Wilson County, North Carolina

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Not to be confused with Wilson, North Carolina.

Template:Infobox U.S. county

Wilson County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 78,784.[1] The county seat is Wilson.[2] The county comprises the Wilson, NC Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is also included within the Rocky Mount-Wilson-Roanoke Rapids, NC Combined Statistical Area.

History

On February 13, 1855, the North Carolina General Assembly established Wilson County from parts of Edgecombe, Johnston, Nash, and Wayne counties.[3] The county was named for Colonel Louis D. Wilson, a U.S. Volunteers soldier, who died of yellow fever while on leave from the state senate during the Mexican–American War.[4]

Wilson Speedway held 12 NASCAR Cup Series races at the county fairgrounds in Wilson between 1951 and 1960. The half mile dirt track operated between 1934 and 1989.

Geography

Template:Maplink According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 373.10 square miles (966.3 km2), of which 367.57 square miles (952.0 km2) is land and 5.53 square miles (14.3 km2) (1.48%) is water.[5]

State and local protected site

Major water bodies

Adjacent counties

Major highways

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Major infrastructure

Demographics

Template:US Census population

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2020 population density of Wilson County NC by census block[11]

Racial and ethnic composition

Wilson County, North Carolina – Racial and ethnic composition
Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.
Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic) Pop 1980[12] Pop 1990[13] Pop 2000[14] Pop 2010[15] Pop 2020[16] % 1980 % 1990 % 2000 % 2010 % 2020
White alone (NH) 39,775 40,461 39,498 40,157 36,106 63.00% 61.25% 53.51% 49.43% 45.83%
Black or African American alone (NH) 22,611 24,817 28,886 31,462 29,842 35.82% 37.57% 39.13% 38.73% 37.88%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) 37 63 144 190 239 0.06% 0.10% 0.20% 0.23% 0.30%
Asian alone (NH) 98 163 286 664 900 0.16% 0.25% 0.39% 0.82% 1.14%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH) x [17] x [18] 14 22 10 x x 0.02% 0.03% 0.01%
Other race alone (NH) 27 20 50 108 257 0.04% 0.03% 0.07% 0.13% 0.33%
Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) x [19] x [20] 479 907 2,406 x x 0.65% 1.12% 3.05%
Hispanic or Latino (any race) 584 537 4,457 7,724 9,024 0.93% 0.81% 6.04% 9.51% 11.45%
Total 63,132 66,061 73,814 81,234 78,784 100.00% 100.00% 100.00% 100.00% 100.00%

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, there were 78,784 people, 32,222 households, and 19,760 families residing in the county. The population density was 199 people per square mile (77 people/km2).[21][1]

The median age was 41.9 years. 22.5% of residents were under the age of 18 and 19.7% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 90.2 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 86.8 males age 18 and over.[21]

The racial makeup of the county was 47.4% White, 38.2% Black or African American, 0.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1% Asian, <0.1% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 7.2% from some other race, and 5.4% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 11.5% of the population.[22]

62.1% of residents lived in urban areas, while 37.9% lived in rural areas.[23]

There were 32,222 households in the county, of which 29.2% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 41.0% were married-couple households, 18.8% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 34.8% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 31.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[21]

There were 36,252 housing units, of which 11.1% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 60.1% were owner-occupied and 39.9% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.2% and the rental vacancy rate was 5.8%.[21]

2000 census

At the 2000 census, there were 28,613 households, out of which 31.90% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.10% were married couples living together, 16.50% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.90% were non-families. 26.40% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.20% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.51 and the average family size was 3.03.

At that time, the population was spread out, with 25.60% under the age of 18, 9.10% from 18 to 24, 28.80% from 25 to 44, 23.60% from 45 to 64, and 12.90% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 91.30 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.20 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $33,116, and the median income for a family was $41,551. Males had a median income of $30,364 versus $21,997 for females. The per capita income for the county was $17,102. About 13.80% of families and 18.50% of the population were below the poverty line, including 24.70% of those under age 18 and 21.30% of those age 65 or over.

Government and politics

Wilson County government is a member of the regional Upper Coastal Plain Council of Governments. It has several law-enforcement agencies:

