Welcome is a census-designated place (CDP) in Davidson County, North Carolina, United States. As of the 2020 census, Welcome had a population of 4,131. It is nationally known as the home of Richard Childress Racing.
In addition, Walker and Associates, Inc., a nationwide communication value-add distribution is headquartered here. The town motto is "Welcome to Welcome, A Friendly Place," as posted on the welcoming sign. Neighboring communities and municipalities include Midway, Arcadia, and Lexington.
History
In the early 1900s, a meeting was held in the community of Hinkle to decide what the new Winston-Salem Southbound Railway depot would be called. Records show that while there was disagreement, one man said the most important thing was for all people to be welcome. When the name Welcome was suggested, everyone agreed.
Beulah Church of Christ Cemetery, Good Hope Methodist Church Cemetery, and Waggoner Graveyard are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of , all land.
Demographics
2020 census
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:right"
|+Welcome racial composition
!scope="col"| Race
!scope="col"| Number
!scope="col"| Percentage
|-
!scope="row"| White (non-Hispanic)
| 3,540
| 85.69%
|-
!scope="row"| Black or African American (non-Hispanic)
| 145
| 3.51%
|-
!scope="row"| Native American
| 12
| 0.29%
|-
!scope="row"| Asian
| 64
| 1.55%
|-
!scope="row"| Pacific Islander
| 1
| 0.02%
|-
!scope="row"| Other/Mixed
| 211
| 5.11%
|-
!scope="row"| Hispanic or Latino
| 158
| 3.82%
|}
As of the 2020 census, Welcome had a population of 4,131. The median age was 44.6 years. 20.5% of residents were under the age of 18 and 20.4% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 92.5 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 92.6 males age 18 and over.
There were 1,681 households, including 1,095 families, in Welcome. Of all households, 27.7% had children under the age of 18 living in them, 49.1% were married-couple households, 18.4% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 24.7% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 29.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
Notable people
- Bonita Brown, interim president of Northern Kentucky University
- Austin Dillon, NASCAR driver
- Ty Dillon, NASCAR driver
- Austin Beck, professional baseball player, 6th overall pick in the 2017 Major League Baseball draft
- Shy Tuttle, professional football player for the Carolina Panthers