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==History==
==History==
The area eventually comprising Nash County was originally organized as a part of [[Edgecombe County, North Carolina|Edgecombe County]]. Settlement first occurred in the 1740s;{{sfn|Fleming|1998|p=7}} the earliest [[land grant]]s date to 1743.<ref name= history>{{cite web| url = https://nashcountync.gov/98/County-History| title = History of Nash County| publisher = Nash County, North Carolina| access-date = November 17, 2024}}</ref> As the population of Edgecombe increased, citizens in the western portion of the county found it difficult to travel to the county seat of [[Tarboro, North Carolina|Tarboro]] to conduct official business. Legislator Nathan Boddie proposed to the [[North Carolina Provincial Congress]] that the county be divided.{{sfn|Fleming|1998|p=7}} As a result, Nash was formed from all parts of Edgecombe west of the Falls of the Tar River in 1777.{{sfn|Corbitt|2000|p=157}}<ref name= kelley/><ref name= olds>{{cite news| last = Olds| first = Fred A.
Nash County was formed in 1777 from [[Edgecombe County, North Carolina|Edgecombe County]]. It was named for [[American Revolutionary War]] Brigadier General [[Francis Nash]], who was mortally wounded at the [[Battle of Germantown]] that year.
| title = History Series of Carolina Counties| newspaper = Durham Morning Herald| page = 4| date = January 3, 1924| url = https://newspapers.digitalnc.org/lccn/sn84020730/1924-01-03/ed-1/seq-4/}}</ref> It was named for [[American Revolutionary War]] Brigadier General [[Francis Nash]], who was mortally wounded at the [[Battle of Germantown]].{{sfn|Corbitt|2000|p=157}} The first session of the county court met on April 1, 1778, in the home of Micajah Thomas. Court was then held in a temporary building at Peach Tree until a permanent courthouse was erected in [[Nashville, North Carolina|Nashville]] in 1784.<ref name= olds/> Nashville was formally designated the seat of county government in 1815{{sfn|Corbitt|2000|pp=157–158}} and was incorporated in 1823.{{sfn|Fleming|1998|p=9}} In 1833, the county's first courthouse burned down and was replaced by a brick building.{{sfn|Fleming|1998|p=9}}


In 1786, the state of North Carolina conducted a census which recorded a total population of 5,277 in Nash County. The [[1790 United States census|first U.S. Census]] in 1790 recorded a total population of 7,393, of whom 2,099 were slaves, 183 were free blacks, and the rest whites.<ref name= olds/> Several early communities in Nash County developed as stops along stagecoach routes, including Dortches, Red Oak, Stanhope, Hilliardston, and Castalia.{{sfn|Fleming|1998|pp=7–8}} Settlement also occurred along rivers and creeks, accompanied by the construction of gristmills.{{sfn|Fleming|1998|p=8}} In the 1830s the [[Wilmington and Weldon Railroad]] was laid, leading to further settlement. The building of a spur line in 1840 led to the eventual creation of the community of Whitakers.{{sfn|Fleming|1998|pp=8, 21}} By the 1860s, Nash County had a population over 11,600 and an economy centered on agriculture.{{sfn|Fleming|1998|p=8}} In 1855, parts of Nash, [[Edgecombe County, North Carolina|Edgecombe]], [[Johnston County, North Carolina|Johnston]], and [[Wayne County, North Carolina|Wayne]] counties were combined to form [[Wilson County, North Carolina|Wilson County]].{{sfn|Corbitt|2000|p=158}} Over 1,000 men from the county fought in the [[American Civil War]].{{sfn|Fleming|1998|p=8}}
In 1855, parts of Nash, [[Edgecombe County, North Carolina|Edgecombe]], [[Johnston County, North Carolina|Johnston]], and [[Wayne County, North Carolina|Wayne]] counties were combined to form [[Wilson County, North Carolina|Wilson County]].

In 1871, after significant political controversy, all parts of Edgecombe County west of the Wilmington and Weldon Railroad were annexed to Nash{{sfn|Corbitt|2000|p=159}}<ref name= kelley/> leading to the bifurcation of the Edgecombe communities of [[Battleboro, North Carolina|Battleboro]] and [[Sharpsburg, North Carolina|Sharpsburg]] between the two counties.<ref name= kelley/> As a result of the boundary shift, Nash County's black population grew<ref name= fernelius>{{cite web| url = https://www.theassemblync.com/long-form/rocky-mount-is-dead-long-live-rocky-mount/| title = Rocky Mount Is Dead. Long Live Rocky Mount| last = Fernelius| first = Katie Jane| date = March 24, 2021| website = The Assembly| access-date = March 27, 2022| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210614161703/https://www.theassemblync.com/long-form/rocky-mount-is-dead-long-live-rocky-mount/|archive-date=June 14, 2021}}</ref> and a greater portion of the town of Rocky Mount also lay within Nash County's border, including [[Rocky Mount Mills]], the second textile mill to exist within in the state.<ref name= kelley>{{cite web|last=Kelley|first=Lucas| url = https://rockymountmill.prospect.unc.edu/mill-history/narrative/moving-the-county-line/| title = The Historical Origins of the 1871 Nash-Edgecombe County Line| website = Digital Rocky Mount Mills| publisher = Community Histories Workshop, [[University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill]]| access-date = November 15, 2024}}</ref> In 1899, the [[Atlantic Coast Line Railroad]] established repair shops in Rocky Mount, precipitating the city's rapid growth.{{sfn|Fleming|1998|p=8}} In 1921 the county's third courthouse was built.{{sfn|Fleming|1998|p=9}}


