Hope Mills, North Carolina

Hope Mills is a town in Cumberland County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 11,237 at the 2000 census.

Geography
Hope Mills is located at °N, °W (34.970679, -78.956603).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 6.2 square miles (16.2 km²).6.1 square miles (15.8 km²) of it is land and 0.2 square miles (0.4 km²) of it (2.40%) is water, including Hope Mills Lake.

History
Chartered in 1891, Hope Mills can trace its beginning back to 1766, when due to the wealth of natural water power and the abundance of timber, a lumber camp, saw mill, grist mill and pottery business were established. In 1839, construction of the first cotton mill powered by the Hope Mills Dam was completed and was the beginning of a new era for the town. Much of the heritage and the town's name itself can be attributed to the cotton milling industry that followed.

Before it was known as Hope Mills, the area was known as Little Rockfish Village and as Hope Mills Number One.

The local cotton mill and many other buildings were burned by General Sherman and his troops during the Civil War.

Ancestry
Major ancestry groups reported by Hope Mills residents include Black or African American - 18%, German - 13%, Irish - 10%, English - 8%, Scots-Irish - 4%, Italian - 3%, Scottish - 3%, Puerto Rican - 3%, French - 2%, American Indian tribes, specified - 2%, Polish - 2%, Mexican - 2%, European - 1%, Other Hispanic or Latino - 1%, Korean - 1%, Lumbee - 1%, Norwegian - 1%, West Indian (excluding Hispanic groups) - 1%, Dutch - 1%, French Canadian - 1%, Cherokee - 1%

Today
While the town is small, it offers its residents a full variety of services and recreation. There are public parks and recreational facilities located throughout the town. These facilities provide a wide range of activities from walking trails to tennis courts. Hope Mills has its own Police and Fire Departments and is only minutes away from four major hospitals. The new county library provides a number of special services including summer reading programs and public meeting rooms. Five shopping centers, the historic downtown district, a post office, two medical clinics, five elementary schools Baldwin Elementary, Rockfish Elementary, Collier Elementary Cashwell Elementary, two middle schools South View Middle and Hope Mills Middle, two high schools South View High and Gray's Creek High and twenty churches round out a community in which to raise a family and enjoy life

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 11,237 people, 4,112 households, and 3,108 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,844.6 people per square mile (712.4/km²). There were 4,497 housing units at an average density of 738.2 per square mile (285.1/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 73.04% White, 17.61% African American, 2.03% Native American, 1.26% Asian, 0.21% Pacific Islander, 2.77% from other races, and 3.08% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.40% of the population.

There were 4,112 households out of which 46.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.0% were married couples living together, 17.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.4% were non-families. 19.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.73 and the average family size was 3.13.

In the town the population was spread out with 32.1% under the age of 18, 8.2% from 18 to 24, 37.0% from 25 to 44, 16.8% from 45 to 64, and 5.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females there were 90.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.9 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $40,697, and the median income for a family was $44,866. Males had a median income of $34,120 versus $21,845 for females. The per capita income for the town was $16,534. About 5.7% of families and 7.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.7% of those under age 18 and 13.7% of those age 65 or over.

Crime
The number of violent crimes recorded by the FBI in 2003 was 74. The number of murders and homicides was 0. The violent crime rate was 6.2 per 1,000 people.

Schools

 * C. Wayne Collier Elementary School
 * Ed V. Baldwin Elementary School
 * Elizabeth M. Cashwell Elementary School
 * Gray's Creek High School
 * Hope Mills Middle School
 * Rockfish Elementary School
 * South View Middle School
 * South View High School

Churches

 * Manna Church of Hope Mills
 * Big Rockfish Presbyterian Church has historic cemetery and is on the national register of historic places.
 * Hope Mills Presbyterian Church
 * Mars Hill Presbyterian Church Worships on 2nd, 4th and 5th Sundays.
 * Sherwood Presbyterian Church
 * Southview Presbyterian Church
 * Good Shepherd Catholic Church
 * Crossroads United Methodist Church
 * Unity Baptist Church
 * St. Jude Missionary Baptist Church