Anson County, North Carolina

Anson County
County
Anson County Courthouse and Confederate Monument in Wadesboro
Flag Seal
Motto:  "Anson County - A great place to call home"
Location within the U.S. state of North Carolina
North Carolina's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 34°59′N80°07′W / 34.98°N 80.11°W / 34.98; -80.11
Country	United States
State	North Carolina
Founded	1750
Named for	George Anson, Baron Anson
Seat	Wadesboro
Largest community	Wadesboro
Area
• Total	537.10 sq mi (1,391.1 km2)
• Land	531.46 sq mi (1,376.5 km2)
• Water	5.64 sq mi (14.6 km2)  1.05%
Population  (2020)
• Total	22,055
• Estimate  (2023)	21,897
• Density	41.50/sq mi (16.02/km2)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district	8th
Website	www.co.anson.nc.us

Anson County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 22,055. ^[1] Its county seat is Wadesboro. ^[2]

History

Anson County was originally occupied by the Catawba Siouan tribe as a vast territory with indefinite northern and western boundaries.

The county was formed in 1750 from Bladen County. It was named for George Anson, Baron Anson, a British admiral who circumnavigated the world. ^[3] Anson purchased land in the state. ^[4] The county seat was designated at New Town in 1783. Four years later it was renamed Wadesboro. ^[5]

Reductions to its extent began in 1753, when the northern part of it became Rowan County. In 1762 the western part of Anson County became Mecklenburg County. In 1779 the northern part of what remained of Anson County became Montgomery County, and the part east of the Pee Dee River became Richmond County. Finally, in 1842 the western part of Anson County was combined with the southeastern part of Mecklenburg County to become Union County. ^[6]

Geography

Interactive map of Anson County

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 537.10 square miles (1,391.1 km²), of which 531.46 square miles (1,376.5 km²) is land and 5.64 square miles (14.6 km²) (1.05%) is water. ^[7] It is bordered by the North Carolina counties of Stanly, Montgomery, Richmond, and Union, and the South Carolina county of Chesterfield. ^[8]

National protected area

• Pee Dee National Wildlife Refuge (part)

State and local protected areas/sites

• Arrowhead Lake ^[9]
• Gaddy Covered Bridge ^[10]
• Pee Dee River Game Land (part) ^[11]
• Wadesboro Downtown Historic District

Major water bodies

See also: Category:Rivers of Anson County, North Carolina

• Blewett Falls Lake
• Brown Creek
• Goulds Fork
• Great Pee Dee River
• Lanes Creek
• Rocky River
• Thoroughfare Creek ^[10]

Major highways

• US 52
• US 74
• 
  US 74 Byp. (future bypass of Wadesboro)
• NC 109
• NC 145
• NC 218
• NC 742

Major infrastructure

• Anson County Airport

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1790	5,133		—
1800	8,146		58.7%
1810	8,831		8.4%
1820	12,534		41.9%
1830	14,095		12.5%
1840	15,077		7.0%
1850	13,489		−10.5%
1860	13,664		1.3%
1870	12,428		−9.0%
1880	17,994		44.8%
1890	20,027		11.3%
1900	21,870		9.2%
1910	25,465		16.4%
1920	28,334		11.3%
1930	29,349		3.6%
1940	28,443		−3.1%
1950	26,781		−5.8%
1960	24,962		−6.8%
1970	23,488		−5.9%
1980	25,649		9.2%
1990	23,474		−8.5%
2000	25,275		7.7%
2010	26,948		6.6%
2020	22,055		−18.2%
2023 (est.)	21,897	[1]	−0.7%
U.S. Decennial Census [12] 1790–1960 [13] 1900–1990 [14] 1990–2000 [15] 2010 [16] 2020 [1]

2020 census

Anson County racial composition ^[17]

Race	Number	Percentage
White (non-Hispanic)	10,593	48.03%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic)	9,838	44.61%
Native American	89	0.4%
Asian	221	1.0%
Pacific Islander	4	0.02%
Other/Mixed	645	2.92%
Hispanic or Latino	665	3.02%

As of the 2020 census, there were 22,055 people, ^[18] 9,521 households, and 5,809 families residing in the county.

Anson is a majority minority county. ^{[19] [20]} Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses, Anson's population declined by 18.2 percent. ^[21]

2010 census

At the 2010 census, there were 26,948 people. The racial makeup of the county was 48.58% African American, 47.15% White American, 1.07% Asian, 0.61% Native American, 1.25% multiracial and 1.32% of other race. People of Hispanic and Latino origin account for 3.02% of the population. ^[22]

2000 census

At the 2000 census, ^[23] there were 25,275 people, 9,204 households, and 6,663 families residing in the county. The population density was 48 people per square mile (19 people/km²). There were 10,221 housing units at an average density of 19 units per square mile (7.3 units/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 51.64% Black or African American, 48.53% White, 0.45% Native American, 0.57% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.32% from other races, and 0.46% from two or more races. 0.83% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 9,204 households, out of which 31.00% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.80% were married couples living together, 19.80% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.60% were non-families. 25.10% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.00% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.59 and the average family size was 3.09.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 25.20% under the age of 18, 8.60% from 18 to 24, 29.00% from 25 to 44, 22.80% from 45 to 64, and 14.40% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 96.50 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.80 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $29,849, and the median income for a family was $35,870. Males had a median income of $27,297 versus $20,537 for females. The per capita income for the county was $14,853. About 15.50% of families and 17.80% of the population were below the poverty line, including 23.90% of those under age 18 and 16.70% of those age 65 or over.

