Granite Falls is a town in Caldwell 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 4,722 at the 2010 census. It is part of the

Hickory Hickory is a common name for trees composing the genus ''Carya'', which includes around 18 species. Five or six species are native to China, Indochina, and India (Assam), as many as twelve are native to the United States, four are found in Mexi ...

–

Lenoir Lenoir may refer to: Locations: * Lenoir, North Carolina, United States * Lenoir County, North Carolina, United States * Lenoir City, Tennessee In Universities: * Lenoir-Rhyne University * Lenoir Dining Hall, a dining hall at the University of N ...

– Morganton

Metropolitan Statistical Area In the United States, a metropolitan statistical area (MSA) is a geographical region with a relatively high population density at its core and close economic ties throughout the area. Such regions are neither legally Incorporated town, incorporate ...

History

The name Granite Falls comes from the waters that splash over the granite boulders spanning Gunpowder Creek. In 1791, pioneer Andrew Baird saw that he could operate an iron works beside Gunpowder Creek, and in doing so, became owner of all the land now occupied by the Town of Granite Falls. The community would start to form from that point. Granite Falls was incorporated as a town in 1899. Before its incorporation, Granite Falls went by many other names such as Baird's Forge, Catawba View, Lovelady, and Granite.

Geography

Granite Falls is located near the southern border of Caldwell County at (35.800345, -81.432929). It is bordered to the south by the town of Rhodhiss, to the southwest by Rhodhiss Lake on the

Catawba River The Catawba River originates in Western North Carolina and flows into South Carolina, where it later becomes known as the Wateree River. The river is approximately 220 miles (350 km) long. It rises in the Appalachian Mountains and drains into ...

(Lake Hickory), and to the west by the town of

Sawmills A sawmill (saw mill, saw-mill) or lumber mill is a facility where logs are cut into lumber. Modern sawmills use a motorized saw to cut logs lengthwise to make long pieces, and crosswise to length depending on standard or custom sizes (dimensi ...

. The center of town is located on a ridge between the Catawba River to the west and Gunpowder Creek, a tributary of the Catawba, to the east. U.S. Route 321 (Hickory Boulevard) is a four-lane highway that passes through the eastern side of town; it leads southeast to the center of

and northwest to

, the Caldwell County seat. US 321 Alternate runs through the center of Granite Falls as North and South Main Street. 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 , of which is land and , or 0.84%, is water.

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 4,965 people, 1,799 households, and 1,344 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 4,612 people, 1,758 households, and 1,211 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 1,080.4 people per square mile (417.0/km²). There were 1,849 housing units at an average density of 433.1 per square mile (167.2/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 92.06%

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 ...

, 2.34%

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, 0.39%

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 ...

, 0.07%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe the original p ...

, 3.95% 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 1.02% 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 6.07% of the population. There were 1,758 households, out of which 33.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.3% 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, 12.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.1% were non-families. 25.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.8% 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 3.01. In the town, the population was spread out, with 24.4% under the age of 18, 8.8% from 18 to 24, 31.1% from 25 to 44, 20.7% from 45 to 64, and 15.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.9 males. The median income for a household in the town was $38,596, and the median income for a family was $47,064. Males had a median income of $28,309 versus $21,374 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 $17,750. About 5.7% of families and 8.2% 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 10.6% of those under age 18 and 9.7% of those age 65 or over. 92% of larceny calls to police in Granite Falls are related to the local Walmart.

Education

High school

South Caldwell High School South Caldwell High School (SCHS) is a public high school in Hudson, North Carolina. It is part of the Caldwell County Schools district. History The construction of South Caldwell High School was completed on August 25, 1977. SCHS is located on a ...

(

Hudson Hudson may refer to: People * Hudson (given name) * Hudson (surname) * Henry Hudson, English explorer * Hudson (footballer, born 1986), Hudson Fernando Tobias de Carvalho, Brazilian football right-back * Hudson (footballer, born 1988), Hudso ...

address)

Middle school

*Granite Falls Middle School

Elementary schools

*Baton Elementary School *Dudley Shoals Elementary School *Granite Falls Elementary School *Sawmills Elementary School

Alternative school

*Gateway School (grades 6–12)

Media

Kicks 103.3
Kicks 103.3, local radio station
WJRI
News Talk 1340 WJRI, local radio station
WKGX
AM 1080 WKGX, local radio station * WYCV AM 900, local radio station

Notable people

Madison Bumgarner Madison Kyle Bumgarner (born August 1, 1989), commonly known by his nickname, "MadBum", is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Arizona Diamondbacks of Major League Baseball (MLB). Previously, he pitched for the San Francisco Giants ...

MLB Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...

pitcher, 3x

World Series The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, contested since 1903 between the champion teams of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The winner of the World ...

Champion and 2014

World Series MVP The Willie Mays World Series Most Valuable Player (MVP) Award is given to the Major League Baseball (MLB) player deemed to have the most impact on his team's performance in the World Series, which is the final round of the MLB postseason. The aw ...

Eric Church Kenneth Eric Church (born May 3, 1977) is an American country music singer-songwriter. He has released nine studio albums through Capitol Nashville since 2005. His debut album, 2006's '' Sinners Like Me'', produced three singles on the ''Billboar ...

, country music singer-songwriter *

Linda Combs Linda Morrison Combs (June 29, 1946 - October 19, 2023) is a former U.S. federal government official. She was the Comptroller, Controller of the Office of Management and Budget in the Executive Office of the President at the White House. She had ...

, former U.S. federal government official * Jack Curtis, former MLB player * Cyndee Peters, American-Swedish gospel singer and author *

Edgar V. Starnes Edgar Vance Starnes is a North Carolina politician and an investor in real estate. He served as a Republican member of the North Carolina House of Representatives for a total of approximately 20 years, from 1987 to 1988 and from 1997 through J ...

, politician and

real estate Real estate is property consisting of land and the buildings on it, along with its natural resources such as crops, minerals or water; immovable property of this nature; an interest vested in this (also) an item of real property, (more general ...

investor *

Amy H. Sturgis Amy H. Sturgis (born 1971) is an American author, speaker and scholar of science fiction and fantasy studies and Native American studies. She earned her Ph.D. in intellectual history from Vanderbilt University, served on the advisory board of Myt ...

, author, speaker, and scholar of

science fiction Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel unive ...

fantasy Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction involving Magic (supernatural), magical elements, typically set in a fictional universe and sometimes inspired by mythology and folklore. Its roots are in oral traditions, which then became fantasy ...

studies and Native American studies * Maxie Williams, former NFL playerPro Football Reference. Retrieved July 23, 2018, from https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/W/WillMa26.htm

References

External links

*
Films of Granite Falls, NC, by H. Lee Waters, 1938-1940.
{{Authority control Towns in Caldwell County, North Carolina North Carolina populated places on the Catawba River Year of establishment missing