Cabarrus County, North Carolina | |
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 Flag  Seal  Logo | |
| Motto: "America Thrives Here" | |
 Location within the U.S. state ofNorth Carolina | |
 North Carolina's location within theU.S. | |
| Coordinates:35°23′N80°33′W / 35.39°N 80.55°W /35.39; -80.55 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  North Carolina |
| Founded | 1792 |
| Named after | Stephen Cabarrus |
| Seat | Concord |
| Largest community | Concord |
| Area | |
• Total | 363.93 sq mi (942.6 km2) |
| • Land | 361.23 sq mi (935.6 km2) |
| • Water | 2.70 sq mi (7.0 km2) 0.74% |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 225,804 |
• Estimate (2024) | 244,925 |
| • Density | 625.10/sq mi (241.35/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| Congressional districts | 6th,8th |
| Website | www |
Cabarrus County (/kəˈbɛərəs/kuh-BAIR-us)[1][2] is acounty located in the south-central part of the U.S. state ofNorth Carolina. As of the2020 census, the population was 225,804, making it the9th-most populous county in North Carolina.[3] Thecounty seat isConcord,[4] which was incorporated in 1803.
The first substantiated gold find in America took place in Cabarrus County in 1799, when Conrad Reed discovered gold inLittle Meadow Creek. TheReed Gold Mine (now aNational Historic Landmark) was founded, and resulted in a gold rush to the area in the early 1800s.[5] While some cotton plantations were established, most of the land was developed for subsistence farming. By 1860 the population consisted of about one-third enslaved African Americans, with fewfree people of color. Industrialization had started before the war with the introduction oftextile mills to process the cotton. More mill development took place, especially after the railroad was constructed to the town.Coleman Manufacturing Company, started in 1897, is believed to be the first cotton mill in the nation to be built, owned and operated by African Americans. It was owned byWarren Clay Coleman from Concord,John C. Dancy (federal collector of customs), and seven partners primarily fromWilmington, North Carolina. Investors includedWashington Duke and capitalists in other parts of the state. Textile manufacturing continued to be integral to the regional economy until the late 20th century. In 2015, theColeman-Franklin-Cannon Mill was listed on theNational Register of Historic Places.
The county was formed on December 29, 1792, fromMecklenburg County. Located in thePiedmont, it was named afterStephen Cabarrus ofChowan County, speaker of theNorth Carolina House of Commons.
Catawba Indians were the primary inhabitants of the area until beginning about 1750, when the county was settled mainly by immigrants: Germans on the eastern side and Scotch-Irish in the western area of the county. When it came time to choose a location for the county seat and county government, each ethnic group wanted the county seat located close to their populations and could not reach agreement on a site. Stephen Cabarrus wrote to the citizens pleading with them to come together in peace to choose a location for their county seat. A central area of the county was chosen in 1796 and aptly named Concord, a derivative of two French words "with" and "peace." Representative Paul Barringer introduced a bill into the state legislature to incorporate Concord; it passed on December 17, 1806.[6] The town of Concord was begun on land owned by Samuel Huie and wife Jane Morrison Huie.[7]
The first substantiated gold find in America was in 1799 by young Conrad Reed while playing inLittle Meadow Creek, located on the Reed farm in southeastern Cabarrus County. According to research, Conrad's find was a gold chunk approximately the size of a shoe and weighing 17 pounds.[8]: 11 His father John Reed took the nugget into Concord to a silversmith, who informed Reed that the rock did not have any value. The elder Reed returned home with it, holding it for three years until a trip in 1802 to Fayetteville, where he sold the "nugget" to a jeweler for $3.50. Over time John Reed learned that the jeweler sold the large nugget for several thousand dollars. Reed returned to Fayetteville insisting on more just compensation. This discovery and news of the sale spurred the beginning of gold mining in the area.[9]
John Reed, or Johannes Rieth as he is known in records of theStaatsarchiv atMarburg, Germany, was one of thousands ofHessian soldiers brought over by British troops to fight against rebellious colonists in theAmerican Revolution. Reed deserted, as did many other Hessians. He traveled from Georgia to North Carolina, where he settled in an ethnic German community sometime around 1787 and began farming.[10]
