Bertie County | |
|---|---|
 Bertie County Courthouse in Windsor | |
 Flag  Seal | |
 Location within the U.S. state ofNorth Carolina | |
 North Carolina's location within theU.S. | |
| Coordinates:36°04′N76°58′W / 36.06°N 76.96°W /36.06; -76.96 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  North Carolina |
| Founded | 1739 |
| Named after | James Bertie and/orHenry Bertie |
| Seat | Windsor |
| Largest community | Windsor |
| Area | |
• Total | 741.31 sq mi (1,920.0 km2) |
| • Land | 699.18 sq mi (1,810.9 km2) |
| • Water | 42.13 sq mi (109.1 km2) 5.61% |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 17,934 |
• Estimate (2024) | 16,939 |
| • Density | 25.65/sq mi (9.90/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| Congressional district | 1st |
| Website | www |
Bertie County (/ˌbɜːrˈtiː/bur-TEE)[1][2] is acounty located in the northeast area of theU.S. state ofNorth Carolina. As of the2020 census, the population was 17,934.[3] Itscounty seat isWindsor.[4] The county was created in 1722 as Bertie Precinct and gained county status in 1739.[5]
The county was formed asBertie Precinct in 1722 from the part ofChowan Precinct ofAlbemarle County lying west of theChowan River. It was named forJames Bertie, his brotherHenry Bertie, or perhaps both, each having been one of theLords Proprietors of Carolina.
In 1729 parts of Bertie Precinct, Chowan Precinct,Currituck Precinct, andPasquotank Precinct of Albemarle County were combined to formTyrrell Precinct. With the abolition of Albemarle County in 1739, all of its constituent precincts became separate counties. As population of settlers increased, in 1741 parts of Bertie County were organized asEdgecombe County andNorthampton County. Finally, in 1759 parts of Bertie, Chowan, and Northampton counties were combined to formHertford County. Bertie's boundaries have remained the same since then.
This mostly rural county depended on the agricultural economy well into the 20th century. In the colonial and antebellum eras, tobacco and cotton were the chief commodity crops, worked by Indian and African slaves. After the Civil War, agriculture continued to be important to the county. In the 21st century, developers have referred to it as being within theInner Banks region, which is increasingly attracting retirees and buyers of second homes, because of its beaches and landscapes.
According to theU.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 741.31 square miles (1,920.0 km2), of which 699.18 square miles (1,810.9 km2) is land and 42.13 square miles (109.1 km2) (5.61%) is water.[6]
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1790 | 12,462 | — | |
| 1800 | 11,249 | −9.7% | |
| 1810 | 11,218 | −0.3% | |
| 1820 | 10,805 | −3.7% | |
| 1830 | 12,262 | 13.5% | |
| 1840 | 12,175 | −0.7% | |
| 1850 | 12,851 | 5.6% | |
| 1860 | 14,310 | 11.4% | |
| 1870 | 12,950 | −9.5% | |
| 1880 | 16,399 | 26.6% | |
| 1890 | 19,176 | 16.9% | |
| 1900 | 20,538 | 7.1% | |
| 1910 | 23,039 | 12.2% | |
| 1920 | 23,993 | 4.1% | |
| 1930 | 25,844 | 7.7% | |
| 1940 | 26,201 | 1.4% | |
| 1950 | 26,439 | 0.9% | |
| 1960 | 24,350 | −7.9% | |
| 1970 | 20,528 | −15.7% | |
| 1980 | 21,024 | 2.4% | |
| 1990 | 20,388 | −3.0% | |
| 2000 | 19,773 | −3.0% | |
| 2010 | 21,282 | 7.6% | |
| 2020 | 17,934 | −15.7% | |
| 2024 (est.) | 16,939 | [8] | −5.5% |
| U.S. Decennial Census[9] 1790–1960[10] 1900–1990[11] 1990–2000[12] 2010[13] 2020[3] | |||
| Race | Number | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 6,298 | 35.12% |
| Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 10,674 | 59.52% |
| Native American | 57 | 0.32% |
| Asian | 63 | 0.35% |
| Other/Mixed | 512 | 2.85% |
| Hispanic orLatino | 330 | 1.84% |
As of the2020 census, there were 17,934 people, 7,909 households, and 4,733 families residing in the county.
As of the 2020 census, Bertie County had the highest proportion of black residents among all counties in the state.[15]
At the2010 census, there were 21,282 people living in the county. 62.5% wereBlack or African American, 35.2%White, 0.5%Asian, 0.5%Native American, 0.5% of some other race and 0.9%of two or more races. 1.3% wereHispanic or Latino (of any race).
At the2000 census,[16] there were 19,773 people, 7,743 households, and 5,427 families living in the county. Thepopulation density was 28 people per square mile (11 people/km2). There were 9,050 housing units at an average density of 13 units per square mile (5.0 units/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 62.34%Black orAfrican American, 36.30%White, 0.44%Native American, 0.11%Asian, 0.01%Pacific Islander, 0.33% fromother races, 0.48% from two or more races. 0.99% of the population wereHispanic orLatino of any race.
