Mount Olive, North Carolina | |
|---|---|
 | |
 Flag  Seal | |
| Motto: "We Value Hometown Tradition" | |
  Mount Olive Location within the state of North Carolina | |
| Coordinates:35°11′59″N78°03′58″W / 35.19972°N 78.06611°W /35.19972; -78.06611 | |
| Country | United States |
| State | North Carolina |
| Counties | Wayne,Duplin |
| Area | |
• Total | 2.74 sq mi (7.09 km2) |
| • Land | 2.74 sq mi (7.09 km2) |
| • Water | 0 sq mi (0.00 km2) |
| Elevation | 164 ft (50 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 4,198 |
| • Density | 1,533.1/sq mi (591.92/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| ZIP code | 28365 |
| Area code | 919 |
| FIPS code | 37-45100[3] |
| GNIS feature ID | 2406209[2] |
| Website | www |
Mount Olive is a town inDuplin andWayne counties in theU.S. state ofNorth Carolina. At the2020 census, the population was 4,198.[4] It is included in theGoldsboro, North CarolinaMetropolitan Statistical Area. The town is home to theMt. Olive Pickle Company and theUniversity of Mount Olive.
TheMount Olive High School (Former),Mount Olive Historic District,Perry-Cherry House,Southerland-Burnette House,former United States Post Office, andVernon are listed on theNational Register of Historic Places.[5]
TheWilmington & Raleigh Railroad (which was renamed the Wilmington & Weldon Railroad in 1855) completed in 1840 ran through Mt. Olive on land sold to the railroad by Adam Winn Sr., a prominent free black landowner.[6] Today the line is part of the CSXW&W Subdivision.
Mount Olive is located in southern Wayne County with a small portion of the town extending south into Duplin County.
U.S. Route 117, a four-lane highway, runs along the western edge of Mount Olive, leading north 14 miles (23 km) toGoldsboro and south 15 miles (24 km) toWarsaw.North Carolina Highway 55, which crosses US 117 at the northern end of town, leads east 31 miles (50 km) toKinston and west 17 miles (27 km) toNewton Grove.
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the town of Mount Olive has a total area of 2.7 square miles (6.9 km2), all land.[7]
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1890 | 393 | — | |
| 1900 | 617 | 57.0% | |
| 1910 | 1,071 | 73.6% | |
| 1920 | 2,297 | 114.5% | |
| 1930 | 2,685 | 16.9% | |
| 1940 | 2,929 | 9.1% | |
| 1950 | 3,732 | 27.4% | |
| 1960 | 4,673 | 25.2% | |
| 1970 | 4,914 | 5.2% | |
| 1980 | 4,876 | −0.8% | |
| 1990 | 4,582 | −6.0% | |
| 2000 | 4,567 | −0.3% | |
| 2010 | 4,589 | 0.5% | |
| 2020 | 4,198 | −8.5% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[8] | |||
| Race | Number | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 1,463 | 34.85% |
| Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 2,060 | 49.07% |
| Native American | 14 | 0.33% |
| Asian | 14 | 0.33% |
| Other/Mixed | 112 | 2.67% |
| Hispanic orLatino | 535 | 12.74% |
As of the2020 United States census, there were 4,198 people, 1,803 households, and 985 families residing in the town.
As of thecensus[3] of 2000, there were 4,567 people, 1,770 households, and 1,125 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,819.3 inhabitants per square mile (702.4/km2). There were 2,012 housing units at an average density of 801.5 units per square mile (309.5 units/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 82.98%White, 12.30%African American, 0.15%Native American, 0.15%Asian, 0.11%Pacific Islander, 1.34% fromother races, and 0.96% from two or more races.Hispanic orLatino of any race were 3.17% of the population.
There were 1,770 households, out of which 25.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 36.8% weremarried couples living together, 22.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.4% were non-families. 32.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.38 and the average family size was 3.01.
In the town, the population was spread out, with 22.9% under the age of 18, 14.0% from 18 to 24, 22.8% from 25 to 44, 21.1% from 45 to 64, and 19.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 77.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 71.5 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $23,984, and the median income for a family was $31,176. Males had a median income of $26,814 versus $19,224 for females. Theper capita income for the town was $12,184. About 16.4% of families and 22.8% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 29.6% of those under age 18 and 21.6% of those age 65 or over.
Jim Johnson, a professor at the Kenan-Flagler Business School atUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, said the new wave of Haitians in Eastern North Carolina is the classic immigrant labor story. "The jobs at Butterball are what we can call 3D: dirty, difficult and dangerous," Johnson said. "Nobody wants to do them, and the immigrants fill the gap."[10]
TheMt. Olive Pickle Company, established in 1926, is located on the corner of Cucumber and Vine streets.[11]
The North Carolina Pickle Festival is held the last full weekend of April each year. The annual celebration is put on by both the community of Mount Olive and the Mt. Olive Pickle Company.[12]
OnNew Year's Eve, the Mt. Olive Pickle Company celebrates in unusual fashion by dropping a three-foot pickle down a flagpole into a pickle tank. However, instead of midnight local time, the drop takes place at 7 p.m.[13] The event first took place on New Year's Eve 1999.
Mount Olive is part of theAtlantic coastal plain.[14]
Education in Mount Olive is administered by theWayne County Public Schools system. Schools located in the town include Carver Elementary School and Mount Olive Middle School. On the outskirts of town is Southern Wayne High School inDudley. Higher education is offered throughWayne Community College inGoldsboro and the private, liberal arts institutionUniversity of Mount Olive.
Municipalities and communities ofDuplin County, North Carolina,United States | ||
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| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
Municipalities and communities ofWayne County, North Carolina,United States | ||
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| Towns | ||
| Village | ||
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| Other communities | ||
| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
| International | |
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| National | |
