RANDOLPH County, NC

Randolph County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2010 census, the population was 141,752. Its county seat is Asheboro.

Randolph County is included in the Greensboro-High Point, NC Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is also included in the Greensboro-Winston-Salem-High Point, NC Combined Statistical Area.

In 2010, the center of population of North Carolina was located in Randolph County, near the town of Seagrove.

History

Some of the first European settlers in this area of the Piedmont and what would become the county were English Quakers, who settled along the Haw, Deep, and Eno rivers The county was formed in 1779 from Guilford County. It was named for Peyton Randolph, first president of the Continental Congress.

County formation

The Legislature of 1779, then sitting at Halifax, passed an act providing for the formation of a new county from parts of Guilford and Rowan, to be called Randolph. Notice having been given, the citizens met accordingly on Monday, 8 March 1779. Proclamation being made, the act of Assembly was read, wherein, William Cole, John Collin, Joseph Hinds, George Cortner, John Arnold, William Millikan, John Hinds, Jacob Shepherd, Richardson Owen, Windsor Pearce, William Bell, William Merrill, John Lowe, Enoch Davis, and James Hunter were nominated as Justices for holding the courts in said county. The oath of allegiance and the oath of office was administered by William Cole, Esq., whereupon they took their seats. They organized and held the first court in Randolph county by electing William Bell, Sheriff; William Millikan, Register of Deeds; and Absalom Tatum, Clerk.

Randolph County was the original location of the school that developed as Duke University.

The county is home to one of the last remaining covered bridges in the state. The Pisgah Covered Bridge, in Union Township in the southwestern part of the county, was destroyed by a flood in 2003, but has been rebuilt.

In 1911, a new county called Piedmont County was proposed, with High Point as its county seat, to be created from Guilford, Davidson, and Randolph counties. Many people appeared at the Guilford County courthouse to oppose the plan, vowing to go to the state legislature to protest. The state legislature voted down the plan in February 1911.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (0.9%) is covered by water.

Randolph County is located in the center of North Carolina, and the city of Asheboro (in the county) is the center point of North Carolina. Randolph County is located in the Piedmont section of central North Carolina, generally a region of gently rolling hills and woodlands. The central and western parts of the county contain the Uwharrie Mountains and the Caraway Mountains. These two ranges are the remnants of a much-higher range of ancient peaks. Today, they rarely top above sea level, yet due to the relative low terrain around them, they still rise above their base.

The highest point in Randolph County is Shepherd Mountain, a peak in the Caraways. The North Carolina Zoo is located atop Purgatory Mountain, one of the peaks of the Uwharries.

Adjacent counties

Major highways

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 144,171 people, 56,117 households, and 37,795 families residing in the county.

2000 census

As of the census of 2000, 130,454 people, 50,659 households, and 37,335 families resided in the county. The population density was 166 people per square mile (64/km²). The 54,422 housing units averaged 69 per square mile (27/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 89.20% White, 5.63% Black or African American, 0.45% Native American, 0.64% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 3.01% from other races, and 1.06% from two or more races. About 6.63% of the population was Hispanic or Latino of any race.

As with much of North Carolina, the Latino population of Randolph County continued to grow into the 21st century. In 2005, figures placed the Latino population as 9.3% of the county's total.

In 2000, of the 50,659 households, 33.70% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.10% were married couples living together, 10.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.30% were not families. About 22.50% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.60% 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 2.97.

In the county, the population was distributed as 25.00% under the age of 18, 8.00% from 18 to 24, 31.30% from 25 to 44, 23.50% from 45 to 64, and 12.10% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.80 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.40 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $38,348, and for a family was $44,369. Males had a median income of $30,575 versus $22,503 for females. The per capita income for the county was $18,236. About 6.80% of families and 9.10% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.60% of those under age 18 and 11.50% of those age 65 or over.

Communities

thumb|Map of Randolph County, North Carolina With Municipal and Township Labels

Cities

Towns

Townships

Unincorporated communities

Politics, law and government

Randolph County is a member of the regional Piedmont Triad Council of Governments.

The county was one of the earliest in North Carolina and the South to turn Republican, and is often considered one of the most Republican-dominated counties in the state. It has supported the Republican presidential candidate in all but three elections since 1916. No Democratic presidential nominee has carried the county since Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1940, and Jimmy Carter is the last Democrat to even tally 40 percent of the county's vote. In 1964, it was one of only 13 counties in the state to vote for Barry Goldwater, and the easternmost county in the state to do so. Republican dominance at the local level is so absolute that in some cases, Republican candidates and incumbents run unopposed.

Education

Notable people