Pitt County, North Carolina | |
|---|---|
 Pitt County Courthouse in Greenville | |
 Flag  Seal  Logo | |
 Location within the U.S. state ofNorth Carolina | |
 North Carolina's location within theU.S. | |
| Coordinates:35°35′N77°22′W / 35.59°N 77.37°W /35.59; -77.37 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  North Carolina |
| Founded | 1760 |
| Named after | William Pitt the Elder |
| Seat | Greenville |
| Largest community | Greenville |
| Area | |
• Total | 655.55 sq mi (1,697.9 km2) |
| • Land | 652.37 sq mi (1,689.6 km2) |
| • Water | 3.18 sq mi (8.2 km2) 0.49% |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 170,243 |
• Estimate (2024) | 180,783 |
| • Density | 260.96/sq mi (100.76/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| Congressional district | 3rd |
| Website | www |
Pitt County is a county located in theInner Banks region of theU.S. state ofNorth Carolina. As of the2020 census, the population was 170,243,[1] making it the14th-most populous county in North Carolina. Itscounty seat isGreenville.[2]
Pitt County comprises the Greenville, NCMetropolitan Statistical Area. It is a component of the widerGreenville–Washington, NC CSA.
The county was formed in 1760 fromBeaufort County, though the legislative act that created it did not become effective until January 1, 1761. It was named forWilliam Pitt the Elder, who was thenSecretary of State for the Southern Department andLeader of the House of Commons. William Pitt was an English statesman and orator, born in London, England. He studied at Oxford University and in 1731 joined the army. Pitt led the young "Patriot"Whigs and in 1756 became secretary of state, where he was a pro-freedom speaker in British Colonial government. He served asPrime Minister of Great Britain in 1766–68.
The county saw a substantial population influx between the1980 and2010 censuses with a double-digit percentage increase seen in all four census counts.[3][4][5]
According to theU.S. Census Bureau, the total area of Pitt County is 655.55 square miles (1,697.9 km2), of which 652.37 square miles (1,689.6 km2) is land and 3.18 square miles (8.2 km2) (0.49%) is water.[6]
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1790 | 8,270 | — | |
| 1800 | 9,084 | 9.8% | |
| 1810 | 9,169 | 0.9% | |
| 1820 | 10,001 | 9.1% | |
| 1830 | 12,093 | 20.9% | |
| 1840 | 11,806 | −2.4% | |
| 1850 | 13,397 | 13.5% | |
| 1860 | 16,080 | 20.0% | |
| 1870 | 17,276 | 7.4% | |
| 1880 | 21,794 | 26.2% | |
| 1890 | 25,519 | 17.1% | |
| 1900 | 30,889 | 21.0% | |
| 1910 | 36,340 | 17.6% | |
| 1920 | 45,569 | 25.4% | |
| 1930 | 54,466 | 19.5% | |
| 1940 | 61,244 | 12.4% | |
| 1950 | 63,789 | 4.2% | |
| 1960 | 69,942 | 9.6% | |
| 1970 | 73,900 | 5.7% | |
| 1980 | 90,146 | 22.0% | |
| 1990 | 107,924 | 19.7% | |
| 2000 | 133,798 | 24.0% | |
| 2010 | 168,148 | 25.7% | |
| 2020 | 170,243 | 1.2% | |
| 2024 (est.) | 180,783 | [7] | 6.2% |
| U.S. Decennial Census[8] 1790–1960[9] 1900–1990[3] 1990–2000[4] 2010[5] 2020[1] | |||
| Race | Number | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 86,837 | 51.01% |
| Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 59,813 | 35.13% |
| Native American | 494 | 0.29% |
| Asian | 3,056 | 1.8% |
| Pacific Islander | 94 | 0.06% |
| Other/Mixed | 6,981 | 4.1% |
| Hispanic orLatino | 12,968 | 7.62% |
As of the2020 census, there were 170,243 people, 70,926 households, and 41,427 families residing in the county.
At the2000 census,[11] there were 133,798 people, 52,539 households, and 32,258 families residing in the county. The population density was 205 people per square mile (79 people/km2). There were 58,408 housing units at an average density of 90 units per square mile (35 units/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 62.08%White, 33.65%Black orAfrican American, 0.27%Native American, 1.08%Asian, 0.04%Pacific Islander, 1.80% fromother races, and 1.09% from two or more races. 3.15% of the population wereHispanic orLatino of any race.
There were 52,539 households, out of which 29.90% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.40% were married couples living together, 14.40% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.60% were non-families. 28.30% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.30% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.43 and the average family size was 3.02.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 23.60% under the age of 18, 17.50% from 18 to 24, 29.90% from 25 to 44, 19.40% from 45 to 64, and 9.60% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females there were 90.20 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.40 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $32,868, and the median income for a family was $43,971. Males had a median income of $31,962 versus $25,290 for females. The per capita income for the county was $18,243. About 13.50% of families and 20.30% of the population were below the poverty line, including 21.60% of those under age 18 and 20.20% of those age 65 or over.
As of the census of 2010, there were 168,148 people residing in Pitt County, a 25.7% increase since 2000. Females made up 52.8% of the population. Caucasians make up 58.9% of the population, followed by African-Americans at 34.1%, Asian persons at 1.6%, American Indian or Alaskan at 0.3%, Hispanic at 5.5%, and Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander at 0.1%. From the period of 2005 to 2009, the number of foreign-born people living in the county was at 4%.