Reed first developedplacer mining on his property, then underground mining, and became wealthy from the gold. His facility became known asReed's Gold Mine. Large amounts of gold were being discovered at the Reed Gold Mine and in other mines in the United States; these mine owners began to use their gold to create currency. For the government to retain control of the production of currency and keep a stabilized economic structure, PresidentAndrew Jackson signed into legislation the authorization to create branches of theUS Mint. TheCharlotte Mint was built to handle the gold coming from the rich gold veins of North Carolina, including Reed's.[11]
The Reed Gold Mine was designated aNational Historic Landmark, as it was the first gold mine in the country. Gold was mined in North Carolina into the early 20th century. Today visitors at the site can explore some of the mine's reconstructed tunnels.[12]
Prior to the battle of Alamance, on the 16th of May, 1771, the first blood shed in the American Revolution, there were many discreet men across North Carolina opposed to British taxation and the fee system imposed by colonial officials in the late 1760s. Discreet persons part of this movement in Rowan and Mecklenburg Counties (later known as Cabarrus) took part in an infamous raid against a royal governmental military convoy as part of North Carolina's Regulator Movement. On May 9, 1771, James, William and John White, brothers, and William White, a cousin, all born and raised on Rocky River, and one mile from Rocky River Church, Robert Caruthers, Robert Davis, Benjamin Cockrane, James and Joshua Hadley, William Alexander, of Sugar Creek “Captain Black Bill Alexander,” and whose sword now hangs in the Library Hall of Davidson College, bound themselves to a solemn oath of secrecy as they set out on a mission .[13]
The small band of Regulators, disguised themselves and made their way to Phifer’s old muster grounds on Poplar Tent Road. After nightfall, the men laid a trail of gunpowder toward the royal government’s encampment and fired a shot igniting an explosion that was reportedly heard nine miles away.[14] Two gunpowder wagons, as well as blankets, leggings, kettles, and other supplies were destroyed. Some men involved in this episode wore Indian disguises while others were blacked by the gunpowder they emptied from the kegs earning them the name of the "Black Boys of Cabarrus".[15] These young patriots remained active and in hiding until independence was declared.
The oldCabarrus County Courthouse was finished in 1876. Recognized as significant in the 20th century, it was listed on theNational Register of Historic Places in 1974. TheConfederate soldiers monument is located on the front lawn area.
Also listed on the NRHP is theColeman-Franklin-Cannon Mill, notable as the first cotton mill owned and operated by African Americans, and also for its decades-long record of industrial design in textile manufacturing, with numerous contributing structures built through the early 20th century.
Among other NRHP sites in Cabarrus County is theBethel Church Arbor, located adjacent to Bethel United Methodist Church approximately one mile north of the historic crossroads (and railroad stop) of Cabarrus Station. The Arbor dates back to the early 1800s as a location for religious revival "camp meetings" and the current structure was built around 1878, and was in use through the 1920s.
Located in the Piedmont region, the county was developed largely for subsistence farming, but did have some cotton plantations. By 1860 the population was about one-third enslaved African Americans, with fewfree people of color. The first cotton mill was constructed as early as 1839. More mill development took place after the American Civil War, when railroads reached the region.
Among the owners of new mills in the area were men of the rising black middle-class ofWilmington, North Carolina, such asJohn C. Dancy (appointed as collector of customs at the port), and others.Warren Clay Coleman, a Concord African-American businessman, joined them in organizingColeman Manufacturing Company in 1897, on a site about two miles from Concord. They built and operated what is believed to have been the first cotton mill in the nation to be owned by blacks.[16] They wanted to promote economic security for people of color.Richard B. Fitzgerald was its first president. While blacks had been hired for tobacco manufacturing, they were generally excluded from white-ownedtextile mills.
TheWilmington Insurrection of 1898, with white attacks on blacks, their homes and businesses, destroyed much of what the people had built there since the war. In 1900 Dancy was among more than 2000 blacks who left the city permanently after the riot, resulting in its becoming majority white. He moved toWashington, D.C., where he was appointed as the federalrecorder of deeds.[17]
Agriculture has played an important part in the economic life of the county for over 200 years. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, textiles became a vital part of the local economy, especially in the northern portion of the county. Today, the local economy has a more varied base.
