Pamlico ()
, from the North Carolina Collection's website at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Retrieved 2013-02-05. County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 12,276. Its county seat is Bayboro. Pamlico County is part of the New Bern, NC Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History

The county was formed in 1872 from parts of

Beaufort Beaufort may refer to: People and titles * Beaufort (surname) * House of Beaufort, English nobility * Duke of Beaufort (England), a title in the peerage of England * Duke of Beaufort (France), a title in the French nobility Places Polar regions ...

and

Craven Craven may refer to: * Craven in the Domesday Book, an area of Yorkshire, England, larger area than the district ** Craven District, a local government district of North Yorkshire formed in 1974 Places * Craven, New South Wales, Australia, see ...

counties. It was named for Pamlico Sound, which adjoins it. Vernacular usage in the area, especially in Craven County, refers to Pamlico County as being "down in the county." Prior to 1872, it was a part of Craven County and has a very low elevation. Most of the county, according to FRIS, North Carolina Flood Risk Information System, is subject to flooding in storm surges. After it was separated from Craven, the old nickname survives. Pamlico County remains rural in character and flavor, although the last decade has brought a good deal of residential development, largely the result of northern retirees and investors attracted to the many miles of waterfront property. The county is anchored on the east by the Town of Oriental, a popular waystation for boaters traveling the Intracoastal Waterway, and by unincorporated Lowland. New Bern across the county line in Craven County to the west, is the primary trade area for Pamlico County. The unincorporated community of Olympia is in the western county.

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 (41%) is water.

State and local protected area

* Goose Creek Game Land (part)

Major water bodies

Bay River The Bay River ( tl, Ilog ng Bay), also known as the ''Sapang River'' or the ''San Nicolas River,'' is a river system in Bay, Laguna. It is one of 21 major tributaries of Laguna de Bay and is the more southern of two small rivers that hem the town ...

* Goose Creek * Intracoastal Waterway * Neuse River *

Pamlico River The Pamlico
, from the North Carolina Collection's website at the

Adjacent counties

* Beaufort County - north * Hyde County - northeast *

Carteret County Carteret County is located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 67,686. Its county seat is Beaufort. The county was created in 1722 as Carteret Precinct and gained county status in 1739. It was named for ...

- southeast * Craven County - southwest

Major highways

* * * * *

Major infrastructure

* Cherry Branch - Minnesott Beach Ferry (To Craven County)

Demographics

Census reports show a marked drop of nearly 10 percent in county population from 1910 to 1920, the period of the Great Migration of African Americans from rural areas of the South to northern and midwestern industrial cities offering more economic and social opportunities. Workers were recruited by northern industries, including the Pennsylvania Railroad, which was rapidly expanding at the time.

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 12,276 people, 5,416 households, and 3,589 families residing in the county.

2000 census

As of the census of 2000, there were 12,934 people, 5,178 households, and 3,717 families residing in the county. The population density was 38 people per square mile (15/km²). There were 6,781 housing units at an average density of 20 per square mile (8/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 73.17% White, 24.57% Black or African American, 0.53% Native American, 0.38%

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 ...

, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.59% from other races, and 0.74% from two or more races. 1.32% of the population were Hispanic or

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 5,178 households, out of which 25.20% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.60% 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, 11.50% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.20% were non-families. 25.00% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.10% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.38 and the average family size was 2.81. In the county, the population was spread out, with 21.10% under the age of 18, 6.40% from 18 to 24, 25.80% from 25 to 44, 28.00% from 45 to 64, and 18.80% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females there were 101.40 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.80 males. The median income for a household in the county was $34,084, and the median income for a family was $41,659. Males had a median income of $31,806 versus $21,344 for females. The per capita income for the county was $18,005. About 11.80% of families and 15.30% of the population were below the poverty line, including 24.20% of those under age 18 and 13.40% of those age 65 or over.

Government and politics

Pamlico County is governed by an elected, seven-member Board of Commissioners. The county is a member of the regional

Eastern Carolina Council of Governments Eastern may refer to: Transportation *China Eastern Airlines, a current Chinese airline based in Shanghai *Eastern Air, former name of Zambia Skyways *Eastern Air Lines, a defunct American airline that operated from 1926 to 1991 *Eastern Air Li ...

Communities

Towns

* Alliance * Arapahoe * Bayboro (county seat and largest town) * Grantsboro *

Mesic Mesic may refer to: * Mesic, North Carolina, a town in the United States * Mesic habitat, a type of habitat See also *Mesić (disambiguation) *Mešić Mešić is a Bosnian surname, a patronymic derived from the masculine given name '' Meša'', it ...

* Minnesott Beach *

Oriental The Orient is a term for the East in relation to Europe, traditionally comprising anything belonging to the Eastern world. It is the antonym of ''Occident'', the Western World. In English, it is largely a metonym for, and coterminous with, the ...

Stonewall Stonewall or Stone wall may refer to: * Stone wall, a kind of masonry construction * Stonewalling, engaging in uncooperative or delaying tactics * Stonewall riots, a 1969 turning point for the modern LGBTQ rights movement in Greenwich Village, Ne ...

* Vandemere

Census-designated place

* Hobucken

Unincorporated communities

* Florence * Janerio * Lowland * Maribel * Merritt * Olympia * Reelsboro * Whortonsville

References

External links

Pamlico County government official website

Pamlico County Chamber of Commerce
*

- free genealogy resources for the county
The Pamlico News - The Weekly Newspaper for Pamlico County

The County Compass - Weekly newspaper serving Pamlico County, NC

TownDock.net - News - Views - Web Cams - Weather from Oriental, NC

Official Website of the Town of Oriental
{{authority control 1872 establishments in North Carolina New Bern micropolitan area Populated places established in 1872