Duplin County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2010 census, the population was 58,505. Its county seat is Kenansville.
History
The county was formed in 1750 from New Hanover County. It was named for Thomas Hay, Viscount Dupplin (later 9th Earl of Kinnoull), as he was known when he served on the Board of Trade and Plantations in England in the 1740s.
In 1784, the western part of Duplin County became Sampson County.
John Miller, a merchant in Duplin, was appointed as postmaster. In the 19th century, he migrated to Leon County in the panhandle of Florida, with other North Carolinians during the period of Indian Removal in the 1830s–1840s. There, he developed a successful cotton plantation. He called it Miccosukee Plantation, after one of the Seminole bands. (They are now a federally recognized tribe.) He exploited the lives and labor of enslaved African Americans.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which are land and (0.7%) are covered by water.
Adjacent counties
Wayne County - north
Lenoir County - northeast
Jones County - east
Onslow County - east
Pender County - south
Sampson County - west
Demographics
2020 census
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 48,715 people, 21,466 households, and 14,504 families residing in the county.
2000 census
As of the census of 2000, there were 49,063 people, 18,267 households, and 13,060 families residing in the county. The population density was 60 people per square mile (23/km2). There were 20,520 housing units at an average density of 25 per square mile (10/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 58.67% White, 28.94% Black or African American, 0.23% Native American, 0.15% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 10.87% from other races, and 1.06% from two or more races. 15.14% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 18,267 households, out of which 33.20% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.20% were married couples living together, 14.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.50% were non-families. 24.50% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.10% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.63 and the average family size was 3.10.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 26.10% under the age of 18, 9.60% from 18 to 24, 29.30% from 25 to 44, 22.10% from 45 to 64, and 12.90% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 98.30 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.60 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $29,890, and the median income for a family was $34,760. Males had a median income of $26,212 versus $20,063 for females. The per capita income for the county was $14,499. About 15.30% of families and 19.40% of the population were below the poverty line, including 22.50% of those under age 18 and 22.70% of those age 65 or over.
Law and government
Duplin County is a member of the regional Eastern Carolina Council of Governments.
Duplin County is represented by Jimmy Dixon (R) in the North Carolina House of Representatives.
Duplin County is represented by Senator William Brent Jackson (politician), a Republican member of the North Carolina General Assembly.
Education
Duplin County is home to James Sprunt Community College.
Economy
Duplin County is important in raising animals for food. It has more hogs than any other county in the United States—2.2 million in 1998, which is greater than the hog population of most states. The county is also the home to a major chicken and turkey industry.
Duplin is also home to Duplin Winery, the oldest winery in North Carolina and the largest winery in the Southeast.
Transportation
Major highways
Airports
The following public-use airports are located in the county:
Duplin County Airport (DPL) – Kenansville
Eagles Nest Airport (6N9) – Potters Hill
Communities
thumb|250px|Map of Duplin County, North Carolina With Municipal and Township Labels
Towns
Beulaville
Calypso
Faison (part)
Greenevers
Harrells (part)
Kenansville (county seat)
Magnolia
Mount Olive (part)
Rose Hill
Teachey
Wallace (part)
Warsaw
Townships
Albertson
Cypress Creek
Faison
Glisson
Island Creek
Kenansville
Limestone
Magnolia
Rockfish
Rose Hill
Smith
Sarecta
Warsaw
Wolfscrape
Census-designated places
Bowdens
Chinquapin
Potters Hill
Unincorporated communities
Fountaintown
Kornegay
Murphey
Pasley
Hallsville
Notable people
Peter Weddick Moore (1859-1934), North Carolina educator and the first president of Elizabeth City State University. Moore was born near Faison, NC, to Weddick and Alecy Thompson Moore, who were both enslaved African Americans.
Ruth Faison Shaw (1889–1969), American artist and educator who is credited with introducing finger painting into the United States education system. Shaw was born in Kenansville, NC.
Dr. William Dallas Herring (1916-2007), North Carolina educator who was instrumental in the creation of the North Carolina Community College System. Herring was born in Rose Hill, NC.
Caleb Davis Bradham (1867-1934), American pharmacist, best known as the inventor of the soft drink Pepsi. Bradham was born in Chinquapin, NC.
Parker D. Robbins (1834-1917), American soldier, legislator, inventor, and postmaster. Robbins was of African and Native American descent and considered a "free black." In 1877, he moved to Duplin County and established a cotton gin, sawmill, and built a steamboat. Robbins was born in Bertie County, NC.
James Kenan (1740-1810), Colonial and state official; Revolutionary officer; founder of Kenansville, NC; and Sheriff of Duplin County. Kenan was born in Turkey, NC, at his father's plantation, The Lilacs.
Benjamin Franklin Grady (1831-1914), US Congressman. Author. Teacher. Farmer. Born near Sarecta, Duplin County October 10, 1831. Teaching mathematics and natural sciences at Austin College in Texas when the Civil War began. Superintendent of public instruction for Duplin County from 1881 to 1890. In 1891, he was elected for two terms as a United States Representative for the Third District of North Carolina.
Trivia
The fictional North Carolina hamlet of Tim's Creek, from Randall Kenan's early short stories in "A Visitation of Spirits" and "Let the Dead Bury Their Dead," is based loosely on Chinquapin, North Carolina.
Duplin County was featured in the 2017 documentary What the Health for the (suggested) impact its livestock industry has on health.
A scene from Iron Man 3 was filmed in Rose Hill and Kenansville. In the movie, Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) crash lands in what appears to be the middle of nowhere. The movie refers to the snowy location being in Rose Hill, Tennessee. In actuality, the scene was filmed at Register's Crossroads in Rose Hill, North Carolina. The scene was filmed in the middle of the summer, so the snow was purely movie magic.
