Sociodemographics

Warrenton, NC is the county seat and second largest town of Warren County. During the final stages of this AOCD, the Census Bureau released provisional 2000 census data. There were 811 people counted within the municipal borders of Warrenton. The 2000 census lists Warrenton as 0.1% Asian, 0.9% Hispanic, 1.6% Native American, 37% African American or black, and 61.5% White . The fact that Whites comprise only 32.3% of the population in the surrounding census tract make it clear that most African-Americans live outside the town boundaries. The Hispanic population is also 50% larger outside the town boundaries (1.4%), but the Native American population is greater in the town than in the surrounding area.

People in Warrenton are aware of the area's aging population. Many of the people interviewed by Marrow and Milroy expressed concern about the current and future health needs of the elderly. In Warrenton itself, 28% of the population is 65 or older and 18% is under the age of 18 (U.S. Census, 1990). In the county as a whole, 16% of the population was 65 or older at the last estimate (County Health Data Book, 1999). However, the nursing home in Warrenton might have a significant effect on the percentage of elderly, given the small overall population. Overall, there has been a decline in the birth rate in Warren County over the past 20 years, while the death rate has been fairly constant (County Health Data Book, 1999).

Forty-four percent of all households in Warrenton are headed by someone age 65 or above. Forty-nine percent of White-heads-of-households and 36% of African American-heads-of-households are 65 or older. These are also the households with the lowest incomes (U.S. Census, 1990). There are 66.8 elderly people or children for every 100 people of working age, ranking Warren County 6th highest in the state for the proportion of working age people in the population (NC Office of State Planning, 1999). Community members reported that one reason for the high number of retirees was the affordability of living in Warren County. Someone living on a pension from a job in New York can live much more comfortably on that fixed income in Warren County than they can in New York. This reason applies to people moving to Warren County for the first time and people who were raised in the county, moved away to work, and came back to retire.

From 1990 to 2000, the county grew 15%, much faster than the 9.6% predicted in 1998. This countywide growth is entirely from immigration, as the natural increase of the population was negative (U.S. Census, 2000). The natural population growth is derived from birth and death rates, and the birth rate in Warren County has declined over the past 20 years, while the death rate has been fairly constant (County Health Data Book, 1999). In 1998, Warrenton's growth rate was estimated at 0.6% (NC Office of Planning, 1999). The unadjusted 2000 census figures indicate that it is now shrinking, but precise rates are not yet available. According to one service provider, the reason people are not moving into Warrenton is that the municipal boundaries are too small. There is no place inside Warrenton to build new houses and most of the existing units are occupied. Another explanation for Warrenton's decreasing population may be that retired people buy large Victorian houses and perhaps displace families with children.

While property is fairly inexpensive, Warrenton has high homeowners insurance rates, partly because there is only one fire department that officially serves the town. The risk of fire is high due to the way many homes are heated. Twenty-six percent of homes in Warren County are heated by wood, 32% by fuel oil or kerosene, 18.6% by coal, tank gas, solar, other or no fuel. Approximately twenty-one percent are heated by electricity and 1.5% by utility gas (NC Department of Commerce, 1999). Information specific to the town is not available. Also contributing to increased insurance rates is that fact that all firefighters are volunteers.

Warrenton is a small town that is somewhat less racially diverse than the rural census tract surrounding it. The aging population and the reluctance of young adults to stay in the area have left only a small proportion of the population of working age. Those people who do work tend to have low paying jobs and elderly people are the most likely to be poor. While life in Warrenton is inexpensive in many ways, taxes, and insurance rates are higher than in some comparable areas. More detail about income and jobs is included under the heading "Economics" and reference to taxes is included in "Politics and the People." "Race Relations" includes a discussion of some of the effects of the racial diversity in the community.

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History of Warren County