Wayne County, North Carolina
Encyclopedia
Cities and towns
- BrogdenBrogden, North CarolinaBrogden is a census-designated place in Wayne County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 2,914 at the 2007 census. It is included in the Goldsboro, North Carolina Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
- DudleyDudley, North CarolinaDudley is an unincorporated town in Wayne County, North Carolina, United States, about 9 miles south from Goldsboro. Part of this area includes the Brogden CDP. Dudley is included in the Goldsboro, North Carolina Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
- ElroyElroy, North CarolinaElroy is a census-designated place in Wayne County, North Carolina, United States. In 2007, the estimated population was 3,905. It is included in the Goldsboro, North Carolina Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
- EurekaEureka, North CarolinaEureka is a town in Wayne County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 244 at the 2000 census. It is included in the Goldsboro, North Carolina Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Eureka is located at ....
- Fremont
- GoldsboroGoldsboro, North CarolinaGoldsboro is a city in Wayne County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 37,597 at the 2008 census estimate. It is the principal city of and is included in the Goldsboro, North Carolina Metropolitan Statistical Area. The nearby town of Waynesboro was founded in 1787 and Goldsboro was...
- Mar-MacMar-Mac, North CarolinaMar-Mac is a census-designated place in Wayne County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 3,011 at the 2007 census. It is included in the Goldsboro, North Carolina Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
- Mount Olive
- PikevillePikeville, North CarolinaPikeville is a town in Wayne County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 704 at the 2008 census. It is included in the Goldsboro, North Carolina Metropolitan Statistical Area. It is notable as being the home of Collier Motors, an automobile sales and service business established in...
- RosewoodRosewood, North CarolinaRosewood is an unincorporated community in Wayne County, North Carolina, United States, located at the intersection of NC 581 and Rosewood Road, 1 mile south of U.S. Route 70.-Education:...
- Seven SpringsSeven Springs, North CarolinaSeven Springs is a town in Wayne County, North Carolina, United States. The 2006 population was estimated at 85. It is included in the Goldsboro, North Carolina Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Seven Springs is located at ....
- Walnut CreekWalnut Creek, North CarolinaWalnut Creek is a village in Wayne County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 858 in 2008. It is included in the Goldsboro, North Carolina Metropolitan Statistical Area.The village is built around the Walnut Creek Country Club.-Geography:...
- GranthamGrantham, North CarolinaGrantham is an unincorporated community in southwestern Wayne County, North Carolina, United States. Located southwest of the county seat, Goldsboro, it is located on U.S. Route 13 between Goldsboro and Newton Grove to the south. It is a small, close-knit community that has a large agricultural...
Geography
According to the U.S. Census BureauUnited States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the county has a total area of 557 square miles (1,442 km²), of which, 553 square miles (1,431 km²) of it is land and 4 square miles (11 km²) of it (0.74%) is water.
Wayne County’s surface is level to gently rolling uplands with broad bottoms along the rivers and some creeks. Elevations are predominately 120 to 145 feet above sea level. The largest waterway, the Neuse River, bisects the lower central portion of the county and cuts a deep channel 20 to 40 feet deep as it flows in an eastward direction. Unusual river bluffs occur in the vicinity of Seven Springs
Seven Springs, North Carolina
Seven Springs is a town in Wayne County, North Carolina, United States. The 2006 population was estimated at 85. It is included in the Goldsboro, North Carolina Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Seven Springs is located at ....
. In addition to the Neuse River, the county is drained by the Little River, the Northeast Cape Fear River
Cape Fear River
The Cape Fear River is a long blackwater river in east central North Carolina in the United States. It flows into the Atlantic Ocean near Cape Fear, from which it takes its name. The overall water quality of the river is continuously measured and monitored by and conducted by the , , and the...
and numerous creeks.
