{{Short description|County in North Carolina, United States}} {{Use American English|date=June 2025}} {{Use mdy dates|date=April 2024}} {{Infobox U.S. county | county = Nash County | state = North Carolina | ex image = Nash County Courthouse.jpg | ex image cap = Nash County Courthouse in Nashville | seal = Nash County seal.jpg | founded = 1777 | named for = Francis Nash | seat wl = Nashville | largest city wl = Rocky Mount | city type = community | area_total_sq_mi = 542.82 | area_land_sq_mi = 540.44 | area_water_sq_mi = 2.38 | area percentage = 0.44 | web = nashcountync.gov | district = 1st | time zone = Eastern | population_as_of = 2020 | population_total = 94970 | pop_est_as_of = 2025 | population_est = 99365 {{gain}} | population_density_sq_mi = 175.73 | coordinates = {{coord|35.97|-77.99|type:adm2nd_region:US-NC_source:USCensusBureau2020gazetteerfiles|display=inline,title}} | logo = Nash County Logo.svg | flag = Nash County Flag.gif | motto = "Where Business meets Opportunity" }}
'''Nash County''' is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, its population was 94,970.<ref name="2020CensusQuickFacts"/> Its county seat is Nashville.<ref name="GR6">{{cite web|url=http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx|access-date=June 7, 2011|title=Find a County|publisher=National Association of Counties}}</ref> Nash County is part of the Rocky Mount, NC metropolitan statistical area.
==History== The area eventually comprising Nash County was originally organized as a part of Edgecombe County. Settlement first occurred in the 1740s;{{sfn|Fleming|1998|p=7}} the earliest land grants date to 1743.<ref name= history>{{cite web| url = https://nashcountync.gov/98/County-History| title = History of Nash County| publisher = Nash County, North Carolina| access-date = November 17, 2024}}</ref> As the population of Edgecombe increased, citizens in the western portion of the county found travel to the county seat of Tarboro to conduct official business to be difficult. Legislator Nathan Boddie proposed to the North Carolina Provincial Congress that the county be divided.{{sfn|Fleming|1998|p=7}} As a result, Nash was formed from all parts of Edgecombe west of the Falls of the Tar River in 1777.{{sfn|Corbitt|2000|p=157}}<ref name= kelley/><ref name= olds>{{cite news| last = Olds| first = Fred A. | title = History Series of Carolina Counties| newspaper = Durham Morning Herald| page = 4| date = January 3, 1924| url = https://newspapers.digitalnc.org/lccn/sn84020730/1924-01-03/ed-1/seq-4/}}</ref> It was named for American Revolutionary War Brigadier General Francis Nash, who was mortally wounded at the Battle of Germantown.{{sfn|Corbitt|2000|p=157}} The first session of the county court met on April 1, 1778, in the home of Micajah Thomas. Court was then held in a temporary building at Peach Tree until a permanent courthouse was erected in Nashville in 1784.<ref name= olds/> Nashville was formally designated the seat of county government in 1815{{sfn|Corbitt|2000|pp=157–158}} and was incorporated in 1823.{{sfn|Fleming|1998|p=9}} In 1833, the county's first courthouse burned down and was replaced by a brick building.{{sfn|Fleming|1998|p=9}}
In 1786, the state of North Carolina conducted a census that recorded a total population of 5,277 in Nash County. The first U.S. Census in 1790 recorded a total population of 7,393, of whom 2,099 were slaves, 183 were free blacks, and the rest whites.<ref name= olds/> Several early communities in Nash County developed as stops along stagecoach routes, including Dortches, Red Oak, Stanhope, Hilliardston, and Castalia.{{sfn|Fleming|1998|pp=7–8}} Settlement also occurred along rivers and creeks, accompanied by the construction of gristmills.{{sfn|Fleming|1998|p=8}} In the 1830s, the Wilmington and Weldon Railroad was laid, leading to further settlement. The building of a spur line in 1840 led to the eventual creation of the community of Whitakers.{{sfn|Fleming|1998|pp=8, 21}} By the 1860s, Nash County had a population over 11,600 and an economy centered on agriculture.{{sfn|Fleming|1998|p=8}} In 1855, parts of Nash, Edgecombe, Johnston, and Wayne Counties were combined to form Wilson County.{{sfn|Corbitt|2000|p=158}} Over 1,000 men from the county fought in the American Civil War.{{sfn|Fleming|1998|p=8}}
