Wayne County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 117,333. Its county seat is Goldsboro and it is home to Seymour Johnson Air Force Base.
Wayne County comprises the Goldsboro, NC Metropolitan Statistical Area.
History
Prior to 1730, Native Americans were the only known occupants of the territory now known as Wayne County. Settlers trickled into the territory, occupying land along the Neuse River. There was no general migration here until after 1750; as populations built up in the coastal areas, some settlers moved west for land.
Wayne County was established during the American Revolutionary War on November 2, 1779, from the western part of Dobbs County. It was named for "Mad Anthony" Wayne, a general in the war. The act establishing the County provided that the first court should be held at the home of Josiah Sasser, at which time the justices were to decide on a place for all subsequent courts until a courthouse could be erected. By 1782 the commissioners were named. In 1787 an act was passed establishing Waynesborough on the west side of the Neuse River, on the land of Doctor Andrew Bass. The courthouse was built here.
In 1855, parts of Wayne County, Edgecombe County, Johnston County, and Nash County were combined to form Wilson County.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (0.68%) is water.
Wayne County's surface is level to gently rolling uplands with broad bottoms along the rivers and some creeks. Elevations are predominantly 120 to 145 feet above sea level. The largest waterway, the Neuse River, bisects the lower central portion of the county and cuts a deep channel 20 to 40 feet deep as it flows in an eastward direction. Unusual river bluffs occur in the vicinity of Seven Springs. In addition to the Neuse River, the county is drained by the Little River, the Northeast Cape Fear River and numerous creeks.
Wayne County is underlain by unconsolidated beds of sand, clay and gravel. For the most part, these beds were deposited in seawater as the sea advanced and retreated during the geologic development of the Atlantic Coastal Plain. To a much lesser extent, streams deposited layers of sediment which mixed with that deposited on the sea floor.
The climate in Wayne County is characterized by warm summers and moderate winters. The average temperature is about 62 degrees. Annual precipitation is about 50 inches of rainfall per year, with the major portion occurring in the late spring and summer.
State and local protected areas/sites
Charles B. Aycock Birthplace
Goldsborough Bridge Battlefield
Cliffs of the Neuse State Park
Major water bodies
Bear Creek
Great Swamp
Little River
Juniper Swamp
Nahunta Swamp
Neuse River
Northeast Cape Fear River
Quaker Neck Lake
Thoroughfare Swamp
Water Branch
Adjacent counties
Wilson County – north
Greene County – east-northeast
Lenoir County – east-southeast
Duplin County – south
Sampson County – southwest
Johnston County – west
Major highways
(Connecter Route)
Major infrastructure
Goldsboro Union Station
Seymour Johnson Air Force Base
Demographics
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, there were 117,333 people, 48,482 households, and 30,990 families residing in the county.
2000 census
At the 2000 census, there were 113,329 people, 42,612 households, and 30,254 families residing in the county. The population density was . There were 47,313 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 61.28% White, 33.02% Black or African American, 0.36% Native American, 0.96% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 3.07% from other races, and 1.25% from two or more races. 4.94% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 42,612 households, out of which 34.70% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.60% were married couples living together, 15.40% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.00% were non-families. 24.50% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.00% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.55 and the average family size was 3.03.