Bertie County ( , with both syllables stressed) is a

county A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposes Chambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...

located in the northeast area of the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sove ...

North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and ...

. As of the 2020 census, the population was 17,934. Its

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US st ...

Windsor Windsor may refer to: Places Australia * Windsor, New South Wales ** Municipality of Windsor, a former local government area * Windsor, Queensland, a suburb of Brisbane, Queensland **Shire of Windsor, a former local government authority around Wi ...

. The county was created in 1722 as Bertie Precinct and gained county status in 1739. The Sans Souci Ferry, providing access across the Cashie River, is the county's only ferry.

History

The county was formed as Bertie Precinct in 1722 from the part of Chowan Precinct of

Albemarle County Albemarle County is a county located in the Piedmont region of the Commonwealth of Virginia. Its county seat is Charlottesville, which is an independent city and enclave entirely surrounded by the county. Albemarle County is part of the Char ...

lying west of the

Chowan River The Chowan River (cho-WAHHN)
, from the North Carolina Collection's website at the

James Bertie James Bertie (13 March 1674 – 18 October 1735) of Stanwell and Westminster, Middlesex, was a British Tory politician who sat in the English and British House of Commons for 34 years between 1695 and 1734. Early life and marriage Bertie was bor ...

, his brother Henry Bertie, or perhaps both, each having been one of the Lords Proprietors of Carolina. In 1729 parts of Bertie Precinct, Chowan Precinct, Currituck Precinct, and Pasquotank Precinct of Albemarle County were combined to form Tyrrell Precinct. With the abolition of Albemarle County in 1739, all of its constituent precincts became separate counties. As population of settlers increased, in 1741 parts of Bertie County were organized as Edgecombe County and Northampton County. Finally, in 1759 parts of Bertie, Chowan, and Northampton counties were combined to form Hertford County. Bertie's boundaries have remained the same since then. This mostly rural county depended on the agricultural economy well into the 20th century. In the colonial and antebellum eras, tobacco and cotton were the chief commodity crops, worked by African slaves. After the Civil War, agriculture continued to be important to the county. In the 21st century, developers have referred to it as being within the

Inner Banks The Inner Banks is a neologism made up by developers and tourism promoters to describe the inland coastal region of eastern North Carolina. Without historical precedent, the term "Inner Banks" is an early 21st-century construct that is part of a ...

region, which is increasingly attracting retirees and buyers of second homes, because of its beaches and landscapes.

Geography

According to the

U.S. Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...

, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (5.7%) is water.

National protected area

Roanoke River National Wildlife Refuge Roanoke River National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1989 to protect and enhance wooded wetlands consisting of bottomland hardwoods and swamps with high waterfowl value along the Roanoke River. The extensive bottomland hardwood habitat of the ...

State and local protected areas/sites

* Bertie County Game Land * Historic Hope Plantation * Jamesville Wildlife Preserve * Lewiston Woodville Preserve * Salmon Creek State Natural Area

Major water bodies

Albemarle Sound Albemarle Sound () is a large estuary on the coast of North Carolina in the United States located at the confluence of a group of rivers, including the Chowan and Roanoke. It is separated from the Atlantic Ocean by the Currituck Banks, a bar ...

* Beaverdam Swamp * Cashie River *

Chowan River The Chowan River (cho-WAHHN)
, from the North Carolina Collection's website at the

Chinkapin Swamp * Cucklemaker Creek * Cypress Swamp * Falt Swamp Creek * Hoggard Mill Creek * Loosing Swamp * Middle River * Quioccosin Creek *

Roanoke River The Roanoke River ( ) runs long through southern Virginia and northeastern North Carolina in the United States. A major river of the southeastern United States, it drains a largely rural area of the coastal plain from the eastern edge of the Ap ...

* Stoney Creek * Wahton Swamp * Wildcat Swamp

Adjacent counties

* Hertford County - north * Chowan County - east * Washington County - southeast * Martin County - south * Halifax County - west * Northampton County - northwest

Major highways

* (Concurrency with US 17) * * * * * * * * * * *

Major infrastructure

* Sans Souci Ferry, River ferry across the Cashie River.

