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Pitt County, North Carolina
Pitt County Courthouse
Pitt County Courthouse in Greenville
Seal of Pitt County, North Carolina
Seal
Map of North Carolina highlighting Pitt County
Location in the state of North Carolina
Map of the U.S
North Carolina's location in the U.S.
Founded 1760
Named for William Pitt the Elder
Seat Greenville
Largest city Greenville
Area
 - Total
 - Land
 - Water

655 sq mi (1,696 km²)
652 sq mi (1,689 km²)
2.9 sq mi (8 km²), 0.4%
Population
 - (2020)
 - Density

170,243
258/sq mi (100/km²)
Congressional districts 1st, 3rd
Time zone Eastern: UTC-5/-4
Website www.pittcountync.gov

Pitt County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 Census, the population was 170,243, making it the seventeenth-most populous county in North Carolina.[1] Its county seat is Greenville.[2]

Pitt County comprises the Greenville, NC Metropolitan Statistical Area. As one of the fastest-growing centers in the state, the county has seen a population boom since 1990.

History[]

The county was formed in 1760 from Beaufort County, though the legislative act that created it did not become effective until January 1, 1761. It was named for William Pitt the Elder, who was then Secretary of State for the Southern Department and Leader of the House of Commons. William Pitt was an English statesman and orator, born in London, England. He studied at Oxford University and in 1731 joined the army. Pitt led the young "Patriot" Whigs and in 1756 became secretary of state, where he was a pro-freedom speaker in British Colonial government. He served as Prime Minister of Great Britain in 1766–68.

Geography[]

655 square miles (1,700 km2) (0.4%) is water.[3]

Adjacent counties[]

Demographics[]

Historical populations
Census Pop.
1790 8,270
1800 9,084 9.8%
1810 9,169 0.9%
1820 10,001 9.1%
1830 12,093 20.9%
1840 11,806 −2.4%
1850 13,397 13.5%
1860 16,080 20.0%
1870 17,276 7.4%
1880 21,794 26.2%
1890 25,519 17.1%
1900 30,889 21.0%
1910 36,340 17.6%
1920 45,569 25.4%
1930 54,466 19.5%
1940 61,244 12.4%
1950 63,789 4.2%
1960 69,942 9.6%
1970 73,900 5.7%
1980 90,146 22.0%
1990 107,924 19.7%
2000 133,798 24.0%
2010 168,148 25.7%
U.S. Decennial Census[4]
1790–1960[5] 1900–1990[6]
1990–2000[7] 2010–2020[1]

2020 census[]

Pitt County racial composition[8]
Race Number Percentage
White (non-Hispanic) 86,837 51.01%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic) 59,813 35.13%
Native American 494 0.29%
Asian 3,056 1.8%
Pacific Islander 94 0.06%
Other/Mixed 6,981 4.1%
Hispanic or Latino 12,968 7.62%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 170,243 people, 70,926 households, and 41,427 families residing in the county.

2000 census[]

As of the census[9] of 2000, there were 133,798 people, 52,539 households, and 32,258 families residing in the county. The population density was 205 people per square mile (79/km2). There were 58,408 housing units at an average density of 90 per square mile (35/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 62.08% White, 33.65% Black or African American, 0.27% Native American, 1.08% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 1.80% from other races, and 1.09% from two or more races. 3.15% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 52,539 households, out of which 29.90% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.40% were married couples living together, 14.40% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.60% were non-families. 28.30% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.30% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.43 and the average family size was 3.02.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 23.60% under the age of 18, 17.50% from 18 to 24, 29.90% from 25 to 44, 19.40% from 45 to 64, and 9.60% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females there were 90.20 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.40 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $32,868, and the median income for a family was $43,971. Males had a median income of $31,962 versus $25,290 for females. The per capita income for the county was $18,243. About 13.50% of families and 20.30% of the population were below the poverty line, including 21.60% of those under age 18 and 20.20% of those age 65 or over.

As of the census of 2010, there were 168,148 people residing in Pitt County, a 25.7% increase since 2000. Females made up 52.8% of the population. Caucasians make up 58.9% of the population, followed by African-Americans at 34.1%, Asian persons at 1.6%, American Indian or Alaskan at 0.3%, Hispanic at 5.5%, and Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander at 0.1%. From the period of 2005 to 2009, the number of foreign-born people living in the county was at 4%.

