Jones County, North Carolina | |
|---|---|
 Jones County Courthouse | |
 Flag  Seal  Logo | |
| Motto: "Small Living. Big Opportunity. Ready to Grow." | |
 Location within the U.S. state ofNorth Carolina | |
 Interactive map of Jones County, North Carolina | |
| Coordinates:35°02′N77°22′W / 35.03°N 77.36°W /35.03; -77.36 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  North Carolina |
| Founded | 1779 |
| Named after | Willie Jones |
| Seat | Trenton |
| Largest community | Maysville |
| Area | |
• Total | 473.72 sq mi (1,226.9 km2) |
| • Land | 471.39 sq mi (1,220.9 km2) |
| • Water | 2.33 sq mi (6.0 km2) 0.49% |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 9,172 |
• Estimate (2024) | 9,462 |
| • Density | 19.59/sq mi (7.56/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| Congressional district | 3rd |
| Website | jonescountync |
Jones County is acounty located in the U.S. state ofNorth Carolina. As of the2020 census, the population was 9,172,[1] making it thefourth-least populous county in North Carolina. Itscounty seat isTrenton.[2] Jones County is part of theNew Bern, NCMicropolitan Statistical Area.
There are only three incorporated towns in Jones County,Pollocksville,Trenton, andMaysville. Two major highways in the county include:US 17 which runs south toJacksonville, and north toNew Bern andUS 70 which runs west toKinston, and east toMorehead City. Additionally,NC Highway 58 runs from the Lenoir/Jones county line to Trenton, where it turns south towards Pollocksville, then shares the road shortly with US 17 to Maysville, then runs south to the Jones/Carteret County line nearPeletier.
The area eventually encompassing Jones County was inhabited byTuscarora Native Americans before the arrival of German and Swiss settlers in the early 1700s.[3] The county was formed in 1779 from the southwestern part ofCraven County. It was named forWillie Jones,[4] a planter, slaveholder,Revolutionary leader, and president of the North Carolina Committee of Safety during the war. He opposed state ratification of theUnited States Constitution and did not attend theFayetteville Convention, which voted to ratified it.[5][6] In 1784, the town ofTrenton was made the county seat of government.[3]
The rural Low Country county was originally developed for plantations, which were dependent on the labor of enslaved African Americans. The county has heavily relied on agriculture (mostlytobacco) and lumber from its nearby forest.[3]
In 2004, the county's population slightly rose above 10,000 in a census estimate but has since decreased to 9,172 in the2020 census.[1]
According to theU.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 473.72 square miles (1,226.9 km2), of which 471.39 square miles (1,220.9 km2) is land and 2.33 square miles (6.0 km2) (0.49%) is water.[7] The county is dominated by farmland and swamps.[8]
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1790 | 4,796 | — | |
| 1800 | 4,339 | −9.5% | |
| 1810 | 4,968 | 14.5% | |
| 1820 | 5,216 | 5.0% | |
| 1830 | 5,608 | 7.5% | |
| 1840 | 4,945 | −11.8% | |
| 1850 | 5,038 | 1.9% | |
| 1860 | 5,730 | 13.7% | |
| 1870 | 5,002 | −12.7% | |
| 1880 | 7,491 | 49.8% | |
| 1890 | 7,403 | −1.2% | |
| 1900 | 8,226 | 11.1% | |
| 1910 | 8,721 | 6.0% | |
| 1920 | 9,912 | 13.7% | |
| 1930 | 10,428 | 5.2% | |
| 1940 | 10,926 | 4.8% | |
| 1950 | 11,004 | 0.7% | |
| 1960 | 11,005 | 0.0% | |
| 1970 | 9,779 | −11.1% | |
| 1980 | 9,705 | −0.8% | |
| 1990 | 9,414 | −3.0% | |
| 2000 | 10,381 | 10.3% | |
| 2010 | 10,153 | −2.2% | |
| 2020 | 9,172 | −9.7% | |
| 2024 (est.) | 9,462 | [11] | 3.2% |
| U.S. Decennial Census[12] 1790–1960[13] 1900–1990[14] 1990–2000[15] 2010[16] 2020[1] | |||
| Race / Ethnicity(NH = Non-Hispanic) | Pop 2000[17] | Pop 2010[18] | Pop 2020[19] | % 2000 | % 2010 | % 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White alone (NH) | 6,256 | 6,217 | 5,787 | 60.26% | 61.23% | 63.09% |
| Black or African American alone (NH) | 3,703 | 3,276 | 2,564 | 35.67% | 32.27% | 27.95% |
| Native American orAlaska Native alone (NH) | 32 | 51 | 42 | 0.31% | 0.50% | 0.46% |
| Asian alone (NH) | 16 | 32 | 32 | 0.15% | 0.32% | 0.35% |
| Pacific Islander alone (NH) | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0.04% | 0.02% | 0.00% |
| Other race alone (NH) | 11 | 12 | 35 | 0.11% | 0.12% | 0.38% |
| Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) | 77 | 165 | 318 | 0.74% | 1.63% | 3.47% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 282 | 398 | 394 | 2.72% | 3.92% | 4.30% |
| Total | 10,381 | 10,153 | 9,172 | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% |
As of the2020 census, there were 9,172 people, 3,873 households, and 2,644 families residing in the county. There were 4,635 housing units recorded, 16.4% of which were vacant, while 77.6% of occupied units were owner-occupied and 22.4% renter-occupied, with homeowner and rental vacancy rates of 1.3% and 6.3%, respectively.[20]
The median age was 48.9 years; 18.4% of residents were under the age of 18 and 24.3% were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 92.7 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 90.2 males age 18 and over.[20]
The racial makeup of the county was 64.0%White, 28.1%Black or African American, 0.7%American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%Asian, 0.1%Native Hawaiian andPacific Islander, 2.3% from some other race, and 4.6% fromtwo or more races, withHispanic or Latino residents of any race comprising 4.3% of the population.[21]
Less than 0.1% of residents lived in urban areas, while 100.0% lived in rural areas.[22]
At the2000 census,[23] there were 10,381 people, 4,061 households, and 2,936 families residing in the county. Thepopulation density was 22 people per square mile (8.5 people/km2). There were 4,679 housing units at an average density of 10 units per square mile (3.9 units/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 60.97%White, 35.87%Black orAfrican American, 0.36%Native American, 0.15%Asian, 0.04%Pacific Islander, 1.70% fromother races, and 0.92% from two or more races. 2.72% of the population wereHispanic orLatino of any race.