In 1871, after significant political controversy, all parts of Edgecombe County west of the Wilmington and Weldon Railroad were annexed to Nash{{sfn|Corbitt|2000|p=159}}<ref name= kelley/> leading to the bifurcation of the Edgecombe communities of Battleboro and Sharpsburg between the two counties.<ref name= kelley/> As a result of the boundary shift, Nash County's black population grew<ref name= fernelius>{{cite web| url = https://www.theassemblync.com/long-form/rocky-mount-is-dead-long-live-rocky-mount/| title = Rocky Mount Is Dead. Long Live Rocky Mount| last = Fernelius| first = Katie Jane| date = March 24, 2021| website = The Assembly| access-date = March 27, 2022| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210614161703/https://www.theassemblync.com/long-form/rocky-mount-is-dead-long-live-rocky-mount/|archive-date=June 14, 2021}}</ref> and a greater portion of the town of Rocky Mount also lay within Nash County's border, including Rocky Mount Mills, the second textile mill to exist in the state.<ref name= kelley>{{cite web| last = Kelley| first = Lucas| url = https://rockymountmill.prospect.unc.edu/mill-history/narrative/moving-the-county-line/| title = The Historical Origins of the 1871 Nash-Edgecombe County Line| website = Digital Rocky Mount Mills| publisher = Community Histories Workshop, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill| access-date = November 15, 2024| archive-date = December 1, 2024| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20241201163446/https://rockymountmill.prospect.unc.edu/mill-history/narrative/moving-the-county-line/| url-status = dead}}</ref> In 1899, the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad established repair shops in Rocky Mount, precipitating the city's rapid growth.{{sfn|Fleming|1998|p=8}} In 1921, the county's third courthouse was built.{{sfn|Fleming|1998|p=9}}
==Geography== {{maplink|frame=yes|zoom=8|id=Q506235|type=shape-inverse|text=Interactive map of Nash County}} Nash County rests in the northeastern part of North Carolina<ref name= history/> along the dividing line between the Piedmont and Coastal Plain regions.{{sfn|Fleming|1998|p=7}} According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of {{convert|542.82|sqmi}}, of which {{convert|2.38|sqmi}} (0.44%) atr covered by water.<ref>{{Cite web |date=August 23, 2022 |title=2020 County Gazetteer Files – North Carolina |url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2020_Gazetteer/2020_gaz_counties_37.txt |access-date=September 9, 2023 |publisher=United States Census Bureau}}</ref> Elevation in the county gradually rises from the east to the west.{{sfn|Fleming|1998|p=5}}
===State and local protected areas=== * Flower Hill Nature Preserve (part) * Sandy Creek Game Land (part)<ref name="NCWRC Game Lands">{{Cite web |title=NCWRC Game Lands |url=https://www.ncpaws.org/ncwrcmaps/gamelands |access-date=March 30, 2023 |website=www.ncpaws.org}}</ref> * Shocco Creek Game Land (part)<ref name="NCWRC Game Lands"/>
===Major water bodies=== * Fishing Creek{{sfn|Fleming|1998|p=7}} * Moccasin Creek{{sfn|Fleming|1998|p=7}} * Pig Basket Creek * Sapony Creek{{sfn|Fleming|1998|p=7}} * Stoney Creek{{sfn|Fleming|1998|p=7}} * Swift Creek{{sfn|Fleming|1998|p=7}} * Tar River{{sfn|Fleming|1998|p=7}} * Toisnot Swamp * Turkey Creek
