Pender County, North Carolina

Pender County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, its population was 60,203.^[1] Its county seat is Burgaw.^[2] Pender County is part of the Wilmington, NC metropolitan statistical area.

Pender County
County
Pender County Courthouse in Burgaw
Seal Logo
Motto:  "Find Your Treasure"
Location within the U.S. state of North Carolina
North Carolina's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 34.51°N 77.89°W / 34.51; -77.89
Country	United States
State	North Carolina
Founded	1875
Named after	William Dorsey Pender
Seat	Burgaw
Largest community	Hampstead
Area
• Total	934.17 sq mi (2,419.5 km2)
• Land	871.30 sq mi (2,256.7 km2)
• Water	62.87 sq mi (162.8 km2)  6.73%
Population  (2020)
• Total	60,203
• Estimate  (2023)	68,521
• Density	69.10/sq mi (26.68/km2)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district	7th
Website	www.pendercountync.gov

History

The county was formed in 1875 from New Hanover County. It was named for William Dorsey Pender of Edgecombe County, a Confederate general mortally wounded at the Battle of Gettysburg.^[3] Pender County is located in the southeastern portion of the state and shares borders with Bladen, Brunswick, Columbus, Duplin, New Hanover, Onslow, and Sampson Counties. The county's eastern border is the Atlantic Ocean. The present land area is 870.76 square miles (2,255.3 km²) and the 2020 population was 60,203, doubling since 1990. The estimated county population in 2023 had increased to 68,521.^[1] The county commissioners were ordered to hold their first meeting at Rocky Point. The act provided for the establishment of the town of Cowan as the county seat. In 1877, an act was passed repealing that section of the law relative to the town, and another law was enacted, whereby the qualified voters were to vote on the question of moving the county seat to South Washington or any other place, which the majority of the voters designated. Whatever place was selected, the town should be called Stanford. In 1879, Stanford was changed to Burgaw, which was by that law incorporated. It is the county seat.

A slave cemetery that was used by the community of Cardinal Acres until around 1950 was disturbed by a developer grading a site in 2021.^[4]

Geography

Interactive map of Pender County

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 934.17 square miles (2,419.5 km²), of which 62.87 square miles (162.8 km²) (6.73%) are covered by water.^[5] It is the fifth-largest county in North Carolina by land area.

National protected area

• Moores Creek National Battlefield

State and local protected areas

• Angola Bay Game Land (part)^[6]
• Cape Fear River Wetlands Game Land (part)^[6]
• Holly Shelter Game Land^[6]
• Lea-Hutaff Island State Natural Area
• Sandy Run Savannas State Natural Area (part)
• Whitehall Plantation Game Land (part)^[6]

Major water bodies

• (North) Atlantic Ocean
• Black River, home of the oldest documented Taxodium distichum (bald cypress) at 2,650 years old; located in Bladen County^[7]
• Cape Fear River
• Doctor's Creek
• Intracoastal Waterway
• Island Creek^[8]
• Northeast Cape Fear River
• Onslow Bay

Adjacent counties

• Duplin County – north
• Onslow County – northeast
• New Hanover County – south
• Brunswick County – south
• Columbus County – southwest
• Bladen County – west
• Sampson County – northwest

Major highways

• I-40
• US 17
• 
  US 17 Byp. (future Hampstead Bypass)
• US 117
• US 421
• NC 11
• NC 50
• NC 53
• NC 133
• NC 210

Climate

Pender County is located in the humid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classification Cfa) zone, with mostly moderate temperatures year round. Winters are mild across Pender, with the warmest winter temperatures found in the coastal areas of the county due to the influence of the Atlantic Ocean. The average high temperature in January is around 55 °F (13 °C) for most of Pender County. Summers are hot and humid, with the hottest summer temperatures found in the northwestern areas of the county. The average high temperature in July is around 90 °F (32 °C).^[9]

The USDA hardiness zones for Pender County are Zone 8A (10 to 15 °F or -12 to -9 °C) and Zone 8B (15 to 20 °F or -9 to -6 °C).^[10]

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1880	12,468		—
1890	12,514		0.4%
1900	13,381		6.9%
1910	15,471		15.6%
1920	14,788		−4.4%
1930	15,686		6.1%
1940	17,710		12.9%
1950	18,423		4.0%
1960	18,508		0.5%
1970	18,149		−1.9%
1980	22,215		22.4%
1990	28,855		29.9%
2000	41,082		42.4%
2010	52,217		27.1%
2020	60,203		15.3%
2023 (est.)	68,521	[1]	13.8%
U.S. Decennial Census[11] 1790–1960[12] 1900–1990[13] 1990–2000[14] 2010[15] 2020[1]

2020 census

Pender County racial composition^[16]

Race	Number	Percentage
White (non-Hispanic)	44,418	73.78%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic)	7,544	12.53%
Native American	195	0.32%
Asian	319	0.53%
Pacific Islander	23	0.04%
Other or multiracial	2,722	4.52%
Hispanic or Latino	4,982	8.28%

As of the 2020 census, 60,203 people, 21,740 households, and 14,676 families were residing in the county.

