Anson County, North Carolina facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Anson County
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Anson County Courthouse in Wadesboro
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Location within the U.S. state of North Carolina
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North Carolina's location within the U.S. |
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Country | United States |
State | North Carolina |
Founded | 1750 |
Named for | George Anson, Baron Anson |
Seat | Wadesboro |
Largest town | Wadesboro |
Area | |
• Total | 537 sq mi (1,390 km2) |
• Land | 531 sq mi (1,380 km2) |
• Water | 5.6 sq mi (15 km2) 1.1%% |
Population | |
• Estimate
(2021)
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22,060 |
• Density | 41.5/sq mi (16.0/km2) |
Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
Congressional district | 8th |
Anson County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 22,055. Its county seat is Wadesboro.
Contents
History
The county was formed in 1750 from Bladen County. It was named for George Anson, Baron Anson, a British admiral, who circumnavigated the globe from 1740 to 1744, and later became First Lord of the Admiralty.
Like its parent county Bladen, Anson County was originally a vast territory with indefinite northern and western boundaries. Reductions in 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.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 537 square miles (1,390 km2), of which 531 square miles (1,380 km2) is land and 5.6 square miles (15 km2) (1.1%) is water.
Adjacent counties
- Stanly County, North Carolina - north
- Richmond County, North Carolina - east
- Marlboro County, South Carolina - southeast
- Chesterfield County, South Carolina -south
- Union County, North Carolina -west
National protected area
- Pee Dee National Wildlife Refuge (part)
Major highways
- US 52
- US 74
- NC 109
- NC 145
- NC 218
- NC 742
Demographics
Historical population | |||
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Census | Pop. | %± | |
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% | |
2021 (est.) | 22,060 | −18.1% | |
U.S. Decennial Census 1790-1960 1900-1990 1990-2000 2010-2014 |
2020 census
Race | Number | Percentage |
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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 United States census, there were 22,055 people, 9,521 households, and 5,809 families residing in the county.
2010 census
In 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.
Communities
Towns
- Ansonville
- Lilesville
- McFarlan
- Morven
- Peachland
- Polkton
- Wadesboro (county seat)
Unincorporated community
Ghost town
Population ranking
The population ranking of the following table is based on the 2010 census of Anson County.
† county seat
Rank | City/Town/etc. | Municipal type | Population (2010 Census) |
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1 | † Wadesboro | Town | 5,813 |
2 | Polkton | Town | 3,375 |
3 | Ansonville | Town | 631 |
4 | Lilesville | Town | 536 |
5 | Morven | Town | 511 |
6 | Peachland | Town | 437 |
7 | McFarlan | Town | 117 |
In popular culture
Steven Spielberg filmed The Color Purple mostly in Lilesville, and a large white farmhouse (the Huntley house, which is located in Lilesville, NC and is an old farmhouse located few miles off Highway 74) was used extensively as the main exterior location in that film. Most of the town scenes were done in nearby Marshville, NC in Union County, NC which is a small town in the county directly to the west of Anson County; the store is an actual store called Apple Jacks and dirt was laid out of over pavement during filming.
Education
There are 11 schools in the Anson County Schools system that serve the students of the county.
South Piedmont Community College has a campus on Highway 74 near Polkton that serves Anson County residents.
Notable people
- Stephone Anthony (born 1992), linebacker with the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League
- Hugh Hammond Bennett (1881–1960), soil conservation specialist
- John Culpepper (1761–1841), born near Wadesboro, United States Congressman from North Carolina, long-tenured Baptist minister.
- Blind Boy Fuller (1907–1941), American blues guitarist and vocalist.
- James Holland (1754–1823), born in Anson County, United States Congressman from North Carolina.
- Juanita Moody (1924–-2015), born in Morven, NC, gifted 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), born in Anson County, professional wrestler also known as The Junkyard Dog.
See also
In Spanish: Condado de Anson para niños