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Wentworth, North Carolina
Center of Wentworth, with the former jail at left and the former county courthouse at right
Center of Wentworth, with the former jail at left and the former county courthouse at right
Location of Wentworth, North Carolina
Location of Wentworth, North Carolina
Country United States
State North Carolina
County Rockingham
Named for Charles Watson-Wentworth, 2nd Marquess of Rockingham
Area
 • Total 14.26 sq mi (36.93 km2)
 • Land 14.19 sq mi (36.76 km2)
 • Water 0.07 sq mi (0.17 km2)
Elevation
741 ft (226 m)
Population
 (2010)
 • Total 2,807
 • Estimate 
(2019)
2,720
 • Density 191.66/sq mi (74.00/km2)
Time zone UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
 • Summer (DST) UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code
27375
Area code(s) 336
FIPS code 37-71900
GNIS feature ID 1023155

Wentworth is a town in Rockingham County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 2,807 at the 2010 census. Wentworth is the county seat of Rockingham County.

Geography

Wentworth is located at 36°24′6″N 79°44′37″W (36.401582, -79.743560).

The town has a total area of 14.4 square miles (37 km), of which, 14.3 square miles (37 km²) of it is land and 0.49% or 0.1 square miles (0.26 km²) of it is water.

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop.
2000 2,779
2010 2,807 1.0%
2019 (est.) 2,720 −3.1%
U.S. Decennial Census

2020 census

Wentworth racial composition
Race Number Percentage
White (non-Hispanic) 2,113 79.38%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic) 317 11.91%
Native American 9 0.34%
Asian 14 0.53%
Other/Mixed 84 3.16%
Hispanic or Latino 125 4.7%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 2,662 people, 953 households, and 691 families residing in the town.

2010 census

As of the 2010 U.S. Census, there were 2,807 people and 784 families residing in the town. The population density was 194.3 people per square mile (75.0/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 80.89% Caucasian, 16.91% African American, 0.40% Native American, 0.32% Asian, 0.68% from other races, and 0.79% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.33% of the population.

There were 1,018 households, out of which 35.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.4% were married couples living together, 9.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.9% were non-families. 19.5% of all households consisted of a single individual. The average household size was 2.60 and the average family size was 2.98.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 24.0% under the age of 18, 7.8% from 18 to 24, 32.0% from 25 to 44, 25.0% from 45 to 64, and 11.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 106.2 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $39,083, and the median income for a family was $45,865. Males had a median income of $31,515 versus $23,116 for females. The per capita income for the town was $18,071. About 3.9% of families and 4.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.1% of those under age 18 and 9.9% of those age 65 or over.

History

Wentworth was established as "Rockingham Courthouse" in 1787 making it the oldest settlement in Rockingham County. The post office there was established in November 1794. The settlement was chartered as Wentworth in 1798. Both, Wentworth and Rockingham County were named in homage to the same individual; the Marquis of Rockingham, Charles Watson-Wentworth. Watson-Wentworth served two terms as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and greatly advocated for colonial independence.

Almost two hundred years later, in the 1990s, the Wentworth community was facing the possibility of much of its area being annexed into neighboring Reidsville. County officials, none of whom lived in Wentworth, declined to oppose this possible annexation. Nevertheless, the local community banded together with an initiative which stopped this impending annexation. In 1998, with approval from the state General Assembly, the town of Wentworth amended the lapse within their original 1798 charter and remained as its own municipality. Until its reactivation (which included an area considerably larger than the original courthouse village of approximately one hundred people) Wentworth was the smallest county seat in the state.

The Dead Timber Ford Sluices, Eagle Falls Sluice, Rockingham County Courthouse, Wentworth Methodist Episcopal Church and Cemetery, and Wright Tavern are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Education

Wentworth Elementary School
Rockingham County Middle School
Rockingham County High School
Rockingham County Early College High School
Rockingham Community College

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Wentworth para niños

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