Editing Ranlo, North Carolina

{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2024}}
{{Infobox settlement
| official_name            = Ranlo, North Carolina
| settlement_type          = [[Town]]
| nickname                 = 
| motto                    = “Built with Pride”
| image_skyline            = 
| imagesize                = 
| image_caption            = 
| image_flag               = 
| image_seal               = <!-- Maps -->
| image_map                = NCMap-doton-Ranlo.PNG
| mapsize                  = 250px
| map_caption              = Location of Ranlo, North Carolina
| image_map1               = 
| mapsize1                 = 
| map_caption1             = <!-- Location -->
| subdivision_type         = Country
| subdivision_type1        = [[U.S. state|State]]
| subdivision_type2        = [[List of counties in North Carolina|County]]
| subdivision_name         = United States
| subdivision_name1        = [[North Carolina]]
| subdivision_name2        = [[Gaston County, North Carolina|Gaston]]
| government_footnotes     = 
| government_type          = 
| leader_title             = Mayor
| leader_name              = Lynn Black
| leader_title1            = 
| leader_name1             = 
| established_title        = 
| established_date         = <!-- Area -->
| unit_pref                = Imperial
| area_footnotes           = <ref name="TigerWebMapServer">{{cite web|title=ArcGIS REST Services Directory|url=https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer|publisher=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=September 20, 2022}}</ref>
| area_magnitude           = 
| area_total_km2           = 5.34
| area_land_km2            = 5.34
| area_water_km2           = 0.01
| area_total_sq_mi         = 2.06
| area_land_sq_mi          = 2.06
| area_water_sq_mi         = 0.00

<!-- Population -->| population_as_of         = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
| population_footnotes     = 
| population_total         = 4511
| population_density_km2   = 845.37
| population_density_sq_mi = 2189.81

<!-- General information -->| timezone                 = [[North American Eastern Time Zone|Eastern (EST)]]
| utc_offset               = -5
| timezone_DST             = EDT
| utc_offset_DST           = -4
| elevation_footnotes      = <ref name=gnis/>
| elevation_ft             = 810
| coordinates              = {{coord|35|17|24|N|81|07|39|W|region:US_type:city|display=inline,title}}
| postal_code_type         = [[ZIP code]]
| postal_code              = 28054
| area_code                = [[Area code 704|704 & 980]]
| blank_name               = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
| blank_info               = 37-55260<ref name="GR2">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=January 31, 2008|title=U.S. Census website}}</ref>
| blank1_name              = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
| blank1_info              = 2407175<ref name=gnis>{{GNIS|2407175}}</ref>
| website                  = {{URL|www.ranlo.org}}
| footnotes                = 
| pop_est_as_of            = 
| pop_est_footnotes        = 
| population_est           = 
}}
'''Ranlo''' is a small town in [[Gaston County, North Carolina]], United States and a suburb of [[Charlotte, North Carolina|Charlotte]], located north of [[Gastonia, North Carolina|Gastonia]]. As of the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]], the town population was 4,511,<ref name="Explore Census Data">{{Cite web |title=Explore Census Data |url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/profile?g=1600000US3755260 |access-date=April 11, 2022 |website=data.census.gov}}</ref> up from 3,434 in [[2010 United States Census|2010]].

==Geography==

According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the town has 2.06 sq. mi of land and 0.002 sq. mi of water.<ref name="gazeeter">{{Cite US Gazetteer|vintage=2023|type=places|state=NC}}</ref>

==History==
Ranlo was named for John Calvin Rankin and William Thomas Love, two prominent area [[Business magnate|industrialists]] - "Ranlo" was a contraction of RANkin and LOve. The community grew up around their [[textile mill]]s, which produced cotton goods. Rex Spinning Company was begun in 1915, Ranlo Manufacturing Company in 1916, and Priscilla Spinning Company in 1921. Nearby, the community of Smyre was developed around the A. M. Smyre Manufacturing Company, which was founded in 1917. In 1963, Ranlo and Smyre were incorporated as the Town of Ranlo, in reaction to the concern over possible [[annexation]] into Gastonia.<ref>Robert A. Ragan. "Ranlo: Another town spun from textile mills", ''Gaston Gazette'', September 23, 2001.  Retrieved from [http://www.glrl.lib.nc.us/ragan.htm Gaston-Lincoln Regional Library System] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080410192517/http://www.glrl.lib.nc.us/ragan.htm |date=April 10, 2008 }} on July 13, 2008.</ref> However, the part of the Smyre mill village south of the [[Norfolk Southern Railway]] was not included, and was eventually annexed by Gastonia in June 1996.<ref>[http://www.cityofgastonia.com/dept/planning/_pdf%20files/SmyreVillagePlansm.pdf Smyre Village Plan] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071024081805/http://www.cityofgastonia.com/dept/planning/_pdf%20files/SmyreVillagePlansm.pdf |date=October 24, 2007 }}, City of Gastonia, May 16, 2000, retrieved on July 13, 2008</ref>

[[Terraced house|Row houses]] were erected in the 1920s and 1930s and still stand today. At the time, they were owned by the mill and rented at very low rates to workers. They have long since been sold to individuals, and the mills are 75-80% closed. Only one or two still operate and they are at low capacity. The town, however, has become a "[[Commuter town|bedroom community]]" and prides itself on its facilities and growth. New industry has started to move in and new neighborhoods are being built.

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1970= 2092
|1980= 1774
|1990= 1650
|2000= 2198
|2010= 3434
|2020= 4511
|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census<ref name="DecennialCensus">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=Census of Population and Housing|publisher=Census.gov|access-date=June 4, 2015}}</ref>
}}

===2020 census===
{| class="wikitable"
|+Ranlo racial composition<ref>{{Cite web|title=Explore Census Data|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?g=1600000US3755260&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P2|access-date=December 19, 2021|website=data.census.gov}}</ref>
!Race
!Num.
!Perc.
|-
|[[White (U.S. Census)|White]] (non-Hispanic)
|2,599
|57.61%
|-
|[[African American (U.S. Census)|Black or African American]] (non-Hispanic)
|1,038
|23.01%
|-
|[[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]]
|18
|0.4%
|-
|[[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]]
|116
|2.57%
|-
|[[Race (United States Census)|Other/Mixed]]
|188
|4.17%
|-
|[[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]]
|552
|12.24%
|}
As of the [[2020 United States census]], there were 4,511 people, 1,346 households, and 972 families residing in the town.

===2000 census===
As of the [[census]]<ref name="GR2" /> of 2000, there were 2,198 people, 857 households, and 642 families residing in the town. The population density was {{convert|1,598.5|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. There were 917 housing units at an average density of {{convert|666.9|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. The racial makeup of the town was 91.86% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 6.10% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 0.32% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 0.36% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 0.27% [[Pacific Islander (U.S. Census)|Pacific Islander]], 0.14% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 0.96% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 0.55% of the population.

There were 857 households, out of which 26.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.2% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 14.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.0% were non-families. 21.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.56 and the average family size was 2.95.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 23.0% under the age of 18, 7.7% from 18 to 24, 28.4% from 25 to 44, 26.3% from 45 to 64, and 14.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.8 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $35,160, and the median income for a family was $40,391. Males had a median income of $31,534 versus $21,250 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the town was $17,180. About 6.7% of families and 8.1% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 12.3% of those under age 18 and 7.8% of those age 65 or over.

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[https://ranlo.org Town of Ranlo official website]

{{Gaston County, North Carolina}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Towns in Gaston County, North Carolina]]
[[Category:Towns in North Carolina]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1963]]