Forsyth County | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Forsyth County Courthouse in Winston-Salem | |
 Flag  Seal  Logo | |
 Location within the U.S. state ofNorth Carolina | |
 North Carolina's location within theU.S. | |
| Coordinates:36°08′N80°16′W / 36.13°N 80.26°W /36.13; -80.26 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  North Carolina |
| Founded | 1849 |
| Named after | Benjamin Forsyth |
| Seat | Winston-Salem |
| Largest community | Winston-Salem |
| Area | |
• Total | 412.35 sq mi (1,068.0 km2) |
| • Land | 407.85 sq mi (1,056.3 km2) |
| • Water | 4.50 sq mi (11.7 km2) 1.09% |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 382,590 |
• Estimate (2024) | 398,143 |
| • Density | 937.7/sq mi (362.0/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| Congressional districts | 6th,10th |
| Website | www |
Forsyth County (/foʊrˈsaɪθ/fohr-SYTH)[1][2] is acounty located in the northwestPiedmont of theU.S. state ofNorth Carolina. As of the2020 census, the population was 382,590,[3] making it thefourth-most populous county in North Carolina. Itscounty seat isWinston-Salem.[4] Forsyth County is part of the Winston-Salem, NC,Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is also included in theGreensboro–Winston-Salem–High Point, NC,Combined Statistical Area. Portions of Forsyth County are in theYadkin Valley wine region.
The county was formed in 1849 fromStokes County. It was named for ColonelBenjamin Forsyth, who was killed in theWar of 1812.[5]
According to theU.S. Census Bureau, the county is in the outerAppalachian Mountains, and has a total area of 412.35 square miles (1,068.0 km2), of which 407.85 square miles (1,056.3 km2) is land and 4.50 square miles (11.7 km2) (1.09%) is water.[6]
The northeast section of Forsyth County, including Belews Creek and parts of Rural Hall, Walkertown, and Kernersville, is drained bytributaries of theDan River. A small portion of Kernersville is in theCape Fear River basin.[7] Most of the county is drained by tributaries of theYadkin River, which forms the western boundary of the county. The lowest elevation in the county is 660 feet, on the Yadkin River at the southwest corner of the county.[8] The highest is 1100 feet, at a point just off Jefferson Church Road on the outskirts of King, immediately south of the county line.
I-40
I-74 / Future I-74 (designated section from I-40 to county line with Guilford County)
Future I-274 (future loop around Winston-Salem)
I-285
Future I-685
US 52
US 158
US 311
US 421
NC 8
NC 65
NC 66
NC 67
NC 74 (temporary highway designation for I-74)
NC 109
NC 150
NC 192 (future designation between I-40 and I-74)
NC 452 (future temporary highway designation for I-274)| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1850 | 11,168 | — | |
| 1860 | 12,692 | 13.6% | |
| 1870 | 13,050 | 2.8% | |
| 1880 | 18,070 | 38.5% | |
| 1890 | 28,434 | 57.4% | |
| 1900 | 35,261 | 24.0% | |
| 1910 | 47,311 | 34.2% | |
| 1920 | 77,269 | 63.3% | |
| 1930 | 111,681 | 44.5% | |
| 1940 | 126,475 | 13.2% | |
| 1950 | 146,135 | 15.5% | |
| 1960 | 189,428 | 29.6% | |
| 1970 | 214,348 | 13.2% | |
| 1980 | 243,683 | 13.7% | |
| 1990 | 265,878 | 9.1% | |
| 2000 | 306,067 | 15.1% | |
| 2010 | 350,670 | 14.6% | |
| 2020 | 382,590 | 9.1% | |
| 2024 (est.) | 398,143 | [9] | 4.1% |
| U.S. Decennial Census[10] 1790–1960[11] 1900–1990[12] 1990–2000[13] 2010[14] 2020[3] | |||
| Race | Number | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 208,126 | 54.4% |
| Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 93,738 | 24.5% |
| Native American | 978 | 0.26% |
| Asian | 9,179 | 2.4% |
| Pacific Islander | 233 | 0.06% |
| Other/Mixed | 15,648 | 4.09% |
| Hispanic orLatino | 54,688 | 14.29% |
As of the2020 census, there were 382,590 people, 148,151 households, and 90,837 families residing in the county.
At the2000 census,[16] there were 306,067 people, 123,851 households, and 81,741 families residing in the county. Thepopulation density was 747 people per square mile (288 people/km2). There were 133,093 housing units, at an average density of 325 units per square mile (125 units/km2). The racial makeup was 68.47%White, 25.61%Black orAfrican American, 0.30%Native American, 1.04%Asian, 0.03%Pacific Islander, 3.25% fromother races, and 1.30% from two or more races. 6.40% of the population wereHispanic orLatino of any race.
There were 123,851 households, out of which 30.50% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.90% weremarried couples living together, 13.50% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.00% were non-families. 28.90% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.30% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.39, and the average family size was 2.94.
| Non-Hispanic White 30–40% 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% 90%+ | Black or African American 30–40% 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% Hispanic or Latino 40–50% |
The median age was 36 years, with 23.90% under the age of 18, 9.60% from 18 to 24, 31.10% from 25 to 44, 22.80% from 45 to 64, and 12.60% who were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 91.50 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.40 males.