According to theU.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 363.93 square miles (942.6 km2), of which 361.23 square miles (935.6 km2) is land and 2.70 square miles (7.0 km2) (0.74%) is water.[18]
Cabarrus County is situated in the gently rolling countryside of theCarolina Piedmont There are no significantly high peaks or points, although the eastern half of the county contains the westernmost foothills of theUwharrie Mountains. Altitude ranges from approximately 500–800 feet above sea level. No large or navigable rivers flow through the county; the nearest navigable waterway is theYadkin River in nearbyRowan County. Land slope is generally toward the southeast. The longest waterway within the county isRocky River, which rises inIredell County and empties into the Pee Dee below Norwood inStanly County. Weather is temperate with hot summers and mild to chilly winters. Severe weather occurs occasionally, with thunderstorms in the warmer months of the year and ice storms and snowfalls occurring on occasion in winter. From zero to three accumulating snowfalls may be expected in an average winter. Snow generally melts between accumulating snowfalls, and there is no consistent snowpack. An average of four inches (100 mm) of snow and 46 inches (1,200 mm) of rain falls each year. At summer solstice, the length of day is approximately 14 hours and 33 minutes, with visible light lasting 15 hours and 32 minutes.
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1800 | 5,094 | — | |
| 1810 | 6,158 | 20.9% | |
| 1820 | 7,248 | 17.7% | |
| 1830 | 8,810 | 21.6% | |
| 1840 | 9,259 | 5.1% | |
| 1850 | 9,747 | 5.3% | |
| 1860 | 10,546 | 8.2% | |
| 1870 | 11,954 | 13.4% | |
| 1880 | 14,964 | 25.2% | |
| 1890 | 18,142 | 21.2% | |
| 1900 | 22,456 | 23.8% | |
| 1910 | 26,240 | 16.9% | |
| 1920 | 33,730 | 28.5% | |
| 1930 | 44,331 | 31.4% | |
| 1940 | 59,393 | 34.0% | |
| 1950 | 63,783 | 7.4% | |
| 1960 | 68,137 | 6.8% | |
| 1970 | 74,629 | 9.5% | |
| 1980 | 85,895 | 15.1% | |
| 1990 | 98,935 | 15.2% | |
| 2000 | 131,063 | 32.5% | |
| 2010 | 178,011 | 35.8% | |
| 2020 | 225,804 | 26.8% | |
| 2024 (est.) | 244,925 | [25] | 8.5% |
| U.S. Decennial Census[26] 1790–1960[27] 1900–1990[28] 1990–2000[29] 2010–2020[3] | |||
| Race | Number | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 133,781 | 59.25% |
| Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 41,687 | 18.46% |
| Native American | 598 | 0.26% |
| Asian | 11,933 | 5.28% |
| Pacific Islander | 122 | 0.05% |
| Other/Mixed | 10,420 | 4.61% |
| Hispanic orLatino | 27,263 | 12.07% |
As of the2020 census, there were 225,804 people, 68,798 households, and 51,217 families residing in the county.
At the2000 census,[31] there were 131,063 people, 49,519 households, and 36,545 families residing in the county. The population density was 360 people per square mile (140 people/km2). There were 52,848 housing units at an average density of 145 units per square mile (56 units/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 83.26%White, 12.18%Black orAfrican American, 0.34%Native American, 0.91%Asian, 0.02%Pacific Islander, 2.30% fromother races, and 0.99% from two or more races. 5.05% of the population wereHispanic orLatino of any race.
There were 49,519 households, out of which 34.90% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.20% were married couples living together, 10.50% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.20% were non-families. 21.80% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.00% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.60 and the average family size was 3.03.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 25.80% under the age of 18, 8.10% from 18 to 24, 32.50% from 25 to 44, 22.10% from 45 to 64, and 11.60% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.00 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.10 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $46,140, and the median income for a family was $53,692. Males had a median income of $36,714 versus $26,010 for females. The per capita income for the county was $21,121. About 4.80% of families and 7.10% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.30% of those under age 18 and 9.60% of those age 65 or over.