==Geography==
==Geography==
{{maplink|frame=yes|zoom=8|id=Q506235|type=shape-inverse|text=Interactive map of Nash County}}
{{maplink|frame=yes|zoom=8|id=Q506235|type=shape-inverse|text=Interactive map of Nash County}}
According to the [[U.S. Census Bureau]], the county has a total area of {{convert|542.82|sqmi}}, of which {{convert|540.44|sqmi}} is land and {{convert|2.38|sqmi}} (0.44%) is covered by water.<ref>{{Cite web |date=August 23, 2022 |title=2020 County Gazetteer Files – North Carolina |url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2020_Gazetteer/2020_gaz_counties_37.txt |access-date=September 9, 2023 |publisher=United States Census Bureau}}</ref>
Nash County rests in the northeastern part of North Carolina<ref name= history/> along the dividing line between the Peidmont and Coastal Plain regions.{{sfn|Fleming|1998|p=7}} According to the [[U.S. Census Bureau]], the county has a total area of {{convert|542.82|sqmi}}, of which {{convert|540.44|sqmi}} is land and {{convert|2.38|sqmi}} (0.44%) is covered by water.<ref>{{Cite web |date=August 23, 2022 |title=2020 County Gazetteer Files – North Carolina |url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2020_Gazetteer/2020_gaz_counties_37.txt |access-date=September 9, 2023 |publisher=United States Census Bureau}}</ref> Elevation in the county gradually rises from the east to the west.{{sfn|Fleming|1998|p=5}}


===State and local protected areas===
===State and local protected areas===
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===Major water bodies===
===Major water bodies===
* [[Fishing Creek (North Carolina)|Fishing Creek]]
* [[Fishing Creek (North Carolina)|Fishing Creek]]{{sfn|Fleming|1998|p=7}}
* [[Moccasin Creek (North Carolina)|Moccasin Creek]]
* [[Moccasin Creek (North Carolina)|Moccasin Creek]]{{sfn|Fleming|1998|p=7}}
* [[Pig Basket Creek (North Carolina)|Pig Basket Creek]]
* [[Pig Basket Creek (North Carolina)|Pig Basket Creek]]
* [[Sapony Creek (North Carolina)|Sapony Creek]]
* [[Sapony Creek (North Carolina)|Sapony Creek]]{{sfn|Fleming|1998|p=7}}
* [[Stony Creek (North Carolina)|Stony Creek]]
* [[Stoney Creek (North Carolina)|Stoney Creek]]{{sfn|Fleming|1998|p=7}}
* [[Swift Creek (North Carolina)|Swift Creek]]
* [[Swift Creek (North Carolina)|Swift Creek]]{{sfn|Fleming|1998|p=7}}
* [[Tar River]]
* [[Tar River]]{{sfn|Fleming|1998|p=7}}
* [[Tar River|Tar River Reservoir]]
* [[Tar River|Tar River Reservoir]]
* [[Toisnot Swamp (North Carolina)|Toisnot Swamp]]
* [[Toisnot Swamp (North Carolina)|Toisnot Swamp]]
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{{div col|colwidth=15em}}
{{div col|colwidth=15em}}
* {{Jct|state=NC|I-Future|87}}
* {{Jct|state=NC|I-Future|87}}
* {{Jct|state=NC|I|95}}
* {{Jct|state=NC|I|95}}<ref name= Barkin1/>
* {{Jct|state=NC|I-Future|587}}
* {{Jct|state=NC|I-Future|587}}
* {{Jct|state=NC|US|64}}
* {{Jct|state=NC|US|64}}<ref name= Barkin1/>
* {{Jct|state=NC|US-Alt|64|dab1=Spring Hope}}
* {{Jct|state=NC|US-Alt|64|dab1=Spring Hope}}
* {{Jct|state=NC|US-Bus|64|dab1=Nashville}} (Nashville)
* {{Jct|state=NC|US-Bus|64|dab1=Nashville}} (Nashville)
* {{Jct|state=NC|US-Bus|64|dab1=Rocky Mount}} (Rocky Mount)
* {{Jct|state=NC|US-Bus|64|dab1=Rocky Mount}} (Rocky Mount)
* {{Jct|state=NC|US|264}}
* {{Jct|state=NC|US|264}}<ref name= Barkin1/>
* {{Jct|state=NC|US-Alt|264|dab1=Middlesex–Greenville}}
* {{Jct|state=NC|US-Alt|264|dab1=Middlesex–Greenville}}
* {{Jct|state=NC|US|301}}
* {{Jct|state=NC|US|301}}
Line 100: Line 103:


