Warren County, North Carolina | |
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.jpg) Warren County Courthouse in Warrenton | |
 Flag  Seal  Logo | |
 Location within the U.S. state ofNorth Carolina | |
 North Carolina's location within theU.S. | |
| Coordinates:36°24′N78°06′W / 36.40°N 78.10°W /36.40; -78.10 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  North Carolina |
| Founded | 1779 |
| Named after | Joseph Warren |
| Seat | Warrenton |
| Largest community | Warrenton |
| Area | |
• Total | 444.30 sq mi (1,150.7 km2) |
| • Land | 429.39 sq mi (1,112.1 km2) |
| • Water | 14.91 sq mi (38.6 km2) 3.36% |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 18,642 |
• Estimate (2024) | 19,081 |
| • Density | 43.415/sq mi (16.763/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| Congressional district | 1st |
| Website | www |
Warren County is acounty located in the northeasternPiedmont region of the U.S. state ofNorth Carolina, on the northern border withVirginia, made famous for alandfill and birthplace of theenvironmental justice movement. As of the2020 census, its population was 18,642.[1] Itscounty seat isWarrenton.[2] It was a center of tobacco and cotton plantations, education, and later textile mills.
The county was established in 1779 from the northern half ofBute County. It was named forJoseph Warren ofMassachusetts, a physician and general in theAmerican Revolutionary War who was killed at theBattle of Bunker Hill.[3] The county seat was designated atWarrenton later that year. In 1786, part ofGranville County was moved to Warren.[4] Developed as a tobacco and cotton farming area, Warrenton became a center of commerce and was one of the wealthiest towns in the state from 1840 to 1860. Many planters built fine homes there.[5] Along with its slave population, Warren had one of the largest free black populations in antebellum North Carolina.[6]
The county's economy declined after theAmerican Civil War,[6] though its large black population briefly exercised significant political influence during the Reconstruction era. Warren's economy, like those of its neighboring counties in northeastern North Carolina, continued to struggle[3] until it gained some manufacturing businesses in the 20th century.[6] In 1881, parts of Warren County,Franklin County andGranville County were combined to formVance County.[4]
The1970s recession in the United States severely impacted Warren County. By 1980, it was one of the poorest counties in the state, with unemployment peaking in 1982 at 13.3 percent. The county pushed for industrial development to ameliorate struggles in the agricultural sector without much success.[7]
From 1990 to 2016, manufacturing employment rates declined by about two-thirds.[8] Since the late 20th century, county residents have worked to attract other industrial and business development.Soul City, a "planned community" development, was funded by theDepartment of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). It has not been successful in attracting business and industry, and has not developed as much housing as intended.[9]
In 1978, a transformer manufacturer contracted a trucking company to illegally dumppolychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) alongside roads in North Carolina. The state of North Carolina assumed responsibility for cleaning up the pollution, and in December 1978, the state government purchased land in the Warren County community of Afton to establisha landfill to dispose of the chemical waste. Local residents began organizing to protest the planned disposal site, arguing better disposal options existed and that a hazardous waste facility would undercut the county's ability to attracted new industry. National civil rights organizations and politicians became involved, and about 500 protestors were arrested in September 1982 for attempting to obstruct the construction of the disposal site. Whilethe demonstrations did not halt the creation of the landfill, the site was eventually detoxified, and a significant amount of historiographic literature attributes the start of the modernenvironmental justice movement to the protests.[10][11]
According to theU.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 444.30 square miles (1,150.7 km2), of which 429.39 square miles (1,112.1 km2) is land and 14.91 square miles (38.6 km2) (3.36%) is water.[12] It is bordered by the North Carolina counties ofFranklin,Halifax,Nash,Northampton, andVance, and the Virginia counties ofBrunswick andMecklenburg.[13] It sits in the northeastern section of the state'sPiedmont region and lies within the Roanoke and Tar-Pamlico river basins.[3]
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1790 | 9,379 | — | |
| 1800 | 11,284 | 20.3% | |
| 1810 | 11,004 | −2.5% | |
| 1820 | 11,158 | 1.4% | |
| 1830 | 11,877 | 6.4% | |
| 1840 | 12,919 | 8.8% | |
| 1850 | 13,912 | 7.7% | |
| 1860 | 15,726 | 13.0% | |
| 1870 | 17,768 | 13.0% | |
| 1880 | 22,619 | 27.3% | |
| 1890 | 19,360 | −14.4% | |
| 1900 | 19,151 | −1.1% | |
| 1910 | 20,266 | 5.8% | |
| 1920 | 21,593 | 6.5% | |
| 1930 | 23,364 | 8.2% | |
| 1940 | 23,145 | −0.9% | |
| 1950 | 23,539 | 1.7% | |
| 1960 | 19,652 | −16.5% | |
| 1970 | 15,810 | −19.6% | |
| 1980 | 16,232 | 2.7% | |
| 1990 | 17,265 | 6.4% | |
| 2000 | 19,972 | 15.7% | |
| 2010 | 20,972 | 5.0% | |