Wayne County is underlain by unconsolidated beds of sand, clay and gravel. For the most part, these beds were deposited in seawater as the sea advanced and retreated during the geologic development of the Atlantic Coastal Plain
Atlantic Coastal Plain
The Atlantic coastal plain has both low elevation and low relief, but it is also a relatively flat landform extending from the New York Bight southward to a Georgia/Florida section of the Eastern Continental Divide, which demarcates the plain from the ACF River Basin in the Gulf Coastal Plain to...
. To a much lesser extent, streams deposited layers of sediment which mixed with that deposited on the sea floor.
The climate
Climate
Climate encompasses the statistics of temperature, humidity, atmospheric pressure, wind, rainfall, atmospheric particle count and other meteorological elemental measurements in a given region over long periods...
in Wayne County is characterized by warm summers and moderate winters. The average temperature is about 62 degrees. Annual precipitation is about 50 inches of rainfall per year, with the major portion occurring in the late spring and summer.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 113,329 people, 42,612 households, and 30,254 families residing in the county. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 205 people per square mile (79/km²). There were 47,313 housing units at an average density of 86 per square mile (33/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 61.28% White
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 33.02% Black
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
or African American
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.36% Native American
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.96% Asian
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.05% Pacific Islander
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 3.07% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 1.25% from two or more races. 4.94% of the population were Hispanic
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
or Latino
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
of any race.
There were 42,612 households out of which 34.70% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.60% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 15.40% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.00% were non-families. 24.50% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.00% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.55 and the average family size was 3.03.
In the county the population was spread out with 26.20% under the age of 18, 9.90% from 18 to 24, 30.50% from 25 to 44, 21.90% from 45 to 64, and 11.60% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 97.30 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.30 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $33,942, and the median income for a family was $40,492. Males had a median income of $28,396 versus $21,854 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the county was $17,010. About 10.20% of families and 13.80% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.60% of those under age 18 and 15.20% of those age 65 or over.
Economy
Wayne County’s local industries are involved in a range of operations from simple assembly to complex manufacturingManufacturing
Manufacturing is the use of machines, tools and labor to produce goods for use or sale. The term may refer to a range of human activity, from handicraft to high tech, but is most commonly applied to industrial production, in which raw materials are transformed into finished goods on a large scale...
processes resulting in products ranging from bread and poultry feed to automobile parts and electric transformer
Transformer
A transformer is a device that transfers electrical energy from one circuit to another through inductively coupled conductors—the transformer's coils. A varying current in the first or primary winding creates a varying magnetic flux in the transformer's core and thus a varying magnetic field...
s. Substantial technological improvements in recent years involving modernization of plant facilities and the addition of sophisticated manufacturing equipment have resulted in enhanced profitability and productivity for many of the local manufacturing firms.
The combination of a mild climate, a freeze-free growing season of about 225 days and a wide range of soil types contribute to a highly productive agricultural area. Total gross farm sales in Wayne County in 2006 was approximately $329,082,138 USD. Field crops, including the primary crops of tobacco
Tobacco
Tobacco is an agricultural product processed from the leaves of plants in the genus Nicotiana. It can be consumed, used as a pesticide and, in the form of nicotine tartrate, used in some medicines...
, corn
Maize
Maize known in many English-speaking countries as corn or mielie/mealie, is a grain domesticated by indigenous peoples in Mesoamerica in prehistoric times. The leafy stalk produces ears which contain seeds called kernels. Though technically a grain, maize kernels are used in cooking as a vegetable...
, cotton
Cotton
Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective capsule, around the seeds of cotton plants of the genus Gossypium. The fiber is almost pure cellulose. The botanical purpose of cotton fiber is to aid in seed dispersal....
, soybeans, and wheat
Wheat
Wheat is a cereal grain, originally from the Levant region of the Near East, but now cultivated worldwide. In 2007 world production of wheat was 607 million tons, making it the third most-produced cereal after maize and rice...
accounted for nearly 12% of the farm income or $38,583,389USD.