===Adjacent counties=== * Franklin County{{sfn|Powell|1976|p=345}} * Johnston County{{sfn|Powell|1976|p=345}} * Wilson County{{sfn|Powell|1976|p=345}} * Edgecombe County{{sfn|Powell|1976|p=345}} * Halifax County{{sfn|Powell|1976|p=345}}
===Major highways=== {{div col|colwidth=15em}} * {{Jct|state=NC|I-Future|87}} * {{Jct|state=NC|I|95}}<ref name= Barkin1/> * {{Jct|state=NC|I-Future|587}} * {{Jct|state=NC|US|64}}<ref name= Barkin1/> * {{Jct|state=NC|US-Alt|64|dab1=Spring Hope}} * {{Jct|state=NC|US-Bus|64|dab1=Nashville}} (Nashville) * {{Jct|state=NC|US-Bus|64|dab1=Rocky Mount}} (Rocky Mount) * {{Jct|state=NC|US|264}}<ref name= Barkin1/> * {{Jct|state=NC|US-Alt|264|dab1=Middlesex–Greenville}} * {{Jct|state=NC|US|301}} * {{Jct|state=NC|US-Bus|301|dab1=Rocky Mount}} * {{Jct|state=NC|NC|4}} * {{Jct|state=NC|NC|33}} * {{Jct|state=NC|NC|43}} * {{Jct|state=NC|NC-Bus|43|dab1=Rocky Mount}} * {{Jct|state=NC|NC|48}} * {{Jct|state=NC|NC|56}} * {{Jct|state=NC|NC|58}} * {{Jct|state=NC|NC|97}} * {{Jct|state=NC|NC|98}} * {{Jct|state=NC|NC|231}} * {{Jct|state=NC|NC|561}} * {{Jct|state=NC|NC|581}} {{div col end}}
===Major infrastructure=== * Rocky Mount-Wilson Regional Airport
==Demographics== thumb|2020 population density of Nash County NC by census block<ref>{{Cite web |title=2025 TIGER/Line® Shapefiles |url=https://www.census.gov/cgi-bin/geo/shapefiles/index.php?year=2025&layergroup=Blocks+(2020) |access-date=2026-04-14 |website=www.census.gov}}</ref>
===Racial and ethnic composition=== {| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center;" |+'''Nash County, North Carolina – Racial and ethnic composition'''<br><small>{{nobold|''Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.''}}</small> !Race / Ethnicity <small>(''NH = Non-Hispanic'')</small> !Pop 1980<ref name=1980Census>{{Cite web|title=1980 Census of Population - General Social and Economic Characteristics - North Carolina - Table 15 - Persons by Race: 1980 and Table 16 - Persons by Spanish Origin, Race, and Sex: 1980 |url=https://www2.census.gov/prod2/decennial/documents/1980a_ncABC-02.pdf|website=United States Census Bureau|page=14-25|via= WayBack Machine|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250228195108/https://www2.census.gov/prod2/decennial/documents/1980a_ncABC-02.pdf| archive-date=February 28, 2025}}</ref> !Pop 1990<ref>{{Cite web |title=1990 Census of Population - General Population Characteristics - North Carolina: Table 3 - Race and Hispanic Origin |website=United States Census Bureau|url=https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/decennial/1990/cp-1/cp-1-35.pdf|access-date=|page=15-64|via= WayBack Machine|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250320045449/https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/decennial/1990/cp-1/cp-1-35.pdf| archive-date=March 20, 2025}}</ref> !Pop 2000<ref name=2000CensusP004>{{Cite web|title=P004: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2000: DEC Summary File 1 – Nash County, North Carolina|url=https://data.census.gov/table?g=050XX00US37127&tid=DECENNIALSF12000.P004|website=United States Census Bureau |access-date= }}</ref> !Pop 2010<ref name=2010CensusP2>{{Cite web|title=P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Nash County, North Carolina|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=p2&g=050XX00US37127&tid=DECENNIALPL2010.P2|website=United States Census Bureau |access-date= }}</ref> !style="background-color: #ffffb3;" | Pop 2020<ref name=2020CensusP2>{{Cite web|title=P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Nash County, North Carolina|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=p2&g=050XX00US37127&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P2|website=United States Census Bureau |access-date= }}</ref> !% 1980 !% 1990 !% 2000 !