Kenansville is a town in Duplin County, North Carolina, United States. Its population was 770 at the 2020 census. It is the county seat of Duplin County. The town was named for James Kenan, a member of the North Carolina Senate. Liberty Hall, his early 1800s era historic home, is located within Kenansville.

History

The Needham Whitfield Herring House and Kenansville Historic District are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Geography

Kenansville is located slightly west of the center of Duplin County. North Carolina Highways 11 and 50 pass through the center of town, while North Carolina Highway 24 bypasses the town as a four-lane highway to the southeast. NC 24 leads southwest to Interstate 40 at Exit 373 and east to Jacksonville. NC 11 leads northeast to Kinston and south to Wallace, while NC 50 leads southeast to Holly Ridge and west to Warsaw.

According to the United States Census Bureau, Kenansville has a total area of , all land.

2020 census

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:right"

|+Kenansville racial composition

!scope="col"| Race

!scope="col"| Number

!scope="col"| Percentage

|-

!scope="row"| White (non-Hispanic)

| 442

| 57.4%

|-

!scope="row"| Black or African American (non-Hispanic)

| 249

| 32.34%

|-

!scope="row"| Native American

| 1

| 0.13%

|-

!scope="row"| Asian

| 3

| 0.39%

|-

!scope="row"| Other/Mixed

| 48

| 6.23%

|-

!scope="row"| Hispanic or Latino

| 27

| 3.51%

|}

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 770 people, 411 households, and 236 families residing in the town.

According to the 2023 American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates released by the U.S. Census Bureau, the median age was approximately 43 years. The estimated age distribution across age groups is as follows: 31.3% under 18, 5.0% from 18 to 24, 19.5% from 25 to 44, 22.5% from 45 to 64, and 21.8% were 65 or older. For every 100 females, there were 80.5 males.

The median household income was estimated at $62,917, and the median income for a family was $73,958, with 22.7% of the population living below the poverty line, including 23.9% of those under age 18 and 16.6% of those age 65 or over.

2000 census

As of the census Also located in Kenansville is Liberty Hall, the early 1800s era historic home of James Kenan, after whom the town was named.

Notable residents

  • William Reynolds Allen, judge
  • Michael English, singer
  • Charles Hooks, politician
  • Mary Lily Kenan Flagler Bingham, heiress and philanthropist
  • James Kenan, militia officer and politician
  • Owen Rand Kenan, planter and politician
  • Thomas Kenan, Attorney General of North Carolina
  • Thomas S. Kenan, planter
  • William Rand Kenan, merchant
  • Greg Peterson, football player
  • Ruth Faison Shaw, artist

References

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  • Cowan Museum of History and Science
  • Liberty Hall

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