Anson County, North Carolina facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Anson County
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Anson County Courthouse and Confederate Monument in Wadesboro
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| Motto(s):
"Anson County - A great place to call home"
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Location within the U.S. state of North Carolina
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 North Carolina's location within the U.S. |
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| Country |  United States |
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| State |  North Carolina |
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| Founded | 1750 | ||
| Named for | George Anson, Baron Anson | ||
| Seat | Wadesboro | ||
| Largest community | Wadesboro | ||
| Area | |||
| • Total | 537.10 sq mi (1,391.1 km2) | ||
| • Land | 531.46 sq mi (1,376.5 km2) | ||
| • Water | 5.64 sq mi (14.6 km2) 1.05% | ||
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 22,055 | ||
| • Estimate
(2023)
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21,897 | ||
| • Density | 41.50/sq mi (16.02/km2) | ||
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern) | ||
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) | ||
| Congressional district | 8th | ||
Anson County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 22,055. Its county seat is Wadesboro.
Contents
History
Anson County was originally occupied by the Catawba Siouan tribe as a vast territory with indefinite northern and western boundaries.
The county was formed in 1750 from Bladen County. It was named for George Anson, Baron Anson, a British admiral who circumnavigated the world. Anson purchased land in the state. The county seat was designated at New Town in 1783. Four years later it was renamed Wadesboro.
Reductions to its extent began in 1753, when the northern part of it became Rowan County. In 1762 the western part of Anson County became Mecklenburg County. In 1779 the northern part of what remained of Anson County became Montgomery County, and the part east of the Pee Dee River became Richmond County. Finally, in 1842 the western part of Anson County was combined with the southeastern part of Mecklenburg County to become Union County.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 537.10 square miles (1,391.1 km2), of which 531.46 square miles (1,376.5 km2) is land and 5.64 square miles (14.6 km2) (1.05%) is water. It is bordered by the North Carolina counties of Stanly, Montgomery, Richmond, and Union, and the South Carolina county of Chesterfield.
National protected area
- Pee Dee National Wildlife Refuge (part)
State and local protected areas/sites
- Arrowhead Lake
- Gaddy Covered Bridge
- Pee Dee River Game Land (part)
- Wadesboro Downtown Historic District
Major water bodies
- Blewett Falls Lake
- Brown Creek
- Goulds Fork
- Great Pee Dee River
- Lanes Creek
- Rocky River
- Thoroughfare Creek
Major highways
US 52
US 74
US 74 Byp. (future bypass of Wadesboro)
NC 109
NC 145
NC 218
NC 742
Major infrastructure
- Anson County Airport
Demographics
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1790 | 5,133 | — | |
| 1800 | 8,146 | 58.7% | |
| 1810 | 8,831 | 8.4% | |
| 1820 | 12,534 | 41.9% | |
| 1830 | 14,095 | 12.5% | |
| 1840 | 15,077 | 7.0% | |
| 1850 | 13,489 | −10.5% | |
| 1860 | 13,664 | 1.3% | |
| 1870 | 12,428 | −9.0% | |
| 1880 | 17,994 | 44.8% | |
| 1890 | 20,027 | 11.3% | |
| 1900 | 21,870 | 9.2% | |
| 1910 | 25,465 | 16.4% | |
| 1920 | 28,334 | 11.3% | |
| 1930 | 29,349 | 3.6% | |
| 1940 | 28,443 | −3.1% | |
| 1950 | 26,781 | −5.8% | |
| 1960 | 24,962 | −6.8% | |
| 1970 | 23,488 | −5.9% | |
| 1980 | 25,649 | 9.2% | |
| 1990 | 23,474 | −8.5% | |
| 2000 | 25,275 | 7.7% | |
| 2010 | 26,948 | 6.6% | |
| 2020 | 22,055 | −18.2% | |
| 2023 (est.) | 21,897 | −18.7% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census 1790–1960 1900–1990 1990–2000 2010 2020 |
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2020 census
| Race | Number | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 10,593 | 48.03% |
| Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 9,838 | 44.61% |
| Native American | 89 | 0.4% |
| Asian | 221 | 1.0% |
| Pacific Islander | 4 | 0.02% |
| Other/Mixed | 645 | 2.92% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 665 | 3.02% |
As of the 2020 census, there were 22,055 people, 9,521 households, and 5,809 families residing in the county.
Anson is a majority minority county. Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses, Anson's population declined by 18.2 percent.
2010 census
At the 2010 census, there were 26,948 people. The racial makeup of the county was 48.58% African American, 47.15% White American, 1.07% Asian, 0.61% Native American, 1.25% multiracial and 1.32% of other race. People of Hispanic and Latino origin account for 3.02% of the population.
Education
There are 11 schools in the Anson County Schools system that serve the students of the county.
The county is served by South Piedmont Community College, which has a campus near Polkton.
Communities
Towns
- Ansonville
- Lilesville
- McFarlan
- Morven
- Peachland
- Polkton
- Wadesboro (county seat and largest community)
Unincorporated communities
Townships
- Ansonville
- Burnsville
- Gulledge
- Lanesboro
- Lilesville
- Morven
- Wadesboro
- White Store
Ghost town
Population ranking
The population ranking of the following table is based on the 2020 census of Anson County.
† = county seat
| Rank | Name | Type | Population (2020 census) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | † Wadesboro | Town | 5,008 |
| 2 | Polkton | Town | 2,250 |
| 3 | Ansonville | Town | 440 |
| 4 | Lilesville | Town | 395 |
| 5 | Peachland | Town | 390 |
| 6 | Morven | Town | 329 |
| 7 | McFarlan | Town | 94 |
Notable people
- Stephone Anthony (born 1992), linebacker with the New Orleans Saints of the NFL
- Hugh Hammond Bennett (1881–1960), soil conservation specialist
- John Culpepper (1761–1841), United States Congressman from North Carolina, and long-tenured Baptist minister
- Blind Boy Fuller (1907–1941), American blues guitarist and vocalist
- James Holland (1754–1823), United States Congressman from North Carolina
- Juanita Moody (1924–2015), cryptographer whose intelligence gathering contributed greatly during the Cuban Missile Crisis
- Leonidas Lafayette Polk (1837–1892), first North Carolina Commissioner of Agriculture
- Sylvester Ritter (1952–1998), professional wrestler also known as "The Junkyard Dog" or "JYD"
- David Lutz (born 1959), tackle with the Kansas City Chiefs and Detroit Lions of the NFL
See also
In Spanish: Condado de Anson para niños