  • Wilson County Sheriff's Office
  • Wilson Police Department (City of Wilson)
  • Stantonsburg Police Department (Town of Stantonsburg)
  • Black Creek Police Department (Town of Black Creek)
  • Sharpsburg Police Department (Town of Sharpsburg)
United States presidential election results for Wilson County, North Carolina[24]
Year Republican Democratic Third party
No.  % No.  % No.  %
1912 82 3.44% 1,741 73.03% 561 23.53%
1916 730 26.24% 2,052 73.76% 0 0.00%
1920 1,374 28.21% 3,496 71.79% 0 0.00%
1924 574 17.53% 2,619 79.99% 81 2.47%
1928 1,933 35.35% 3,535 64.65% 0 0.00%
1932 517 7.69% 6,153 91.55% 51 0.76%
1936 549 6.80% 7,522 93.20% 0 0.00%
1940 584 6.87% 7,912 93.13% 0 0.00%
1944 769 10.61% 6,480 89.39% 0 0.00%
1948 665 9.55% 6,008 86.25% 293 4.21%
1952 2,569 22.83% 8,684 77.17% 0 0.00%
1956 2,830 25.36% 8,328 74.64% 0 0.00%
1960 3,114 27.97% 8,021 72.03% 0 0.00%
1964 5,002 40.87% 7,238 59.13% 0 0.00%
"text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/American Independent |1968 4,053 25.13% 4,173 25.87% 7,903 49.00%
1972 12,060 73.04% 4,166 25.23% 286 1.73%
1976 6,795 45.05% 8,209 54.42% 80 0.53%
1980 8,329 49.86% 8,042 48.14% 333 1.99%
1984 12,243 59.31% 8,343 40.42% 57 0.28%
1988 10,997 57.11% 8,214 42.65% 46 0.24%
1992 10,176 44.36% 10,105 44.06% 2,656 11.58%
1996 10,518 49.03% 9,779 45.59% 1,154 5.38%
2000 13,466 54.24% 11,266 45.38% 94 0.38%
2004 16,264 53.26% 14,206 46.52% 65 0.21%
2008 17,375 46.72% 19,652 52.84% 164 0.44%
2012 17,954 45.91% 20,875 53.38% 280 0.72%
2016 17,531 45.97% 19,663 51.56% 941 2.47%
2020 19,581 48.07% 20,754 50.95% 400 0.98%
2024 19,750 49.32% 19,909 49.72% 386 0.96%
2016 1 33.33% 1 33.33% 1 33.33%


Communities

File:Map of Wilson County North Carolina With Municipal and Township Labels.PNG
Map of Wilson County with municipal and township labels

City

  • Wilson (county seat and largest community)

Towns

Townships

  • Black Creek
  • Cross Roads
  • Gardners
  • Old Fields
  • Saratoga
  • Springhill
  • Stantonsburg
  • Taylors
  • Toisnot
  • Wilson

Unincorporated communities

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named 2020CensusQuickFacts
  2. ↑ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  3. ↑ Public Laws of the State of North-Carolina, Passed by the General Assembly, at its Session of 1854–'55: Together with the Comptroller's Statement of Public Revenue and Expenditure. Raleigh: Holden & Wilson. 1855. p. 30. LCCN 83644405 – via Internet Archive.
  4. ↑ Lichtenstein, Gaston (1911). Louis D. Wilson, Mexican War Martyr, also, Thos. H. Hall, Andrew Johnson as he Really was, and, Our Town Common; Four Articles. Richmond, Va.: H. T. Ezekiel. p. 7. OCLC 1127629. OL 14021029M – via Internet Archive.
  5. ↑ "2020 County Gazetteer Files – North Carolina". United States Census Bureau. August 23, 2022. Retrieved September 10, 2023.
  6. ↑ "Home | Tobacco Farm Life Museum, Inc". Tobacco Farm Life Mu. Retrieved July 27, 2022.
  7. ↑ "Parks & Shelters". www.wilsonnc.org. Retrieved July 27, 2022.
  8. ↑ Novak, Steven. "Fish Silver Lake - Wilson County, North Carolina". Lake-Link. Retrieved July 27, 2022.
  9. ↑ "Parks & Shelters". www.wilsonnc.org. Retrieved July 27, 2022.
  10. ↑ "Wilson Industrial Air Center | Wilson, NC". www.wilsonnc.org. Retrieved July 18, 2022.
  11. ↑ "2025 TIGER/Line® Shapefiles". www.census.gov. Retrieved April 14, 2026.
  12. ↑ "1980 Census of Population - General Social and Economic Characteristics - North Carolina - Table 15 - Persons by Race: 1980 and Table 16 - Persons by Spanish Origin, Race, and Sex: 1980" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. p. 14-25. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 28, 2025 – via WayBack Machine.
  13. ↑ "1990 Census of Population - General Population Characteristics - North Carolina: Table 3 - Race and Hispanic Origin" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. p. 15-64. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 20, 2025 – via WayBack Machine.
  14. ↑ "P004: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2000: DEC Summary File 1 – Wilson County, North Carolina". United States Census Bureau.
  15. ↑ "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Wilson County, North Carolina". United States Census Bureau.
  16. ↑ "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Wilson County, North Carolina". United States Census Bureau.
  17. ↑ included in the Asian category in the 1980 Census
  18. ↑ included in the Asian category in the 1990 Census
  19. ↑ not an option in the 1980 Census
  20. ↑ not an option in the 1990 Census
  21. ↑ 21.0 21.1 21.2 21.3 "2020 Decennial Census Demographic Profile (DP1)". United States Census Bureau. 2021. Retrieved December 26, 2025.
  22. ↑ "2020 Decennial Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171)". United States Census Bureau. 2021. Retrieved December 26, 2025.
  23. ↑ "2020 Decennial Census Demographic and Housing Characteristics (DHC)". United States Census Bureau. 2023. Retrieved December 26, 2025.
  24. ↑ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved March 17, 2018.

Further reading

  • Chu, Amanda. "New factories and supersized Obamacare premiums: North Carolina considers what Trump has wrought: The president’s health care policies are on the ballot in a crucial Senate race." POLITICO (March 30, 2026) online

Template:Geographic Location Template:Wilson County, North Carolina Template:North Carolina

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