% 2010 !style="background-color: #ffffb3;" |% 2020 |- |White alone (NH) |44,549 |51,563 |53,326 |51,770 |style='background: #ffffe6; |46,317 |66.34% |67.25% |61.00% |54.02% |style='background: #ffffe6; |48.77% |- |Black or African American alone (NH) |21,772 |24,067 |29,505 |35,449 |style='background: #ffffe6; |36,679 |32.42% |31.39% |33.75% |36.99% |style='background: #ffffe6; |38.62% |- |Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) |85 |209 |346 |567 |style='background: #ffffe6; |615 |0.13% |0.27% |0.40% |0.59% |style='background: #ffffe6; |0.65% |- |Asian alone (NH) |149 |221 |477 |713 |style='background: #ffffe6; |904 |0.22% |0.29% |0.55% |0.74% |style='background: #ffffe6; |0.95% |- |Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH) |x <ref>included in the Asian category in the 1980 Census</ref> |x <ref>included in the Asian category in the 1990 Census</ref> |20 |17 |style='background: #ffffe6; |28 |x |x |0.02% |0.02% |style='background: #ffffe6; |0.03% |- |Other race alone (NH) |11 |11 |80 |112 |style='background: #ffffe6; |407 |0.02% |0.01% |0.09% |0.12% |style='background: #ffffe6; |0.43% |- |Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) |x <ref>not an option in the 1980 Census</ref> |x <ref>not an option in the 1990 Census</ref> |727 |1,197 |style='background: #ffffe6; |2,698 |x |x |0.83% |1.25% |style='background: #ffffe6; |2.84% |- |Hispanic or Latino (any race) |587 |606 |2,939 |6,015 |style='background: #ffffe6; |7,322 |0.87% |0.79% |3.36% |6.28% |style='background: #ffffe6; |7.71% |- |'''Total''' |'''67,153''' |'''76,677''' |'''87,420''' |'''95,840''' |style='background: #ffffe6; |'''94,970 ''' |'''100.00%''' |'''100.00%''' |'''100.00%''' |'''100.00%''' |style='background: #ffffe6; |'''100.00%''' |}
===2020 census=== As of the 2020 census, 94,970 people, 39,093 households, and 27,002 families were residing in the county.<ref name="Census2020DP">{{cite web|title=2020 Decennial Census Demographic Profile (DP1)|url=https://api.census.gov/data/2020/dec/dp?get=NAME,DP1_0021P,DP1_0024P,DP1_0025C,DP1_0049C,DP1_0045C,DP1_0069C,DP1_0073C,DP1_0125P,DP1_0126P,DP1_0129P,DP1_0133P,DP1_0137P,DP1_0138P,DP1_0139P,DP1_0141P,DP1_0142P,DP1_0143P,DP1_0145P,DP1_0146P,DP1_0147C,DP1_0148C,DP1_0149C,DP1_0156C,DP1_0157C,DP1_0158C,DP1_0159P,DP1_0160P&for=county%3A127&in=state%3A37|website=United States Census Bureau|year=2021|access-date=December 26, 2025|df=mdy}}</ref>
The median age was 43.1 years; 21.5% of residents were under 18 and 19.7% were 65 or older. For every 100 females, there were 90.7 males, and for every 100 females 18 and over, there were 87.8 males age 18 and over.<ref name="Census2020DP"/>
The racial makeup of the county was 49.9% White, 38.9% Black or African American, 0.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0% Asian, <0.1% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 4.9% from some other race, and 4.5% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 7.7% of the population.<ref name="Census2020PL">{{cite web|title=2020 Decennial Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171)|url=https://api.census.gov/data/2020/dec/pl?get=NAME,P1_001N,P1_003N,P1_004N,P1_005N,P1_006N,P1_007N,P1_008N,P1_009N,P2_001N,P2_002N,H1_001N,H1_002N&for=county%3A127&in=state%3A37|website=United States Census Bureau|year=2021|access-date=December 26, 2025|df=mdy}}</ref>
About 50.3% of residents lived in urban areas, while 49.7% lived in rural areas.<ref name="Census2020DHC">{{cite web|title=2020 Decennial Census Demographic and Housing Characteristics (DHC)|url=https://api.census.gov/data/2020/dec/dhc?get=NAME,P2_002N,P2_003N&for=county%3A127&in=state%3A37|website=United States Census Bureau|year=2023|access-date=December 26, 2025|df=mdy}}</ref>