The high school graduation rate in the county among citizens over the age of twenty-five from 2005 to 2009 was steady at 85%, while the percentage of those aged twenty-five and up with a bachelor's degree in the county was only 28.7% in the county during the same period of time.

In 2009, the median household income in Pitt County was $36,339, over $7,000 less than the North Carolina number and about 25.5% of Pitt County residents were at or below the poverty level. The per capita money income, in terms of 2009 dollars, in the past twelve months from 2005 to 2009 in Pitt County was $21,622, about $3,000 less than the North Carolina average.


Communities[]

Map of Pitt County North Carolina With Municipal and Township Labels

Map of Pitt County, North Carolina With Municipal and Township Labels

Cities[]

Towns[]

  • Ayden
  • Bethel
  • Falkland
  • Farmville
  • Fountain
  • Grifton
  • Grimesland
  • Simpson
  • Winterville

Census-designated places[]

  • Bell Arthur
  • Belvoir
  • Stokes

Unincorporated communities[]

  • Bell's Fork
  • Black Jack
  • Chicod
  • House
  • Pactolus

Townships[]

  • Arthur
  • Ayden
  • Belvoir
  • Bethel
  • Black Jack
  • Carolina (Stokes)
  • Chicod
  • Falkland
  • Farmville
  • Fountain
  • Greenville
  • Grifton
  • Grimesland
  • Pactolus
  • Simpson
  • Swift Creek
  • Winterville

Politics, law and government[]

In the early twentieth century Pitt was a typical Democratic "Solid South" county, where there were large numbers of disenfranchised blacks and the small white electorate voted overwhelming majorities for the Democratic Party. Pitt voted for the Democratic Party in every election from at least 1876 until American Independent candidate George Wallace gained a plurality in 1968. Apart from Richard Nixon's overwhelming victory over George McGovern in 1972, Pitt has since been a closely contested swing county, with no major party candidate post-McGovern falling under forty percent. After 1976, when Jimmy Carter carried it, and aside from a victory in 1992 by Bill Clinton, Pitt County tended to vote for Republicans until 2008. Since 2008 it has voted for the Democratic Party.

United States presidential election results for Pitt County, North Carolina[10]
Year Republican Democratic Third party
No.  % No.  % No.  %
2020 38,982 44.51% 47,252 53.96% 1,339 1.53%
2016 35,691 44.32% 41,824 51.94% 3,012 3.74%
2012 36,214 45.92% 41,843 53.06% 799 1.01%
2008 33,927 45.31% 40,501 54.08% 456 0.61%
2004 28,590 53.30% 24,924 46.46% 129 0.24%
2000 23,192 53.84% 19,685 45.70% 198 0.46%
1996 18,227 47.95% 17,555 46.18% 2,229 5.86%
1992 16,609 41.63% 17,959 45.02% 5,327 13.35%
1988 18,245 55.08% 14,777 44.61% 105 0.32%
1984 18,983 58.36% 13,481 41.45% 62 0.19%
1980 12,816 48.60% 12,590 47.74% 965 3.66%
1976 9,532 44.78% 11,636 54.66% 120 0.56%
1972 14,406 70.41% 5,858 28.63% 195 0.95%
1968 5,745 25.41% 7,696 34.04% 9,167 40.55%
1964 5,149 31.27% 11,317 68.73% 0 0.00%
1960 3,458 21.63% 12,526 78.37% 0 0.00%
1956 2,515 17.48% 11,873 82.52% 0 0.00%
1952 2,203 16.35% 11,271 83.65% 0 0.00%
1948 602 6.32% 8,519 89.47% 401 4.21%
1944 495 5.47% 8,556 94.53% 0 0.00%
1940 369 3.54% 10,067 96.46% 0 0.00%
1936 325 3.29% 9,539 96.71% 0 0.00%
1932 255 3.19% 7,724 96.55% 21 0.26%
1928 1,395 23.09% 4,646 76.91% 0 0.00%
1924 512 13.60% 3,197 84.91% 56 1.49%
1920 864 17.08% 4,196 82.92% 0 0.00%
1916 719 20.21% 2,839 79.79% 0 0.00%
1912 347 11.24% 2,303 74.63% 436 14.13%
1908 890 26.87% 2,419 73.04% 3 0.09%
1904 429 15.46% 2,329 83.93% 17 0.61%
1900 2,156 39.52% 3,264 59.82% 36 0.66%
1896 2,390 42.82% 3,181 56.99% 11 0.20%
1892 1,221 25.99% 2,052 43.68% 1,425 30.33%
1888 2,358 47.21% 2,569 51.43% 68 1.36%
1884 2,283 48.46% 2,428 51.54% 0 0.00%
1880 1,815 44.37% 2,200 53.78% 76 1.86%