Demographics

2020 census

As of the

2020 United States census The United States census of 2020 was the twenty-fourth decennial United States census. Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2020. Other than a pilot study during the 2000 census, this was the first U.S. census to of ...

, there were 17,934 people, 7,909 households, and 4,733 families residing in the county.

2010 census

As of the

2010 United States Census The United States census of 2010 was the twenty-third United States national census. National Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2010. The census was taken via mail-in citizen self-reporting, with enumerators servi ...

, there were 21,282 people living in the county. 62.5% were Black or African American, 35.2%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White o ...

, 0.5% Asian, 0.5% Native American, 0.5% of some other race and 0.9% of two or more races. 1.3% were

Hispanic or Latino ''Hispanic'' and '' Latino'' are ethnonyms used to refer collectively to the inhabitants of the United States who are of Spanish or Latin American ancestry (). While the terms are sometimes used interchangeably, for example, by the United States ...

(of any race).

2000 census

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses in ...

of 2000, there were 19,773 people, 7,743 households, and 5,427 families living in the county. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical ...

was 28 people per square mile (11/km²). There were 9,050 housing units at an average density of 13 per square mile (5/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 62.34%

Black Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white ...

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 36.30%

, 0.44% Native American, 0.11% Asian, 0.01%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...

, 0.33% from

other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...

, 0.48% from two or more races. 0.99% of the population were

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties forme ...

Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...

of any race. There were 7,743 households, out of which 29.70% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.00% were married couples living together, 20.10% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.90% were non-families. 27.00% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.10% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.53 and the average family size was 3.07. In the county, the population was spread out, with 26.10% under the age of 18, 7.70% from 18 to 24, 26.40% from 25 to 44, 23.80% from 45 to 64, and 16.00% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 87.60 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.00 males. The median income for a household in the county was $25,177, and the median income for a family was $30,186. Males had a median income of $26,866 versus $18,318 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the county was $14,096. About 19.30% of families and 26% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...

, including 30.70% of those under age 18 and 28.30% of those age 65 or over.

Government and politics

Bertie County is a member of the Mid-East Commission regional council of governments. The County Sheriff is the chief law enforcement officer.

Education

Schools in Bertie county include

Bertie High School Bertie High School a public high school located in Windsor, North Carolina, United States. It is one of three high schools in the Bertie County Schools system in Bertie County. Bertie High School's enrollment as of 2015 is 945 students. The st ...

, Lawrence Academy, and Bethel Assembly Christian Academy. The

North Carolina Department of Public Instruction North is one of the four compass points or cardinal directions. It is the opposite of south and is perpendicular to east and west. ''North'' is a noun, adjective, or adverb indicating direction or geography. Etymology The word ''north'' i ...

rated the county school system as "low-performing" for the 2021–2022 school year.

Communities

Towns

* Askewville * Aulander * Colerain * Kelford * Lewiston Woodville * Powellsville * Roxobel *

(county seat and largest town)

Townships

* Colerain * Indian Woods * Merry Hill * Mitchells * Roxobel *

Snakebite A snakebite is an injury caused by the bite of a snake, especially a venomous snake. A common sign of a bite from a venomous snake is the presence of two puncture wounds from the animal's fangs. Sometimes venom injection from the bite may occu ...

* Whites * Windsor * Woodville

Unincorporated communities

* Baker Town * Buena Vista * Elm Grove * Gatlinsville * Greens Cross * Hexlena * Merry Hill * Perrytown * Pine Ridge * Rosemead * Sans Souci * Spring Branch * Todds Cross * Trap, Woodard * Whites Cross

Population ranking

The population ranking of the following table is based on 2022 estimate of Bertie County. † ''county seat''

References

External links

*
Historic Hope Plantation
* —a documentary film about an education project in Bertie County *
Raising Bertie
' on IMDb—a documentary film about education in Bertie County {{authority control 1739 establishments in North Carolina Populated places established in 1739 Black Belt (U.S. region) Majority-minority counties in North Carolina

History

Geography

National protected area

State and local protected areas/sites

Major water bodies

Adjacent counties

Major highways

Major infrastructure

Demographics

2020 census

2010 census

2000 census

Government and politics

Education

Communities

Towns

Townships

Unincorporated communities

Population ranking

See also

References

External links