Greene County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 20,451. Its county seat is Snow Hill.
History
Greene County, being a part of land grant by King Charles II of England in 1663, was first settled around 1710 by immigrants from Maryland, Virginia, and parts of North Carolina. The original inhabitants of the area, the Tuscarora Indians, fought with these immigrants and on March 20–23, 1713, a fighting force of South Carolinians and Yamasee Indians, under Colonel Murice Moore, defeated the Tuscarora, under the leadership of Chief Hancock. This was the final major battle of the Tuscarora War at Fort Neoheroka near current day Snow Hill.
In 1758, the area now recognized as Greene and Lenoir Counties was separated from Johnston and named Dobbs for the Royal Governor. The county was formed in 1791 from the northern part of Dobbs County. It was originally named Glasgow County, for James Glasgow, North Carolina Secretary of State from 1777 to 1798. In 1799, Glasgow's involvement in military land grant frauds forced him to resign and leave the state. Glasgow County was then renamed Greene County in honor of Nathanael Greene, one of General Washington's right-hand men.
The county seat, Snow Hill, is the largest town and major commercial center in the county. The town draws its name from the historic white sandy banks of nearby Contentnea Creek.
Former Greene County
Present-day Greene County is the second county of that name in North Carolina. The first (also named for Nathanael Greene) is now Greene County, Tennessee. It was established in 1783, in what was then the western part of the state. That area was ceded to the federal government and became part of the Southwest Territory (1790–1796) and the State of Tennessee (after 1796).
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (0.2%) is water.
State and local protected areas
Contentnea Creek Hunting Preserve
Oak Hill Preserve
Major water bodies
Contentnea Creek
Middle Swamp
Nahunta Swamp
Reedy Branch
Sandy Run
Turnage Millpond
Wheat Swamp
Adjacent counties
Pitt County – east-northeast
Wilson County – northwest
Lenoir County – south
Wayne County – west
Major highways
Demographics
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, there were 20,451 people, 7,164 households, and 4,750 families residing in the county.
2000 census
At the 2000 census, there were 18,975 people, 6,696 households, and 4,955 families residing in the county. The population density was . There were 7,368 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 51.83% White, 41.21% Black or African American, 0.30% Native American, 0.09% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 5.75% from other races, and 0.80% from two or more races. 7.96% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 6,696 households, out of which 34.30% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.10% were married couples living together, 17.30% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.00% were non-families. 22.60% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.00% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.65 and the average family size was 3.09.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 25.30% under the age of 18, 9.40% from 18 to 24, 30.90% from 25 to 44, 22.30% from 45 to 64, and 12.10% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 105.70 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 103.90 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $32,074, and the median income for a family was $36,419. Males had a median income of $27,048 versus $21,351 for females. The per capita income for the county was $15,452. About 16.00% of families and 20.20% of the population were below the poverty line, including 28.30% of those under age 18 and 20.50% of those age 65 or over.