East Spencer is a town in Rowan 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 1,534 at the 2010 census. Originally called "Southern City" because of significance of the railway to the area, it was incorporated in 1901 as East Spencer. It was named for the

Spencer shops Southern Railway's Spencer Shops was once a major steam locomotive repair facility between Atlanta and Washington, D.C. in Spencer, North Carolina.

that opened in the area in 1896.

Geography

East Spencer is located at (35.682780, -80.431271). East Spencer is adjacent to and south of the town of

Spencer, North Carolina Spencer is a town in Rowan County, North Carolina, United States, incorporated in 1905. As of the 2010 census, the town population was 3,267. History The town was named for Samuel Spencer, first president of the Southern Railway, who is credi ...

. The Southern Railway tracks separate the two towns. 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 has a total area of , all land.

Government

The town of East Spencer is governed by a mayor and six board of alderman members. The mayor serves a two-year term and the board members serve staggered four-year terms. The board of alderman selects a town administrator, who conducts the business of the Town, supervise staff, manages finances, prepares meetings and assists the town as needed. A post office was first established in East Spencer on February 12, 1919 with William J. Hatley as postmaster.

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 1,567 people, 527 households, and 287 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 1,755 people, 697 households, and 450 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 1,115.3 people per square mile (431.6/km²). There were 796 housing units at an average density of 505.8 per square mile (195.8/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 11.79%

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 ...

, 85.81%

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 ...

, 0.17% Native American, 0.06%

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 ...

, 0.06%

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, 0.91% 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 1.20% 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 2.74% of the population. There were 697 households, out of which 35.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 25.1% 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, 34.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.4% were non-families. 32.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.52 and the average family size was 3.18. In the town, the population was spread out, with 33.8% under the age of 18, 8.7% from 18 to 24, 25.5% from 25 to 44, 20.2% from 45 to 64, and 11.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females, there were 80.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 73.8 males. The median income for a household in the town was $18,947, and the median income for a family was $22,222. Males had a median income of $23,203 versus $21,801 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 $10,180. About 32.2% of families and 35.8% 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 47.4% of those under age 18 and 27.5% of those age 65 or over.

Schools

* East Spencer Negro School: The East Spencer Negro School was established in East Spencer in 1900. It was originally a one room school with a major expansion in 1921 to include an 11-classroom building with an auditorium, library, office lunchroom and basement. In 1958, it was renamed Dunbar High School, named for the poet Paul Laurence Dunbar (1872-1906) from Kentucky. The school was renamed North Rowan Middle School in the 1960s when it was integrated. In the 1990s, it ceased to become a school and was renamed the Paul Laurence Community Center. It continued to be owned by the school system until 2006 when it was sold. The building was destroyed by fire in 2015. * Essie Mae Kiser Foxx Charter School: This charter school was named for a prominent community leader in East Spencer. It opened in August 2018 as a free, community-centric public school of choice with grades kindergarten through four and plans to add a grade each year until grades kindergarten through eighth grade are included. The enrollment is 150 students.

Churches

The following religious organizations are located in East Spencer: * East Spencer Baptist Church * Faith Temple Triumphant Ministries, Inc. * Long Street Methodist-Episcopal Church * North Carolina-Virginia Primitive Baptist State Convention Worship and Conference Center * Shady Grove Baptist Church * Solid Rock Baptist Church * Southern City AME Zion Church * The Guiding Light Baptist Association * Word of God Street Ministry

Notable people

* Bobby Jackson (1973 ),

NBA The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United St ...

guardBobby Jackson - The Draft Review
Retrieved 2018-07-28. *

Carl Torbush Carl William Torbush Jr. (born October 11, 1951) is former American football and baseball coach. He served as the head football coach at Louisiana Tech University in 1987, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill from 1997 to 2000, and Ea ...

American football American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team with ...

coach * Javon Hargrave, American football player *Essie Mae (Kiser) Foxx (1932-2016), East Spencer community leader