==Demographics==
==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1790= 7390
|1800= 6975
|1810= 7268
|1820= 8185
|1830= 8490
|1840= 9047
|1850= 10657
|1860= 11687
|1870= 11077
|1880= 17731
|1890= 20707
|1900= 25478
|1910= 33727
|1920= 41061
|1930= 52782
|1940= 55608
|1950= 59919
|1960= 61002
|1970= 59122
|1980= 67153
|1990= 76677
|2000= 87420
|2010= 95840
|2020= 94970
|estyear=2023
|estimate=96551
|estref=<ref name="2020CensusQuickFacts"/>
|align-fn=center
|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=U.S. Decennial Census|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=January 18, 2015}}</ref><br />1790–1960<ref>{{cite web|url=http://mapserver.lib.virginia.edu|title=Historical Census Browser|publisher=University of Virginia Library|access-date=January 18, 2015}}</ref> 1900–1990<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/population/cencounts/nc190090.txt|title=Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990|publisher=United States Census Bureau|editor-last=Forstall|editor-first=Richard L.|date=March 27, 1995|access-date=January 18, 2015}}</ref><br />1990–2000<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/population/www/cen2000/briefs/phc-t4/tables/tab02.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100327165705/http://www.census.gov/population/www/cen2000/briefs/phc-t4/tables/tab02.pdf |archive-date=March 27, 2010 |url-status=live|title=Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000|publisher=United States Census Bureau|date=April 2, 2001|access-date=January 18, 2015}}</ref> 2010<ref name="QF">{{cite web|title=State & County QuickFacts|url=http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/36/36127.html|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=October 27, 2013}}{{Dead link|date=April 2020 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> 2020<ref name="2020CensusQuickFacts">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/nashcountynorthcarolina|title=QuickFacts: Nash County, North Carolina|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=March 21, 2024}}</ref>
}}


===2020 census===
===2020 census===
Line 170: Line 142:
As of the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]], there were 94,970 people, 37,574 households, and 27,002 families residing in the county.
As of the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]], there were 94,970 people, 37,574 households, and 27,002 families residing in the county.


===2000 census===
===Demographic change===
{| role="presentation" class="wikitable mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"
At the [[2000 United States census|2000 census]],<ref name="GR2">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=January 31, 2008|title=U.S. Census website}}</ref> there were 87,420 people, 33,644 households, and 23,920 families living in the county. The [[population density]] was {{convert|162|/mi2|/km2|disp=preunit|people&nbsp;|people}}. The 37,051 housing units averaged {{convert|69|/mi2|/km2|disp=preunit|units&nbsp;|units|}}. The [[Race (United States Census)|racial makeup]] of the county was 61.94% White, 33.93% Black or African American, 0.45% Native American, 0.57% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 2.06% from other races, and 1.02% from two or more races. About 3.36% of the population was Hispanic or Latino of any race.
| <strong>Historical population</strong>
|-
| {{US Census population
|1790= 7390
|1800= 6975
|1810= 7268
|1820= 8185
|1830= 8490
|1840= 9047
|1850= 10657
|1860= 11687
|1870= 11077
|1880= 17731
|1890= 20707
|1900= 25478
|1910= 33727
|1920= 41061
|1930= 52782
|1940= 55608
|1950= 59919
|1960= 61002
|1970= 59122
|1980= 67153
|1990= 76677
|2000= 87420
|2010= 95840
|2020= 94970
|estyear=2023
|estimate=96551
|estref=<ref name="2020CensusQuickFacts"/>
|align-fn=center
|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=U.S. Decennial Census|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=January 18, 2015}}</ref><br />1790–1960<ref>{{cite web|url=http://mapserver.lib.virginia.edu|title=Historical Census Browser|publisher=University of Virginia Library|access-date=January 18, 2015}}</ref> 1900–1990<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/population/cencounts/nc190090.txt|title=Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990|publisher=United States Census Bureau|editor-last=Forstall|editor-first=Richard L.|date=March 27, 1995|access-date=January 18, 2015}}</ref><br />1990–2000<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/population/www/cen2000/briefs/phc-t4/tables/tab02.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100327165705/http://www.census.gov/population/www/cen2000/briefs/phc-t4/tables/tab02.pdf |archive-date=March 27, 2010 |url-status=live|title=Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000|publisher=United States Census Bureau|date=April 2, 2001|access-date=January 18, 2015}}</ref> 2010<ref name="QF">{{cite web|title=State & County QuickFacts|url=http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/36/36127.html|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=October 27, 2013}}{{Dead link|date=April 2020 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> 2020<ref name="2020CensusQuickFacts">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/nashcountynorthcarolina|title=QuickFacts: Nash County, North Carolina|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=March 21, 2024}}</ref>
}}
|}


After decades of growth, between 2010 and 2020, Nash County recorded an almost one percent population loss.<ref name= Barkin1>{{cite news| last = Barkin| first = Dan| title = 20 miles from Raleigh, Nash County launches new economic development effort| newspaper = Business North Carolina| date = October 17, 2021| url = https://businessnc.com/20-miles-from-raleigh-nash-county-launches-new-economic-development-effort/| access-date = November 18, 2024}}</ref>
Of the 33,644 households, 32.70% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.70% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 14.50% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.90% were not families. About 25% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.60% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.54 and the average family size was 3.02.


