Valdese is a town in Burke County,

North Carolina North Carolina () is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the List of U.S. states and territories by area, 28th largest and List of states and territories of the United ...

, United States. The population was 4,689 at the 2020 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 Mex ...

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 as a city or tow ...

. One of the largest Waldensian congregations in the United States was founded in the town in the late nineteenth century, now known as the

Waldensian Presbyterian Church Waldensian Presbyterian Church is a historic Waldensian church at 104 East Main Street in Valdese, Burke County, North Carolina. History In 1893, twenty-nine Waldenses from the Cottian Alps of Italy arrived in Burke County, North Carolina, t ...

. The town was settled by immigrants from the Cottian Alps in the

Piedmont it, Piemontese , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = , demographics1_footnotes = , demographics1_title1 = , demographics1_info1 = , demographics1_title2 ...

region of

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...

History

Settled in 1893 by a group of

Waldensians The Waldensians (also known as Waldenses (), Vallenses, Valdesi or Vaudois) are adherents of a church tradition that began as an ascetic movement within Western Christianity before the Reformation. Originally known as the "Poor Men of Lyon" in ...

from Northern Italy, the town was incorporated in 1920. In addition to Waldensian Presbyterian Church, the

Jean-Pierre Auguste Dalmas House Jean-Pierre Auguste Dalmas House is a historic home located in Valdese, Burke County, North Carolina. It was built between 1929 and 1948, and is a 3-story, banked frame dwelling with a river rock and fieldstone Fieldstone is a naturally oc ...

and Valdese Elementary School are listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

. '' The Valdese News'', a newspaper serving Burke County, was published there from 1938 through 1950.

Geography

Valdese is located in eastern Burke County at (35.743270, -81.558662). It is bordered to the east by the town of Rutherford College. The Valdese town limits extend north to

Rhodhiss Lake Rhodhiss is a town in Caldwell and Burke counties in the U.S. state of North Carolina. The population was 1,070 at the 2010 census, up from 366 in 2000. It is part of the Hickory– Lenoir– Morganton Metropolitan Statistical Area. His ...

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 ...

, then follow the land along the southern side of the lake for to the west. U.S. Route 70 passes through the town as Main Street, leading west to the center of Morganton, the county seat, and east to

Interstate 40 Interstate 40 (I-40) is a major east–west Interstate Highway running through the south-central portion of the United States. At a length of , it is the third-longest Interstate Highway in the country, after I-90 and I-80. From west to ea ...

runs along the southern border of the town, providing access from exits 111 and 112. 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 th ...

, the town has a total area of , of which , or 0.17%, 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 off ...

, there were 4,689 people, 1,545 households, and 1,104 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 inc ...

of 2000, there were 4,485 people, 1,886 households, and 1,180 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 RosenberPopu ...

was 823.8 people per square mile (318.3/km²). There were 1,992 housing units at an average density of 365.9 per square mile (141.4/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 91.53%

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 ...

, 1.05%

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 ...

, 0.22% Native American, 3.99% Asian, 0.07%

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 ...

, 2.25% from other races, and 0.89% from two or more races.

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 for ...

or Latino of any race were 4.91% of the population. There were 1,886 households, out of which 28.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.5% 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 ...

living together, 12.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.4% were non-families. 33.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.29 and the average family size was 2.90. In the town, the population was spread out, with 23.5% under the age of 18, 7.0% from 18 to 24, 26.8% from 25 to 44, 22.1% from 45 to 64, and 20.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 83.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 78.6 males. The median income for a household in the town was $30,617, and the median income for a family was $41,411. Males had a median income of $27,482 versus $22,429 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 $18,965. About 8.3% of families and 11.9% 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 ...

, including 15.7% of those under age 18 and 11.5% of those age 65 or over. There is also an Occitan-speaking community.

Notable people

* Hugh Blackwell, member of the

North Carolina House of Representatives The North Carolina House of Representatives is one of the two houses of the North Carolina General Assembly. The House is a 120-member body led by a Speaker of the House The speaker of a deliberative assembly, especially a legislative body, ...

* Bill Cline,

Canadian Football League The Canadian Football League (CFL; french: Ligue canadienne de football—LCF) is a professional sports league in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football. The league consists of nine teams, each located in a c ...

(CFL) player *

Doug Cline Charles Douglas Cline (March 22, 1938 – October 10, 1995) was a professional American football player who played linebacker for seven seasons for the Houston Oilers and the San Diego Chargers of the American Football League The American Fo ...

American Football League The American Football League (AFL) was a major professional American football league that operated for ten seasons from 1960 until 1970, when it merged with the older National Football League (NFL), and became the American Football Conference. ...

(AFL) linebacker for the

Houston Oilers The Houston Oilers were a professional American football team that played in Houston from its founding in 1960 to 1996 before relocating to Memphis, and later Nashville, Tennessee becoming the Tennessee Titans. The Oilers began play in 1960 a ...

and

San Diego Chargers The San Diego Chargers were a professional American football team that played in San Diego from 1961 until the end of the 2016 season, before relocating to Los Angeles, where the franchise had played its inaugural 1960 season. The team is now ...

J. Bazzel Mull Jacob Bazzel Mull ( in Valdese, North Carolina – ) was a Christian minister and religious broadcaster in East Tennessee. Biography Mull was the grandson of Wallace B. Mull, a circuit riding preacher in the 1800s. His parents and siblings h ...

Christian Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι� ...

minister and religious broadcaster in

East Tennessee East Tennessee is one of the three Grand Divisions of Tennessee defined in state law. Geographically and socioculturally distinct, it comprises approximately the eastern third of the U.S. state of Tennessee. East Tennessee consists of 33 count ...

Jerry Summers: J. Bazzell Mull And Mrs. Mull
''TheChattanoogan.com''. Retrieved Jul 24, 2020. * Stanley Pons, electrochemist *

Tyler Shatley Christian Tyler Shatley (born May 5, 1991) is an American football guard for the Jacksonville Jaguars of the National Football League (NFL). He was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Jaguars after the 2014 NFL Draft. He played college foo ...

, NFL offensive guard for the

Jacksonville Jaguars The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida. The Jaguars compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division. The team pla ...

* George Shuffler, bluegrass musician

Sister city

Valdese has one

sister city A sister city or a twin town relationship is a form of legal or social agreement between two geographically and politically distinct localities for the purpose of promoting cultural and commercial ties. While there are early examples of inter ...

, as designated by

Sister Cities International Sister Cities International (SCI) is a nonprofit citizen diplomacy network that creates and strengthens partnerships between communities in the United States and those in other countries, particularly through the establishment of " sister citie ...

: *

Torre Pellice Torre Pellice ( Vivaro-Alpine: ''La Torre de Pèlis'') is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Metropolitan City of Turin in the Italian region Piedmont, located about southwest of Turin. It is crossed by the Pellice river. Torre Pellice is the c ...

, Italy

References

External links

Town website
{{Authority control Waldensianism Italian-American culture in North Carolina Populated places established in 1893 Towns in Burke County, North Carolina North Carolina populated places on the Catawba River