Nash County, North Carolina

Nash County
County
Nash County Courthouse in Nashville
Flag Seal Logo
Motto:  "Where Business meets Opportunity"
Location within the U.S. state of North Carolina
North Carolina's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 35°58′N77°59′W / 35.97°N 77.99°W / 35.97; -77.99
Country	United States
State	North Carolina
Founded	1777
Named for	Francis Nash
Seat	Nashville
Largest community	Rocky Mount
Area
• Total	542.82 sq mi (1,405.9 km2)
• Land	540.44 sq mi (1,399.7 km2)
• Water	2.38 sq mi (6.2 km2)  0.44%
Population  (2020)
• Total	94,970
• Estimate  (2023)	96,551
• Density	175.73/sq mi (67.85/km2)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district	1st
Website	nashcountync.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

Nash County was formed in 1777 from Edgecombe County. It was named for American Revolutionary War Brigadier General Francis Nash, who was mortally wounded at the Battle of Germantown that year.

In 1855, parts of Nash, Edgecombe, Johnston, and Wayne counties were combined to form Wilson County.

Geography

Interactive map of Nash County

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. ^[3]

State and local protected areas

• Flower Hill Nature Preserve (part)
• Sandy Creek Game Land (part) ^[4]
• Shocco Creek Game Land (part) ^[4]

Major water bodies

• Fishing Creek
• Moccasin Creek
• Pig Basket Creek
• Sapony Creek
• Stony Creek
• Swift Creek
• Tar River
• Tar River Reservoir
• Toisnot Swamp
• Turkey Creek

Adjacent counties

• Franklin County – west
• Johnston County – southwest
• Wake County – southwest
• Wilson County – south
• Edgecombe County – east
• Halifax County – northeast
• Warren County – north

Major highways

• 
  Future I-87
• I-95
• 
  Future I-587
• US 64
• 
  US 64 Alt.
• 
  US 64 Bus. (Nashville)
• 
  US 64 Bus. (Rocky Mount)
• US 264
• 
  US 264 Alt.
• US 301
• 
  US 301 Bus.
• NC 4
• NC 33
• NC 43
• 
  NC 43 Bus.
• NC 48
• NC 56
• NC 58
• NC 97
• NC 98
• NC 231
• NC 561
• NC 581

Major infrastructure

• Rocky Mount-Wilson Regional Airport

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1790	7,390		—
1800	6,975		−5.6%
1810	7,268		4.2%
1820	8,185		12.6%
1830	8,490		3.7%
1840	9,047		6.6%
1850	10,657		17.8%
1860	11,687		9.7%
1870	11,077		−5.2%
1880	17,731		60.1%
1890	20,707		16.8%
1900	25,478		23.0%
1910	33,727		32.4%
1920	41,061		21.7%
1930	52,782		28.5%
1940	55,608		5.4%
1950	59,919		7.8%
1960	61,002		1.8%
1970	59,122		−3.1%
1980	67,153		13.6%
1990	76,677		14.2%
2000	87,420		14.0%
2010	95,840		9.6%
2020	94,970		−0.9%
2023 (est.)	96,551	[1]	1.7%
U.S. Decennial Census [5] 1790–1960 [6] 1900–1990 [7] 1990–2000 [8] 2010 [9] 2020 [1]

2020 census

Nash County racial composition ^[10]

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.

2000 census

At the 2000 census, ^[11] there were 87,420 people, 33,644 households, and 23,920 families living in the county. The population density was 162 people per square mile (63 people/km²). The 37,051 housing units averaged 69 units per square mile (27 units/km²). The 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.

Of the 33,644 households, 32.70% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.70% were 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.

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.

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.

Government and politics

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. ^{[12] [13]}

United States presidential election results for Nash County, North Carolina ^[14]

Year	Republican		Democratic		Third party
	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
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%

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

Sheriff

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

Communities

Map of Nash County with municipal and township labels

Cities

• Rocky Mount (largest community; parts located in Edgecombe County)

Towns

• Bailey
• Castalia
• Dortches
• Middlesex
• Momeyer
• Nashville (county seat)
• Red Oak
• Spring Hope
• Sharpsburg (part)
• Whitakers (part)
• Zebulon (part)

Townships

• 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

• Corinth

See also

• List of counties in North Carolina
• National Register of Historic Places listings in Nash County, North Carolina
• Haliwa-Saponi, state-recognized tribe that resides in the county
• Nash Community College, located near Nashville

References

1. "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. "2020 County Gazetteer Files – North Carolina". United States Census Bureau. August 23, 2022. Retrieved September 9, 2023.
4. "NCWRC Game Lands". www.ncpaws.org. Retrieved March 30, 2023.
5. "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 18, 2015.
6. "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved January 18, 2015.
7. Forstall, Richard L., ed. (March 27, 1995). "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 18, 2015.
8. "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.
9. "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 27, 2013.^{[ permanent dead link ]}
10. "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved December 24, 2021.
11. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved January 31, 2008.
12. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved December 22, 2022.
13. "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.
14. Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved March 16, 2018.

External links

• Geographic data related to Nash County, North Carolina at OpenStreetMap
• NCGenWeb Nash County, genealogy resources for the county