==Government and politics==
In the county, the population was distributed as 25.40% under the age of 18, 8.50% from 18 to 24, 30.10% from 25 to 44, 23.50% from 45 to 64, and 12.40% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.70 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.10 males.
=== Government ===
Nash County is run by a [[Council–manager government|commission–manager government]]. Legislative and policy-making power is vested in a seven-member board of commissioners, with the commissioners elected in districts to serve four-year staggered terms. The board passes ordinances, adopts the county budget, and appoints the county manager. The manager wields executive authority over county administration, appoints directors of county government departments, and implement the commission's decisions. County government provides various services, including public safety, social services, cultural activities, and the provision of utilities.{{sfn|Wood|2023|p=iii}}


Nash County is represented in the General Assembly by the Senate's 11th district and the House of Representatives' 24th and 25th districts.<ref>{{cite web| url = https://www.ncleg.gov/Members/CountyRepresentation/Nash| title = Nash County Representation : 2023-2024 Session| publisher = North Carolina General Assembly| access-date = November 20, 2024}}</ref> It lies within the bounds of North Carolina's 8th Prosecutorial District, the 8A [[North Carolina Superior Court|Superior Court]] District, and the 8th [[North Carolina District Courts|District Court]] District.<ref>{{cite web| url = https://www.nccourts.gov/locations/nash-county| title = Nash County| publisher = North Carolina Judicial Branch| access-date = November 15, 2024}}</ref>
The median income for a household in the county was $37,147, and for a family was $44,769. Males had a median income of $32,459 versus $24,438 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the county was $18,863. About 10.30% of families and 13.40% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 17.80% of those under age 18 and 15.20% of those age 65 or over.


Nash County is a member of the regional [[Councils of governments in North Carolina|Upper Coastal Plain Council of Governments]].
==Government and politics==

=== Politics ===
From the turn of the 20th century North Carolina established barriers that effectively [[disenfranchisement after the Reconstruction Era|disfranchised]] the large black population, which had been supporting Republican candidates. Conservative whites voted overwhelmingly Democratic and the county and state were part of the resulting political "[[Solid South]]" county. Although it gave a plurality to [[Populist movement (United States, 19th Century)|Populist]] candidate [[James B. Weaver]] in 1892, unlike [[Sampson County, North Carolina|Sampson County]] or Alabama's [[Chilton County, Alabama|Chilton County]], it did not subsequently turn to the Republican Party.
From the turn of the 20th century North Carolina established barriers that effectively [[disenfranchisement after the Reconstruction Era|disfranchised]] the large black population, which had been supporting Republican candidates. Conservative whites voted overwhelmingly Democratic and the county and state were part of the resulting political "[[Solid South]]" county. Although it gave a plurality to [[Populist movement (United States, 19th Century)|Populist]] candidate [[James B. Weaver]] in 1892, unlike [[Sampson County, North Carolina|Sampson County]] or Alabama's [[Chilton County, Alabama|Chilton County]], it did not subsequently turn to the Republican Party.


Nash County would vote Democratic in every election from 1896 to 1964 – in [[Franklin D. Roosevelt]] and [[Harry S. Truman]]'s five elections, the Republicans never received eleven percent of the county's limited electorate's ballots. Many whites supported [[George Wallace]]'s American Independent candidacy in 1968, after passage of the Voting Rights Act. More voted Republican for the first time in 1972.
Nash County would vote Democratic in every election from 1896 to 1964 – in [[Franklin D. Roosevelt]] and [[Harry S. Truman]]'s five elections, the Republicans never received eleven percent of the county's limited electorate's ballots. Many whites supported [[George Wallace]]'s American Independent candidacy in 1968, after passage of the Voting Rights Act. More voted Republican for the first time in 1972.


