which 62.87 square miles (162.8 km2) (6.73%) are covered by water.[5] It is the fifth-largest county in North Carolina by land area.
National protected area
State and local protected areas
- Angola Bay Game Land (part)[6]
- Cape Fear River Wetlands Game Land (part)[6]
- Holly Shelter Game Land[6]
- Lea-Hutaff Island State Natural Area
- Sandy Run Savannas State Natural Area (part)
- Whitehall Plantation Game Land (part)[6]
Major water bodies
- (North) Atlantic Ocean
- Black River, home of the oldest documented Taxodium distichum (bald cypress) at 2,651 years old; located in Bladen County[7]
- Cape Fear River
- Doctor's Creek
- Intracoastal Waterway
- Island Creek[8]
- Northeast Cape Fear River
- Onslow Bay
Adjacent counties
- Duplin County – north
- Onslow County – northeast
- New Hanover County – south
- Brunswick County – south
- Columbus County – southwest
- Bladen County – west
- Sampson County – northwest
Major highways
Climate
Pender County is located in the humid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classification Cfa) zone, with mostly moderate temperatures year round. Winters are mild across Pender, with the warmest winter temperatures found in the coastal areas of the county due to the influence of the Atlantic Ocean. The average high temperature in January is around 55 °F (13 °C) for most of Pender County. Summers are hot and humid, with the hottest summer temperatures found in the northwestern areas of the county. The average high temperature in July is around 90 °F (32 °C).[9]
The USDA hardiness zones for Pender County are Zone 8A (10 to 15 °F or -12 to -9 °C) and Zone 8B (15 to 20 °F or -9 to -6 °C).[10]
Demographics
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1880 | 12,468 | — | |
| 1890 | 12,514 | 0.4% | |
| 1900 | 13,381 | 6.9% | |
| 1910 | 15,471 | 15.6% | |
| 1920 | 14,788 | −4.4% | |
| 1930 | 15,686 | 6.1% | |
| 1940 | 17,710 | 12.9% | |
| 1950 | 18,423 | 4.0% | |
| 1960 | 18,508 | 0.5% | |
| 1970 | 18,149 | −1.9% | |
| 1980 | 22,215 | 22.4% | |
| 1990 | 28,855 | 29.9% | |
| 2000 | 41,082 | 42.4% | |
| 2010 | 52,217 | 27.1% | |
| 2020 | 60,203 | 15.3% | |
| 2024 (est.) | 70,077 | [11] | 16.4% |
| U.S. Decennial Census[12] 1790–1960[13] 1900–1990[14] 1990–2000[15] 2010[16] 2020[1] | |||
2020 census
| Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic) | Pop 2000[17] | Pop 2010[18] | Pop 2020[19] | % 2000 | % 2010 | % 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White alone (NH) | 29,441 | 38,568 | 44,418 | 71.66% | 73.86% | 73.78% |
| Black or African American alone (NH) | 9,536 | 9,208 | 7,544 | 23.21% | 17.63% | 12.53% |
| Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) | 178 | 237 | 195 | 0.43% | 0.45% | 0.32% |
| Asian alone (NH) | 72 | 197 | 319 | 0.18% | 0.38% | 0.53% |
| Pacific Islander alone (NH) | 14 | 11 | 23 | 0.03% | 0.02% | 0.04% |
| Other race alone (NH) | 21 | 61 | 243 | 0.05% | 0.12% | 0.40% |
| Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) | 324 | 741 | 2,479 | 0.79% | 1.42% | 4.12% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 1,496 | 3,194 | 4,982 | 3.64% | 6.12% | 8.28% |
| Total | 41,082 | 52,217 | 60,203 | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% |
As of the 2020 census, 60,203 people, 22,962 households, and 14,676 families lived in the county.[20]
The median age was 42.9 years. 22.6% of residents were under the age of 18 and 19.4% were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 99.7 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 97.9 males.[20]
The racial makeup of the county was 75.3% White, 12.7% Black or African American, 0.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% Asian, 0.1% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 4.7% from some other race, and 6.2% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 8.3% of the population.[21]
39.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 61.0% lived in rural areas.[22]
There were 22,962 households in the county, of which 32.2% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 56.0% were married-couple households, 15.7% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 22.6% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 23.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[20]
There were 29,927 housing units, of which 23.3% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 81.2% were owner-occupied and 18.8% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.6% and the rental vacancy rate was 10.7%.[20]
2000 census
At the 2000 census,[23] 41,082 people, 16,054 households, and 11,719 families resided in the county. The population density was 47 people per square mile (18 people/km2). The 20,798 housing units had an average density of 24 units per square mile (9.3 units/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 72.74% White, 23.58% African American, 0.49% Native American, 0.18% Asian, 2.06% from other races, and 0.94% from two or more races. About 3.64% of the population were Hispanics or Latinos of any race.
