Anson County, North Carolina

Anson County is a county in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 22,055.

History

The area eventually comprising Anson County was originally occupied by Native Americans of the Catawba and Waxhaw tribes.

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. In 1842, western Anson County merged with southeastern Mecklenburg County to become Union County.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has an area of , of which is land and (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

| align-fn = center

| footnote = U.S. Decennial Census 1790–1960 1900–1990 1990–2000 2010 2020

| align = right

thumb|2020 population density of Anson County NC by census block

Racial and ethnic composition

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center;"

|+Anson County, North Carolina – Racial and ethnic composition

!Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)

!Pop 1980

!Pop 1990

!Pop 2000

!Pop 2010

!style="background-color: #ffffb3;" | Pop 2020

!% 1980

!% 1990

!% 2000

!% 2010

!style="background-color: #ffffb3;" |% 2020

|White alone (NH)

|13,555

|12,232

|12,429

|12,344

|style='background: #ffffe6; |10,593

|52.85%

|52.11%

|49.18%

|45.81%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |48.03%

|Black or African American alone (NH)

|11,741

|11,078

|12,245

|13,038

|style='background: #ffffe6; |9,838

|45.78%

|47.19%

|48.45%

|48.38%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |44.61%

|Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)

|60

|69

|110

|148

|style='background: #ffffe6; |89

|0.23%

|0.29%

|0.44%

|0.55%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.40%

|Asian alone (NH)

|16

|27

|143

|281

|style='background: #ffffe6; |221

|0.06%

|0.12%

|0.57%

|1.04%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |1.00%

|Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH)

|style='background: #ffffe6; |4

|0.02%

|0.01%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.02%

|Other race alone (NH)

|18

|27

|style='background: #ffffe6; |38

|0.02%

|0.00%

|0.07%

|0.10%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.17%

|Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)

|113

|294

|style='background: #ffffe6; |607

|0.45%

|1.09%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |2.75%

|Hispanic or Latino (any race)

|272

|67

|211

|812

|style='background: #ffffe6; |665

|1.06%

|0.29%

|0.83%

|3.01%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |3.02%

|Total

|25,649

|23,474

|25,275

|26,948

|style='background: #ffffe6; |22,055

|100.00%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |100.00%

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 22,055 and 5,809 families; the median age was 44.5 years, with 19.1% of residents under the age of 18 and 20.3% aged 65 or older. For every 100 females there were 93.2 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 90.2 males.

The racial makeup of the county was 48.5% White, 44.8% Black or African American, 0.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0% Asian, less than 0.1% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 2.0% from some other race, and 3.2% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 3.0% of the population.

Anson is a majority minority county.

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.

2000 census

At the 2000 census, there were 25,275 people, 9,204 households, and 6,663 families residing in the county. The population density was . There were 10,221 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 51.64% Black or African American, 48.53% White, 0.45% Native American, 0.57% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.32% from other races, and 0.46% from two or more races. 0.83% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 9,204 households, out of which 31.00% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.80% were married couples living together, 19.80% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.60% were non-families. 25.10% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.00% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.59 and the average family size was 3.09.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 25.20% under the age of 18, 8.60% from 18 to 24, 29.00% from 25 to 44, 22.80% from 45 to 64, and 14.40% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 96.50 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.80 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $29,849, and the median income for a family was $35,870. Males had a median income of $27,297 versus $20,537 for females. The per capita income for the county was $14,853. About 15.50% of families and 17.80% of the population were below the poverty line, including 23.90% of those under age 18 and 16.70% of those age 65 or over.

Government and politics

Anson County is governed by a board of commissioners, which has seven members elected by district. The board of commissioners appoints a county manager, who oversees county administration and implements the board's policies.

Anson County is a member of the regional Centralina Council of Governments.

Like several neighboring rural counties, Anson County has historically favored Democratic nominees in most presidential elections. Since 2012, Republicans have had more success in the region, though Anson County voted more Democratic than its neighbors. The county favored a Republican candidate for a federal office in 2022 and Donald Trump won the county in 2024, the first Republican presidential nominee to do so since Richard Nixon in 1972.

Economy

Anson's economy was historically rooted in agriculture. It remains weaker than those of other counties in the region.

Communities

File:Comté d'Anson.png|right|thumb|450px|Clickable map of Anson County

rect 449 247 552 282 Pee Dee National Wildlife Refuge

poly 415 181 440 172 452 204 424 213 Ansonville

poly 603 423 629 421 628 447 602 451 Lilesville

poly 616 696 641 698 639 722 613 720 McFarlan

poly 581 610 607 607 607 634 578 636 Morven

poly 192 379 218 379 218 406 192 405 Peachland

poly 282 344 282 383 315 385 318 420 334 415 337 389 320 375 317 344 Polkton

poly 394 408 455 410 500 410 511 431 536 436 535 475 510 492 456 471 455 428 391 419 Wadesboro

desc bottom-left

</imagemap>

Towns

Ansonville
Lilesville
McFarlan
Morven
Peachland
Polkton
Wadesboro (county seat and largest community)

Unincorporated communities

Burnsville
Pee Dee

Townships

Ansonville
Burnsville
Gulledge
Lanesboro
Lilesville
Morven
Wadesboro
White Store

Ghost town

Sneedsboro

Population ranking

The population ranking of the following table is based on the 2020 census of Anson County.

† = county seat

{| class="wikitable sortable"

! Rank

! Name

! Type

! Population (2020 census)