Polk County, North Carolina

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Polk County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 19,328.[1] Its county seat is Columbus.[2]

History

The county was formed in 1855 from parts of Henderson and Rutherford counties. It was named for William Polk, a colonel in the American Revolutionary War. The Tryon International Equestrian Center, close to the community of Mill Spring was the location of the 2018 FEI World Equestrian Games.[3]

Geography

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According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of Script error: No such module "convert"., of which Script error: No such module "convert". is land and Script error: No such module "convert". (0.32%) is water.[4] It is the fifth-smallest county in North Carolina by total area.

File:Polk nc elevation.png
Polk County Elevation

The county's largest body of water is Lake Adger, located about Script error: No such module "convert". north of Columbus. Lake Adger is a reservoir formed by the damming of the Green River, which flows from west to east across the county. The northern extent of the river's watershed forms the northern border of the county.

The elevation in the county ranges from just under Script error: No such module "convert". near the confluence of the Green River and Broad River to over Script error: No such module "convert". on Tryon Peak and Wildcat Spur, the highest peak in the county. Polk County is divided into two physiographic regions; the Blue Ridge Mountains in the western third of the county and Piedmont for the eastern two-thirds. Since it is in a transition zone between the two regions, Polk County is often referred to as being in the foothills.

State and local protected areas

Major water bodies

Adjacent counties

Major highways

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The interchange for I-26 and the US 74 freeway is located in Columbus. Interstate 26 provides Polk County with access to Asheville and Spartanburg, South Carolina.

Polk County is also served by an additional non-freeway U.S. Highway: US 176. This was the primary highway linking Saluda and Tryon to Hendersonville and Spartanburg, SC. prior to the delayed completion of I-26 in 1976. Two North Carolina routes, NC 108 and NC 9, traverse the county as well. NC 108 begins in Rutherfordton and travels west through Columbus and ends at US 176 in Tryon. Oriented north-to-south, NC 9 connects Black Mountain and Lake Lure to Spartanburg and points southeast via Polk County. NC 108 and NC 9 intersect at the unincorporated town of Mill Spring.

Polk County and Saluda are infamous among railroad enthusiasts for the Saluda Grade, the steepest standard-gauge mainline railway grade in the United States.[6] Norfolk Southern suspended freight traffic indefinitely along this route in December 2001. The track remains in place, but are cut near Flat Rock, North Carolina and Landrum, South Carolina.

Demographics

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Historical population
CensusPop.Template:Sronly%±
18604,043—
18704,319Script error: No such module "String".%
18805,062Script error: No such module "String".%
18905,902Script error: No such module "String".%
19007,004Script error: No such module "String".%
19107,640Script error: No such module "String".%
19208,832Script error: No such module "String".%
193010,216Script error: No such module "String".%
194011,874Script error: No such module "String".%
195011,627Script error: No such module "String".%
196011,395Script error: No such module "String".%
197011,735Script error: No such module "String".%
198012,984Script error: No such module "String".%
199014,416Script error: No such module "String".%
200018,324Script error: No such module "String".%
201020,510Script error: No such module "String".%
202019,328Script error: No such module "String".%
2024 (est.)20,320[7]Script error: No such module "String".%
U.S. Decennial Census[8]
1790–1960[9] 1900–1990[10]
1990–2000[11] 2010[12] 2020[1]

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2020 census

Polk County racial composition[13]
Race Number Percentage
White 16,932 87.6%
Black or African American 696 3.6%
American Indian and Alaska Native 77 0.4%
Asian 58 0.3%
Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander 19 0.1%
Some other race 445 2.3%
Two or more races 1,101 5.7%
Hispanic or Latino 1,025 5.3%

As of the 2020 census, there were 19,328 people in the county; the median age was 53.8 years, 16.2% of residents were under the age of 18, 31.9% were 65 years of age or older, for every 100 females there were 91.8 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 89.9 males age 18 and over.[14]

The racial makeup of the county was 87.6% White, 3.6% Black or African American, 0.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% Asian, 0.1% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 2.3% from some other race, and 5.7% from two or more races; Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 5.3% of the population.[13]

8.6% of residents lived in urban areas, while 91.4% lived in rural areas.[15]

There were 8,538 households in the county, of which 20.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them. Of all households, 49.9% were married-couple households, 16.9% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 28.0% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 31.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 18.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[14]

There were 10,775 housing units, of which 20.8% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 75.7% were owner-occupied and 24.3% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.0% and the rental vacancy rate was 7.5%.[14]

2000 census

At the 2000 census,[16] there were 18,324 people, 7,908 households, and 5,337 families residing in the county. The population density was Script error: No such module "convert".. There were 9,192 housing units at an average density of Script error: No such module "convert".. The racial makeup of the county was 92.26% White, 5.89% Black or African American, 0.19% Native American, 0.24% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.63% from other races, and 0.76% from two or more races. 3.01% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 7,908 households, out of which 23.50% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.30% were married couples living together, 7.90% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.50% were non-families. 28.90% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.00% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.28 and the average family size was 2.78.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 20.10% under the age of 18, 5.80% from 18 to 24, 24.20% from 25 to 44, 26.30% from 45 to 64, and 23.60% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 45 years. For every 100 females there were 90.20 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.10 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $36,259, and the median income for a family was $45,096. Males had a median income of $29,375 versus $23,070 for females. The per capita income for the county was $19,804. 10.10% of the population and 6.40% of families were below the poverty line. 11.70% of those under the age of 18 and 8.80% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.

Ancestry/ethnicity

As of the 2000 census,[16] the largest self-reported ancestry/ethnicity groups in Polk County were:[17]

Ancestry/ethnicity Percent
(2000)
English Template:Flagicon 17%
German Template:Flagicon 13%
Irish Template:Flagicon 13%
Scotch-Irish Template:Flagicon 7.0%
African American Template:Flagicon 5.89%
Scottish Template:Flagicon 4.0%
Italian Template:Flagicon 3.0%

Law and government

Polk County is a member of the Isothermal Planning and Development Commission regional council of governments. Sheila Whitmire is the current (as of 2012) Registrar of Deeds.[18]

Government and politics

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Polk County is notable as one of only two counties in the country that voted for Charles Even Hughes in 1916 and for James M. Cox in 1920 the other one is Manistee County, Michigan.

2016 elections

In the 2016 Republican Primary in Polk County, Donald Trump received 1,624 votes (or 46.2% of the total votes) followed by Ted Cruz who came in second with 1,135 votes (or 32.3% of the total votes). In the 2016 Democratic Primary, Bernie Sanders received 1,123 votes (48.7% of the total) whereas Hillary Clinton won 1,099 votes (47.7% of the total).[19] In the general election Donald Trump received 6,768 votes (or 61.9% of the total vote) whereas Hillary Clinton received 3,735 votes (34.2% of the vote) and Libertarian candidate Gary Johnson received 272 votes (2.5% of total votes in the county).[20]

Communities

File:Map of Polk County North Carolina With Municipal and Township Labels.PNG
Map of Polk County with municipal and township labels

City

Towns

Townships

  • Columbus
  • Cooper Gap
  • Green Creek
  • Saluda
  • Tryon
  • White Oak

Unincorporated communities

See also

References

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  6. ↑ Saluda Grade - North Carolina Highway Historical Marker Program Template:Webarchive
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External links

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