There were 4,061 households, out of which 31.70% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.20% weremarried couples living together, 15.20% had afemale householder with nohusband present, and 27.70% were non-families. 24.50% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.40% 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 2.99.
In the county, thepopulation was spread out, with 25.70% under the age of 18, 6.80% from 18 to 24, 26.90% from 25 to 44, 25.20% from 45 to 64, and 15.40% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 93.00 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.90 males.
Themedian income for a household in the county was $30,882, and the median income for a family was $35,180. Males had a median income of $28,662 versus $19,536 for females. Theper capita income for the county was $15,916. About 14.20% of families and 16.90% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 22.30% of those under age 18 and 16.70% of those age 65 or over.
Jones County is a member of the regionalEastern Carolina Council of Governments. The Jones County Government relies entirely upon an all volunteer (non-paid) fire department force segregated by geographic location(s). The Law Enforcement structure consists of one paid Pollocksville Police Chief, one paid Maysville Police Chief, and an elected Sheriff with a small (less than 25 person force) to handle law enforcement, detention, and emergency communications. The county government relies heavily on volunteer deputization. Emergency ambulance services consist of one full-time medical unit dispatched from the town of Trenton and relies heavily on other volunteer EMS personnel geographically scattered around the county to assist with a medical emergency. Additional EMS transportation vehicles are subsidized by EMS services provided by adjacent counties or private enterprises. There is no animal control unit. The County Detention Facility is a 21-bed (3 female) facility located in the basement of the county courthouse and the detention staff double up as the communications/911 emergency communications staff.
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 1912 | 35 | 4.40% | 635 | 79.87% | 125 | 15.72% |
| 1916 | 233 | 24.66% | 712 | 75.34% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1920 | 385 | 28.54% | 964 | 71.46% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1924 | 179 | 20.50% | 692 | 79.27% | 2 | 0.23% |
| 1928 | 658 | 57.52% | 486 | 42.48% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1932 | 132 | 8.33% | 1,449 | 91.42% | 4 | 0.25% |
| 1936 | 188 | 10.74% | 1,563 | 89.26% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1940 | 233 | 14.53% | 1,371 | 85.47% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1944 | 211 | 14.73% | 1,221 | 85.27% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1948 | 113 | 8.04% | 1,238 | 88.05% | 55 | 3.91% |
| 1952 | 331 | 16.52% | 1,673 | 83.48% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1956 | 415 | 17.53% | 1,952 | 82.47% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1960 | 585 | 23.35% | 1,920 | 76.65% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1964 | 776 | 26.71% | 2,129 | 73.29% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1968 | 361 | 10.72% | 1,225 | 36.39% | 1,780 | 52.88% |
| 1972 | 1,650 | 58.93% | 1,093 | 39.04% | 57 | 2.04% |
| 1976 | 948 | 31.48% | 2,016 | 66.95% | 47 | 1.56% |
| 1980 | 1,401 | 38.60% | 2,198 | 60.55% | 31 | 0.85% |
| 1984 | 2,062 | 50.30% | 2,025 | 49.40% | 12 | 0.29% |
| 1988 | 1,649 | 45.78% | 1,946 | 54.03% | 7 | 0.19% |
| 1992 | 1,438 | 37.39% | 1,962 | 51.01% | 446 | 11.60% |
| 1996 | 1,682 | 45.28% | 1,829 | 49.23% | 204 | 5.49% |
| 2000 | 2,114 | 53.33% | 1,822 | 45.96% | 28 | 0.71% |
| 2004 | 2,607 | 57.77% | 1,893 | 41.95% | 13 | 0.29% |
| 2008 | 2,817 | 53.89% | 2,378 | 45.49% | 32 | 0.61% |
| 2012 | 2,837 | 54.24% | 2,352 | 44.97% | 41 | 0.78% |
| 2016 | 2,974 | 57.92% | 2,065 | 40.21% | 96 | 1.87% |
| 2020 | 3,280 | 59.37% | 2,197 | 39.76% | 48 | 0.87% |
| 2024 | 3,409 | 62.40% | 2,007 | 36.74% | 47 | 0.86% |
Jones County lies 8 miles (13 km) west of the Atlantic Ocean but the only waterfront areas in the county are along the Trent and White Oak rivers. Part of the Great Dover Swamp also lies within the county lines. Many enjoy boating and fishing activities as well as camping at the 17 Family Campground along Highway 17 north in Maysville. The Croatan National Forest offers hiking trails and wildlife viewing and the wide open spaces of fields and forests are a haven for outdoor enthusiasts.
The county is divided into seventownships, which are both numbered and named:
Geographic data related toJones County, North Carolina atOpenStreetMapPlaces adjacent to Jones County, North Carolina | ||||||||||||||||
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Municipalities and communities ofJones County, North Carolina,United States | ||
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