Catawba County ( ) is a county in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 160,610. Its county seat is Newton, and its largest community is Hickory.
The county is part of the Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC Metropolitan Statistical Area.
History Catawba County, formed in 1842 from Lincoln County, was named after the Catawba River. The word "catawba" is rooted in the Choctaw sound kat'a pa, loosely translated as "to divide or separate, to break." However, scholars are fairly certain that this word was imposed from outside. The Native Americans who once inhabited the region known as the Catawba people, were considered one of the most powerful Southeastern Siouan-speaking tribes in the Carolina Piedmont. They now live along the border of North Carolina, near the city of Rock Hill, South Carolina. Scots-Irish and German colonial immigrants first settled in the Catawba River valley in the mid-18th century. An official history of the Scots-Irish and German settlement was documented in 1954, by Charles J. Preslar Jr, and more recently by a series of three books by Gary Freeze, called The Catawbans.
Geography According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (3.52%) is water.
State and local protected areas/sites Houck's Chapel Mountain Creek Park Murray's Mill Historic Site Old Hickory Tavern Birthplace of Hickory Old Piedmont Wagon
Major water bodies Balls Creek Betts Creek Catawba River Clark Creek Henry Fork Jacob Fork Lake Hickory Lake Norman Lookout Shoals Lake Lyle Creek McLin Creek Muddy Creek Pinch Gut Creek Pott Creek Snow Creek South Fork Catawba River
Adjacent counties Alexander County – north Iredell County – east Lincoln County – south Caldwell County – northwest Burke County – west
Demographics
2020 census +Catawba County, North Carolina – Racial and ethnic compositionRace / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)Pop 1980Pop 1990Pop 2000Pop 2010 Pop 2020% 1980% 1990% 2000% 2010% 2020White alone (NH)94,532105,795116,326120,388116,12089.85%89.34%82.10%77.99%72.30%Black or African American alone (NH)9,65810,64911,75112,85712,6289.18%8.99%8.29%8.33%7.86%Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)1062243023423790.10%0.19%0.21%0.22%0.24%Asian alone (NH)2718084,1005,3116,9370.26%0.68%2.89%3.44%4.32%Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH)x included in the Asian category in the 1980 Censusx included in the Asian category in the 1990 Census373478xx0.03%0.02%0.05%Other race alone (NH)63151102005390.06%0.01%0.08%0.13%0.34%Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)x not an option in the 1980 Censusx not an option in the 1990 Census1,1732,1946,552xx0.83%1.42%4.08%Hispanic or Latino (any race)5789217,88613,03217,3770.55%0.78%5.57%8.44%10.82%Total105,208118,412141,685154,358160,610 100.00%100.00%100.00%100.00%100.00%
As of the 2020 census, there were 160,610 people, 64,471 households, and 41,861 families residing in the county. The median age was 42.7 years; 21.2% of residents were under the age of 18 and 19.0% were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 95.9 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 93.7 males.
Of the 64,471 households in the county, 28.7% had children under the age of 18 living in them, 47.6% were married-couple households, 18.2% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 27.0% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 27.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
There were 70,744 housing units, of which 8.9% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 69.2% were owner-occupied and 30.8% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.5% and the rental vacancy rate was 7.5%.
64.8% of residents lived in urban areas, while 35.2% lived in rural areas.
The racial makeup of the county was 74.1% White, 8.0% Black or African American, 0.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 4.4% Asian, 0.1% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 5.9% from some other race, and 7.0% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 10.8% of the population.
2010 census At the 2010 census, there were 154,358 people, 55,533 households, and 39,095 families residing in the county. The population density was . There were 59,919 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 87.1% White, 8.5% Black or African American, 0.3% Native American, 3.1% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, and 1.14% from two or more races, 9.4% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 55,533 households, out of which 31.50% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.10% were married couples living together, 10.90% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.60% were non-families. 24.60% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.10% 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 2.98.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 24.30% under the age of 18, 8.80% from 18 to 24, 31.10% from 25 to 44, 23.50% from 45 to 64, and 12.30% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 97.30 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.70 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $43,536, and the median income for a family was $47,474. Males had a median income of $30,822 versus $23,352 for females. The per capita income for the county was $20,358. About 6.50% of families and 9.10% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.50% of those under age 18 and 9.70% of those age 65 or over. Politics The county has been represented primarily by Republicans since World War II: no Democratic presidential candidate has won Catawba County since Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1944. Jimmy Carter is the last Democrat to manage even 40 percent of the county's vote.