Of the households, 28.6% had children under 18 living in them, 42.0% were married-couple households, 18.3% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 33.9% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 30.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.<ref name="Census2020DP"/>
Of the 43,154 housing units, 9.4% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 63.9% were owner-occupied and 36.1% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.2% and the rental vacancy rate was 6.6%.<ref name="Census2020DP"/>
===Demographic change=== {| role="presentation" class="wikitable mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" | <strong>Historical population</strong> |- | {{US Census population |1790= 7390 |1800= 6975 |1810= 7268 |1820= 8185 |1830= 8490 |1840= 9047 |1850= 10657 |1860= 11687 |1870= 11077 |1880= 17731 |1890= 20707 |1900= 25478 |1910= 33727 |1920= 41061 |1930= 52782 |1940= 55608 |1950= 59919 |1960= 61002 |1970= 59122 |1980= 67153 |1990= 76677 |2000= 87420 |2010= 95840 |2020= 94970 |estyear=2025 |estimate=99365 |estref=<ref name="USCensusEst2025">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/demo/popest/2020s-counties-total.html|title=County Population Totals and Components of Change: 2020-2025|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=April 18, 2026}}</ref> {{increase}} |align-fn=center |footnote=U.S. Decennial Census<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=U.S. Decennial Census|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=January 18, 2015}}</ref><br />1790–1960<ref>{{cite web|url=http://mapserver.lib.virginia.edu|title=Historical Census Browser|publisher=University of Virginia Library|access-date=January 18, 2015}}</ref> 1900–1990<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/population/cencounts/nc190090.txt|title=Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990|publisher=United States Census Bureau|editor-last=Forstall|editor-first=Richard L.|date=March 27, 1995|access-date=January 18, 2015}}</ref><br />1990–2000<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/population/www/cen2000/briefs/phc-t4/tables/tab02.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100327165705/http://www.census.gov/population/www/cen2000/briefs/phc-t4/tables/tab02.pdf |archive-date=March 27, 2010 |url-status=live|title=Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000|publisher=United States Census Bureau|date=April 2, 2001|access-date=January 18, 2015}}</ref> 2010<ref name="QF">{{cite web|title=State & County QuickFacts|url=http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/36/36127.html|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=October 27, 2013}}{{Dead link|date=April 2020 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> 2020<ref name="2020CensusQuickFacts">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/nashcountynorthcarolina|title=QuickFacts: Nash County, North Carolina|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=March 21, 2024}}</ref> | align = right }} |}
After decades of growth, Nash County recorded an almost 1% population loss between 2010 and 2020.<ref name= Barkin1>{{cite news| last = Barkin| first = Dan| title = 20 miles from Raleigh, Nash County launches new economic development effort| newspaper = Business North Carolina| date = October 17, 2021| url = https://businessnc.com/20-miles-from-raleigh-nash-county-launches-new-economic-development-effort/| access-date = November 18, 2024}}</ref> ==Government and politics== ===Government=== Nash County is run by a commission–manager government. Legislative and policy-making power is vested in a seven-member board of commissioners, who are elected in districts to serve four-year staggered terms. The board passes ordinances, adopts the county budget, and appoints the county manager. The manager wields executive authority over county administration, appoints directors of county government departments, and implements the commission's decisions. County government provides various services, including public safety, social services, cultural activities, and the provision of utilities.{{sfn|Wood|2023|p=iii}}