While Nash voters supported favorite son and Southern Democrat [[Jimmy Carter]] in 1976, the county's majority white voters shifted to Republican candidates from 1980 to 2004. But the last four elections have been closely contested. The margin of victory has been less than 1,000 votes in every election since.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections |url=https://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS/ |access-date=December 22, 2022 |website=uselectionatlas.org}}</ref><ref>{{cite news| title = Anatomy of a swing state: What these 6 counties tell us about the upcoming NC election| newspaper = The Charlotte Observer| date = November 4, 2022| url = https://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/politics-government/election/article267776257.html| access-date = November 4, 2022}}</ref> Nash County has emerged in recent years as a swing county and a [[bellweather]] county. As of 2024, it is the only North Carolina county to support the winning U.S. presidential election four times in a row, supporting [[Barack Obama]] in 2012, [[Donald Trump]] in 2016, [[Joe Biden]] in 2020, and Trump in 2024.<ref>{{cite news| title = NC county gets presidential prediction right yet again by backing Trump in 2024| newspaper = The Charlotte Observer| date = November 7, 2024| url = https://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/politics-government/election/article295135114.html| access-date = November 10, 2024}}</ref>
While Nash voters supported favorite son and Southern Democrat [[Jimmy Carter]] in 1976, the county's majority white voters shifted to Republican candidates from 1980 to 2004. But the last four elections have been closely contested. The margin of victory has been less than 1,000 votes in every election since.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections |url=https://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS/ |access-date=December 22, 2022 |website=uselectionatlas.org}}</ref><ref>{{cite news| title = Anatomy of a swing state: What these 6 counties tell us about the upcoming NC election| newspaper = The Charlotte Observer| date = November 4, 2022| url = https://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/politics-government/election/article267776257.html| access-date = November 4, 2022}}</ref> Nash County has emerged in recent years as a swing county and a [[bellwether]] county. As of 2024, it is the only North Carolina county to support the winning U.S. presidential election four times in a row, supporting [[Barack Obama]] in 2012, [[Donald Trump]] in 2016, [[Joe Biden]] in 2020, and Trump in 2024. In 2024, it also split its majority vote between Republican and Democratic statewide candidates. Nash County also is one of just two counties (the other being [[Warren County, Mississippi]]) to alternate its vote the last five elections, voting for [[John McCain]] in 2008, Obama in 2012, Trump in 2016, Biden in 2020, and Trump in 2024.{{efn|[[Prince of Wales–Hyder Census Area, Alaska]] has also voted this way.}}<ref>{{cite news| title = NC county gets presidential prediction right yet again by backing Trump in 2024| newspaper = The Charlotte Observer| date = November 7, 2024| url = https://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/politics-government/election/article295135114.html| access-date = November 10, 2024}}</ref>


{{PresHead|place=Nash County, North Carolina|source=<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS|title=Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections|last=Leip|first=David|website=uselectionatlas.org|access-date=March 16, 2018}}</ref>}}
{{PresHead|place=Nash County, North Carolina|source=<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS|title=Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections|last=Leip|first=David|website=uselectionatlas.org|access-date=March 16, 2018}}</ref>}}
<!-- PresRow should be {{PresRow|Year|Winning party|GOP vote #|Dem vote #|3rd party vote #|State}} -->
<!-- PresRow should be {{PresRow|Year|Winning party|GOP vote #|Dem vote #|3rd party vote #|State}} -->
{{PresRow|2024|Republican|26,431|25,508|532|North Carolina}}
{{PresRow|2020|Democratic|25,827|25,947|497|North Carolina}}
{{PresRow|2020|Democratic|25,827|25,947|497|North Carolina}}
{{PresRow|2016|Republican|23,319|23,235|1,111|North Carolina}}
{{PresRow|2016|Republican|23,319|23,235|1,111|North Carolina}}
Line 224: Line 235:
{{PresRow|1884|Democratic|1,556|1,845|0|North Carolina}}
{{PresRow|1884|Democratic|1,556|1,845|0|North Carolina}}
{{PresFoot|1880|Democratic|1,406|1,612|0|North Carolina}}
{{PresFoot|1880|Democratic|1,406|1,612|0|North Carolina}}

Nash County is a member of the regional [[Councils of governments in North Carolina|Upper Coastal Plain Council of Governments]].


===Sheriff===
===Sheriff===
The Sheriff's Office provides police services for the unincorporated areas of the county.
The Sheriff's Office provides police services for the unincorporated areas of the county.

== Economy ==
As of 2023, the biggest sectors in Nash County's economy were manufacturing, healthcare and social services, retail, food and accommodation services, and education.{{sfn|Wood|2023|p=v}}

[[File:Sweetpotato harvest in Nash County, North Carolina.jpg|thumb|Sweet potato harvest in Nash County]]
As of 2023, over 40 percent of the county's area is cultivated farmland. Its top agricultural products are poultry, eggs, tobacco, and sweet potatoes.{{sfn|Wood|2023|p=vi}} Nash is one of the top sweet potato-producing counties in the state.{{sfn|Wood|2023|p=vi}}<ref>{{cite news| last = Ellis| first = Kevin| title = Sweetpotato or sweet potato? Here’s why N.C. group says one word is right| newspaper = Business North Carolina| date = February 23, 2024| url = https://businessnc.com/sweetpotato-or-sweet-potato-heres-why-n-c-group-says-one-word-is-right/| access-date = November 19, 2024}}</ref>


==Communities==
==Communities==
Line 234: Line 249:


===Cities===
===Cities===
* [[Rocky Mount, North Carolina|Rocky Mount]] (largest community; parts located in Edgecombe County)
* [[Rocky Mount, North Carolina|Rocky Mount]] (largest community; parts located in Edgecombe County)<ref name= fernelius/>


===Towns===
===Towns===
Line 279: Line 294:
* [[Nash Community College]], located near Nashville
* [[Nash Community College]], located near Nashville


