Forsyth County, North Carolina

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Forsyth County (Template:IPAc-en Template:Respell)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="North Carolina Collection">Talk Like a Tarheel Template:Webarchive, from the North Carolina Collection website at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Retrieved August 16, 2023.</ref> is a county located in the northwest Piedmont of the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 382,590,<ref name="2020CensusQuickFacts"/> making it the fourth-most populous county in North Carolina. Its county seat is Winston-Salem.<ref name="GR6">Template:Cite web</ref> Forsyth County is part of the Winston-Salem, NC, Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is also included in the Greensboro–Winston-Salem–High Point, NC, Combined Statistical Area. Portions of Forsyth County are in the Yadkin Valley wine region.

History

The county was formed in 1849 from Stokes County. It was named for Colonel Benjamin Forsyth, who was killed in the War of 1812.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

Geography

Template:Maplink According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county is in the outer Appalachian Mountains, and has a total area of Template:Convert, of which Template:Convert is land and Template:Convert (1.09%) is water.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

The northeast section of Forsyth County, including Belews Creek and parts of Rural Hall, Walkertown, and Kernersville, is drained by tributaries of the Dan River. A small portion of Kernersville is in the Cape Fear River basin.<ref name="amer rivers">Haw River, North Carolina, American Rivers, Washington, DC. Retrieved December 22, 2021.</ref> Most of the county is drained by tributaries of the Yadkin River, which forms the western boundary of the county. The lowest elevation in the county is 660 feet, on the Yadkin River at the southwest corner of the county.<ref name=topozone>Clemmons Topo Map in Forsyth County, NC, TopoZone, Locality, LLC. Retrieved December 22, 2021.</ref> The highest is 1100 feet, at a point just off Jefferson Church Road on the outskirts of King, immediately south of the county line.

State and local protected areas and sites

Cascades Preserve (part)
Emily Allen Wildflower Preserve
Historic Bethabara Park
Kaleideum
Old Salem Museums & Gardens
Shell-Shaped Shell Station
Tanglewood Park

Major water bodies

Abbotts Creek
Belews Creek
Belews Lake
Beaver Dam Creek
Brushy Creek
Blanket Creek
Buffalo Creek
Crooked Run Creek
Lick Creek
Little Creek
Little Yadkin River
Mill Creek
Muddy Creek
Old Field Creek
Reedy Fork
Salem Creek
Silas Creek
South Fork Muddy Creek
Yadkin River

Adjacent counties

Stokes County – north
Rockingham County – northeast
Guilford County – east
Davidson County – south
Davie County – southwest
Yadkin County – west
Surry County – northwest

Major highways

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Major infrastructure

Amtrak Thruway (Winston-Salem)
Smith Reynolds Airport

Demographics

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2020 census

Forsyth County racial composition<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Race	Number	Percentage
White (non-Hispanic)	208,126	54.4%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic)	93,738	24.5%
Native American	978	0.26%
Asian	9,179	2.4%
Pacific Islander	233	0.06%
Other/Mixed	15,648	4.09%
Hispanic or Latino	54,688	14.29%

As of the 2020 census, there were 382,590 people, 148,151 households, and 90,837 families residing in the county.

2000 census

At the 2000 census,<ref name="GR2">Template:Cite web</ref> there were 306,067 people, 123,851 households, and 81,741 families residing in the county. The population density was Template:Convert. There were 133,093 housing units, at an average density of Template:Convert. The racial makeup was 68.47% White, 25.61% Black or African American, 0.30% Native American, 1.04% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 3.25% from other races, and 1.30% from two or more races. 6.40% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 123,851 households, out of which 30.50% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.90% were married couples living together, 13.50% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.00% were non-families. 28.90% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.30% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.39, and the average family size was 2.94.

File:Forsyth nc tracts 2020.svg

Map of census tracts in Forsyth County by racial plurality, per the 2020 US CensusTemplate:Collapsible list

The median age was 36 years, with 23.90% under the age of 18, 9.60% from 18 to 24, 31.10% from 25 to 44, 22.80% from 45 to 64, and 12.60% who were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 91.50 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.40 males.

The median household income was $42,097, and the median family income was $52,032. Males had a median income of $36,158, versus $27,319 for females. The per capita income was $23,023. About 7.90% of families and 11.00% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.10% of those under age 18 and 9.70% of those age 65 or over.

Law and government

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Forsyth County Public Safety Center

The Forsyth County Government Center is located at 201 North Chestnut Street in Downtown Winston-Salem. Forsyth County is a member of the regional Northwest Piedmont Council of Governments.

The Forsyth County Public Library, founded in 1906, is free for residents of Forsyth and surrounding counties, while all others must pay a small yearly fee for a library card. The library runs Adult, Children's, and Hispanic Outreach programs. Its main "Central Library" is in downtown Winston-Salem, with branches all across the county.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Forsyth County Public Library is part of NC Cardinal, a consortium of many other library systems in North Carolina.

The Forsyth County Department of Public Health is located at 799 North Highland Avenue near downtown Winston-Salem.

Politics

Forsyth County typically favors Democratic candidates in national elections, though Republicans remain competitive in local races.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Education

Forsyth County is served by the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools School district.

Communities

File:Map of Forsyth County North Carolina With Municipal and Township Labels.PNG

Map of Forsyth County with municipal and township labels

Cities

Winston-Salem (county seat and largest community)
High Point (mostly in Guilford County; also in Randolph County and Davidson County)
King (mostly in Stokes County)

Towns

Bethania
Kernersville (partially in Guilford County)
Lewisville
Rural Hall
Stokesdale (mostly in Guilford County)
Walkertown

Villages

Clemmons
Tobaccoville (also in Stokes County)

Townships

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Former township

Middle Fork Township was split into Middle Fork I Township and Middle Fork II Township in 2003.<ref>Template:Cite gnis</ref>

Census-designated place

Germanton

Unincorporated communities