Nash County is represented in the General Assembly by the Senate's 11th district and the House of Representatives' 24th and 25th districts.<ref>{{cite web| url = https://www.ncleg.gov/Members/CountyRepresentation/Nash| title = Nash County Representation : 2023-2024 Session| publisher = North Carolina General Assembly| access-date = November 20, 2024}}</ref> It lies within the bounds of North Carolina's 8th Prosecutorial District, the 8A Superior Court District, and the 8th District Court District.<ref>{{cite web| url = https://www.nccourts.gov/locations/nash-county| title = Nash County| publisher = North Carolina Judicial Branch| access-date = November 15, 2024}}</ref>
Nash County is a member of the regional Upper Coastal Plain Council of Governments.
===Politics=== From the turn of the 20th century, North Carolina established barriers that effectively disenfranchised the large black population, which had been supporting Republican candidates. Conservative whites voted overwhelmingly Democratic and the county and state were part of the resulting political "Solid South" county. Although it gave a plurality to Populist candidate James B. Weaver in 1892, unlike Sampson County or Alabama's Chilton County, it did not subsequently turn to the Republican Party.
Nash County voted Democratic in every election from 1896 to 1964 – in Franklin D. Roosevelt and Harry S. Truman's five elections, the Republicans never received eleven percent of the county's limited electorate's ballots. Many whites supported George Wallace's American Independent candidacy in 1968, after passage of the Voting Rights Act. More voted Republican for the first time in 1972.
While Nash voters supported favorite son and Southern Democrat Jimmy Carter in 1976, the county's majority-white voters shifted to Republican candidates from 1980 to 2004. But the last four elections have been closely contested. The margin of victory has been less than 1,000 votes in every election since.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections |url=https://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS/ |access-date=December 22, 2022 |website=uselectionatlas.org}}</ref><ref>{{cite news| title = Anatomy of a swing state: What these 6 counties tell us about the upcoming NC election| newspaper = The Charlotte Observer| date = November 4, 2022| url = https://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/politics-government/election/article267776257.html| access-date = November 4, 2022}}</ref> Nash County has emerged in recent years as a swing county and a bellwether county. As of 2024, it is the only North Carolina county to support the winning U.S. presidential election four times in a row, supporting Barack Obama in 2012, Donald Trump in 2016, Joe Biden in 2020, and Trump in 2024. In 2024, it also split its majority vote between Republican and Democratic statewide candidates.<ref>{{cite news| title = NC county gets presidential prediction right yet again by backing Trump in 2024| newspaper = The Charlotte Observer| date = November 7, 2024| url = https://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/politics-government/election/article295135114.html| access-date = November 10, 2024}}</ref>