Of the 16,054 households, 29.4% had children under 18 living with them, 57.9% were married couples living together, 11.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.0% were not families. Around 22.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.5% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.49 and the average family size was 2.90.
In the county, the age distribution was 23.2% under 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 or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 101.2 males. For every 100 females 18 and over, there were 99.5 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $35,902, and 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.
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 1912 | 19 | 1.52% | 967 | 77.11% | 268 | 21.37% |
| 1916 | 400 | 29.20% | 970 | 70.80% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1920 | 699 | 30.67% | 1,580 | 69.33% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1924 | 253 | 17.51% | 1,175 | 81.31% | 17 | 1.18% |
| 1928 | 1,300 | 56.57% | 998 | 43.43% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1932 | 270 | 11.87% | 1,993 | 87.64% | 11 | 0.48% |
| 1936 | 333 | 12.28% | 2,379 | 87.72% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1940 | 305 | 11.94% | 2,249 | 88.06% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1944 | 441 | 20.29% | 1,732 | 79.71% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1948 | 304 | 14.22% | 1,334 | 62.39% | 500 | 23.39% |
| 1952 | 1,152 | 36.22% | 2,029 | 63.78% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1956 | 1,009 | 31.48% | 2,196 | 68.52% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1960 | 1,274 | 31.71% | 2,744 | 68.29% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1964 | 1,961 | 37.96% | 3,205 | 62.04% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1968 | 1,007 | 17.76% | 1,942 | 34.26% | 2,720 | 47.98% |
| 1972 | 3,327 | 68.90% | 1,415 | 29.30% | 87 | 1.80% |
| 1976 | 2,063 | 31.56% | 4,422 | 67.65% | 52 | 0.80% |
| 1980 | 3,018 | 40.05% | 4,382 | 58.15% | 136 | 1.80% |
| 1984 | 5,079 | 53.73% | 4,354 | 46.06% | 20 | 0.21% |
| 1988 | 4,926 | 52.84% | 4,377 | 46.95% | 20 | 0.21% |
| 1992 | 4,857 | 39.07% | 5,825 | 46.86% | 1,748 | 14.06% |
| 1996 | 5,538 | 46.38% | 5,409 | 45.30% | 993 | 8.32% |
| 2000 | 7,661 | 54.13% | 6,415 | 45.32% | 78 | 0.55% |
| 2004 | 10,037 | 58.75% | 6,999 | 40.97% | 49 | 0.29% |
| 2008 | 13,618 | 57.34% | 9,907 | 41.72% | 224 | 0.94% |
| 2012 | 14,617 | 59.60% | 9,632 | 39.27% | 278 | 1.13% |
| 2016 | 17,639 | 63.26% | 9,354 | 33.54% | 892 | 3.20% |
| 2020 | 21,956 | 64.26% | 11,723 | 34.31% | 490 | 1.43% |
| 2024 | 26,042 | 66.93% | 12,460 | 32.02% | 407 | 1.05% |
Education
The county is served by Pender County Schools.
Communities
Towns
- Atkinson
- Burgaw (county seat)
- Surf City (also in Onslow County)
- Topsail Beach
- Wallace (also in Duplin County)
- Watha
Village
Townships
- Burgaw
- Canetuck
- Caswell
- Columbia
- Grady
- Holly
- Long Creek
- Rocky Point
- Topsail
- Union
Census-designated places
- Hampstead (largest community)
- Long Creek
- Rocky Point
Other unincorporated communities
- Charity
- Currie
- Montague
- Register
- Scotts Hill
- Sloop Point
- Willard
- Yamacraw
Notable people
- John Baptista Ashe, born in Rocky Point township, delegate to the Continental Congress[25]
- John Baptista Ashe, born in Rocky Point township, nephew of the above, United States congressman from North Carolina[25]
- William Shepperd Ashe, born in Rocky Point township, United States congressman from North Carolina[25]