| 2020 | 18,642 | −11.1% | |
| 2024 (est.) | 19,081 | [17] | 2.4% |
| U.S. Decennial Census[18] 1790–1960[19] 1900–1990[20] 1990–2000[21] 2010[22] 2020[1] | |||
With Warren County, the black population is concentrated in areas near 13 pre-Civil War plantation sites.[23]Haliwa-Saponi Native Americans reside primarily in the southeastern portions of the county[24][25] proximate to the Halifax County communities of Hollister and Essex. White residents are concentrated in Warrenton and in waterfront areas along the county's two large reservoirs.[23]
| Race / Ethnicity(NH = Non-Hispanic) | Pop 2000[26] | Pop 2010[27] | Pop 2020[28] | % 2000 | % 2010 | % 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White alone (NH) | 7,696 | 7,971 | 7,209 | 38.53% | 38.01% | 38.67% |
| Black or African American alone (NH) | 10,816 | 10,911 | 9,049 | 54.16% | 52.03% | 48.54% |
| Native American orAlaska Native alone (NH) | 940 | 1,026 | 953 | 4.71% | 4.89% | 5.11% |
| Asian alone (NH) | 26 | 49 | 62 | 0.13% | 0.23% | 0.33% |
| Pacific Islander alone (NH) | 4 | 3 | 4 | 0.02% | 0.01% | 0.02% |
| Other Race alone (NH) | 8 | 21 | 65 | 0.04% | 0.10% | 0.35% |
| Mixed Race or Multiracial (NH) | 165 | 299 | 561 | 0.83% | 1.43% | 3.01% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 317 | 692 | 739 | 1.59% | 3.30% | 3.96% |
| Total | 19,972 | 20,972 | 18,642 | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% |
As of the2020 census, there were 18,642 people, 7,786 households, and 4,589 families residing in the county.
The county's population declined between the 2010 and 2020 censuses.[29]
At the2010 census, there were 20,972 people living in the county. 52.3% wereBlack or African American, 38.8%White, 5.0%Native American, 0.2%Asian, 2.0% of some other race and 1.6%of two or more races. 3.3% wereHispanic or Latino (of any race).
At the2000 census,[30] there were 19,972 people, 7,708 households, and 5,449 families living in the county. Thepopulation density was 47 people per square mile (18 people/km2). There were 10,548 housing units at an average density of 25 units per square mile (9.7 units/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 54.49%Black orAfrican American, 38.90%White, 4.79%Native American, 0.13%Asian, 0.03%Pacific Islander, 0.79% fromother races, and 0.88% from two or more races. 1.59% of the population wereHispanic orLatino of any race.
There were 7,708 households, out of which 28.20% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.20% weremarried couples living together, 17.30% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.30% were non-families. 26.20% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.20% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 2.97.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 23.50% under the age of 18, 8.00% from 18 to 24, 26.30% from 25 to 44, 24.80% from 45 to 64, and 17.40% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 96.60 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.00 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $28,351, and the median income for a family was $33,602. Males had a median income of $26,928 versus $20,787 for females. Theper capita income for the county was $14,716. About 15.70% of families and 19.40% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 24.90% of those under age 18 and 20.80% of those age 65 or over.
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Warren County has acouncil-manager government, governed by a five-memberboard of commissioners. County commissioners are elected at-large to staggered four-year terms and represent one of five single-member districts. The commission hires a county manager to serve as the chief administrative officer for county government and who is responsible for executing the commission's policies.[32]
Warren County is a member of theKerr-Tar Regional Council of Governments.[33] It is located entirely in theNorth Carolina Senate's3rd district, theNorth Carolina House of Representatives'27th district,[34] andNorth Carolina's 1st congressional district.[3] Warren County lies within the bounds of North Carolina's 11th Prosecutorial District, the 9thSuperior Court District, and the 9th District Court District.[35] The Haliwa-Saponi Indian Tribe was recognized as a Native American tribe by the state of North Carolina in 1965 and mostly comprises members in Warren and Halifax counties.[36] The tribal government provides services to its members.[37]
In recent years, Warren County has struggled with poverty and low wages.[6][38] Glen Raven, a textile company, is a major manufacturing employer in the county.[38]
Education in the area is provided by Warren County Public Schools.[39] Vance-Granville Community College maintains a satellite campus in the county.[40] According to the 2021 American Community Survey, an estimated 15.2 percent of county residents have attained a bachelor's degree or higher level of education.[13]
Warren Countytownships are:[42]
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Geographic data related toWarren County, North Carolina atOpenStreetMapPlaces adjacent to Warren County, North Carolina | ||||||||||||||||
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Municipalities and communities ofWarren County, North Carolina,United States | ||
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