{{PresHead|place=Nash County, North Carolina|source=<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS|title=Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections|last=Leip|first=David|website=uselectionatlas.org|access-date=March 16, 2018}}</ref>}} <!-- PresRow should be {{PresRow|Year|Winning party|GOP vote #|Dem vote #|3rd party vote #|State}} --> {{PresRow|1880|Democratic|1,406|1,612|0|North Carolina}} {{PresRow|1884|Democratic|1,556|1,845|0|North Carolina}} {{PresRow|1888|Democratic|1,719|2,181|0|North Carolina}} {{PresRow|1892|Populist|476|997|1,333|North Carolina}} {{PresRow|1896|Democratic|1,699|2,916|1|North Carolina}} {{PresRow|1900|Democratic|1,337|2,600|0|North Carolina}} {{PresRow|1904|Democratic|645|1,428|6|North Carolina}} {{PresRow|1908|Democratic|1,334|1,678|0|North Carolina}} {{PresRow|1912|Democratic|172|1,862|618|North Carolina}} {{PresRow|1916|Democratic|826|2,189|19|North Carolina}} {{PresRow|1920|Democratic|1,556|4,031|0|North Carolina}} {{PresRow|1924|Democratic|823|3,129|131|North Carolina}} {{PresRow|1928|Democratic|2,066|4,249|0|North Carolina}} {{PresRow|1932|Democratic|532|7,472|49|North Carolina}} {{PresRow|1936|Democratic|517|8,682|0|North Carolina}} {{PresRow|1940|Democratic|613|8,456|0|North Carolina}} {{PresRow|1944|Democratic|876|7,577|0|North Carolina}} {{PresRow|1948|Democratic|684|7,590|302|North Carolina}} {{PresRow|1952|Democratic|2,636|10,424|0|North Carolina}} {{PresRow|1956|Democratic|2,665|9,969|0|North Carolina}} {{PresRow|1960|Democratic|3,896|10,086|0|North Carolina}} {{PresRow|1964|Democratic|6,396|9,163|0|North Carolina}} {{PresRow|1968|American Independent|4,602|5,283|9,230|North Carolina}} {{PresRow|1972|Republican|12,679|4,503|579|North Carolina}} {{PresRow|1976|Democratic|8,477|8,937|202|North Carolina}} {{PresRow|1980|Republican|11,043|8,184|374|North Carolina}} {{PresRow|1984|Republican|17,295|8,588|34|North Carolina}} {{PresRow|1988|Republican|15,906|8,740|76|North Carolina}} {{PresRow|1992|Republican|14,446|10,809|4,631|North Carolina}} {{PresRow|1996|Republican|15,309|11,142|1,811|North Carolina}} {{PresRow|2000|Republican|17,995|12,376|142|North Carolina}} {{PresRow|2004|Republican|21,902|15,693|78|North Carolina}} {{PresRow|2008|Republican|23,728|23,099|291|North Carolina}} {{PresRow|2012|Democratic|23,842|24,313|337|North Carolina}} {{PresRow|2016|Republican|23,319|23,235|1,111|North Carolina}} {{PresRow|2020|Democratic|25,827|25,947|497|North Carolina}} {{PresRow|2024|Republican|26,431|25,508|532|North Carolina}} {{PresFoot}}
===Sheriff=== The Sheriff's Office provides police services for the unincorporated areas of the county.
==Economy== As of 2023, the biggest sectors in Nash County's economy were manufacturing, healthcare and social services, retail, food and accommodation services, and education.{{sfn|Wood|2023|p=v}} The largest private employer is Hospira, which operates a vaccine-manufacturing facility in Rocky Mount.<ref>{{cite web| url = https://www.wral.com/story/bank-seeks-40m-in-unpaid-loans-from-nc-senator-s-family-farm-she-says-it-s-offensive/21796046/| title = Bank seeks $40M in unpaid loans from NC senator's family farm. She says it's 'offensive'| last = Doran| first = Will| date = January 6, 2025| website = WRAL-TV| publisher = Capitol Broadcasting Company| access-date = January 6, 2025}}</ref>
thumb|Sweet potato harvest in Nash County As of 2023, over 40% of the county's area is cultivated farmland. Its top agricultural products are poultry, eggs, tobacco, and sweet potatoes.{{sfn|Wood|2023|p=vi}} Nash is one of the top sweet potato-producing counties in the state.{{sfn|Wood|2023|p=vi}}<ref>{{cite news| last = Ellis| first = Kevin| title = Sweetpotato or sweet potato? Here’s why N.C. group says one word is right| newspaper = Business North Carolina| date = February 23, 2024| url = https://businessnc.com/sweetpotato-or-sweet-potato-heres-why-n-c-group-says-one-word-is-right/| access-date = November 19, 2024}}</ref>
==Education== Nash County Public Schools has 25 schools, including Nash Central High School, Northern Nash High School, Rocky Mount High School, and Southern Nash High School.