2000 census

At the 2000 census,^[17] 41,082 people, 16,054 households, and 11,719 families resided in the county. The population density was 47 people per square mile (18 people/km²). The 20,798 housing units had an average density of 24 units per square mile (9.3 units/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 72.74% White, 23.58% African American, 0.49% Native American, 0.18% Asian, 2.06% from other races, and 0.94% from two or more races. About 3.64% of the population were Hispanics or Latinos of any race.

Of the 16,054 households, 29.4% had children under 18 living with them, 57.9% were married couples living together, 11.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.0% were not families. Around 22.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.5% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.49 and the average family size was 2.90.

In the county, the age distribution was 23.2% under 18, 7.40% from 18 to 24, 29.50% from 25 to 44, 25.80% from 45 to 64, and 14.10% who were 65 or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 101.2 males. For every 100 females 18 and over, there were 99.5 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $35,902, and for a family was $41,633. Males had a median income of $31,424 versus $21,623 for females. The per capita income for the county was $17,882. About 9.50% of families and 13.60% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.60% of those under age 18 and 14.40% of those age 65 or over.

Government and politics

Pender County is a member of the regional Cape Fear Council of Governments.

The government is run by a board of commissioners with a county manager.

Pender County is a strong Republican county, voting with the party since 1996. In the 1992 presidential election, Democratic nominee Bill Clinton won the county. In the 2016 presidential election, Republican nominee Donald Trump won the county with 63 percent of the vote, over Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton's 33 percent. Trump continued to increase his margin of victory in Pender in the 2020 and 2024 presidential elections.

United States presidential election results for Pender County, North Carolina^[18]

Year	Republican		Democratic		Third party(ies)
	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
2024	26,042	66.93%	12,460	32.02%	407	1.05%
2020	21,956	64.26%	11,723	34.31%	490	1.43%
2016	17,639	63.26%	9,354	33.54%	892	3.20%
2012	14,617	59.60%	9,632	39.27%	278	1.13%
2008	13,618	57.34%	9,907	41.72%	224	0.94%
2004	10,037	58.75%	6,999	40.97%	49	0.29%
2000	7,661	54.13%	6,415	45.32%	78	0.55%
1996	5,538	46.38%	5,409	45.30%	993	8.32%
1992	4,857	39.07%	5,825	46.86%	1,748	14.06%
1988	4,926	52.84%	4,377	46.95%	20	0.21%
1984	5,079	53.73%	4,354	46.06%	20	0.21%
1980	3,018	40.05%	4,382	58.15%	136	1.80%
1976	2,063	31.56%	4,422	67.65%	52	0.80%
1972	3,327	68.90%	1,415	29.30%	87	1.80%
1968	1,007	17.76%	1,942	34.26%	2,720	47.98%
1964	1,961	37.96%	3,205	62.04%	0	0.00%
1960	1,274	31.71%	2,744	68.29%	0	0.00%
1956	1,009	31.48%	2,196	68.52%	0	0.00%
1952	1,152	36.22%	2,029	63.78%	0	0.00%
1948	304	14.22%	1,334	62.39%	500	23.39%
1944	441	20.29%	1,732	79.71%	0	0.00%
1940	305	11.94%	2,249	88.06%	0	0.00%
1936	333	12.28%	2,379	87.72%	0	0.00%
1932	270	11.87%	1,993	87.64%	11	0.48%
1928	1,300	56.57%	998	43.43%	0	0.00%
1924	253	17.51%	1,175	81.31%	17	1.18%
1920	699	30.67%	1,580	69.33%	0	0.00%
1916	400	29.20%	970	70.80%	0	0.00%
1912	19	1.52%	967	77.11%	268	21.37%

Education

The county is served by Pender County Schools.

Communities

Map of Pender County with municipal and township labels

Towns

• Atkinson
• Burgaw (county seat)
• Surf City
• Topsail Beach
• Wallace
• Watha

Village

• St. Helena

Townships

• Burgaw
• Canetuck
• Caswell
• Columbia
• Grady
• Holly
• Long Creek
• Rocky Point
• Topsail
• Union

Census-designated places

• Hampstead (largest community)
• Long Creek
• Rocky Point

Other unincorporated communities

• Charity
• Currie
• Montague
• Register
• Scotts Hill
• Sloop Point
• Willard
• Yamacraw

Notable people

• John Baptista Ashe, born in Rocky Point township, delegate to the Continental Congress^[19]
• John Baptista Ashe, born in Rocky Point township, nephew of the above, United States congressman from North Carolina^[19]
• William Shepperd Ashe, born in Rocky Point township, United States congressman from North Carolina^[19]

See also

• List of counties in North Carolina
• National Register of Historic Places listings in Pender County, North Carolina
• North Carolina in the American Civil War
• Films and television shows produced in Wilmington, North Carolina