Pitt County is a member of the Mid-East Commission regional council of governments.

Pitt County is represented by Kandie Smith, Chris Humphrey, and Brian Farkas in the North Carolina House of Representatives and Donald G. Davis in the North Carolina Senate.

Education[]

Private[]

Private schools in Pitt County include:[11]

  • Brookhaven SDA School
  • Calvary Christian Academy
  • Children's Montessori School
  • Christ Covenant School
  • Community Christian Academy
  • Faith Christian Academy
  • Greenville Christian Academy
  • Greenville Montessori School
  • John Paul II Catholic HS
  • The Oakwood School
  • Roseleaf Academy
  • Saint Peter Catholic School
  • Trinity Christian School

Public[]

Public schools in Pitt County are managed by Pitt County Schools.[12]

Elementary schools[]

  • Ayden Elementary School
  • Belvoir Elementary School
  • Creekside Elementary School
  • Eastern Elementary School
  • Elmhurst Elementary School
  • Falkland Elementary School
  • H. B. Sugg School (K–2)
  • Lake Forest Elementary School
  • Northwest Elementary School
  • Ridgewood Elementary School
  • Sam D. Bundy School (3–5)
  • South Greenville Elementary School
  • W. H. Robinson Elementary School
  • Wahl-Coates Elementary School
  • Wintergreen Intermediate School (3–5)
  • Wintergreen Primary School (K–2)

K–8 schools[]

  • Bethel School
  • Chicod School
  • G. R. Whitfield School
  • Grifton School
  • Pactolus School
  • Stokes School

Middle schools[]

  • A. G. Cox Middle School
  • Ayden Middle School
  • C. M. Eppes Middle School
  • E. B. Aycock Middle School
  • Farmville Middle School
  • Hope Middle School
  • Wellcome Middle School

High schools[]

  • Ayden-Grifton High School
  • D. H. Conley High School
  • Farmville Central High School
  • J. H. Rose High School
  • North Pitt High School
  • South Central High School

Alternative schools[]

  • Pitt County Schools Early College High School

Post-secondary schools[]

  • East Carolina University
  • Pitt Community College
  • Miller-Motte Technical College

Transportation[]

Major highways[]

  • US 13 US 13
  • US 258 US 258
  • US 264 US 264
  • Alt plate
    US 64 US 64 Alt.
  • No imageAlt plateNo image
    US 264 US 264 Alt.
  • NC 11 NC 11
  • NC 30 NC 30
  • NC 33 NC 33
  • NC 43 NC 43
  • NC 102 NC 102
  • NC 118 NC 118
  • NC 121 NC 121
  • NC 222 NC 222
  • NC 903 NC 903

Airport[]

American Airlines (Piedmont Airlines) serves the Pitt-Greenville Airport daily with connecting flights to Charlotte Douglas International Airport.

See also[]

  • National Register of Historic Places listings in Pitt County, North Carolina

References[]

Further reading[]

  • Kahrl, Andrew W., "The 'Negro Park' Question: Land, Labor, and Leisure in Pitt County, North Carolina, 1920–1930," Journal of Southern History (Feb. 2013) 79#1 pp 113–42.

External links[]

Coordinates: 35°35′N 77°23′W / 35.59, -77.38

This page uses content from the English language Wikipedia. The original content was at Pitt County, North Carolina. The list of authors can be seen in the page history. As with this Familypedia wiki, the content of Wikipedia is available under the Creative Commons License.
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