Troy is a town in Montgomery County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 2,850 at the 2020 census, A short story by Charles W. Chesnutt, "The Sheriff's Children", is set in Troy.
History
Troy lies in an area once known for its vast longleaf pine forests; much of the town's early development came from the harvesting of those trees for lumber and turpentine. Originally known as "West Old Fields", the name was changed to Troy in 1843 when the county seat of Montgomery County was moved there from Old Lawrenceville. The town was incorporated in 1853.
The coming of the Asheboro and Aberdeen Railroad as well as the gold mining industry surrounding the town accelerated growth in the late 19th century. By the 20th century textile mills and lumber mills were contributing heavily to Troy's economy.
The Hotel Troy, Montgomery County Courthouse, and Troy Residential Historic District are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Geography
Troy is in central Montgomery County, east of Albemarle, south of Asheboro, west of Carthage, and north-northeast of Wadesboro. North Carolina Highways 24 and 27 pass south of Troy, with their business routes passing through the center of town. Highway 24/27 leads east to Biscoe and Carthage and west to Albemarle and eventually Charlotte, distant. North Carolina Highway 109 passes through the west side of Troy, leading northwest to Denton and south-southwest to Mount Gilead and Wadesboro. Highway 134 (North Main Street) has its southern terminus in Troy and leads north to Asheboro.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the town of Troy has a total area of , of which , or 1.16%, are water.
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| align-fn = center
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, Troy had a population of 2,850. The median age was 37.1 years. 23.0% of residents were under the age of 18 and 15.6% were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 111.9 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 114.6 males.
0.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 100.0% lived in rural areas.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:right"
|+Troy racial composition
!scope="col"| Race
!scope="col"| Number
!scope="col"| Percentage
|-
!scope="row"| White (non-Hispanic)
| 1,375
| 48.25%
|-
!scope="row"| Black or African American (non-Hispanic)
| 939
| 32.95%
|-
!scope="row"| Native American
| 11
| 0.39%
|-
!scope="row"| Asian
| 37
| 1.3%
|-
!scope="row"| Other/Mixed
| 67
| 2.35%
|-
!scope="row"| Hispanic or Latino
| 421
| 14.77%
|}
There were 1,061 households in Troy, including 547 families. Of all households, 34.6% had children under age 18 living in them, 32.7% were married-couple households, 18.9% had a male householder with no spouse or partner present, and 42.7% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 33.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.