Government and politics

Anson County is governed by a board of commissioners, which constitutes seven members elected by district. ^[24]

The board of commissioners appoint a county manager who oversees county administration and implements the policies of the board. ^[25]

Anson County is a member of the regional Centralina Council of Governments. ^[26]

United States presidential election results for Anson County, North Carolina ^[27]

Year	Republican		Democratic		Third party(ies)
	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
2024	5,525	50.80%	5,253	48.30%	97	0.89%
2020	5,321	47.53%	5,789	51.72%	84	0.75%
2016	4,506	42.73%	5,859	55.56%	180	1.71%
2012	4,166	37.01%	7,019	62.36%	71	0.63%
2008	4,207	39.20%	6,456	60.15%	70	0.65%
2004	3,796	41.15%	5,413	58.68%	16	0.17%
2000	3,161	39.59%	4,792	60.01%	32	0.40%
1996	2,193	28.81%	4,890	64.23%	530	6.96%
1992	2,334	27.33%	5,269	61.71%	936	10.96%
1988	2,782	36.45%	4,831	63.29%	20	0.26%
1984	3,719	42.45%	5,015	57.25%	26	0.30%
1980	1,968	27.77%	4,973	70.17%	146	2.06%
1976	1,608	25.04%	4,796	74.68%	18	0.28%
1972	3,551	60.88%	2,188	37.51%	94	1.61%
1968	1,474	18.39%	2,969	37.05%	3,571	44.56%
1964	1,721	29.34%	4,144	70.66%	0	0.00%
1960	1,597	27.93%	4,120	72.07%	0	0.00%
1956	1,640	31.31%	3,598	68.69%	0	0.00%
1952	1,843	30.79%	4,143	69.21%	0	0.00%
1948	447	12.05%	2,692	72.54%	572	15.41%
1944	510	12.46%	3,582	87.54%	0	0.00%
1940	371	7.54%	4,552	92.46%	0	0.00%
1936	381	7.60%	4,629	92.40%	0	0.00%
1932	223	4.98%	4,252	94.91%	5	0.11%
1928	726	19.77%	2,947	80.23%	0	0.00%
1924	225	8.58%	2,372	90.47%	25	0.95%
1920	433	12.00%	3,175	88.00%	0	0.00%
1916	301	12.82%	2,046	87.18%	0	0.00%
1912	125	7.23%	1,487	85.95%	118	6.82%

Anson County, like several neighboring rural counties, has historically favored Democratic candidates in most elections. After 2012, Republicans enjoyed more electoral success in the region, though Anson County voted more Democratic than its neighbors. ^[19] In 2016, the Democratic presidential candidate, Hillary Clinton, won the county by a margin of 13 percent, though in 2020 the Democratic candidate, Joe Biden, won by only four percent. ^{[28] [29]} The county favored a Republican candidate for federal office in 2022—the first time since 1972. ^[19] Donald Trump flipped the county in 2024, the first Republican to do so since Richard Nixon in 1972. ^[30]

Education

There are 11 schools in the Anson County Schools system that serve the students of the county. ^[31]

The county is served by South Piedmont Community College, which has a campus near Polkton. ^{[32] [33]}

Communities

Clickable map of Anson County

Towns

• Ansonville ^[8]
• Lilesville ^[8]
• McFarlan ^[8]
• Morven ^[8]
• Peachland ^[8]
• Polkton ^[8]
• Wadesboro ^[8] (county seat and largest community)

Unincorporated communities

• Burnsville ^[8]
• Pee Dee ^[8]

Townships

• Ansonville
• Burnsville
• Gulledge
• Lanesboro
• Lilesville
• Morven
• Wadesboro
• White Store

Ghost town

• Sneedsboro

Population ranking

The population ranking of the following table is based on the 2020 census of Anson County. ^[34]

† = county seat

Rank	Name	Type	Population (2020 census)
1	† Wadesboro	Town	5,008
2	Polkton	Town	2,250
3	Ansonville	Town	440
4	Lilesville	Town	395
5	Peachland	Town	390
6	Morven	Town	329
7	McFarlan	Town	94