== Notes ==
<references group="lower-alpha" />
==References==
==References==
{{reflist}}
{{reflist}}

== Works cited ==
* {{cite book| last = Corbitt| first = David Leroy| title = The formation of the North Carolina counties, 1663-1943| publisher = North Carolina Division of Archives and History | edition = reprint| date = 2000| location = Raleigh| url = https://digital.ncdcr.gov/Documents/Detail/the-formation-of-the-north-carolina-counties-1663-1943/3692099?item=4553233| oclc= 46398241}}
* {{cite book| last = Fleming| first = Monika S.| title = Rocky Mount and Nash County| publisher = Arcadia Publishing| date = 1998| location = Charleston| url = https://books.google.com/books?id=Ip63pCw5G9YC| isbn = 9781439635407}}
* {{Citation| last = Wood| first = Donna| title = Annual Comprehensive Financial Report Fiscal Year Ended June 30, 2023| publisher = Nash County, North Carolina| date = 2023| url = https://nashcountync.gov/DocumentCenter/View/9795/2023-ACRF}}


==External links==
==External links==

Latest revision as of 22:51, 29 November 2024

Nash County
County
Nash County Courthouse in Nashville
Nash County Courthouse in Nashville
Flag of Nash County
Flag
Official seal of Nash County
Seal
Official logo of Nash County
Logo
Motto: 
"Where Business meets Opportunity"
Map of North Carolina highlighting Nash County
Location within the U.S. state of North Carolina
Map of the United States highlighting North Carolina
North Carolina's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 35°58′N 77°59′W / 35.97°N 77.99°W / 35.97; -77.99
Country United States
State North Carolina
Founded1777
Named forFrancis Nash
SeatNashville
Largest communityRocky Mount
Area
 • Total
542.82 sq mi (1,405.9 km2)
 • Land540.44 sq mi (1,399.7 km2)
 • Water2.38 sq mi (6.2 km2)  0.44%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total
94,970
 • Estimate 
(2023)
96,551
 • Density175.73/sq mi (67.85/km2)
Time zoneUTC−5 (Eastern)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district1st
Websitenashcountync.gov

Nash County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 94,970.[1] Its county seat is Nashville.[2]

Nash County is part of the Rocky Mount, NC Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History

[edit]

The area eventually comprising Nash County was originally organized as a part of Edgecombe County. Settlement first occurred in the 1740s;[3] the earliest land grants date to 1743.[4] As the population of Edgecombe increased, citizens in the western portion of the county found it difficult to travel to the county seat of Tarboro to conduct official business. Legislator Nathan Boddie proposed to the North Carolina Provincial Congress that the county be divided.[3] As a result, Nash was formed from all parts of Edgecombe west of the Falls of the Tar River in 1777.[5][6][7] It was named for American Revolutionary War Brigadier General Francis Nash, who was mortally wounded at the Battle of Germantown.[5] The first session of the county court met on April 1, 1778, in the home of Micajah Thomas. Court was then held in a temporary building at Peach Tree until a permanent courthouse was erected in Nashville in 1784.[7] Nashville was formally designated the seat of county government in 1815[8] and was incorporated in 1823.[9] In 1833, the county's first courthouse burned down and was replaced by a brick building.[9]

In 1786, the state of North Carolina conducted a census which recorded a total population of 5,277 in Nash County. The first U.S. Census in 1790 recorded a total population of 7,393, of whom 2,099 were slaves, 183 were free blacks, and the rest whites.[7] Several early communities in Nash County developed as stops along stagecoach routes, including Dortches, Red Oak, Stanhope, Hilliardston, and Castalia.[10] Settlement also occurred along rivers and creeks, accompanied by the construction of gristmills.[11] In the 1830s the Wilmington and Weldon Railroad was laid, leading to further settlement. The building of a spur line in 1840 led to the eventual creation of the community of Whitakers.[12] By the 1860s, Nash County had a population over 11,600 and an economy centered on agriculture.[11] In 1855, parts of Nash, Edgecombe, Johnston, and Wayne counties were combined to form Wilson County.[13] Over 1,000 men from the county fought in the American Civil War.[11]

In 1871, after significant political controversy, all parts of Edgecombe County west of the Wilmington and Weldon Railroad were annexed to Nash[14][6] leading to the bifurcation of the Edgecombe communities of Battleboro and Sharpsburg between the two counties.[6] As a result of the boundary shift, Nash County's black population grew[15] and a greater portion of the town of Rocky Mount also lay within Nash County's border, including Rocky Mount Mills, the second textile mill to exist within in the state.[6] In 1899, the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad established repair shops in Rocky Mount, precipitating the city's rapid growth.[11] In 1921 the county's third courthouse was built.[9]

Geography

[edit]
Map
Interactive map of Nash County

Nash County rests in the northeastern part of North Carolina[4] along the dividing line between the Peidmont and Coastal Plain regions.[3] According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 542.82 square miles (1,405.9 km2), of which 540.44 square miles (1,399.7 km2) is land and 2.38 square miles (6.2 km2) (0.44%) is covered by water.[16] Elevation in the county gradually rises from the east to the west.[17]

State and local protected areas

[edit]

Major water bodies

[edit]

Adjacent counties

[edit]

Major highways

[edit]

Major infrastructure

[edit]

Demographics

[edit]

2020 census

[edit]
Nash County racial composition[20]
Race Number Percentage
White (non-Hispanic) 46,317 48.77%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic) 36,679 38.62%
Native American 615 0.65%
Asian 904 0.95%
Pacific Islander 28 0.03%
Other/Mixed 3,105 3.27%
Hispanic or Latino 7,322 7.71%

As of the 2020 census, there were 94,970 people, 37,574 households, and 27,002 families residing in the county.

