Madison County, North Carolina
Madison County | |
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UTC−4 (EDT) | |
Congressional district | 11th |
Website | www |
Madison County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 21,193.[1] Its county seat is Marshall.[2] Madison County is part of the Asheville, NC Metropolitan Statistical Area.
History
The county was formed in 1851 from parts of Buncombe County and Yancey County. It was named for James Madison, fourth president of the United States (1809–1817).[3]
The community of Long Ridge, outside of Mars Hill, is a traditionally African American community, and boasts one of the last remaining Rosenwald Schools in Western North Carolina.[4]
Geography
According to the
Madison County is located deep in the
National Protected area
- Pisgah National Forest (part)
State and local protected areas
- Harmon Den Wildlife Management Area (part)
- Pisgah National Forest Game Land (part)[6]
- Sandy Mush Game Land (part)[6]
Major water bodies
- Big Laurel Creek
- French Broad River
- Gabriel Creek
- Ivy Creek
- Little Creek
- Little Laurel Creek
- Simmons Creek
- Whiteoak Creek
Adjacent counties
- Greene County, Tennessee – north
- Unicoi County, Tennessee – northeast
- Yancey County – east
- Buncombe County – south
- Haywood County – southwest
- Cocke County, Tennessee – northwest
Major highways
Demographics
Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
---|---|---|---|
1860 | 5,908 | — | |
1870 | 8,192 | 38.7% | |
1880 | 12,810 | 56.4% | |
1890 | 17,805 | 39.0% | |
1900 | 20,644 | 15.9% | |
1910 | 20,132 | −2.5% | |
1920 | 20,083 | −0.2% | |
1930 | 20,306 | 1.1% | |
1940 | 22,522 | 10.9% | |
1950 | 20,522 | −8.9% | |
1960 | 17,217 | −16.1% | |
1970 | 16,003 | −7.1% | |
1980 | 16,827 | 5.1% | |
1990 | 16,953 | 0.7% | |
2000 | 19,635 | 15.8% | |
2010 | 20,764 | 5.7% | |
2020 | 21,193 | 2.1% | |
2023 (est.) | 22,071 | [1] | 4.1% |
U.S. Decennial Census[7] 1790–1960[8] 1900–1990[9] 1990–2000[10] 2010[11] 2020[1] |
2020 census
Race | Number | Percentage |
---|---|---|
White (non-Hispanic)
|
19,233 | 90.75% |
Black or African American (non-Hispanic)
|
197 | 0.93% |
Native American
|
56 | 0.26% |
Asian
|
84 | 0.4% |
Pacific Islander
|
1 | 0.0% |
Other/Mixed
|
874 | 4.12% |
Latino
|
748 | 3.53% |
As of the 2020 census, there were 21,193 people, 8,403 households, and 5,456 families residing in the county.
2000 census
At the
There were 8,000 households, out of which 28.40% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.50% were married couples living together, 8.90% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.10% were non-families. 26.30% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.80% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.34 and the average family size was 2.81.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 21.20% under the age of 18, 10.30% from 18 to 24, 26.50% from 25 to 44, 26.00% from 45 to 64, and 15.90% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 97.30 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.30 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $30,985, and the median income for a family was $37,383. Males had a median income of $27,950 versus $22,678 for females. The
Law, government, and politics
Government
Madison County is governed by a five-member Board of Commissioners who are elected every two years with staggered four year terms as proscribed by North Carolina state law. The Board selects its own chairman and holds scheduled meetings on the second Monday of each month.[14] Madison County is a member of the Land-of-Sky Regional Council of governments.[15]
Law and policing
The Madison County Sheriff's Office protects the court, manages the jail, protects county owned facilities, and provides patrol and detective services for the unincorporated areas of the county. The towns of Mars Hill, Hot Springs, and Marshall have municipal police departments.
