| Lenoir, North Carolina | |
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| Coordinates: | |
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| Country | United States |
| State | North Carolina |
| County | Caldwell |
| Area | |
| - Total | 16.6 sq mi (42.9 km²) |
| - Land | 16.6 sq mi (42.9 km²) |
| - Water | 0.0 sq mi (0.0 km²) |
| Elevation | 1,168 ft (356 m) |
| Population (2000) | |
| - Total | 16,793 |
| - Density | 1,013.7/sq mi (391.4/km²) |
| Time zone | Eastern (EST) (UTC-5) |
| - Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) |
| ZIP codes | 28633, 28645 |
| Area code(s) | 828 |
| FIPS code | 37-37760GR2 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1021132GR3 |
Lenoir is a city in Caldwell County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 16,793 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Caldwell CountyGR6. Lenoir is located in the Blue Ridge foothills. The city also contains the Brushy Mountains, a spur of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Hibriten Mountain, located within the city limits of Lenoir, marks the western end of the Brushy Mountains range. The city was named for Revolutionary War figure and early North Carolina statesman General William Lenoir, who lived nearby. His restored home is a tourist attraction (see [1]). Lenoir is one of the principal cities in the Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC Metropolitan Statistical Area. The Broyhill furniture company, one of the largest furniture companies in the United States and part of Furniture Brands International, has its headquarters in Lenoir and has historically been one of the town's largest employers. The Bernhardt and Fairfield furniture companies are also located in Lenoir. However, in the 1990's, these companies began outsourcing their work overseas, and they have closed many of Lenoir's furniture factories and laid off workers, causing many local businesses either to close or move to other cities. This has harmed the economy in Lenoir, leaving many households living below the poverty line. Recently, Google announced that it is locating a server farm in Lenoir, and it is hoped that this will provide a much-needed economic boost. In addition, VX Aerospace has announced a manufacturing plant at Foothills Regional Airport.[2]
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Geography
Lenoir is located at (35.908438, -81.530012)GR1. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 16.6 square miles (42.9 km²), all of it land.
Demographics
As of the censusGR2 of 2000, there were 16,793 people, 6,913 households, and 4,569 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,013.7 people per square mile (391.3/km²). There were 7,461 housing units at an average density of 450.4/sq mi (173.9/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 80.88% White, 14.71% African American, 0.23% Native American, 0.67% Asian, 0.11% Pacific Islander, 2.27% from other races, and 1.13% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.25% of the population. There were 6,913 households out of which 27.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.0% were married couples living together, 14.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.9% were non-families. 29.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.34 and the average family size was 2.87. In the city the population was spread out with 22.9% under the age of 18, 8.1% from 18 to 24, 27.5% from 25 to 44, 23.3% from 45 to 64, and 18.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 91.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.2 males. The median income for a household in the city was $29,369, and the median income for a family was $37,280. Males had a median income of $26,122 versus $21,895 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,697. About 10.4% of families and 14.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 20.4% of those under age 18 and 12.7% of those age 65 or over.
In The News
Lenoir has been in the national news lately because Google, Inc. is setting up a server farm in town. There has been a lot of controversy about the nature and amount of economic development incentives the City, Caldwell County and the State of North Carolina gave Google to induce them to build the server farm. The move, it is hoped, will boost the local economy and provide much-needed jobs for the area, which has been harmed by outsourcing of furniture manufacturing jobs overseas.
Notable Residents and Natives
- Claudia Church, country music artist
- Larry Smith, noted NASCAR driver
- David Abernethy, RCA Music group Puddingstone founder
- James T. Broyhill, Heir to the Broyhill family fortune; United States Congressman from North Carolina from 1962 to 1986 and a United States Senator from July 1986 to November 1986.
- George W. Petrie Jr., Major, United States Army (Retired), a Green Beret, first man on the ground on the Son Tay Raid to rescue prisoners of war held in North Vietnam in 1970; Caldwell County's most decorated soldier; recipient of the Silver Star two times.[3]
- Jan Karon, New York Times-bestselling author of the Mitford Series and the Father Tim novels (born in Lenoir).
- Kary Banks Mullis, Ph.D., American biochemist and Nobel laureate.
Baseball Players
- Four Major League Baseball players were born in Lenoir: Johnny Allen (1904), Lindsay Deal (1911), Charlie Cozart (1919), and Rube Walker (1926).
External links
- Lenoir, North Carolina is at coordinates Coordinates:
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Caldwell County, North Carolina |
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| County seat: Lenoir | ||
| City |
Lenoir |
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| Towns and Villages | ||