Law and government Catawba County is governed by a five-member county board of commissioners, a seven-member school board, and five supervisors on the water and soil conservation district. The county's judiciary is represented by two superior court judges and six district court judges. Other offices include the district attorney, county clerk, sheriff, and register of deeds.
County Offices Board of Commissioners Office Holder Party Term expires County Commissioner (chair) Randy Isenhower Republican 2026 County Commissioner (vice-chair) Austin Allran Republican 2028 County Commissioner Robert Abernethy, Jr. Republican 2026 County Commissioner Barbara Beatty Republican 2028 County Commissioner Cole Setzer Republican 2026
North Carolina General Assembly North Carolina Senate District Representative Party Term expires 45 Mark Hollo Republican 2027
North Carolina House of Representatives District Representative Party Term expires 89 Mitchell S. Setzer Republican 2027 96 Jay Adams Republican 2027
Federal offices Senate Senator Party Term expires Ted Budd Republican 2029 Thom Tillis Republican 2027
House of Representatives District Representative Party Term expires 10th Pat Harrigan Republican 2027
Transportation Major highways
(Lowesville–Denver business route) (Newton–Conover business route) (truck route)
Major infrastructure Hickory Regional Airport (partially in Burke County)
Rail and mass transit With approximately twenty freight trains a day, Catawba County is a freight railroad transportation center. This is largely due to the areas strong manufacturing based economy, and its placement along the Norfolk Southern Railway line. The Caldwell County Railroad also serves the county and interchanges with Norfolk Southern in Hickory.Infrastructure , Caldwell County Economic Development Commission (retrieved June 16, 2014)
Conover has been designated as the Catawba County passenger rail stop for the Western North Carolina Railroad planned to run from Salisbury, to Asheville.
The Greenway Public Transportation bus service serves the cities of Conover, Hickory, and Newton.
Economy Catawba County is part of the "North Carolina Data Center Corridor" in western North Carolina. The town of Maiden is home to the Apple iCloud data center and is the largest privately owned solar farm in the United States (operated by Apple). As of 2017, the Catawba County Economic Development Corporation controls a 55-acre business park in Conover designed for data centers and office use. CommScope, Inc., and Corning Corp., manufacturers of fiber optic cabling, became the region's largest employers in the late 1990s. The city of Hickory is home to Lenoir–Rhyne University, the Hickory Motor Speedway, and the minor league baseball team the Hickory Crawdads. The town of Conover is home to the Greater Hickory Classic at Rock Barn.
Education The school districts are as follows: - Text list Most of the county is in the Catawba County Schools school district. Most of Newton and Conover, and some unincoprorated areas, are in the Newton-Conover City Schools school district. Most of Hickory, the Catawba County portion of Long View, portions of Brookford, and some unincoroporated areas are in the Hickory City School System school district.
Higher education Lenoir–Rhyne University Catawba Valley Community College Appalachian State University, Hickory campus NC Center for Engineering Technologies
Libraries The Catawba County Library System serves the residents of Catawba County. The library system operates seven libraries throughout the county. The Hickory Public Library System serves the residents of Hickory. The library system operates two libraries: The Patrick Beaver Memorial Library and the Ridgeview Library.
Points of Interest
Museums and historical sites Catawba County Firefighters Museum Catawba County Museum of History Hickory Aviation Museum Hickory Museum of Art Catawba Science Center Murrays Mill Bunker Hill Covered Bridge Piedmont Wagon Company
Sports and entertainment Hickory Crawdads Hickory Motor Speedway
Music and performing arts Newton-Conover Auditorium The Green-Room Theatre Western Piedmont Symphony Hickory Community Theatre
Other attractions Valley Hills Mall Lake Norman Lake Hickory Lake Lookout
Communities
Cities Claremont Conover Hickory (largest community) Newton (county seat)
Towns Brookford Catawba Long View Maiden
Census-designated places Lake Norman of Catawba Mountain View St. Stephens
Unincorporated communities Banoak Blackburn Chronicle Drums Crossroads Long Island Monbo Olivers Crossroads Propst Crossroads Sherrills Ford Terrell
Townships
Bandy's Caldwell Catawba Clines Hickory Jacobs Fork Mountain Creek Newton
See also List of counties in North Carolina National Register of Historic Places listings in Catawba County, North Carolina
References
Further reading Freeze, Gary R. The Catawbans: Crafters of a North Carolina County, 1747–1900 Catawba County Historical Association, 1995. . Freeze, Gary R. The Catawbans: Pioneers in Progress, Vol. 2. Catawba County Historical Association, 2002.
External links
Catawba County Chamber of Commerce