Most residents of Cabarrus County areCaucasian ofScots-Irish, German, or English-Welsh extraction. The proportion of African-American residents has decreased since the late nineteenth century, in part due to people leaving in theGreat Migration of the 20th century to cities and areas with more opportunities. In 2000, African- American residents made up slightly more than 12 percent of the population.
The different religious denominations represented in the county are mainly Protestant. A small Jewish synagogue, Temple Or Olam, operates here. There are twoCatholic churches, St. James The Greater Catholic Church, located in Concord, and St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Kannapolis.Eastern Orthodox andIslamic congregations are located in nearby Charlotte.[32]
Cabarrus County is a member of the regionalCentralina Council of Governments.[33]
Cabarrus County is governed by a five-member Board of Commissioners, electedat-large in countywide elections to serve four-year staggered terms. The county's operations are managed by a "County Manager".[34]
Cabarrus County Land Records is a division of Tax Administration, a department of Cabarrus County Government. Land Records is responsible for creating and maintaining property records for all parcels in the county. Cabarrus County Land Records along with Cabarrus County Information Technology Services developed CLaRIS (Cabarrus CountyLandRecordsInformationSystem), and award-winning public access and inquiry system for citizens to look at and use land records data.[35]
TheStonewall Jackson Youth Development Center, a juvenile correctional facility of theNorth Carolina Department of Public Safety serving boys, is located anunincorporated area in the county, nearConcord.[36]
Cabarrus County has voted Republican in every presidential election sinceHarry S. Truman carried the county in1948. Since then, it has been won by the GOP candidate by double digits in all but four presidential elections:1964,1976,2020, and2024.
DemocratJosh Stein did win the county as part of his landslide victory in the2024 gubernatorial election, representing the first time a Democrat won it in a gubernatorial election since1980.| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 1880 | 1,054 | 41.20% | 1,499 | 58.60% | 5 | 0.20% |
| 1884 | 990 | 34.24% | 1,893 | 65.48% | 8 | 0.28% |
| 1888 | 933 | 34.90% | 1,659 | 62.07% | 81 | 3.03% |
| 1892 | 679 | 22.95% | 1,419 | 47.97% | 860 | 29.07% |
| 1896 | 996 | 30.13% | 2,250 | 68.06% | 60 | 1.81% |
| 1900 | 1,112 | 42.15% | 1,485 | 56.29% | 41 | 1.55% |
| 1904 | 1,254 | 44.71% | 1,509 | 53.80% | 42 | 1.50% |
| 1908 | 1,821 | 53.07% | 1,610 | 46.93% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1912 | 389 | 10.48% | 1,738 | 46.83% | 1,584 | 42.68% |
| 1916 | 2,314 | 52.40% | 2,080 | 47.10% | 22 | 0.50% |
| 1920 | 5,148 | 53.82% | 4,418 | 46.18% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1924 | 3,510 | 43.08% | 4,449 | 54.60% | 189 | 2.32% |
| 1928 | 6,548 | 57.35% | 4,869 | 42.65% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1932 | 3,444 | 28.76% | 8,465 | 70.68% | 68 | 0.57% |
| 1936 | 2,825 | 18.68% | 12,297 | 81.32% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1940 | 2,579 | 17.97% | 11,776 | 82.03% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1944 | 4,233 | 31.83% | 9,064 | 68.17% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1948 | 4,294 | 33.48% | 5,059 | 39.44% | 3,473 | 27.08% |
| 1952 | 15,053 | 62.22% | 9,140 | 37.78% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1956 | 14,462 | 66.85% | 7,173 | 33.15% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1960 | 15,678 | 64.36% | 8,680 | 35.64% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1964 | 13,178 | 52.50% | 11,921 | 47.50% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1968 | 13,226 | 52.35% | 5,501 | 21.77% | 6,538 | 25.88% |
| 1972 | 18,384 | 76.45% | 5,336 | 22.19% | 328 | 1.36% |
| 1976 | 12,455 | 50.57% | 12,049 | 48.92% | 126 | 0.51% |
| 1980 | 15,143 | 59.19% | 9,768 | 38.18% | 674 | 2.63% |
| 1984 | 22,528 | 72.54% | 8,477 | 27.29% | 53 | 0.17% |
| 1988 | 22,524 | 67.67% | 10,686 | 32.11% | 74 | 0.22% |