The high school graduation rate in the county among citizens over the age of twenty-five from 2005 to 2009 was steady at 85%, while the percentage of those aged twenty-five and up with a bachelor's degree in the county was only 28.7% in the county during the same period of time.
In 2009, the median household income in Pitt County was $36,339, over $7,000 less than the North Carolina number and about 25.5% of Pitt County residents were at or below the poverty level. The per capita money income, in terms of 2009 dollars, in the past twelve months from 2005 to 2009 in Pitt County was $21,622, about $3,000 less than the North Carolina average.
In the early twentieth century Pitt was a typical Democratic "Solid South" county, where there were large numbers ofdisenfranchisedblacks and the small white electorate voted overwhelming majorities for the Democratic Party. Pitt voted for the Democratic Party in every election from at least 1876 until American Independent candidate George Wallace gained a plurality in 1968. Apart fromRichard Nixon's overwhelming victory overGeorge McGovern in 1972, Pitt has since been a closely contested swing county, with no major party candidate post-McGovern falling under forty percent. After 1976, when Jimmy Carter carried it, and aside from a victory in 1992 by Bill Clinton, Pitt County tended to vote for Republicans until 2008. Since 2008 it has voted for the Democratic Party.
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 1880 | 1,815 | 44.37% | 2,200 | 53.78% | 76 | 1.86% |
| 1884 | 2,283 | 48.46% | 2,428 | 51.54% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1888 | 2,358 | 47.21% | 2,569 | 51.43% | 68 | 1.36% |
| 1892 | 1,221 | 25.99% | 2,052 | 43.68% | 1,425 | 30.33% |
| 1896 | 2,390 | 42.82% | 3,181 | 56.99% | 11 | 0.20% |
| 1900 | 2,156 | 39.52% | 3,264 | 59.82% | 36 | 0.66% |
| 1904 | 429 | 15.46% | 2,329 | 83.93% | 17 | 0.61% |
| 1908 | 890 | 26.87% | 2,419 | 73.04% | 3 | 0.09% |
| 1912 | 347 | 11.24% | 2,303 | 74.63% | 436 | 14.13% |
| 1916 | 719 | 20.21% | 2,839 | 79.79% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1920 | 864 | 17.08% | 4,196 | 82.92% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1924 | 512 | 13.60% | 3,197 | 84.91% | 56 | 1.49% |
| 1928 | 1,395 | 23.09% | 4,646 | 76.91% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1932 | 255 | 3.19% | 7,724 | 96.55% | 21 | 0.26% |
| 1936 | 325 | 3.29% | 9,539 | 96.71% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1940 | 369 | 3.54% | 10,067 | 96.46% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1944 | 495 | 5.47% | 8,556 | 94.53% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1948 | 602 | 6.32% | 8,519 | 89.47% | 401 | 4.21% |
| 1952 | 2,203 | 16.35% | 11,271 | 83.65% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1956 | 2,515 | 17.48% | 11,873 | 82.52% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1960 | 3,458 | 21.63% | 12,526 | 78.37% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1964 | 5,149 | 31.27% | 11,317 | 68.73% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1968 | 5,745 | 25.41% | 7,696 | 34.04% | 9,167 | 40.55% |
| 1972 | 14,406 | 70.41% | 5,858 | 28.63% | 195 | 0.95% |
| 1976 | 9,532 | 44.78% | 11,636 | 54.66% | 120 | 0.56% |
| 1980 | 12,816 | 48.60% | 12,590 | 47.74% | 965 | 3.66% |
| 1984 | 18,983 | 58.36% | 13,481 | 41.45% | 62 | 0.19% |
| 1988 | 18,245 | 55.08% | 14,777 | 44.61% | 105 | 0.32% |
| 1992 | 16,609 | 41.63% | 17,959 | 45.02% | 5,327 | 13.35% |
| 1996 | 18,227 | 47.95% | 17,555 | 46.18% | 2,229 | 5.86% |
| 2000 | 23,192 | 53.84% | 19,685 | 45.70% | 198 | 0.46% |
| 2004 | 28,590 | 53.30% | 24,924 | 46.46% | 129 | 0.24% |
| 2008 | 33,927 | 45.31% | 40,501 | 54.08% | 456 | 0.61% |
| 2012 | 36,214 | 45.92% | 41,843 | 53.06% | 799 | 1.01% |
| 2016 | 35,691 | 44.32% | 41,824 | 51.94% | 3,012 | 3.74% |
| 2020 | 38,982 | 44.51% | 47,252 | 53.96% | 1,339 | 1.53% |
| 2024 | 40,403 | 46.37% | 45,595 | 52.33% | 1,132 | 1.30% |
Pitt County is a member of theMid-East Commission regional council of governments.
Pitt County is represented byKandie Smith in the5th district of theNorth Carolina Senate, as well asGloristine Brown in the8th district andTimothy Reeder in the9th district of theNorth Carolina House of Representatives.[13]
Private schools in Pitt County include:[14]
Public schools in Pitt County are managed byPitt County Schools.[15]
Geographic data related toPitt County, North Carolina atOpenStreetMapPlaces adjacent to Pitt County, North Carolina | ||||||||||||||||
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Municipalities and communities ofPitt County, North Carolina,United States | ||
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| Townships | ||
| CDPs | ||
| Unincorporated communities | ||
| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
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