Morganton, North Carolina | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Historic train station in Morganton | |
 Flag  Seal | |
 Location within the state of North Carolina | |
| Coordinates:35°44′27″N81°42′01″W / 35.74083°N 81.70028°W /35.74083; -81.70028 | |
| Country | United States |
| State |  North Carolina |
| County | Burke |
| Founded | 1777 |
| Incorporated | 1784 |
| Named after | Daniel Morgan |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Ronnie Thompson |
| Area | |
• Total | 19.24 sq mi (49.84 km2) |
| • Land | 19.24 sq mi (49.84 km2) |
| • Water | 0 sq mi (0.00 km2) |
| Elevation | 1,175 ft (358 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 17,474 |
| • Density | 908.0/sq mi (350.59/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (Eastern) |
| ZIP Codes | 28655, 28680 |
| Area code | 828 |
| FIPS code | 37-44400[3] |
| GNIS feature ID | 2404304[2] |
| Website | www |
Morganton is a city in and thecounty seat ofBurke County, North Carolina, United States.[4] It is located in the foothills of theBlue Ridge Mountains along theCatawba River.
The population was 17,474 at the2020 census.[5] Morganton is approximately 75 miles (121 km) northwest ofCharlotte and 57 miles (92 km) east ofAsheville. It is one of the principal cities in theHickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC Metropolitan Statistical Area.
An influx of European settlers over the Blue Ridge Mountains led Morganton to become the first chartered town in western North Carolina in 1784.[6]
On April 17, 1865, there was a small skirmish fought in Morganton, as part ofStoneman's 1865 raid through North Carolina.[7]
Public welfare facilities, such as theNorth Carolina School for the Deaf: Main Building andWestern North Carolina Insane Asylum, were first authorized by the state legislature in the late 19th century.[citation needed]
In the early 20th century, textile mills were developed in the Piedmont as industry left union-dominated areas of the Northeast United States. During the century, however, these industrial jobs gradually moved offshore.[citation needed]
In the late 20th century, Morganton and Burke County, was still largely rural and with big poultry farms, which became locations for industrial-scale poultry processing plants. These jobs attracted many new immigrants to the state from Central America, leading to an increase in theLatino population in the area.[citation needed]
In 2006, an explosion at Synthron, a paint additive chemical manufacturer in Morganton,[8][9] left 13 injured and one dead.[10]
A 9-foot (2.7 m)-tall bronze statue of a Confederate soldier—erected in 1918—is located atop a stone pedestal in the Old Burke County Courthouse square.[11]
Morganton is located in central Burke County in theCatawba River valley in the foothills of theBlue Ridge Mountains, and is part ofAppalachia.[12][13] According to theUnited States Census Bureau, Morganton has a total area of 19.2 square miles (49.6 km2), all land.[14]
Morganton has ahumid subtropical climate (Cfa) and is located inhardiness zone 7b.
| Climate data for Morganton, North Carolina, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1893–present | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 81 (27) | 81 (27) | 92 (33) | 94 (34) | 98 (37) | 105 (41) | 106 (41) | 104 (40) | 103 (39) | 96 (36) | 86 (30) | 80 (27) | 106 (41) |
| Mean maximum °F (°C) | 69.1 (20.6) | 71.9 (22.2) | 79.6 (26.4) | 85.5 (29.7) | 89.2 (31.8) | 93.7 (34.3) | 95.5 (35.3) | 94.3 (34.6) | 90.2 (32.3) | 84.5 (29.2) | 76.4 (24.7) | 69.6 (20.9) | 96.5 (35.8) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 49.4 (9.7) | 53.4 (11.9) | 60.8 (16.0) | 70.6 (21.4) | 77.9 (25.5) | 84.5 (29.2) | 87.7 (30.9) | 85.9 (29.9) | 80.0 (26.7) | 70.9 (21.6) | 60.6 (15.9) | 51.8 (11.0) | 69.5 (20.8) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 38.7 (3.7) | 41.8 (5.4) | 48.7 (9.3) | 57.7 (14.3) | 65.8 (18.8) | 73.3 (22.9) | 76.9 (24.9) | 75.4 (24.1) | 69.3 (20.7) | 58.5 (14.7) | 47.9 (8.8) | 41.1 (5.1) | 57.9 (14.4) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 27.9 (−2.3) | 30.3 (−0.9) | 36.6 (2.6) | 44.9 (7.2) | 53.7 (12.1) | 62.2 (16.8) | 66.0 (18.9) | 64.9 (18.3) | 58.5 (14.7) | 46.2 (7.9) | 35.2 (1.8) | 30.3 (−0.9) | 46.4 (8.0) |
| Mean minimum °F (°C) | 11.0 (−11.7) | 16.1 (−8.8) | 21.0 (−6.1) | 29.8 (−1.2) | 38.6 (3.7) | 50.6 (10.3) | 57.5 (14.2) | 55.6 (13.1) | 45.1 (7.3) | 30.8 (−0.7) | 22.0 (−5.6) | 16.8 (−8.4) | 9.4 (−12.6) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −9 (−23) | −1 (−18) | 0 (−18) | 20 (−7) | 29 (−2) | 37 (3) | 46 (8) | 42 (6) | 33 (1) | 19 (−7) | 9 (−13) | −10 (−23) | −10 (−23) |