There were 7,743 households, out of which 29.70% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.00% weremarried couples living together, 20.10% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.90% were non-families. 27.00% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.10% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.53 and the average family size was 3.07.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 26.10% under the age of 18, 7.70% from 18 to 24, 26.40% from 25 to 44, 23.80% from 45 to 64, and 16.00% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 87.60 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.00 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $25,177, and the median income for a family was $30,186. Males had a median income of $26,866 versus $18,318 for females. Theper capita income for the county was $14,096. About 19.30% of families and 26% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 30.70% of those under age 18 and 28.30% of those age 65 or over.
Bertie County is a member of theMid-East Commission regional council of governments. The County Sheriff is the chief law enforcement officer.
The2024 presidential election marked the strongest showing for aRepublican candidate in Bertie County since1984, withDonald Trump winning nearly 42 percent of the county vote.
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 1912 | 43 | 2.57% | 1,571 | 93.79% | 61 | 3.64% |
| 1916 | 116 | 7.36% | 1,461 | 92.64% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1920 | 212 | 10.33% | 1,840 | 89.67% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1924 | 159 | 8.16% | 1,785 | 91.59% | 5 | 0.26% |
| 1928 | 374 | 15.75% | 2,000 | 84.25% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1932 | 65 | 2.02% | 3,154 | 97.83% | 5 | 0.16% |
| 1936 | 115 | 2.92% | 3,828 | 97.08% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1940 | 98 | 2.90% | 3,287 | 97.10% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1944 | 124 | 3.80% | 3,142 | 96.20% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1948 | 85 | 2.68% | 3,034 | 95.71% | 51 | 1.61% |
| 1952 | 384 | 9.74% | 3,557 | 90.26% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1956 | 469 | 12.21% | 3,373 | 87.79% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1960 | 577 | 13.55% | 3,682 | 86.45% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1964 | 931 | 21.84% | 3,332 | 78.16% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1968 | 811 | 11.38% | 3,207 | 45.00% | 3,108 | 43.61% |
| 1972 | 2,874 | 60.54% | 1,819 | 38.32% | 54 | 1.14% |
| 1976 | 1,332 | 24.35% | 4,117 | 75.27% | 21 | 0.38% |
| 1980 | 1,695 | 30.10% | 3,863 | 68.59% | 74 | 1.31% |
| 1984 | 2,879 | 41.91% | 3,953 | 57.54% | 38 | 0.55% |
| 1988 | 2,145 | 36.24% | 3,762 | 63.56% | 12 | 0.20% |
| 1992 | 1,756 | 26.04% | 4,382 | 64.99% | 605 | 8.97% |
| 1996 | 1,745 | 27.83% | 4,202 | 67.01% | 324 | 5.17% |
| 2000 | 2,488 | 34.67% | 4,660 | 64.94% | 28 | 0.39% |
| 2004 | 3,057 | 38.06% | 4,938 | 61.48% | 37 | 0.46% |
| 2008 | 3,376 | 34.58% | 6,365 | 65.20% | 22 | 0.23% |
| 2012 | 3,387 | 33.46% | 6,695 | 66.14% | 41 | 0.41% |
| 2016 | 3,456 | 36.97% | 5,778 | 61.82% | 113 | 1.21% |
| 2020 | 3,817 | 38.89% | 5,939 | 60.51% | 59 | 0.60% |
| 2024 | 3,840 | 41.80% | 5,279 | 57.47% | 67 | 0.73% |
Public schools in the county are managed byBertie County Schools. Notable schools in Bertie county includeBertie High School,Lawrence Academy, andBethel Assembly Christian Academy.[18][19][20] TheNorth Carolina Department of Public Instruction rated the county school system as "low-performing" for the 2021–2022 school year.[21]
The population ranking of the following table is based on the 2020 census of Bertie County.[22]
† =county seat
| Rank | Name | Type | Population (2020 census) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | †Windsor | Town | 3,582 |
| 2 | Aulander | Town | 763 |
| 3 | Lewiston Woodville | Town | 426 |
| 4 | Colerain | Town | 217 |
| 5 | Kelford | Town | 203 |
| 6 | Powellsville | Town | 189 |
| 7 | Askewville | Town | 184 |
| 8 | Roxobel | Town | 179 |
Geographic data related toBertie County, North Carolina atOpenStreetMap
, documentary film about an education project in Bertie County, documentary film about education in Bertie CountyPlaces adjacent to Bertie County, North Carolina | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ||||||||||||||||
Municipalities and communities ofBertie County, North Carolina,United States | ||
|---|---|---|
| Towns |  | |
| Unincorporated communities | ||
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Geographic | |
| Other | |
