Cleveland County

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 Patriot victory at 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 468.18 square miles (1,212.6 km2), of which 464.25 square miles (1,202.4 km2) is land and 3.93 square miles (10.2 km2) (0.84%) is water.

Cleveland County is part of the South Mountains, a sub-range of the Blueridge Mountains that runs through the county's northwest corner. In the south east corner of the county is Crowders & Kings Mountains, part of a small narrow ridge that sits above the very near surrounding area. They are part of a very old remnant of The Appalachians and used to be much larger. Overall Cleveland County is very hilly, and even mountainous in certain parts, though not to the extreme as counties to the west or north.

State and local protected areas

Broad River Greenway

City of Shelby Hanna Park

Fallen Heroes Memorial at Raper-Roark Park

John H. Moss Lake Recreation Park

Kings Mountain Gateway Trail

South Mountains Game Lands (part)

Major water bodies

Benson Creek

Broad River

Buffalo Creek

Hickory Creek

Hilton Creek

Kings Mountain Reservoir

Little Buffalo Creek

Little Persimmon Creek

Persimmon Creek

Suck Creek

Moss Lake

Adjacent counties

Burke County – north

Lincoln County – east

Gaston County – east

York County, South Carolina – south

Cherokee County, South Carolina – south

Rutherford County – west

Major highways

I-85

US 29

US 74

US 74 Bus. (Kings Mountain)

US 74 Bus. (Shelby)

US 74 Bus. (to Rutherford County)

US 74 Byp. (Shelby Bypass)

NC 10

NC 18

NC 27

NC 150

NC 161

NC 180

NC 182

NC 198

NC 216

NC 226

Major infrastructure

Shelby–Cleveland County Regional Airport

Demographics

Racial and ethnic composition

As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 99,519 and a median age of 42.4 years. 21.6% of residents were under the age of 18 and 19.3% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 92.7 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 89.5 males age 18 and over.

There were 39,887 households in the county, including 21,410 families. Of those households, 28.9% had children under the age of 18 living in them, 45.9% were married-couple households, 17.7% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 30.3% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 28.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

There were 43,630 housing units, of which 8.6% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 66.3% were owner-occupied and 33.7% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.0% and the rental vacancy rate was 5.9%.

The racial makeup of the county was 71.4% White, 20.3% Black or African American, 0.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9% Asian, <0.1% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 2.1% from some other race, and 5.1% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 4.1% of the population.

37.8% of residents lived in urban areas, while 62.2% lived in rural areas.

2010 census

At the 2010 census, 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 people/km2). There were 40,317 housing units at an average density of 87 units per square mile (34 units/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.

Government and politics

Cleveland is a typical "Solid South" county in its voting patterns. It was Democratic until 1968 when the county voted for American Independent Party candidate George Wallace. In 1972, the county voted overwhelmingly for Richard Nixon, and since then, Cleveland has become a Republican stronghold. 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, which covers the entire county, has 29 schools ranging from pre-kindergarten to twelfth grade, comprising five high schools, two alternative schools, four middle schools, two intermediate schools (grades 5 and 6), and sixteen 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

Gardner–Webb University

Communities

Cities

Kings Mountain (small section in Gaston County)

Shelby (county seat and largest community)

Census-designated place

Light Oak

Unincorporated communities

Delight

Double Shoals

Hillsdale

Toluca

Woodbridge

Zion

Townships

By the requirement of the North Carolina Constitution of 1868, Cleveland County was divided into 11 townships. However, the county later dissolved all townships and is now a single nonfunctioning, nongovernmental county subdivision called Cleveland. The townships that previously existed in the county were:

Township 1, River

Township 2, Boiling Springs

Township 3, Rippys

Township 4, Kings Mountain

Township 5, Warlick

Township 6, Shelby

Township 7, Sandy Run

Township 8, Polkville

Township 9, Double Shoals

Township 10, Knob Creek

Township 11, Casar

Notable people

Tamara P. Barringer, former state legislator and Associate Justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court

Bobby Bell, NFL Hall of Fame inductee

Alicia Bridges, disco singer

Jonathan Bullard, NFL DE, Minnesota Vikings. Former Crest High School and the University of Florida football great.

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

Pleasant Daniel Gold, American publisher and Baptist minister

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

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.