Notable people

• Stephone Anthony (born 1992), linebacker with the New Orleans Saints of the NFL
• Hugh Hammond Bennett (1881–1960), soil conservation specialist
• John Culpepper (1761–1841), United States Congressman from North Carolina, and long-tenured Baptist minister
• Blind Boy Fuller (1907–1941), American blues guitarist and vocalist
• James Holland (1754–1823), United States Congressman from North Carolina ^[35]
• Juanita Moody (1924–2015), cryptographer whose intelligence gathering contributed greatly during the Cuban Missile Crisis
• Leonidas Lafayette Polk (1837–1892), first North Carolina Commissioner of Agriculture
• Sylvester Ritter (1952–1998), professional wrestler also known as "The Junkyard Dog" or "JYD"
• David Lutz (born 1959), tackle with the Kansas City Chiefs and Detroit Lions of the NFL

See also

• List of counties in North Carolina
• National Register of Historic Places listings in Anson County, North Carolina
• Anson County Regiment, militia in the American Revolution

References

1. "QuickFacts: Anson County, North Carolina". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 21, 2024.
2. "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
3. Corbitt 2000, p. 8.
4. Gannett (1905). The Origin of Certain Place Names (PDF). Washington DC: United States Geological Survey. p. 26. Archived (PDF) from the original on April 15, 2015.
5. Anson County Vision 2040 2021, p. 5.
6. Medley, Mary Louise (1976). Anson County Historical Association (ed.). History of Anson County, North Carolina, 1750-1976. Heritage Printer, Inc., Charlotte, North Carolina. ISBN   9780806347554 . Retrieved March 3, 2019.
7. "2020 County Gazetteer Files – North Carolina". United States Census Bureau. August 23, 2022. Retrieved September 9, 2023.
8. Anson County Vision 2040 2021, p. 7.
9. "Arrowhead Lake NC Fishing Reports, Map & Hot Spots". www.fishidy.com. Retrieved July 27, 2022.
10. "Gaddy Covered Bridge | Natural Atlas". naturalatlas.com. Retrieved July 27, 2022.
11. "NCWRC Game Lands". www.ncpaws.org. Retrieved March 30, 2023.
12. "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 11, 2015.
13. "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved January 11, 2015.
14. Forstall, Richard L., ed. (March 27, 1995). "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 11, 2015.
15. "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 11, 2015.
16. "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on June 6, 2011. Retrieved October 17, 2013.
17. "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved December 22, 2021.
18. Barron, Hannah (October 11, 2021). "Commissioners to challenge 2020 Census population data". The Anson Record. Retrieved November 3, 2023.
19. Worf, Lisa; Harrison, Steve (December 20, 2022). "Anson County's flip to red highlights a shift in rural NC counties". WFAE 90.7. WFAE. Retrieved October 29, 2023.
20. McCorkle & Salzberg 2022, pp. 9–11.
21. Retana, Judith (May 25, 2023). "Census data shows fastest growing, shrinking counties in NC". CBS 17. Nexstar Media Group. Retrieved November 3, 2023.
22. "2010 Census Population of Anson County, NC" . Retrieved January 28, 2021.
23. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved January 31, 2008.
24. Monica, Lauren (September 22, 2023). "At-large district voting spurs Anson commissioner meeting into a frenzy". Richmond County Daily Journal. Retrieved November 3, 2023.
25. "County Manager". Anson County Government. Retrieved October 29, 2023.
26. "Centralina Council of Governments". Archived from the original on April 10, 2019. Retrieved August 10, 2019.
27. Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved March 14, 2018.
28. "These key counties are telling the story of America's shifting political landscape". NBC News. October 28, 2021. Retrieved November 3, 2023.
29. McCorkle & Salzberg 2022, pp. 9–10.
30. "Harris Gets Troubling Sign from Trump's Performance in North Carolina". The New Republic. November 5, 2024. Retrieved November 23, 2024.
31. "Search for Public School Districts – District Detail for Anson County Schools". National Center for Education Statistics . Institute of Education Sciences . Retrieved December 4, 2012.
32. "History of the College". South Piedmont Community College. Retrieved November 5, 2023.
33. McClellan, Hannah (December 7, 2022). "South Piedmont Community College manufacturing apprenticeship makes big impact for its students, company". EducationNC. Retrieved November 5, 2023.
34. "City and Town Population Totals: 2020-2022". United States Census Bureau, Population Division. Archived from the original on July 11, 2022. Retrieved May 18, 2023.
35. Who Was Who in America, Historical Volume, 1607-1896. Chicago: Marquis Who's Who. 1963.

Works cited

• Corbitt, David Leroy (2000). The formation of the North Carolina counties, 1663-1943 (reprint ed.). Raleigh: North Carolina Division of Archives and History. OCLC   46398241.
• McCorkle, Mac; Salzberg, Rachel (January 2022), The Democrats' Countrypolitan Problem in North Carolina: Progressive Challenge and Opportunity (PDF), Duke University Polis: Center for Politics
• Vision 2040 : Anson County, North Carolina, Anson County Board of Commissioners, April 2021

External links

• Geographic data related to Anson County, North Carolina at OpenStreetMap
• Official website