==Communities== thumb|250px|Map of Nash County with municipal and township labels
===Cities=== * Rocky Mount (largest community; parts located in Edgecombe County)<ref name= fernelius/>
===Towns=== * Bailey * Castalia * Dortches * Elm City (part) * Middlesex * Momeyer * Nashville (county seat) * Red Oak * Spring Hope * Sharpsburg (part) * Whitakers (part) * Zebulon (part)
===Townships=== {{div col|colwidth=18em}} * Bailey{{sfn|Powell|1976|p=345}} * Castalia{{sfn|Powell|1976|p=345}} * Coopers{{sfn|Powell|1976|p=345}} * Dry Wells{{sfn|Powell|1976|p=345}} * Ferrells{{sfn|Powell|1976|p=345}} * Griffins{{sfn|Powell|1976|p=345}} * Jackson{{sfn|Powell|1976|p=345}} * Mannings{{sfn|Powell|1976|p=345}} * Nashville{{sfn|Powell|1976|p=345}} * North Whitakers{{sfn|Powell|1976|p=345}} * Oak Level{{sfn|Powell|1976|p=345}} * Red Oak{{sfn|Powell|1976|p=345}} * Rocky Mount{{sfn|Powell|1976|p=345}} * South Whitakers{{sfn|Powell|1976|p=345}} * Spring Hope{{sfn|Powell|1976|p=345}} * Stony Creek{{sfn|Powell|1976|p=345}} {{div col end}}
===Unincorporated community=== * Corinth
==See also== * List of counties in North Carolina * National Register of Historic Places listings in Nash County, North Carolina * Haliwa-Saponi, state-recognized tribe that resides in the county * Nash Community College, located near Nashville
==Notes== <references group="lower-alpha" /> ==References== {{reflist}}
==Further reading== * {{cite book| last = Corbitt| first = David Leroy| title = The formation of the North Carolina counties, 1663-1943| publisher = North Carolina Division of Archives and History | edition = reprint| date = 2000| location = Raleigh| url = https://digital.ncdcr.gov/Documents/Detail/the-formation-of-the-north-carolina-counties-1663-1943/3692099?item=4553233| oclc= 46398241}} * {{cite book| last = Fleming| first = Monika S.| title = Rocky Mount and Nash County| publisher = Arcadia Publishing| date = 1998| location = Charleston| url = https://books.google.com/books?id=Ip63pCw5G9YC| isbn = 9781439635407}} * {{cite book| last = Powell| first = William S.| title = The North Carolina Gazetteer: A Dictionary of Tar Heel Places| publisher = The University of North Carolina Press| date = 1976| location = Chapel Hill| isbn = 978-0-8078-1247-1}} * {{Citation| last = Wood| first = Donna| title = Annual Comprehensive Financial Report Fiscal Year Ended June 30, 2023| publisher = Nash County, North Carolina| date = 2023| url = https://nashcountync.gov/DocumentCenter/View/9795/2023-ACRF}}
==External links== {{Commons category}} * {{osmrelation|2528726}} * [https://www.ncgenweb.us/nash/ NCGenWeb Nash County], genealogy resources for the county
{{Nash County, North Carolina}} {{North Carolina}} {{Authority control}}
Category:Nash County, North Carolina Category:Rocky Mount metropolitan area Category:1777 establishments in North Carolina Category:Populated places established in 1777 Category:Majority-minority counties in North Carolina