Demographic change

[edit]

After decades of growth, between 2010 and 2020, Nash County recorded an almost one percent population loss.[19]

Government and politics

[edit]

Government

[edit]

Nash County is run by a commission–manager government. Legislative and policy-making power is vested in a seven-member board of commissioners, with the commissioners elected in districts to serve four-year staggered terms. The board passes ordinances, adopts the county budget, and appoints the county manager. The manager wields executive authority over county administration, appoints directors of county government departments, and implement the commission's decisions. County government provides various services, including public safety, social services, cultural activities, and the provision of utilities.[26]

Nash County is represented in the General Assembly by the Senate's 11th district and the House of Representatives' 24th and 25th districts.[27] It lies within the bounds of North Carolina's 8th Prosecutorial District, the 8A Superior Court District, and the 8th District Court District.[28]

Nash County is a member of the regional Upper Coastal Plain Council of Governments.

Politics

[edit]

From the turn of the 20th century North Carolina established barriers that effectively disfranchised the large black population, which had been supporting Republican candidates. Conservative whites voted overwhelmingly Democratic and the county and state were part of the resulting political "Solid South" county. Although it gave a plurality to Populist candidate James B. Weaver in 1892, unlike Sampson County or Alabama's Chilton County, it did not subsequently turn to the Republican Party.

Nash County would vote Democratic in every election from 1896 to 1964 – in Franklin D. Roosevelt and Harry S. Truman's five elections, the Republicans never received eleven percent of the county's limited electorate's ballots. Many whites supported George Wallace's American Independent candidacy in 1968, after passage of the Voting Rights Act. More voted Republican for the first time in 1972.

While Nash voters supported favorite son and Southern Democrat Jimmy Carter in 1976, the county's majority white voters shifted to Republican candidates from 1980 to 2004. But the last four elections have been closely contested. The margin of victory has been less than 1,000 votes in every election since.[29][30] Nash County has emerged in recent years as a swing county and a bellwether county. As of 2024, it is the only North Carolina county to support the winning U.S. presidential election four times in a row, supporting Barack Obama in 2012, Donald Trump in 2016, Joe Biden in 2020, and Trump in 2024. In 2024, it also split its majority vote between Republican and Democratic statewide candidates. Nash County also is one of just two counties (the other being Warren County, Mississippi) to alternate its vote the last five elections, voting for John McCain in 2008, Obama in 2012, Trump in 2016, Biden in 2020, and Trump in 2024.[a][31]

United States presidential election results for Nash County, North Carolina[32]
Year Republican Democratic Third party(ies)
No.  % No.  % No.  %
2024 26,431 50.37% 25,508 48.61% 532 1.01%
2020 25,827 49.41% 25,947 49.64% 497 0.95%
2016 23,319 48.92% 23,235 48.75% 1,111 2.33%
2012 23,842 49.17% 24,313 50.14% 337 0.69%
2008 23,728 50.36% 23,099 49.02% 291 0.62%
2004 21,902 58.14% 15,693 41.66% 78 0.21%
2000 17,995 58.97% 12,376 40.56% 142 0.47%
1996 15,309 54.17% 11,142 39.42% 1,811 6.41%
1992 14,446 48.34% 10,809 36.17% 4,631 15.50%
1988 15,906 64.34% 8,740 35.35% 76 0.31%
1984 17,295 66.73% 8,588 33.14% 34 0.13%
1980 11,043 56.34% 8,184 41.75% 374 1.91%
1976 8,477 48.12% 8,937 50.73% 202 1.15%
1972 12,679 71.39% 4,503 25.35% 579 3.26%
1968 4,602 24.08% 5,283 27.64% 9,230 48.29%
1964 6,396 41.11% 9,163 58.89% 0 0.00%
1960 3,896 27.86% 10,086 72.14% 0 0.00%
1956 2,665 21.09% 9,969 78.91% 0 0.00%
1952 2,636 20.18% 10,424 79.82% 0 0.00%
1948 684 7.98% 7,590 88.50% 302 3.52%
1944 876 10.36% 7,577 89.64% 0 0.00%
1940 613 6.76% 8,456 93.24% 0 0.00%
1936 517 5.62% 8,682 94.38% 0 0.00%
1932 532 6.61% 7,472 92.79% 49 0.61%
1928 2,066 32.72% 4,249 67.28% 0 0.00%
1924 823 20.16% 3,129 76.63% 131 3.21%
1920 1,556 27.85% 4,031 72.15% 0 0.00%
1916 826 27.22% 2,189 72.15% 19 0.63%
1912 172 6.49% 1,862 70.21% 618 23.30%
1908 1,334 44.29% 1,678 55.71% 0 0.00%
1904 645 31.02% 1,428 68.69% 6 0.29%
1900 1,337 33.96% 2,600 66.04% 0 0.00%
1896 1,699 36.81% 2,916 63.17% 1 0.02%
1892 476 16.96% 997 35.53% 1,333 47.51%
1888 1,719 44.08% 2,181 55.92% 0 0.00%
1884 1,556 45.75% 1,845 54.25% 0 0.00%
1880 1,406 46.59% 1,612 53.41% 0 0.00%