Politics
In Madison County, Republicans dominate by wide margins in national and state elections, though Democrats remain competitive in county and municipal elections.[16][17]
Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
2020 | 7,979 | 61.02% | 4,901 | 37.48% | 196 | 1.50% |
2016 | 6,783 | 60.19% | 3,926 | 34.84% | 560 | 4.97% |
2012 | 5,404 | 53.44% | 4,484 | 44.34% | 225 | 2.22% |
2008 | 5,192 | 50.02% | 5,026 | 48.42% | 161 | 1.55% |
2004 | 5,175 | 54.69% | 4,234 | 44.74% | 54 | 0.57% |
2000 | 4,676 | 56.17% | 3,505 | 42.10% | 144 | 1.73% |
1996 | 3,110 | 44.24% | 3,333 | 47.41% | 587 | 8.35% |
1992 | 3,121 | 39.07% | 3,980 | 49.82% | 888 | 11.12% |
1988 | 3,453 | 53.07% | 3,033 | 46.62% | 20 | 0.31% |
1984 | 3,666 | 54.81% | 2,988 | 44.67% | 35 | 0.52% |
1980 | 2,629 | 44.02% | 3,202 | 53.62% | 141 | 2.36% |
1976 | 2,446 | 41.49% | 3,433 | 58.24% | 16 | 0.27% |
1972 | 3,273 | 61.18% | 2,039 | 38.11% | 38 | 0.71% |
1968 | 3,130 | 49.18% | 2,201 | 34.58% | 1,034 | 16.25% |
1964 | 3,336 | 46.56% | 3,829 | 53.44% | 0 | 0.00% |
1960 | 4,422 | 49.31% | 4,546 | 50.69% | 0 | 0.00% |
1956 | 4,263 | 53.58% | 3,693 | 46.42% | 0 | 0.00% |
1952 | 4,751 | 56.45% | 3,666 | 43.55% | 0 | 0.00% |
1948 | 3,341 | 55.73% | 2,558 | 42.67% | 96 | 1.60% |
1944 | 4,388 | 65.70% | 2,291 | 34.30% | 0 | 0.00% |
1940 | 4,617 | 59.28% | 3,171 | 40.72% | 0 | 0.00% |
1936 | 5,099 | 61.94% | 3,133 | 38.06% | 0 | 0.00% |
1932 | 4,552 | 61.76% | 2,769 | 37.57% | 49 | 0.66% |
1928 | 4,776 | 81.38% | 1,093 | 18.62% | 0 | 0.00% |
1924 | 3,252 | 67.79% | 1,471 | 30.66% | 74 | 1.54% |
1920 | 3,616 | 72.96% | 1,340 | 27.04% | 0 | 0.00% |
1916 | 1,965 | 66.91% | 972 | 33.09% | 0 | 0.00% |
1912 | 430 | 16.24% | 897 | 33.89% | 1,320 | 49.87% |
Education
Madison County's public educational system consists of one early college high school, one traditional high school (Madison High School, located in the county seat of Marshall), one middle school (Madison Middle School), and three elementary schools (Brush Creek Elementary, Hot Springs Elementary, and Mars Hill Elementary).[19] Brush Creek Elementary was built as a merger of Marshall Elementary and Walnut Elementary after the latter burned down in 1998.
The county is also home to
Culture
Madison County was historically a center for old-time folk music. Among others, the folk song Rain and Snow likely originated there, in the late 19th century.[20]
Communities
Towns
- Hot Springs
- Mars Hill (largest municipality)
- Marshall (county seat)
Townships
The county is divided into twelve townships that are both numbered and named:
- Township 1, North Marshall
- Township 1, South Marshall
- Township 2, Laurel
- Township 3 Mars Hill
- Township 4, Beech Glenn
- Township 5, Walnut
- Township 6, Hot Springs
- Township 7, Ebbs Chapel
- Township 8, Spring Creek
- Township 9, Sandy Mush
- Township 10, Grapevine
- Township 11, Revere Rice Cove[21]
Formerly there were sixteen townships, which were both numbered and named:
- 1 (Marshall)
- 2 (Shelton Laurel)
- 3 (Bull Creek)
- 4 (Middle Fork of Ivy)
- 5 (West Fork of Ivy)
- 6 (Sandy Mush)
- 7 (Little Pine Creek)
- 8 (Spring Creek)
- 9 (Hot Springs)
- 10 (Big Laurel)
- 11 (Upper Laurel)
- 12 (Big Pine Creek)
- 13 (Meadow Fork of Spring Creek)
- 14 (Grapevine)
- 15 (Mars Hill)
- 16 (Foster Creek)
Unincorporated communities
See also
- List of counties in North Carolina
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Madison County, North Carolina
References
- ^ a b c "QuickFacts: Madison County, North Carolina". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 21, 2024.
- ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
- ^ Gannett, Henry (1905). The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States. U.S. Government Printing Office. p. 196.
- ^ "The Historic ~ Mars Hill Anderson Rosenwald School: Our Story, This Place Notated History" (PDF). Anderson Rosenwald School. Retrieved January 2, 2023.
- ^ "2020 County Gazetteer Files – North Carolina". United States Census Bureau. August 23, 2022. Retrieved September 9, 2023.
- ^ a b "NCWRC Game Lands". www.ncpaws.org. Retrieved March 30, 2023.
- ^ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 18, 2015.
- ^ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved January 18, 2015.
- ^ Forstall, Richard L., ed. (March 27, 1995). "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 18, 2015.
- ^ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. April 2, 2001. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 27, 2010. Retrieved January 18, 2015.
- ^ "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 19, 2016. Retrieved October 27, 2013.
- ^ "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved December 19, 2021.
- ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
- ^ "Madison County Website - County Commissioners". Archived from the original on January 4, 2013. Retrieved March 6, 2008.
- ^ "Home".
- ^ Gordon, Brian (April 25, 2022). "Why do conservative WNC counties keep electing Democrats?". The Fayetteville Observer. Retrieved November 9, 2023.
- ^ Leslie, Laura (November 8, 2023). "NC rides national wave of Democratic victories". WRAL-TV. Capitol Broadcasting Company. Retrieved November 9, 2023.
- ^ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved March 16, 2018.
- ^ "Madison County Schools / Homepage".
- ^ Blackman, Patrick (September 10, 2012). "Cold Rain and Snow – Introduction". Sing Out!. Retrieved January 13, 2019.
- ^ "1991 General Assembly of North Carolina - House Bill 689 - Madison County School Elections" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on December 2, 2007.
External links
- Geographic data related to Madison County, North Carolina at OpenStreetMap
- Official website
- NCGenWeb Madison County, genealogy resources for the county