Income from livestock
Livestock
Livestock refers to one or more domesticated animals raised in an agricultural setting to produce commodities such as food, fiber and labor. The term "livestock" as used in this article does not include poultry or farmed fish; however the inclusion of these, especially poultry, within the meaning...
and poultry
Poultry
Poultry are domesticated birds kept by humans for the purpose of producing eggs, meat, and/or feathers. These most typically are members of the superorder Galloanserae , especially the order Galliformes and the family Anatidae , commonly known as "waterfowl"...
production was $236,287,547USD in 2006 and derived primarily from swine
Pig
A pig is any of the animals in the genus Sus, within the Suidae family of even-toed ungulates. Pigs include the domestic pig, its ancestor the wild boar, and several other wild relatives...
operations. Swine production has increased rapidly, making it the single largest source of farm income. In 2006 farm income from swine production was $75,409,690USD or 23% of all farm income. Wayne County ranks 7th in the nation for production of swine.
Seymour Johnson Air Force Base is home to the 4th Fighter Wing
4th Fighter Wing
The 4th Fighter Wing is a United States Air Force unit assigned to the Air Combat Command Ninth Air Force. It is stationed at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, North Carolina, where it is also the host unit....
and 916th Air Refueling Wing
916th Air Refueling Wing
The 916th Air Refueling Wing is a wing of the United States Air Force based out of Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, North Carolina...
. The annual civilian and military payroll is over $282 millionUSD. In fiscal year 2006 the economic impact at the base totaled over $460 millionUSD.
Education
Wayne County is home to three colleges: Wayne Community CollegeWayne Community College
Wayne Community College is a community college located in Goldsboro, North Carolina. It currently consists of nine buildings, with a campus area of over 287,000 square feet . Over 14,000 curriculum and extension students are enrolled at the college per year.Wayne Early/Middle College High School is...
, Mount Olive College
Mount Olive College
Mount Olive College is a private liberal arts college located in Mount Olive, North Carolina. Founded in 1951, the college is supported by the Original Free Will Baptist Convention of North Carolina...
and the Goldsboro campus of the North Carolina Wesleyan College
North Carolina Wesleyan College
North Carolina Wesleyan College is a private four-year coeducational, liberal arts college, located in Rocky Mount, North Carolina. Founded in 1956, the school is affiliated with the United Methodist Church and offers a number of preprofessional programs...
.
Public schools are administered by the Wayne County Public Schools
Wayne County Public Schools
The Wayne County Public School System is the 20th largest in the state of North Carolina out of 115 school systems.-High schools:*Charles B. Aycock High School, Pikeville*Eastern Wayne High School, Goldsboro*Goldsboro High School, Goldsboro...
system. The public schools include nine high schools and college preparation schools, eight middle schools and fourteen elementary schools. The county is also home to four private schools and one charter public school.
Hospitals
- Wayne Memorial Hospital (North Carolina), a medical facility located in Goldsboro, is the county's second largest employer.
- Cherry HospitalCherry HospitalCherry Hospital is a 274-bed inpatient psychiatric hospital located in Goldsboro, North Carolina. It serves the citizens of 33 Eastern North Carolina counties. It is operated by the state of North Carolina and the United States Department of Health and Human Services. Cherry Hospital has 6 major...
is a psychiatric hospitalPsychiatric hospitalPsychiatric hospitals, also known as mental hospitals, are hospitals specializing in the treatment of serious mental disorders. Psychiatric hospitals vary widely in their size and grading. Some hospitals may specialise only in short-term or outpatient therapy for low-risk patients...
located in Goldsboro which first started in 1880 as a facility to treat mentally ill African AmericanAfrican AmericanAfrican Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
s. A museum depicting its history is also part of the hospital campus.