The median household income was $42,097, and the median family income was $52,032. Males had a median income of $36,158, versus $27,319 for females. Theper capita income was $23,023. About 7.90% of families and 11.00% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 15.10% of those under age 18 and 9.70% of those age 65 or over.
The Forsyth County Government Center is located at 201 North Chestnut Street in Downtown Winston-Salem. Forsyth County is a member of the regionalNorthwest Piedmont Council of Governments.
The Forsyth County Public Library, founded in 1906, is free for residents of Forsyth and surrounding counties, while all others must pay a small yearly fee for a library card. The library runs Adult, Children's, and Hispanic Outreach programs. Its main "Central Library" is in downtownWinston-Salem, with branches all across the county.[17]
Forsyth County Public Library is part of NC Cardinal, a consortium of many other library systems in North Carolina.
The Forsyth County Department of Public Health is located at 799 North Highland Avenue near downtown Winston-Salem.
Forsyth County typically favors Democratic candidates in national elections, though Republicans remain competitive in local races.[18]
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 1880 | 1,791 | 49.42% | 1,778 | 49.06% | 55 | 1.52% |
| 1884 | 1,941 | 48.46% | 2,060 | 51.44% | 4 | 0.10% |
| 1888 | 2,613 | 53.28% | 2,238 | 45.64% | 53 | 1.08% |
| 1892 | 2,447 | 42.13% | 2,880 | 49.59% | 481 | 8.28% |
| 1896 | 3,888 | 57.85% | 2,778 | 41.33% | 55 | 0.82% |
| 1900 | 2,588 | 50.77% | 2,482 | 48.70% | 27 | 0.53% |
| 1904 | 2,209 | 47.94% | 2,301 | 49.93% | 98 | 2.13% |
| 1908 | 2,876 | 52.28% | 2,472 | 44.94% | 153 | 2.78% |
| 1912 | 1,689 | 26.72% | 3,042 | 48.12% | 1,591 | 25.17% |
| 1916 | 3,585 | 45.16% | 4,115 | 51.84% | 238 | 3.00% |
| 1920 | 6,792 | 45.54% | 8,123 | 54.46% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1924 | 5,315 | 40.33% | 7,404 | 56.18% | 459 | 3.48% |
| 1928 | 13,258 | 66.63% | 6,639 | 33.37% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1932 | 5,727 | 28.49% | 14,016 | 69.73% | 357 | 1.78% |
| 1936 | 5,256 | 21.91% | 18,734 | 78.09% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1940 | 7,125 | 25.64% | 20,664 | 74.36% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1944 | 10,014 | 37.93% | 16,390 | 62.07% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1948 | 10,147 | 41.04% | 12,201 | 49.35% | 2,377 | 9.61% |
| 1952 | 26,436 | 51.86% | 24,535 | 48.14% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1956 | 29,368 | 64.99% | 15,819 | 35.01% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1960 | 33,374 | 58.13% | 24,035 | 41.87% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1964 | 30,276 | 48.92% | 31,615 | 51.08% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1968 | 31,623 | 46.79% | 20,281 | 30.01% | 15,681 | 23.20% |
| 1972 | 46,415 | 67.69% | 20,928 | 30.52% | 1,226 | 1.79% |
| 1976 | 38,886 | 49.34% | 39,561 | 50.20% | 361 | 0.46% |
| 1980 | 42,389 | 49.99% | 38,870 | 45.84% | 3,539 | 4.17% |
| 1984 | 59,208 | 61.54% | 36,814 | 38.26% | 189 | 0.20% |
| 1988 | 57,688 | 59.02% | 39,726 | 40.65% | 321 | 0.33% |
| 1992 | 52,787 | 45.40% | 49,006 | 42.15% | 14,481 | 12.45% |
| 1996 | 59,160 | 52.81% | 46,543 | 41.54% | 6,330 | 5.65% |
| 2000 | 67,700 | 55.98% | 52,457 | 43.37% | 785 | 0.65% |
| 2004 | 75,294 | 54.12% | 63,340 | 45.53% | 491 | 0.35% |
| 2008 | 73,674 | 44.35% | 91,085 | 54.83% | 1,374 | 0.83% |
| 2012 | 79,768 | 45.83% | 92,323 | 53.04% | 1,978 | 1.14% |
| 2016 | 75,975 | 42.61% | 94,464 | 52.98% | 7,873 | 4.42% |
| 2020 | 85,064 | 42.26% | 113,033 | 56.16% | 3,173 | 1.58% |
| 2024 | 87,292 | 42.64% | 114,145 | 55.76% | 3,289 | 1.61% |
Forsyth County is served by theWinston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools School district.
Geographic data related toForsyth County, North Carolina atOpenStreetMapPlaces adjacent to Forsyth County, North Carolina | ||||||||||||||||
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Municipalities and communities ofForsyth County, North Carolina,United States | ||
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| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
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