Sheriff

[edit]

The Sheriff's Office provides police services for the unincorporated areas of the county.

Economy

[edit]

As of 2023, the biggest sectors in Nash County's economy were manufacturing, healthcare and social services, retail, food and accommodation services, and education.[33]

Sweet potato harvest in Nash County

As of 2023, over 40 percent of the county's area is cultivated farmland. Its top agricultural products are poultry, eggs, tobacco, and sweet potatoes.[34] Nash is one of the top sweet potato-producing counties in the state.[34][35]

Communities

[edit]
Map of Nash County with municipal and township labels

Cities

[edit]

Towns

[edit]

Townships

[edit]
  • Bailey
  • Battleboro
  • Castalia
  • Coopers
  • Dry Wells
  • Ferrells
  • Griffins
  • Jackson
  • Mannings
  • Nashville
  • North Whitakers
  • Oak Level
  • Red Oak
  • Rocky Mount
  • Spring Hope
  • South Whitakers
  • Stony Creek

Unincorporated community

[edit]

See also

[edit]

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ Prince of Wales–Hyder Census Area, Alaska has also voted this way.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c "QuickFacts: Nash County, North Carolina". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 21, 2024.
  2. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i Fleming 1998, p. 7.
  4. ^ a b "History of Nash County". Nash County, North Carolina. Retrieved November 17, 2024.
  5. ^ a b Corbitt 2000, p. 157.
  6. ^ a b c d Kelley, Lucas. "The Historical Origins of the 1871 Nash-Edgecombe County Line". Digital Rocky Mount Mills. Community Histories Workshop, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Retrieved November 15, 2024.
  7. ^ a b c Olds, Fred A. (January 3, 1924). "History Series of Carolina Counties". Durham Morning Herald. p. 4.
  8. ^ Corbitt 2000, pp. 157–158.
  9. ^ a b c Fleming 1998, p. 9.
  10. ^ Fleming 1998, pp. 7–8.
  11. ^ a b c d Fleming 1998, p. 8.
  12. ^ Fleming 1998, pp. 8, 21.
  13. ^ Corbitt 2000, p. 158.
  14. ^ Corbitt 2000, p. 159.
  15. ^ a b Fernelius, Katie Jane (March 24, 2021). "Rocky Mount Is Dead. Long Live Rocky Mount". The Assembly. Archived from the original on June 14, 2021. Retrieved March 27, 2022.
  16. ^ "2020 County Gazetteer Files – North Carolina". United States Census Bureau. August 23, 2022. Retrieved September 9, 2023.
  17. ^ Fleming 1998, p. 5.
  18. ^ a b "NCWRC Game Lands". www.ncpaws.org. Retrieved March 30, 2023.
  19. ^ a b c d Barkin, Dan (October 17, 2021). "20 miles from Raleigh, Nash County launches new economic development effort". Business North Carolina. Retrieved November 18, 2024.
  20. ^ "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved December 24, 2021.
  21. ^ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 18, 2015.
  22. ^ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved January 18, 2015.
  23. ^ Forstall, Richard L., ed. (March 27, 1995). "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 18, 2015.
  24. ^ "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.
  25. ^ "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 27, 2013.[permanent dead link‍]
  26. ^ Wood 2023, p. iii.
  27. ^ "Nash County Representation : 2023-2024 Session". North Carolina General Assembly. Retrieved November 20, 2024.
  28. ^ "Nash County". North Carolina Judicial Branch. Retrieved November 15, 2024.
  29. ^ "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved December 22, 2022.
  30. ^ "Anatomy of a swing state: What these 6 counties tell us about the upcoming NC election". The Charlotte Observer. November 4, 2022. Retrieved November 4, 2022.
  31. ^ "NC county gets presidential prediction right yet again by backing Trump in 2024". The Charlotte Observer. November 7, 2024. Retrieved November 10, 2024.
  32. ^ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved March 16, 2018.
  33. ^ Wood 2023, p. v.
  34. ^ a b Wood 2023, p. vi.
  35. ^ Ellis, Kevin (February 23, 2024). "Sweetpotato or sweet potato? Here's why N.C. group says one word is right". Business North Carolina. Retrieved November 19, 2024.

Works cited

[edit]
[edit]
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