Pembroke is a town in Robeson County, North Carolina, United States. It is about 90 miles inland and northwest from the Atlantic Coast. The population was 2,823 at the 2020 census. The town is the seat of the federally recognized Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina, as well as the home of the University of North Carolina at Pembroke.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , all land.
Demographics
Racial and ethnic composition
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
|+Pembroke town, North Carolina – Racial composition<br><small></small>
!Race <small>(NH = Non-Hispanic)</small>
!
!2010
!2000
!1990
!1980
|-
|White alone (NH)
|style='background: #ffffe6; |13.4%<br><small>(377)</small>
|15.8%<br><small>(471)</small>
|9.4%<br><small>(226)</small>
|11.6%<br><small>(260)</small>
|25.7%<br><small>(694)</small>
|-
|Black alone (NH)
|style='background: #ffffe6; |11.1%<br><small>(313)</small>
|12.2%<br><small>(363)</small>
|5.3%<br><small>(126)</small>
|3.3%<br><small>(73)</small>
|7.2%<br><small>(194)</small>
|-
|American Indian alone (NH)
|style='background: #ffffe6; |64.8%<br><small>(1,830)</small>
|65.7%<br><small>(1,954)</small>
|81.6%<br><small>(1,958)</small>
|83.7%<br><small>(1,876)</small>
|65.4%<br><small>(1,764)</small>
|-
|Asian alone (NH)
|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.6%<br><small>(16)</small>
|0.6%<br><small>(17)</small>
|0.5%<br><small>(13)</small>
|<td rowspan="2"> |0.1%<br><small>(3)</small>
|<td rowspan="2"> |0.6%<br><small>(17)</small>
|-
|Pacific Islander alone (NH)
|style='background: #ffffe6; |0%<br><small>(1)</small>
|0.2%<br><small>(6)</small>
|0%<br><small>(0)</small>
|-
|Other race alone (NH)
|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.6%<br><small>(17)</small>
|0.2%<br><small>(5)</small>
|0.3%<br><small>(8)</small>
|0%<br><small>(0)</small>
|0%<br><small>(0)</small>
|-
|Multiracial (NH)
|style='background: #ffffe6; |5.7%<br><small>(160)</small>
|3.1%<br><small>(92)</small>
|1.8%<br><small>(42)</small>
|—
|—
|-
|Hispanic/Latino (any race)
|style='background: #ffffe6; |3.9%<br><small>(109)</small>
|2.2%<br><small>(65)</small>
|1.1%<br><small>(26)</small>
|1.3%<br><small>(29)</small>
|1.1%<br><small>(29)</small>
|}
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, Pembroke had a population of 2,823. The median age was 28.1 years. 26.0% of residents were under the age of 18 and 13.6% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 77.2 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 69.1 males age 18 and over.
93.4% of residents lived in urban areas, while 6.6% lived in rural areas.
There were 1,174 households in Pembroke, of which 32.8% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 16.6% were married-couple households, 23.4% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 53.4% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 37.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
- Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina (52.6%)
- African American (10.4%)
- Irish (4%)
- English (3.9%)
- German (2.6%)
- Mexican (2.1%)
2010 census
According to the 2010 US Census, the population was 2,937. Of this, 1,975 (66.43%) were American Indian or Alaska Native, 489 (16.45%) were White, 367 (12.34%) were Black or African American, 101 (3.40%) were two or more races, 18 (0.61%) were some other race, 17 (0.57%) were Asian, 6 (0.20%) were Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander. 65 (2.19%) were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
2000 census
{| class="wikitable sortable collapsible" style="font-size: 90%;"
|-
! Largest ancestries (2000)!! Percent
|-
| Lumbee|| 67%
|-
| African American || 5%
|-
| Unspecified Native American || 4%
|-
| Irish || 2%
|-
| English || 2%
|-
| Scottish || 2%
|-
| French || 1%
|}
According to the 2000 census,
thumb|right|Town hall
Pembroke is the tribal seat of the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina, the largest state-recognized tribe east of the Mississippi River and the largest without a reservation. Their origin has been disputed historically, as they are multi-tribal. Some tribes migrated from neighboring counties and states. In the 1950s, those who identified as Native American chose the name Lumbee, after what was later renamed the Lumber River.
Pembroke is home to the University of North Carolina at Pembroke, a master's level degree-granting university and one of the 17 schools that comprise the University of North Carolina system. It was incorporated within the University of North Carolina system in 1972 and officially became the University of North Carolina at Pembroke in 1996. Its enrollment is 7,667 as of fall 2022. With an 18:1 student-to-faculty ratio, the average class size is 20. It boasts the safest campus of the UNC schools in U.S. News & World Report and is among the nation's most diverse. Its motto is: "Where learning gets personal."
Education
The only school district in the county is Robeson County Schools.
Notable people
- Nate Andrews, former MLB pitcher and 1944 All-Star selection
- Chris Chavis, professional wrestler better known as "Tatanka" in the WWE
- Harold Collins, former World's Strongest Native American.
- Charly Lowry, singer/songwriter
- Lee McRae, NCAA national champion sprinter and 1987 World champion in the 4x100 meter relay
- Mike McRae, long jumper who represented the United States at the 1984 Summer Olympics
- Ruth Revels, American Indian Activist and educator
- Kelvin Sampson, college basketball head coach