Cabarrus County, North Carolina


 * For the Spanish financier, see .

Cabarrus County is a located in the south-central part of the  of. As of 2000, the population was 131,063. A population of approximately 147,000 in represents a vast increase in population over the past 30 years, due largely to the increase in urban sprawl of  to the southwest. Its is, and dates from the latter.

History
The county was formed in from. It was named after of, speaker of the.

Gold was first discovered here by Conrad Reed in an unincorporated part of southeast Cabarrus county. Conrad Reed was the son of a Hessian Soldier brought over by British troops to fight in the Revolution. His father deserted and found a farm which later became the gold mine known as Reed's Gold Mine.

Law and government
Cabarrus County is a member of the regional. Cabarrus County is governed by a five-member Board of Commissioners, elected at large in countywide elections to serve four-year staggered terms. The current Chair is Robert Carruth and the Vice-Chair is Joni Juba. The other board members are Grace Mynatt,, and Jay White.

Education
The system services all of the county with the exception of parts of, which operates. The system is generally regarded as one of the better school districts in the state with high student achievement and low instances of violence and other problems.

The county is also home to the much-maligned, the Cabarrus College of Health Sciences (a four year college), and a branch of Rowan-Cabarrus Community College. , although in, is actually located near Harrisburg and is easily accessible to Cabarrus residents via.

Geography
According to the, the county has a total area of 945 (365 ). 944 km² (364 sq mi) of it is land and 2 km² (1 sq mi) of it (0.16%) is water.

Cabarrus County is situated in the gently rolling countryside of the There are no significantly high peaks or points, although the eastern half of the county contains the westernmost foothills of the. Altitude ranges from approximately 500-800 feet above sea level. No large or navigable rivers flow through the county; the nearest navigable waterway is the in nearby. Land slope is generally toward the southeast. The longest waterway within the county is, which rises in and empties into the Pee Dee below Norwood in. Weather is temperate with hot summers and mild to chilly winters. Severe weather occurs occasionally, with thunderstorms in the warmer months of the year and ice storms and snowfalls occurring on occasion in winter. From zero to three accumulating snowfalls may be expected in an average winter. Snow generally melts between accumulating snowfalls, and there is no consistent snowpack. An average of four inches of snow and 46 inches of rain falls each year. At summer solstice, the length of day is approximately 14 hours and 33 minutes, with visible light lasting 15 hours and 32 minutes.

Townships
The county is divided into twelve, which are both numbered and named: 1 (Harrisburg), 2 (Poplar Tent), , 4 (Kannapolis), 5 (New Gilead), 6 (Rimertown), 7 (Gold Hill), 8 (Mount Pleasant), 9 (Georgeville), 10 (Midland), 11 (Central Cabarrus), and 12 (Concord).

Adjacent Counties

 * - north
 * - east
 * - south
 * - west
 * - northwest

Demographics
As of the of 2000, there were 131,063 people, 49,519 households, and 36,545 families residing in the county. The was 139/km² (360/sq mi). There were 52,848 housing units at an average density of 56/km² (145/sq mi). The racial makeup of the county was 83.26%, 12.18% or , 0.34% , 0.91% , 0.02% , 2.30% from , and 0.99% from two or more races. 5.05% of the population were or  of any race.

There were 49,519 households out of which 34.90% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.20% were living together, 10.50% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.20% were non-families. 21.80% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.00% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.60 and the average family size was 3.03.

In the county the population was spread out with 25.80% under the age of 18, 8.10% from 18 to 24, 32.50% from 25 to 44, 22.10% from 45 to 64, and 11.60% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 97.00 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.10 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $46,140, and the median income for a family was $53,692. Males had a median income of $36,714 versus $26,010 for females. The for the county was $21,121. About 4.80% of families and 7.10% of the population were below the, including 8.30% of those under age 18 and 9.60% of those age 65 or over.

Agriculture has played an important part in the economic life of the county for over 200 years. In the late 19th and early, s became a vital part of the local economy, especially in the northern portion of the county. Today, the local economy has a more varied base.

Communication is via an Interstate highway,, which travels southwest to northeast across the county's northern portion, and several U.S. and state highways. These principle highways include U.S. highways 52, 29, 601, and NC highways 73, 24/27, 200, 49, and 3. A regional airport (airport code JQF) is located seven miles west of Concord. Commercial flights to the area are accessed through the airports at Charlotte, or at. Passenger rail service to Kannapolis is available via. Both wired and wireless telephone services are nearly universally available in the county. Cable television is available in much of the county. Cabarrus County is within the Greater Charlotte area for broadcast communications.

Most residents of Cabarrus County are of, , or - extraction. A minority population of African American residents inhabit the county, and in recent years, a remarkable influx of residents, mostly, has arrived in the area, largely in support of the area's agriculture.

Culturally, Cabarrus County residents are historically of low-church  traditions, especially,  and , with a significant number of s. A  parish is organized in Concord, and a small ish community exists in the area. congregations are available in nearby Charlotte.

Attractions
Essential services, including with a 24-hour emergency department and trauma center, are available in Concord. There are no hospitals or military installations in the county.

The county is home to, which hosts three NASCAR events a year (the NASCAR All-Star Challenge, the , and the ). The county is also home to several race shops, including (home to drivers  and ) and  (home to ). also has a racing shop in Concord.

The state's largest tourist attraction,, is located in Cabarrus County.

The county is home to, site of the first gold discovery in the in.

Cities and towns
Also notable is the recent push for incorporation in the community, which is located in the northwestern corner of the county. The current residents hope to incorporate as a means to avoid annexation by the city of Kannapolis.