Calabash is a small fishing

town A town is a human settlement. Towns are generally larger than villages and smaller than cities, though the criteria to distinguish between them vary considerably in different parts of the world. Origin and use The word "town" shares an ori ...

in Brunswick County,

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 So ...

, United States. The population was 1,786 at the 2010 census, up from 711 in 2000. It prides itself on being known as the "Seafood Capital of the World" because of the town's "Hillbilly grease fried"

seafood Seafood is any form of sea life regarded as food by humans, prominently including fish and shellfish. Shellfish include various species of molluscs (e.g. bivalve molluscs such as clams, oysters and mussels, and cephalopods such as octopus an ...

restaurants. Calabash is part of the

Myrtle Beach metropolitan area The Myrtle Beach metropolitan area (also Myrtle Beach–Conway–North Myrtle Beach MSA) is a census-designated metropolitan statistical area consisting of Horry County in South Carolina and Brunswick County in North Carolina. The wider Myrtle B ...

Geography

Calabash is located in southwestern Brunswick County at (33.892619, -78.566547). Its southwest border is the

South Carolina )''Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no) , anthem = " Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind" , Former = Province of South Carolina , seat = Columbia , LargestCity = Charleston , LargestMetro = ...

state line. It is bordered to the northwest by the town of Carolina Shores, and the town of Sunset Beach lies to the east. The tidal Calabash River flows through the southern part of the town, leading southwest to the

Little River Little River may refer to several places: Australia Streams New South Wales *Little River (Dubbo), source in the Dubbo region, a tributary of the Macquarie River * Little River (Oberon), source in the Oberon Shire, a tributary of Coxs River (Haw ...

in South Carolina, upstream from that river's mouth at Little River Inlet on the Atlantic Ocean. The main road through the town is

North Carolina Highway 179 North Carolina Highway 179 (NC 179) is a primary state highway in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It runs from the South Carolina state line, near Little River, to Shallotte. Route description Though NC 179 begins at the state line, SC 17 ...

(Beach Drive), leading west to

U.S. Route 17 U.S. Route 17 or U.S. Highway 17 (US 17), also known as the Coastal Highway, is a north–south United States Highway that spans in the southeastern United States. It runs close to the Atlantic Coast for much of its length, wit ...

in South Carolina and east by a winding route to

Shallotte Shallotte is a town in Brunswick County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 3,675 at the 2010 census. The Shallotte River passes through the town. History Shallotte was incorporated as a town in 1899. A former Hardee's resta ...

. According to the

United States 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 town of Calabash has a total area of , of which is land and , or 9.27%, is water.

History

Calabash was named after the

gourds Gourds include the fruits of some flowering plant species in the family Cucurbitaceae, particularly ''Cucurbita'' and ''Lagenaria''. The term refers to a number of species and subspecies, many with hard shells, and some without. One of the earli ...

that grew in the region, which were used for drinking well water. Since the 1930s, Calabash has been known for its distinctive style of fried seafood, which has come to be known as "Calabash Style." Calabash style buffets are common in many eastern Carolina coastal towns.

Myrtle Beach, South Carolina Myrtle Beach is a resort city on the east coast of the United States in Horry County, South Carolina. It is located in the center of a long and continuous stretch of beach known as "The Grand Strand" in the northeastern part of the state. Its y ...

, is home to a large number of these restaurants, as the city is just from Calabash. In 1998, a large portion of the town of Calabash split to form the town of Carolina Shores. The split came as the result of years of bickering over "sewer, garbage collection and sign restrictions". The town limits of Carolina Shores currently interlock with those of Calabash. The present Town Hall is located at 882 Persimmon Road SW. The town's emergency services serve the communities of Calabash, Sunset Beach, and Carolina Shores.

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 2,011 people, 812 households, and 415 families residing in the town.

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 incl ...

of 2000, there were 711 people, 377 households, and 232 families residing in the town. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: 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 term.Matt RosenberPopul ...

was 501.5 people per square mile (193.3/km²). There were 508 housing units at an average density of 358.3 per square mile (138.1/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 93.25%

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 on ...

, 3.66%

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 ...

, 0.14%

Asian Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...

, 2.25% 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 ...

, and 0.70% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, 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 Vic ...

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 were 3.66% of the population. There were 377 households, out of which 11.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.5% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...

living together, 6.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.2% were non-traditional families (needs definition). 34.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.89 and the average family size was 2.32. In the town, the population was spread out, with 9.7% under the age of 18, 4.5% from 18 to 24, 19.4% from 25 to 44, 29.7% from 45 to 64, and 36.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 58 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.5 males. The median income for a household in the town was $32,946, and the median income for a family was $38,403. Males had a median income of $27,202 versus $25,368 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 town was $22,975. About 5.4% of families and 9.3% 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 11.8% of those under age 18 and 1.3% of those age 65 or over.

References

External links

*
Town of Calabash official website

Calabash Fire Department
{{authority control Towns in North Carolina Towns in Brunswick County, North Carolina Cape Fear (region)