Pender County, North Carolina | |
|---|---|
 Pender County Courthouse in Burgaw | |
 Seal  Logo | |
| Motto: "Find Your Treasure" | |
 Location within the U.S. state ofNorth Carolina | |
| Coordinates:34°31′N77°53′W / 34.51°N 77.89°W /34.51; -77.89 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  North Carolina |
| Founded | 1875 |
| Named after | William Dorsey Pender |
| Seat | Burgaw |
| Largest community | Hampstead |
| Area | |
• Total | 934.17 sq mi (2,419.5 km2) |
| • Land | 871.30 sq mi (2,256.7 km2) |
| • Water | 62.87 sq mi (162.8 km2) 6.73% |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 60,203 |
• Estimate (2024) | 70,077 |
| • Density | 69.1/sq mi (26.7/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| Congressional district | 7th |
| Website | www |
Pender County is acounty located in theU.S. state ofNorth Carolina. As of the2020 census, its population was 60,203.[1] Itscounty seat isBurgaw.[2] Pender County is part of theWilmington, NCmetropolitan statistical area.
The county was formed in 1875 fromNew Hanover County. It was named forWilliam Dorsey Pender ofEdgecombe County, aConfederate general mortally wounded at theBattle of Gettysburg.[3] Pender County is located in thesoutheastern portion of the state and shares borders withBladen,Brunswick,Columbus,Duplin,New Hanover,Onslow, andSampson Counties. The county's eastern border is theAtlantic Ocean. The present land area is 870.76 square miles (2,255.3 km2) and the 2020 population was 60,203, doubling since 1990. The estimated county population in 2023 had increased to 68,521.[1] The county commissioners were ordered to hold their first meeting at Rocky Point. The act provided for the establishment of the town of Cowan as the county seat. In 1877, an act was passed repealing that section of the law relative to the town, and another law was enacted, whereby the qualified voters were to vote on the question of moving the county seat to South Washington or any other place, which the majority of the voters designated. Whatever place was selected, the town should be called Stanford. In 1879, Stanford was changed to Burgaw, which was by that law incorporated. It is the county seat.
A slave cemetery that was used by the community of Cardinal Acres until around 1950 was disturbed by a developer grading a site in 2021.[4]
According to theU.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 934.17 square miles (2,419.5 km2), of which 62.87 square miles (162.8 km2) (6.73%) are covered by water.[5] It is the fifth-largest county in North Carolina by land area.
Pender County is located in thehumid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classificationCfa) zone, with mostly moderate temperatures year round. Winters are mild across Pender, with the warmest winter temperatures found in the coastal areas of the county due to the influence of the Atlantic Ocean. The average high temperature in January is around 55 °F (13 °C) for most of Pender County. Summers are hot and humid, with the hottest summer temperatures found in the northwestern areas of the county. The average high temperature in July is around 90 °F (32 °C).[9]
TheUSDAhardiness zones for Pender County are Zone 8A (10 to 15 °F or -12 to -9 °C) and Zone 8B (15 to 20 °F or -9 to -6 °C).[10]
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1880 | 12,468 | — | |
| 1890 | 12,514 | 0.4% | |
| 1900 | 13,381 | 6.9% | |
| 1910 | 15,471 | 15.6% | |
| 1920 | 14,788 | −4.4% | |
| 1930 | 15,686 | 6.1% | |
| 1940 | 17,710 | 12.9% | |
| 1950 | 18,423 | 4.0% | |
| 1960 | 18,508 | 0.5% | |
| 1970 | 18,149 | −1.9% | |
| 1980 | 22,215 | 22.4% | |
| 1990 | 28,855 | 29.9% | |
| 2000 | 41,082 | 42.4% | |
| 2010 | 52,217 | 27.1% | |
| 2020 | 60,203 | 15.3% | |
| 2024 (est.) | 70,077 | [11] | 16.4% |
| U.S. Decennial Census[12] 1790–1960[13] 1900–1990[14] 1990–2000[15] 2010[16] 2020[1] | |||
| Race / Ethnicity(NH = Non-Hispanic) | Pop 2000[17] | Pop 2010[18] | Pop 2020[19] | % 2000 | % 2010 | % 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White alone (NH) | 29,441 | 38,568 | 44,418 | 71.66% | 73.86% | 73.78% |
| Black or African American alone (NH) | 9,536 | 9,208 | 7,544 | 23.21% | 17.63% | 12.53% |
| Native American orAlaska Native alone (NH) | 178 | 237 | 195 | 0.43% | 0.45% | 0.32% |
| Asian alone (NH) | 72 | 197 | 319 | 0.18% | 0.38% | 0.53% |
| Pacific Islander alone (NH) | 14 | 11 | 23 | 0.03% | 0.02% | 0.04% |
| Other race alone (NH) | 21 | 61 | 243 | 0.05% | 0.12% | 0.40% |
| Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) | 324 | 741 | 2,479 | 0.79% | 1.42% | 4.12% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 1,496 | 3,194 | 4,982 | 3.64% | 6.12% | 8.28% |
| Total | 41,082 | 52,217 | 60,203 | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% |
As of the2020 census, 60,203 people, 22,962 households, and 14,676 families lived in the county.[20]
The median age was 42.9 years. 22.6% of residents were under the age of 18 and 19.4% were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 99.7 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 97.9 males.[20]
The racial makeup of the county was 75.3%White, 12.7%Black or African American, 0.6%American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%Asian, 0.1%Native Hawaiian andPacific Islander, 4.7% from some other race, and 6.2% fromtwo or more races.Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 8.3% of the population.[21]
39.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 61.0% lived in rural areas.[22]
There were 22,962 households in the county, of which 32.2% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 56.0% were married-couple households, 15.7% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 22.6% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 23.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[20]
There were 29,927 housing units, of which 23.3% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 81.2% were owner-occupied and 18.8% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.6% and the rental vacancy rate was 10.7%.[20]
At the2000 census,[23] 41,082 people, 16,054 households, and 11,719 families resided in the county. Thepopulation density was 47 people per square mile (18 people/km2). The 20,798 housing units had an average density of 24 units per square mile (9.3 units/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 72.74% White, 23.58% African American, 0.49% Native American, 0.18% Asian, 2.06% from other races, and 0.94% from two or more races. About 3.64% of the population were Hispanics or Latinos of any race.