| Averageprecipitation inches (mm) | 4.30 (109) | 3.67 (93) | 4.38 (111) | 4.29 (109) | 4.11 (104) | 4.80 (122) | 4.41 (112) | 4.80 (122) | 4.59 (117) | 3.77 (96) | 3.75 (95) | 4.66 (118) | 51.53 (1,308) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 1.0 (2.5) | 0.3 (0.76) | 1.6 (4.1) | 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) | 1.6 (4.1) | 4.5 (11.46) |
| Average precipitation days(≥ 0.01 in) | 10.0 | 9.4 | 10.7 | 9.4 | 11.2 | 11.4 | 12.4 | 11.2 | 9.1 | 8.0 | 8.3 | 10.3 | 121.4 |
| Average snowy days(≥ 0.1 in) | 0.3 | 0.5 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.3 | 1.5 |
| Source 1: NOAA[15] | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: National Weather Service[16] | |||||||||||||
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1850 | 558 | — | |
| 1870 | 554 | — | |
| 1880 | 861 | 55.4% | |
| 1890 | 1,557 | 80.8% | |
| 1900 | 1,938 | 24.5% | |
| 1910 | 2,712 | 39.9% | |
| 1920 | 2,867 | 5.7% | |
| 1930 | 6,001 | 109.3% | |
| 1940 | 7,670 | 27.8% | |
| 1950 | 8,311 | 8.4% | |
| 1960 | 9,186 | 10.5% | |
| 1970 | 13,625 | 48.3% | |
| 1980 | 13,763 | 1.0% | |
| 1990 | 15,085 | 9.6% | |
| 2000 | 17,310 | 14.7% | |
| 2010 | 16,918 | −2.3% | |
| 2020 | 17,474 | 3.3% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[17] | |||
| Race | Number | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 10,866 | 62.18% |
| Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 1,709 | 9.78% |
| Native American | 983 | 5.63% |
| Asian | 392 | 2.24% |
| Pacific Islander | 28 | 0.16% |
| Other | 2,322 | 13.29% |
| Mixed | 1,169 | 6.69% |
As of the2020 United States census, there were 17,474 people, 6,181 households, and 3,907 families residing in the city.
The median household income is $47,715 with an owner-occupied housing rate of 51.6%.[5]
As of the census[3] of 2010, there were 16,918 people, 7,618 households, and 4,117 families residing in the city. The population density was 953.0 inhabitants per square mile (368.0/km2). There were 7,313 housing units at an average density of 402.6 per square mile (155.4/km2). The racial composition of the city was: 75.67%White, 12.76%Black or African American, 11.16%Hispanic orLatino American, 1.99% Asian American, 0.55% Native American, 0.81%Native Hawaiian orOther Pacific Islander, 6.64%some other race, and 1.58%two or more races.
There were 7,618 households, out of which 22.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.1% were married couples living together, 12.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.7% were non-families. 34.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.31 and the average family size was 2.92.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 21.1% under the age of 18, 8.5% from 18 to 24, 29.3% from 25 to 44, 22.5% from 45 to 64, and 18.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.0 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $29,836, and the median income for a family was $42,687. Males had a median income of $29,118 versus $24,723 for females. The per capita income for the city was $20,906. About 9.7% of families and 13.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.0% of those under age 18 and 11.9% of those age 65 or over.
State-operated facilities in Morganton includeBroughton Hospital (a psychiatric hospital), theNorth Carolina School for the Deaf, J. Iverson Riddle Developmental Center, and the second campus of theNorth Carolina School of Science and Mathematics. Other employers include furniture manufacturing facilities and tourists traveling onInterstate 40 to attractions in theBlue Ridge Mountains.[citation needed]
Founded in 2015, the Industrial Commons is an incubator in Morganton for regional co-ops and service programs working to revive the textile and furniture industries in the area.[19]
Saint Charles Borromeo Catholic Church hosts an annual Parish Food Festival in the first week of November.[20][21][22]
The Morganton Festival takes place the weekend after Labor Day, featuring local vendors and live music.[23]
The City of Morganton Municipal Auditorium is a public auditorium that hosts performances and events.[24][25]
Morganton hosts summer concerts on the Burke County Courthouse Square, featuring local and regional performers.[26]
Municipalities and communities ofBurke County, North Carolina,United States | ||
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| Unincorporated communities | ||
| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
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