Stokes County, North Carolina
Stokes County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 44,520. Its county seat is Danbury.
Stokes County is included in the Winston-Salem, NC, Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is also included in the Greensboro–Winston-Salem–High Point, NC, Combined Statistical Area.
History
The county was formed in 1789 from Surry County, and before 1770, it was part of Rowan County. It was named for John Stokes, an American Revolutionary War captain severely wounded when British Colonel Banastre Tarleton's cavalry practically destroyed Col. Abraham Buford's Virginia regiment in the Waxhaws region in 1780. After the war, Captain Stokes was appointed a judge of the United States district court for North Carolina. In 1849 the southern half of Stokes County became Forsyth County.Stokes was most heavily settled from 1750 to 1775. The Great Wagon Road passed through the eastern portion of the county, and this influenced the pattern of European settlement so that most settlers came from the Virginia Piedmont, and some came from further away in Pennsylvania and other colonies.
As North Carolina held their Secession Convention in May 1861, John Hill represented Stokes County. Unfortunately, while attending the convention in Raleigh, Hill had a stroke and died. He is buried in the Old Hill Burying Ground near Germanton.
During the American Civil War, Moratock Iron Furnace located near Danbury served as a foundry for the Confederate Army. It was destroyed in April 1865 when Union cavalry under the command of General George Stoneman conducted extensive raiding through the region.
Hanging Rock State Park was formed primarily from blocks of land donated in 1936 and contained in 2005. Many of the facilities in the park were built by the Civilian Conservation Corps between 1935 and 1942. The park is located atop the Sauratown Mountains, and contains a visitor center, a manmade lake, and plenty of hiking trails, climbing trails, picnic areas, and primitive campgrounds.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of, of which is land and is water.The county lies within the Piedmont region of western North Carolina, and most of the terrain consists of gently rolling countryside. The county is part of Appalachia and the Sauratown Mountains run across the center of the county. The Sauras are named after the Saura Native American tribe which lived in the county before European settlement. A chain of jagged ridges, the Sauratown Mountains are an isolated remnant of the Blue Ridge Mountains far to the west. Although the Sauratown Mountains occupy only 5% of Stokes County, they dominate the scenery from almost any direction, abruptly rising from 800 to above the surrounding terrain. Moore's Knob, the highest point in the chain, rises to. Most of the county is less than above sea level. The Dan River runs from the northwest corner to the southeastern section of Stokes County. Stokes County is home to Hanging Rock State Park and also has the vast majority of Belews Lake.
Climate and weather
The climate in Stokes County can be described as mixed-humid, with the Köppen Climate Classification subtype being Cfa. In the county seat of Danbury an average of 39.73" of rain and 9.0" of snow falls per year. Temperatures normally range between a low of in January to a high of 89 °F in July. Record extremes include: A maximum temperature reading of on August 21, 1983. A minimum temperature reading of on January 21, 1985. A three-day accumulated snowfall record of 34.0" was set during the Blizzard of 1996.State and local protected areas
- East Walnut Cove Community Park
- Hanging Rock State Park
- Hill Farm Game Land
Major water bodies
- Belews Creek
- Belews Lake
- Big Beaver Island Creek
- Big Creek
- Buffalo Creek
- Crooked Creek
- Dan River
- Flat Shoal Creek
- Little Dan River
- Little Neatman Creek
- Little Peters Creek
- Little Yadkin River
- Mill Creek
- Neatman Creek
- Oldfield Creek
- Peters Creek
- Pinch Gut Creek
- Snow Creek
- Vade Mecum Creek
Adjacent counties
- Patrick County, Virginia – north
- Henry County, Virginia – northeast
- Rockingham County – east
- Guilford County – southeast
- Forsyth County – south
- Surry County – west
Major highways
Demographics
2020 census
| Race / Ethnicity | Pop 2000 | Pop 2010 | % 2000 | % 2010 | ||
| White alone | 41,379 | 43,447 | 39,609 | 92.55% | 91.66% | 88.97% |
| Black or African American alone | 2,068 | 1,897 | 1,619 | 4.63% | 4.00% | 3.64% |
| Native American or Alaska Native alone | 105 | 138 | 140 | 0.23% | 0.29% | 0.31% |
| Asian alone | 82 | 125 | 158 | 0.18% | 0.26% | 0.35% |
| Pacific Islander alone | 17 | 7 | 11 | 0.04% | 0.01% | 0.02% |
| Other race alone | 14 | 39 | 77 | 0.03% | 0.08% | 0.17% |
| Mixed race or Multiracial | 210 | 494 | 1,450 | 0.47% | 1.04% | 3.26% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 836 | 1,254 | 1,456 | 1.87% | 2.65% | 3.27% |
| Total | 44,711 | 47,401 | 44,520 | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% |
As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 44,520 people, 18,893 households, and 13,348 families residing in the county. The median age was 47.7 years; 19.0% of residents were under the age of 18 and 22.3% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 95.4 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 93.3 males age 18 and over.
The racial makeup of the county was 89.8% White, 3.7% Black or African American, 0.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% Asian, <0.1% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 1.4% from some other race, and 4.3% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 3.3% of the population.
19.5% of residents lived in urban areas, while 80.5% lived in rural areas.
There were 21,160 housing units, of which 10.7% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 77.8% were owner-occupied and 22.2% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.1% and the rental vacancy rate was 5.4%.
2000 census
At the 2000 census, there were 44,712 people, 17,579 households, and 13,043 families residing in the county. The population density was. There were 19,262 housing units at an average density of. The racial makeup of the county was 93.43% White, 4.66% Black or African American, 0.24% Native American, 0.19% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 0.88% from other races, and 0.54% from two or more races. 1.87% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.There were 17,579 households, out of which 33.80% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.60% were married couples living together, 9.70% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.80% were non-families. 22.80% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.90% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.51 and the average family size was 2.94.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 24.50% under the age of 18, 7.30% from 18 to 24, 31.40% from 25 to 44, 25.00% from 45 to 64, and 11.80% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 96.10 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.60 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $38,808, and the median income for a family was $44,615. Males had a median income of $30,824 versus $24,319 for females. The per capita income for the county was $18,130. About 6.90% of families and 9.10% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.00% of those under age 18 and 15.90% of those age 65 or over.
Government and politics
Government
Stokes County is a member of the Piedmont Triad Council of Governments, a regional voluntary association of 12 counties. Stokes County government is made up of five elected County Commissioners with an appointed County Manager, Clerk to the Board of County Commissioners, Finance Director, and Tax Administrator.Stokes County lies within the bounds of the 23rd Prosecutorial District, the 17B Superior Court District, and the 17B District Court District.