| County: | Pitt County |
| State: | North Carolina |
| Seal: | Pitt County Seal.jpg |
| Founded: | 1760 |
| Seat Wl: | Greenville |
| Largest City Wl: | Greenville |
| City Type: | community |
| Area Total Sq Mi: | 655.55 |
| Area Land Sq Mi: | 652.37 |
| Area Water Sq Mi: | 3.18 |
| Area Percentage: | 0.49 |
| Population As Of: | 2020 |
| Population Total: | 170243 |
| Pop Est As Of: | 2023 |
| Population Est: | 175119 |
| Population Density Sq Mi: | 260.96 |
| Coordinates: | 35.59°N -77.37°W |
| Web: | www.pittcountync.gov |
| District: | 1st |
| District2: | 3rd |
| Time Zone: | Eastern |
| Ex Image: | Pitt County Courthouse.JPG |
| Ex Image Cap: | Pitt County Courthouse in Greenville |
| Flag: | Pitt County Flag.gif |
Pitt County is a county located in the Inner Banks region of the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 170,243, making it the 14th-most populous county in North Carolina. Its county seat is Greenville.[1]
Pitt County comprises the Greenville, NC Metropolitan Statistical Area. It is a component of the wider Greenville-Kinston-Washington CSA.
The county was formed in 1760 from Beaufort County, though the legislative act that created it did not become effective until January 1, 1761. It was named for William Pitt the Elder, who was then Secretary of State for the Southern Department and Leader of the House of Commons. William Pitt was an English statesman and orator, born in London, England. He studied at Oxford University and in 1731 joined the army. Pitt led the young "Patriot" Whigs and in 1756 became secretary of state, where he was a pro-freedom speaker in British Colonial government. He served as Prime Minister of Great Britain in 1766–68.
The county saw a substantial population influx between the 1980 and 2010 censuses with a double-digit percentage increase seen in all four census counts.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the total area of Pitt County is, of which is land and (0.49%) is water.[2]
| Number | Percentage | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 86,837 | 51.01% | |
| Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 59,813 | 35.13% | |
| Native American | 494 | 0.29% | |
| Asian | 3,056 | 1.8% | |
| Pacific Islander | 94 | 0.06% | |
| Other/Mixed | 6,981 | 4.1% | |
| Hispanic or Latino | 12,968 | 7.62% |
As of the 2020 census, there were 170,243 people, 70,926 households, and 41,427 families residing in the county.
At the 2000 census,[3] there were 133,798 people, 52,539 households, and 32,258 families residing in the county. The population density was 205/mi2. There were 58,408 housing units at an average density of 90/mi2. The racial makeup of the county was 62.08% White, 33.65% Black or African American, 0.27% Native American, 1.08% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 1.80% from other races, and 1.09% from two or more races. 3.15% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 52,539 households, out of which 29.90% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.40% were married couples living together, 14.40% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.60% were non-families. 28.30% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.30% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.43 and the average family size was 3.02.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 23.60% under the age of 18, 17.50% from 18 to 24, 29.90% from 25 to 44, 19.40% from 45 to 64, and 9.60% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females there were 90.20 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.40 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $32,868, and the median income for a family was $43,971. Males had a median income of $31,962 versus $25,290 for females. The per capita income for the county was $18,243. About 13.50% of families and 20.30% of the population were below the poverty line, including 21.60% of those under age 18 and 20.20% of those age 65 or over.
As of the census of 2010, there were 168,148 people residing in Pitt County, a 25.7% increase since 2000. Females made up 52.8% of the population. Caucasians make up 58.9% of the population, followed by African-Americans at 34.1%, Asian persons at 1.6%, American Indian or Alaskan at 0.3%, Hispanic at 5.5%, and Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander at 0.1%. From the period of 2005 to 2009, the number of foreign-born people living in the county was at 4%.
The high school graduation rate in the county among citizens over the age of twenty-five from 2005 to 2009 was steady at 85%, while the percentage of those aged twenty-five and up with a bachelor's degree in the county was only 28.7% in the county during the same period of time.
In 2009, the median household income in Pitt County was $36,339, over $7,000 less than the North Carolina number and about 25.5% of Pitt County residents were at or below the poverty level. The per capita money income, in terms of 2009 dollars, in the past twelve months from 2005 to 2009 in Pitt County was $21,622, about $3,000 less than the North Carolina average.
In the early twentieth century Pitt was a typical Democratic "Solid South" county, where there were large numbers of disenfranchised blacks and the small white electorate voted overwhelming majorities for the Democratic Party. Pitt voted for the Democratic Party in every election from at least 1876 until American Independent candidate George Wallace gained a plurality in 1968. Apart from Richard Nixon's overwhelming victory over George McGovern in 1972, Pitt has since been a closely contested swing county, with no major party candidate post-McGovern falling under forty percent. After 1976, when Jimmy Carter carried it, and aside from a victory in 1992 by Bill Clinton, Pitt County tended to vote for Republicans until 2008. Since 2008 it has voted for the Democratic Party.
Pitt County is a member of the Mid-East Commission regional council of governments.
Pitt County is represented by Kandie Smith in the 5th district of the North Carolina Senate, as well as Gloristine Brown in the 8th district and Timothy Reeder in the 9th district of the North Carolina House of Representatives.[4]
Private schools in Pitt County include:[5]
Public schools in Pitt County are managed by Pitt County Schools.[6]