Raeford, North Carolina | |
|---|---|
 Downtown Raeford, 2019 | |
 Seal | |
 Location of Raeford, North Carolina | |
| Coordinates:34°58′51″N79°13′45″W / 34.98083°N 79.22917°W /34.98083; -79.22917 | |
| Country | United States |
| State | North Carolina |
| County | Hoke |
| Government | |
| • Type | City Council |
| • Mayor | John Knox McNeill III |
| Area | |
• Total | 4.31 sq mi (11.15 km2) |
| • Land | 4.29 sq mi (11.10 km2) |
| • Water | 0.023 sq mi (0.06 km2) |
| Elevation | 256 ft (78 m) |
| Population | |
• Total | 4,559 |
| • Density | 1,064.1/sq mi (410.87/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| ZIP codes | 28361, 28376 |
| Area codes | 910, 472 |
| FIPS code | 37-54580[4] |
| GNIS feature ID | 2404587[2] |
| Website | www |
Raeford is a city in theHoke County of theU.S. state ofNorth Carolina. Its population was 4,559 at the2020 census.[3] It is thecounty seat of Hoke County.[5]
John McRae and A.A. Williford operated aturpentine distillery and general store, respectively. Each took a syllable from his name and came up with the name Raeford for thepost office they established.[citation needed] The McRae family, who lived at the "ford of the creek", was at one time made up primarily of oldHighland Scot families. Likewise, the UpperCape Fear Valley of North Carolina was, in the 18th and 19th centuries, the largest settlement ofGaelic-speaking Highland Scots in North America.[citation needed] Today, many of these old families continue to live in the area, though their presence is noticeably diminished by the great numbers of newcomers to the area as a result ofFort Bragg. SinceWorld War II, manyLumbee Indian families have moved northward fromRobeson County and now constitute a significant element of the population that is otherwise European and African American.
TheHoke County Courthouse andRaeford Historic District are listed on theNational Register of Historic Places.[6]
Raeford is located in central Hoke County and is bordered to the northeast byRockfish Creek, an east-flowing tributary of theCape Fear River. The southern part of the city drains to Toneys Creek, a south-flowing component of theLumber River–Pee Dee River–Waccamaw River watershed.
U.S. Route 401 runs through the north and west sides of Raeford, leading east 22 miles (35 km) toFayetteville and southwest 20 miles (32 km) toLaurinburg.U.S. 401 Business passes through the center of town as Harris Avenue and East Central Avenue.North Carolina Highway 20 leaves the center of Raeford as St. Pauls Drive, leading southeast 19 miles (31 km) toSt. Pauls.North Carolina Highway 211 runs through the center of Raeford, entering from the south on Main Street and leaving to the west on Prospect Avenue; NC-211 leads south 30 miles (48 km) toLumberton and northwest 17 miles (27 km) toAberdeen.
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 4.3 square miles (11.1 km2), of which 0.02 square miles (0.06 km2), or 0.53%, is covered by water.[7]
| Climate data for Raeford, North Carolina (1991–2020) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 52.9 (11.6) | 56.6 (13.7) | 64.6 (18.1) | 73.5 (23.1) | 79.9 (26.6) | 86.4 (30.2) | 89.5 (31.9) | 87.9 (31.1) | 82.7 (28.2) | 73.1 (22.8) | 63.8 (17.7) | 56.1 (13.4) | 72.3 (22.4) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 41.3 (5.2) | 43.7 (6.5) | 51.3 (10.7) | 60.0 (15.6) | 68.0 (20.0) | 75.8 (24.3) | 79.3 (26.3) | 77.8 (25.4) | 72.0 (22.2) | 61.0 (16.1) | 50.6 (10.3) | 44.4 (6.9) | 60.4 (15.8) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 29.7 (−1.3) | 30.8 (−0.7) | 38.0 (3.3) | 46.5 (8.1) | 56.1 (13.4) | 65.2 (18.4) | 69.2 (20.7) | 67.7 (19.8) | 61.4 (16.3) | 48.8 (9.3) | 37.5 (3.1) | 32.6 (0.3) | 48.6 (9.2) |
| Averageprecipitation inches (mm) | 3.71 (94) | 3.66 (93) | 3.92 (100) | 3.18 (81) | 3.80 (97) | 4.72 (120) | 4.86 (123) | 5.05 (128) | 5.27 (134) | 3.29 (84) | 3.55 (90) | 3.55 (90) | 48.56 (1,234) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 1.6 (4.1) | 0.8 (2.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.4 (1.0) | 2.8 (7.1) |
| Source: NOAA[8] | |||||||||||||
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1910 | 580 | — | |
| 1920 | 1,235 | 112.9% | |
| 1930 | 1,303 | 5.5% | |
| 1940 | 1,628 | 24.9% | |
| 1950 | 2,030 | 24.7% | |
| 1960 | 3,058 | 50.6% | |
| 1970 | 3,180 | 4.0% | |
| 1980 | 3,630 | 14.2% | |
| 1990 | 3,469 | −4.4% | |
| 2000 | 3,386 | −2.4% | |
| 2010 | 4,611 | 36.2% | |
| 2020 | 4,559 | −1.1% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[9] | |||
| Race | Num. | Perc. |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 1,707 | 37.44% |
| Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 1,793 | 39.33% |
| Native American | 201 | 4.41% |
| Asian | 40 | 0.88% |
| Pacific Islander | 2 | 0.04% |
| Other/Mixed | 225 | 4.94% |
| Hispanic orLatino | 591 | 12.96% |
As of the2020 United States census, there were 4,559 people, 1,909 households, and 1,086 families residing in the city.
As of thecensus[4] of 2000, 3,386 people, 1,323 households, and 899 families resided in the city. The population density was 902.3 inhabitants per square mile (348.4/km2). The 1,440 housing units averaged 383.7 per square mile (148.3/km2). Theracial makeup of the city was 52.75% White, 40.93% African American, 2.86% Native American, 0.95% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 1.09% from other races, and 1.39% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 4.16% of the population.
Of the 1,323 households, 30.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.1% were married couples living together, 18.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.0% were not families. About 29.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.40 and the average family size was 2.94.
In the city, the age distribution was 23.7% under 18, 7.3% from 18 to 24, 25.5% from 25 to 44, 23.7% from 45 to 64, and 19.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 84.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 77.9 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $31,306, and for a family was $33,772. Males had a median income of $27,060 versus $26,050 for females. Theper capita income for the city was $16,093. About 18.6% of families and 22.0% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 30.6% of those under age 18 and 13.6% of those age 65 or over.
Municipalities and communities ofHoke County, North Carolina,United States | ||
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