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Ranlo, North Carolina facts for kids

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Ranlo, North Carolina
Motto(s): 
“Built with Pride”
Location of Ranlo, North Carolina
Location of Ranlo, North Carolina
Country United States
State North Carolina
County Gaston
Area
 • Total 2.06 sq mi (5.34 km2)
 • Land 2.06 sq mi (5.34 km2)
 • Water 0.00 sq mi (0.01 km2)
Elevation
810 ft (250 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 4,511
 • Density 2,189.81/sq mi (845.37/km2)
Time zone UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
 • Summer (DST) UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code
28054
Area code(s) 704 & 980
FIPS code 37-55260
GNIS feature ID 2407175

Ranlo is a small town in Gaston County, North Carolina, United States and a suburb of Charlotte, located north of Gastonia. As of the 2020 census, the town population was 4,511, up from 3,434 in 2010.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has 2.06 sq. mi of land and 0.002 sq. mi of water.

History

Ranlo was named for John Calvin Rankin and William Thomas Love, two prominent area industrialists - "Ranlo" was a contraction of RANkin and LOve. The community grew up around their textile mills, which produced cotton goods. Rex Spinning Company was begun in 1915, Ranlo Manufacturing Company in 1916, and Priscilla Spinning Company in 1921. Nearby, the community of Smyre was developed around the A. M. Smyre Manufacturing Company, which was founded in 1917. In 1963, Ranlo and Smyre were incorporated as the Town of Ranlo, in reaction to the concern over possible annexation into Gastonia. However, the part of the Smyre mill village south of the Norfolk Southern Railway was not included, and was eventually annexed by Gastonia in June 1996.

Row houses were erected in the 1920s and 1930s and still stand today. At the time, they were owned by the mill and rented at very low rates to workers. They have long since been sold to individuals, and the mills are 75-80% closed. Only one or two still operate and they are at low capacity. The town, however, has become a "bedroom community" and prides itself on its facilities and growth. New industry has started to move in and new neighborhoods are being built.

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop.
1970 2,092
1980 1,774 −15.2%
1990 1,650 −7.0%
2000 2,198 33.2%
2010 3,434 56.2%
2020 4,511 31.4%
U.S. Decennial Census

2020 census

Ranlo racial composition
Race Num. Perc.
White (non-Hispanic) 2,599 57.61%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic) 1,038 23.01%
Native American 18 0.4%
Asian 116 2.57%
Other/Mixed 188 4.17%
Hispanic or Latino 552 12.24%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 4,511 people, 1,346 households, and 972 families residing in the town.

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Ranlo (Carolina del Norte) para niños

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