| 1992 | 21,281 | 51.75% | 13,513 | 32.86% | 6,329 | 15.39% |
| 1996 | 23,035 | 55.76% | 14,447 | 34.97% | 3,828 | 9.27% |
| 2000 | 32,704 | 66.23% | 16,284 | 32.98% | 393 | 0.80% |
| 2004 | 40,780 | 67.05% | 19,803 | 32.56% | 241 | 0.40% |
| 2008 | 45,924 | 58.88% | 31,546 | 40.45% | 524 | 0.67% |
| 2012 | 49,557 | 59.30% | 32,849 | 39.31% | 1,160 | 1.39% |
| 2016 | 53,819 | 57.69% | 35,521 | 38.08% | 3,949 | 4.23% |
| 2020 | 63,237 | 53.94% | 52,162 | 44.50% | 1,828 | 1.56% |
| 2024 | 63,746 | 53.03% | 54,494 | 45.34% | 1,962 | 1.63% |
Interstate 85 passes southwest to northeast across the county's northern portion, and several U.S. and state highways serve the city. These principal highways include U.S. highways52,29, 601, and NC highways 73, 24/27, 200, 49, and 3.
Concord-Padgett Regional Airport (airport code USA/JQF) is located seven miles (11 km) west of Concord. Commercial flights to the area are available at the airports atCharlotte, or atPiedmont Triad International Airport inGreensboro, North Carolina. Passenger rail service toKannapolis is available viaAmtrak.
Both wired and wireless telephone services are nearly universally available in the county. Cable television is available in much of the county. Cabarrus County is within the Greater Charlotte area for broadcast communications.
TheCabarrus County School System services all of the county with the exception of parts ofKannapolis, which operates theKannapolis City Schools. The system is generally regarded as one of the better school districts in the state, with high student achievement and low instances of violence and other problems.
The county is also home toBarber-Scotia College, the Cabarrus College of Health Sciences (a four-year college), and a branch ofRowan-Cabarrus Community College.UNC Charlotte, although inMecklenburg County, is located near Harrisburg and is easily accessible to Cabarrus residents via Highway 49.
Cabarrus County citizens are served by theCabarrus County Public Library system, which comprises five library locations.
Essential medical services,Atrium Health Cabarrus with a 24-hour emergency department and trauma center, are available in Concord.
The area is served by the Concord-KannapolisIndependent Tribune in print and online andThe Weekly Post, a weekly newspaper. Radio station WEGO 1410 AM serves the area with a 60'S 70'S OLDIES music format. WTIX broadcasts from a tower on US Highway 29 North near Poplar Tent Road in Concord and has studios in the Hidden Plaza at 308 Church Street North in Concord.
The county is home toReed Gold Mine, site of the first gold discovery in the United States in 1799.
TheConcord Mills Mall, is located in Cabarrus County. TheGreat Wolf Lodge is located near the mall on the opposite side of Interstate 85.
The western part of the county is home to a large racing complex in Concord, includingCharlotte Motor Speedway, which hosts two NASCAR top-three series events a year on two different layouts. The Dirt Track at Charlotte Motor Speedway, and zMAX Dragway, which now hosts theNHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series twice a year.Concord Speedway (formerly Concord Motorsport Park), located southeast of Concord in Midland, hosts weeklyNASCAR Whelen All-American Series races in the early spring through fall.
The county is also home to several major race shops, includingHendrick Motorsports,RFK Racing,Legacy Motor Club, andTrackhouse Racing in Concord,Haas Factory Team in Kannapolis, andHyak Motorsports andWood Brothers Racing in Harrisburg.
A state of the art and first of its kindwind tunnel, Windshear, opened July 18, 2008, in Concord. It offers aerodynamic testing facilities to NASCAR and Formula One racing teams and automobile manufacturers.
The county is divided into twelvetownships, which are both numbered and named:
Geographic data related toCabarrus County, North Carolina atOpenStreetMapPlaces adjacent to Cabarrus County, North Carolina | ||||||||||||||||
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| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
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