La Grange is a
town
A town is a type of a human settlement, generally larger than a village but smaller than a city.
The criteria for distinguishing a town vary globally, often depending on factors such as population size, economic character, administrative stat ...
in
, United States. The population was 2,595 based on the
2020 census. La Grange is located in
North Carolina
North Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, South Carolina to the south, Georgia (U.S. stat ...
's
Inner Banks region.
Geography
According to the
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...
, the town has a total area of , of which is land and 0.44% is water.
History
La Grange was named for the
French estate of the
Marquis de Lafayette
Marie-Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert du Motier de La Fayette, Marquis de La Fayette (; 6 September 1757 – 20 May 1834), known in the United States as Lafayette (), was a French military officer and politician who volunteered to join the Conti ...
, the
Château de la Grange-Bléneau. The
Herring House,
La Grange Presbyterian Church, and
La Grange Historic District are listed on the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...
.
Demographics
2020 census
As of the
2020 United States census, there were 2,595 people, 1,133 households, and 732 families residing in the town.
2000 census
As of the
census
A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...
of 2000, there were 2,844 people, 1,211 households, and 768 families residing in the town. The population density was . There were 1,330 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 42.86%
White
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...
, 55.03%
African American
African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...
, 0.35%
Asian, 0.04%
Pacific Islander
Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, 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 th ...
, 0.91% from
other races, and 0.81% from two or more races.
Hispanic
The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...
or
Latino of any race were 1.30% of the population.
There were 1,211 households, out of which 27.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.5% were
married couples
Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...
living together, 19.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.5% were non-families. 33.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.35 and the average family size was 3.00.
In the town, the population was spread out, with 23.6% under the age of 18, 8.2% from 18 to 24, 27.7% from 25 to 44, 24.8% from 45 to 64, and 15.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 82.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 76.3 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $28,304, and the median income for a family was $38,068. Males had a median income of $26,581 versus $20,212 for females. The
per capita income
Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year.
In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...
for the town was $14,436. About 14.4% of families and 19.0% 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 24.6% of those under age 18 and 15.0% of those age 65 or over.
Education
Schools
La Grange is served by three
Public schools which are operated by the Lenoir County Public School system. They include
North Lenoir High School, E.B. Frink Middle School and La Grange Elementary School. Higher education is provided through a local branch of
Lenoir Community College.
The community was home to La Grange Colored High School. Emmett Bentley Frink was its principal.
Library
The Neuse Regional Library system is headquartered in
Kinston and operates a branch in La Grange.
Transportation
Passenger
*Air: La Grange is served by the nearby
Kinston Regional Jetport .
Raleigh-Durham International Airport (code RDU) is the closest major airport, with service to more than 45 domestic and international destinations.
*
I-42 is the closest
Interstate Highway
The Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways, commonly known as the Interstate Highway System, or the Eisenhower Interstate System, is a network of controlled-access highways that forms part of the National Hi ...
to La Grange and is located 3 miles east of the town.
*The closest
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, Trade name, doing business as Amtrak (; ), is the national Passenger train, passenger railroad company of the United States. It operates intercity rail service in 46 of the 48 contiguous United Stat ...
station is located in
Selma.
Roads
*The main highway in La Grange is
US 70, which offers access to the North Carolina coast and
I-95
Interstate 95 (I-95) is the main north–south Interstate Highway on the East Coast of the United States, running from U.S. Route 1 (US 1) in Miami, Florida, north to the Houlton–Woodstock Border Crossing between Maine and the ...
.
*
NC 903 is the other highway that runs through the town.
Local events
The Garden Spot Festival is a yearly event that is held from September 7–9. The event includes live bands, food, and artistic performances.
Notable people
*
The Corsairs,
Doo-wop
Doo-wop (also spelled doowop and doo wop) is a subgenre of rhythm and blues music that originated in African-American communities during the 1940s, mainly in the large cities of the United States, including New York, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, ...
quartet consisting of brothers Jay "Bird," James and Moses Uzzell with cousin George Wooten
*
Frank Lucas, famous drug lord and subject of a 2007 motion picture ''
American Gangster''
*
Sam Shepherd, Venezuelan Olympic basketball player
References
External links
Town of La Grange official Website
{{Authority control
Towns in Lenoir County, North Carolina
Towns in North Carolina