Of the 16,054 households, 29.4% had children under 18 living with them, 57.9% were married couples living together, 11.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.0% were not families. Around 22.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.5% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.49 and the average family size was 2.90.
In the county, the age distribution was 23.2% under 18, 7.40% from 18 to 24, 29.50% from 25 to 44, 25.80% from 45 to 64, and 14.10% who were 65 or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 101.2 males. For every 100 females 18 and over, there were 99.5 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $35,902, and for a family was $41,633. Males had a median income of $31,424 versus $21,623 for females. Theper capita income for the county was $17,882. About 9.50% of families and 13.60% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 18.60% of those under age 18 and 14.40% of those age 65 or over.
Pender County is a member of the regionalCape Fear Council of Governments.
The government is run by a board of commissioners with a county manager.
Pender County is a strongRepublican county, voting with the party since1996. In the1992 presidential election,Democratic nomineeBill Clinton won the county. In the2016 presidential election, Republican nomineeDonald Trump won the county with 63 percent of the vote, over Democratic nomineeHillary Clinton's 33 percent. Trump continued to increase his margin of victory in Pender in the2020 and2024 presidential elections.
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 1912 | 19 | 1.52% | 967 | 77.11% | 268 | 21.37% |
| 1916 | 400 | 29.20% | 970 | 70.80% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1920 | 699 | 30.67% | 1,580 | 69.33% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1924 | 253 | 17.51% | 1,175 | 81.31% | 17 | 1.18% |
| 1928 | 1,300 | 56.57% | 998 | 43.43% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1932 | 270 | 11.87% | 1,993 | 87.64% | 11 | 0.48% |
| 1936 | 333 | 12.28% | 2,379 | 87.72% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1940 | 305 | 11.94% | 2,249 | 88.06% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1944 | 441 | 20.29% | 1,732 | 79.71% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1948 | 304 | 14.22% | 1,334 | 62.39% | 500 | 23.39% |
| 1952 | 1,152 | 36.22% | 2,029 | 63.78% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1956 | 1,009 | 31.48% | 2,196 | 68.52% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1960 | 1,274 | 31.71% | 2,744 | 68.29% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1964 | 1,961 | 37.96% | 3,205 | 62.04% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1968 | 1,007 | 17.76% | 1,942 | 34.26% | 2,720 | 47.98% |
| 1972 | 3,327 | 68.90% | 1,415 | 29.30% | 87 | 1.80% |
| 1976 | 2,063 | 31.56% | 4,422 | 67.65% | 52 | 0.80% |
| 1980 | 3,018 | 40.05% | 4,382 | 58.15% | 136 | 1.80% |
| 1984 | 5,079 | 53.73% | 4,354 | 46.06% | 20 | 0.21% |
| 1988 | 4,926 | 52.84% | 4,377 | 46.95% | 20 | 0.21% |
| 1992 | 4,857 | 39.07% | 5,825 | 46.86% | 1,748 | 14.06% |
| 1996 | 5,538 | 46.38% | 5,409 | 45.30% | 993 | 8.32% |
| 2000 | 7,661 | 54.13% | 6,415 | 45.32% | 78 | 0.55% |
| 2004 | 10,037 | 58.75% | 6,999 | 40.97% | 49 | 0.29% |
| 2008 | 13,618 | 57.34% | 9,907 | 41.72% | 224 | 0.94% |
| 2012 | 14,617 | 59.60% | 9,632 | 39.27% | 278 | 1.13% |
| 2016 | 17,639 | 63.26% | 9,354 | 33.54% | 892 | 3.20% |
| 2020 | 21,956 | 64.26% | 11,723 | 34.31% | 490 | 1.43% |
| 2024 | 26,042 | 66.93% | 12,460 | 32.02% | 407 | 1.05% |
The county is served byPender County Schools.
Geographic data related toPender County, North Carolina atOpenStreetMapPlaces adjacent to Pender County, North Carolina | ||||||||||||||||
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Municipalities and communities ofPender County, North Carolina,United States | ||
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| Other communities | ||
| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
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