| Official Name: | East Spencer, North Carolina |
| Settlement Type: | Town |
| Mapsize: | 250x200px |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: | United States |
| Subdivision Type1: | State |
| Subdivision Name1: | North Carolina |
| Subdivision Type2: | County |
| Subdivision Name2: | Rowan |
| Unit Pref: | Imperial |
| Area Footnotes: | [1] |
| Area Total Km2: | 5.46 |
| Area Land Km2: | 5.46 |
| Area Water Km2: | 0.00 |
| Area Total Sq Mi: | 2.11 |
| Area Land Sq Mi: | 2.11 |
| Area Water Sq Mi: | 0.00 |
| Population As Of: | 2020 |
| Population Total: | 1567 |
| Population Density Km2: | 287.08 |
| Population Density Sq Mi: | 743.36 |
| Timezone: | Eastern (EST) |
| Utc Offset: | -5 |
| Timezone Dst: | EDT |
| Utc Offset Dst: | -4 |
| Elevation Ft: | 696 |
| Coordinates: | 35.6817°N -80.4228°W |
| Postal Code Type: | ZIP code |
| Postal Code: | 28039 |
| Area Code: | 704 |
| Blank Name: | FIPS code |
| Blank Info: | 37-19860[2] |
| Blank1 Name: | GNIS feature ID |
| Blank1 Info: | 2406415 |
East Spencer is a town in Rowan County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 1,534 at the 2010 census. Originally called "Southern City" because of significance of the railway to the area, it was incorporated in 1901 as East Spencer. It was named for the Spencer shops that opened in the area in 1896.[3]
East Spencer is located adjacent to and south of the town of Spencer, North Carolina. The Southern Railway tracks separate the two towns.[4]
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 1.6sqmi, all land.
The town of East Spencer is governed by a mayor and six board of alderman members. The mayor serves a two-year term and the board members serve staggered four-year terms. The board of alderman selects a town manager, who conducts the business of the Town, supervise staff, manages finances, prepares meetings and assists the town as needed.[5]
A post office was first established in East Spencer on February 12, 1919, with William J. Hatley as postmaster.[6]
| Number | Percentage | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 233 | 14.87% | |
| Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 1,078 | 68.79% | |
| Native American | 6 | 0.38% | |
| Asian | 7 | 0.45% | |
| Pacific Islander | 4 | 0.26% | |
| Other/Mixed | 86 | 5.49% | |
| Hispanic or Latino | 153 | 9.76% |
As of the census of 2000, there were 1,755 people, 697 households, and 450 families residing in the town. The population density was 1115.3sp=usNaNsp=us. There were 796 housing units at an average density of 505.8sp=usNaNsp=us. The racial makeup of the town was 11.79% White, 85.81% African American, 0.17% Native American, 0.06% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 0.91% from other races, and 1.20% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.74% of the population.
There were 697 households, out of which 35.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 25.1% were married couples living together, 34.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.4% were non-families. 32.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.52 and the average family size was 3.18.
In the town, the population was spread out, with 33.8% under the age of 18, 8.7% from 18 to 24, 25.5% from 25 to 44, 20.2% from 45 to 64, and 11.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females, there were 80.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 73.8 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $18,947, and the median income for a family was $22,222. Males had a median income of $23,203 versus $21,801 for females. The per capita income for the town was $10,180. About 32.2% of families and 35.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 47.4% of those under age 18 and 27.5% of those age 65 or over.
The following religious organizations are located in East Spencer:[10]