Passenger
- Air: Wayne County is served through nearby Kinston Regional JetportKinston Regional JetportKinston Regional Jetport , also known as Stallings Field, is a public airport located three miles northwest of the central business district of Kinston, a city in Lenoir County, North Carolina, USA. The airport has a single runway that is one of the longest in the southeastern United States. It...
with service to Orlando, FloridaOrlando, FloridaOrlando is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States...
. Raleigh-Durham International AirportRaleigh-Durham International AirportRaleigh-Durham International Airport is a public international airport located 4.5 miles northeast of the town of Morrisville in suburban Wake County, North Carolina, United States. The airport covers and operates three runways, providing direct service to 40 domestic and international...
is the closest major airport with service to more than 45 domestic and international destinations. Goldsboro-Wayne Municipal AirportGoldsboro-Wayne Municipal AirportGoldsboro-Wayne Municipal Airport is a public airport located three miles north of the central business district of Goldsboro, in Wayne County, North Carolina, USA. This general aviation airport covers and has one runway. It is owned by the city of Goldsboro and Wayne County....
is an airport located in Wayne County, but is only used for general aviation. - Interstate Highway: Interstate 795 (I-795) links Goldsboro to Interstate 95 near Wilson in Wilson CountyWilson County, North Carolina-Demographics:As of the census of 2006, there 73,814 people, 28,613 households, and 19,771 families residing in the county. The population density was 199 people per square mile . There were 30,729 housing units at an average density of 83 per square mile...
. - Wayne County is not served directly by passenger trains. The closest AmtrakAmtrakThe National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
station is located in Selma. - Bus: The county is served by GreyhoundGreyhound LinesGreyhound Lines, Inc., based in Dallas, Texas, is an intercity common carrier of passengers by bus serving over 3,700 destinations in the United States, Canada and Mexico, operating under the well-known logo of a leaping greyhound. It was founded in Hibbing, Minnesota, USA, in 1914 and...
with a location in Goldsboro.
Roads
- The main highways in Wayne County areUS 70U.S. Route 70U.S. Route 70 is an east–west United States highway that runs for 2,385 miles from eastern North Carolina to east-central Arizona. As can be derived from its number, it is a major east–west highway of the Southern and Southwestern United States...
, which offers access to the North Carolina coast and I-95; and I-795, which is a direct connector with I-95, and US 264. - Other highways that run through the county include US 13U.S. Route 13U.S. Route 13 is a north–south U.S. highway established in 1926 that runs for from Interstate 95 just north of Fayetteville, North Carolina to the northeastern suburbs of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in Morrisville. In all, it traverses five states in the Atlantic coastal plain region,...
, US 117U.S. Route 117U.S. Route 117 was a north–south US Highway that ran for from Norlina, North Carolina to Virginia. Established in 1927, US 117 traveled from Norlina, through the towns of Warrenton, Roanoke Rapids, and Murfreesboro; from there it went north into Virginia. In 1932, US 117 was removed from this...
, and NC 111North Carolina Highway 111North Carolina Highway 111 is a highway running from NC 11/NC 42 in Oak City to US 258/NC 24 in Catherine Lake....
, NC 222North Carolina Highway 222North Carolina Highway 222 is a highway that runs from the junction of North Carolina Highway 43 near Falkland to the junction of North Carolina Highway 231 near Emit....
NC 581, and I-795.
Newspapers
Dailies- The Goldsboro News-ArgusThe Goldsboro News-ArgusThe Goldsboro News-Argus is a daily U.S. newspaper located in Goldsboro, North Carolina, serving the citizens of Wayne County. The paper has a daily circulation of approximately 21,500...
Weeklies
- Mount Olive Tribune
- Wayne-Wilson News Leader
See also
- List of North Carolina counties
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Wayne County, North CarolinaNational Register of Historic Places listings in Wayne County, North CarolinaThis list includes properties and districts listed on the National Register of Historic Places in Wayne County, North Carolina. Click the "Map of all coordinates" link to the right to view a Google map of all properties and districts with latitude and longitude coordinates in the table below.-See...