Cleveland County is a county located in the western Piedmont and on the southern border of the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2010 census, the population was 98,078. Its county seat is Shelby.
Cleveland County comprises the Shelby, NC Micropolitan Statistical Area. This is included in the Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC Combined Statistical Area. In the late 19th and early 20th century, this was an area of textile mills.
History
The county was formed in 1841 from parts of Lincoln and Rutherford counties. It was named for Benjamin Cleveland, a colonel in the American Revolutionary War, who took part in the Battle of King's Mountain. From 1841 to 1887 "Cleaveland" was the spelling used; the present spelling was adopted in 1887.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 468 square miles (1,210Â km2), of which 464 square miles (1,200Â km2) is land and 4.0 square miles (10Â km2) (0.9%) is water.
Adjacent counties
- Burke County â€" north
- Lincoln County â€" northeast
- Gaston County â€" east
- York County, South Carolina â€" southeast
- Cherokee County, South Carolina â€" south
- Rutherford County â€" west
Major highways
- Iâ€'85
- USÂ 29
- USÂ 74
- NCÂ 10
- NCÂ 18
- NCÂ 27
- NCÂ 150
- NCÂ 161
- NCÂ 180
- NCÂ 182
- NCÂ 198
- NCÂ 216
- NCÂ 226
Demographics
As of the census of 2010, there were 98,078 people, 37,046 households, and 27,006 families residing in the county. The population density was 207 people per square mile (80/km²). There were 40,317 housing units at an average density of 87 per square mile (34/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 74% White, 21% Black or African American, 0.15% Native American, 0.69% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.68% from other races, and 0.72% from two or more races. Of any race, 3% of the population were Hispanic or Latino.
There were 37,046 households out of which 32.20% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.00% were married couples living together, 13.70% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.10% were non-families. 23.60% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.60% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.53 and the average family size was 2.98.
In the county, the age distribution of the population shows 25.20% under the age of 18, 8.80% from 18 to 24, 28.80% from 25 to 44, 23.70% from 45 to 64, and 13.50% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 92.60 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.60 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $35,283, and the median income for a family was $41,733. Males had a median income of $30,882 versus $21,995 for females. The per capita income for the county was $17,395. About 10.10% of families and 13.30% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.90% of those under age 18 and 14.00% of those age 65 or over.
Communities
Cities
- Kings Mountain (small section is a part of Gaston County)
- Shelby
Towns
Census-designated place
- Light Oak
Unincorporated community
- Toluca
Politics, law and government
Cleveland is a typical "Solid South" county in its voting patterns. It was rock-ribbed Democratic until the 1960s, when the increasing liberalism of the national party on racial issues turned county voters to George Wallace in the 1968 election. After this the extreme liberalism of McGovern turned the county powerfully to Richard Nixon, and since then Cleveland has become strongly Republican. The last Democrat to carry Cleveland County was Jimmy Carter in 1980.
Cleveland County is a member of the Isothermal Planning and Development Commission regional council of governments.
Education
Cleveland County Schools
Cleveland County Schools has 29 schools ranging from pre-kindergarten to twelfth grade. Those 29 schools are separated into five high schools, two alternative schools, four middle schools, and four elementary schools. It was formed from the 2004 merger of Kings Mountain City Schools, Shelby City Schools and the former Cleveland County Schools.
Post-secondary
- Ambassador Bible College in Lattimore, North Carolina
- Cleveland Community College
- Gardnerâ€"Webb University
In popular culture
The 2000 disappearance of Asha Degree, a Shelby girl, was discussed on television shows including America's Most Wanted, The Oprah Winfrey Show, Good Morning America, and The Montel Williams Show.
Parts of the 2012 movie The Hunger Games were filmed in Cleveland County.
Notable people
- Bobby Bell, NFL Hall of Fame inductee
- Alicia Bridges, disco singer
- W. J. Cash, author of The Mind of the South
- Bill Champion, MLB player.
- Morris Davis, Colonel in US Air Force
- Thomas Dixon Jr., minister, author
- Manny Fernandez, "The Raging Bull", professional wrestler
- David Flair, professional wrestler
- Alvin Gentry, NBA Coach
- Don Gibson, Country Music Hall of Fame inductee
- Kay Hagan, Senator from North Carolina.
- Robert Harrill, The Fort Fisher Hermit
- Keith E. Haynes, Maryland statesman, lawyer
- Norris Hopper, MLB player
- Hatcher Hughes, Pulitzer Prize winner
- Charlie Justice, NFL player, two-time Heisman Trophy runner-up
- Doug Limerick, ABC radio newscaster
- Patty Loveless, country music singer
- Leroy McAfee â€" Confederate soldier, Ku Klux Klan organizer, and member of the North Carolina House of Representatives (1870â€"73).
- Manteo Mitchell, Olympic Silver Medalist, World Champion, US Champion, International Icon in Track & Field
- Scottie Montgomery, NFL wide receiver, Oakland Raiders, Arena Football League player
- Tim Moore (North Carolina politician), member of the General Assembly since 2003 and elected Speaker of the North Carolina State House in 2015, has lived in the county since 1997 and has his law practice there.
- Travis Padgett, Olympic athlete in track and field
- Floyd Patterson, heavyweight boxing champion, Boxing Hall Of Fame inductee
- Rodney Allen Rippy, former child actor
- Earl Scruggs, banjo player and composer, included on Hollywood Walk of Fame
- Isaac Shelby, soldier, governor
- Charlotte Smith, WNBA basketball player
- Brandon Spikes, professional football linebacker
- Billy Standridge, NASCAR driver
- Tim Steele, 3-time ARCA champion, NASCAR driver
- David Thompson, Hall of Fame college and professional basketball player
- Cliff Washburn, NFL offensive tackle, Houston Texans
- Tim Wilkison, tennis player
- Tom Wright, MLB player.
See also
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Cleveland County, North Carolina
References
External links
- Cleveland County government official website
- Cleveland County Online Taxes web site
- Cleveland Community College Official Website