Montgomery County, North Carolina


Montgomery County is a rural county located in the southern Piedmont of the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 25,751. Its county seat is Troy.
WWW montgomery-county.com

History

The first inhabitants of the area eventually comprising Montgomery County were Keyauwee and Cheraw Native Americans. The first European settlers were German and Scottish.
Montgomery County was created in 1779 out of Anson County. It was named in honor of Richard Montgomery, an American Revolutionary War general killed in 1775 while attempting to capture Quebec City, Canada. The law establishing the county also directed a group of commissioners to secure land near the center of the county for the construction of a country courthouse and prison. Many residents were dissatisfied with the location chosen, and after several years of demurring on a decision, a courthouse was erected in the community of Henderson, created at the confluence of the Yadkin and Uwharrie rivers in 1794. In 1816, the old courthouse was sold another was erected at the new community of Laurenceville. In 1841, the portion of Montgomery County west of the Yadkin/Pee Dee River became Stanly County. Two years later, commissioners were selected to move the courthouse to Montgomery's geographic center, and in 1844 Troy was established as the county seat.
The county's first paved roads were established in the 1920s. The Great Depression, which began in 1929, had a large adverse impact on the local agricultural and manufacturing industries. By 1933, 30 percent of local residents were unemployed.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of, of which is land and is water. Montgomery is bordered by Davidson, Moore, Richmond, Randolph, and Stanly counties. Most of the county lies within the Yadkin-Pee Dee River Basin, with some smaller areas lying within the Cape Fear and Lumber River basins. The Uwharrie National Forest encompasses a large swathe of the county.

State and local protected areas/sites

Major water bodies

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, there were 25,751 people, 10,333 households, and 6,788 families residing in the county.
The median age was 44.8 years, with 21.6% of residents under the age of 18 and 21.4% aged 65 or older; for every 100 females there were 100.0 males, and there were 98.7 males for every 100 females age 18 and over.
The racial makeup of the county was 65.7% White, 16.4% Black or African American, 0.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.5% Asian, <0.1% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 10.7% from some other race, and 5.1% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 15.2% of the population.
<0.1% of residents lived in urban areas, while 100.0% lived in rural areas.
There were 10,333 households in the county, of which 27.7% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 47.1% were married-couple households, 19.9% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 27.4% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 29.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
There were 14,773 housing units, of which 30.1% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 74.0% were owner-occupied and 26.0% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.0% and the rental vacancy rate was 5.0%.

2000 census

At the 2000 census, there were 26,822 people, 9,848 households, and 7,189 families residing in the county. The population density was. There were 14,145 housing units at an average density of. The racial makeup of the county was 69.07% White, 21.84% Black or African American, 0.40% Native American, 1.61% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 5.75% from other races, and 1.29% from two or more races. 10.43% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 9,848 households, out of which 31.00% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.60% were married couples living together, 12.40% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.00% were non-families. 24.10% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.70% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.61 and the average family size was 3.080.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 24.90% under the age of 18, 9.00% from 18 to 24, 28.50% from 25 to 44, 23.60% from 45 to 64, and 14.00% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 102.60 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100.60 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $32,903, and the median income for a family was $39,616. Males had a median income of $27,832 versus $21,063 for females. The per capita income for the county was $16,505. About 10.90% of families and 15.40% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.50% of those under age 18 and 17.80% of those age 65 or over.

Law and government

Government

The county's government is led by a board of commissioners, is responsible for levying taxes and appropriating county funds, issuing ordinances to regulate resident behavior, and overseeing county government administration. A county manager oversees most regular administrative activities and is responsible for executing the board's wishes.
Montgomery County is a member of the Piedmont Triad Council of Governments, a regional voluntary association of 12 counties, It is located entirely in the North Carolina Senate's 29th district, the North Carolina House of Representatives' 67th district, and North Carolina's 8th congressional district. It is represented in the 118th United States Congress by Mark Harris.

Politics

As of March 2022, 35.9 percent of registered voters in Montgomery County were Republicans, 34.1 percent were registered Democrats, and 29.4 percent were registered unaffiliated.

Economy

One of the United States' largest lumber mills, a Jordan Lumber & Supply facility, is located near Mt. Gilead.

Transportation

Interstate 73/Interstate 74 runs through the eastern portion of Montgomery County. The main east-to-west road route which crosses the county is North Carolina Highway 27. Freight rail service is run by the Aberdeen, Carolina and Western Railway, which operates an east-to-west line through the county which connects to Charlotte and Raleigh, and another which runs south to the Southern Pines/Pinehurst region. Corporate and private airplane facilities are provided by the Montgomery County Airport, located in the eastern portion of the county.

Major highways

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Education

The public school system provides five elementary schools, two middle schools. Higher education is provided by Montgomery Community College.

Communities

Towns

Townships

Unincorporated communities

Notable people

• Dusty Blake- MLB Pitching Coach

Works cited

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