Tabor City, North Carolina

Infobox Settlement
official_name = Tabor City, North Carolina
settlement_type = Town
nickname =
motto =

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mapsize = 250x200px
map_caption = Location of Tabor City, North Carolina


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subdivision_type = Country
subdivision_name = United States
subdivision_type1 = State
subdivision_name1 = North Carolina
subdivision_type2 = County
subdivision_name2 = Columbus
government_footnotes =
government_type =
leader_title =
leader_name =
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established_date =

unit_pref = Imperial
area_footnotes =

area_magnitude =
area_total_km2 = 7.6
area_land_km2 = 7.6
area_water_km2 = 0.0
area_total_sq_mi = 2.9
area_land_sq_mi = 2.9
area_water_sq_mi = 0.0

population_as_of = 2000
population_footnotes =
population_total = 2509
population_density_km2 = 329.0
population_density_sq_mi = 852.2

timezone = Eastern (EST)
utc_offset = -5
timezone_DST = EDT
utc_offset_DST = -4
elevation_footnotes =
elevation_m = 32
elevation_ft = 105
latd = 34 |latm = 8 |lats = 55 |latNS = N
longd = 78 |longm = 52 |longs = 19 |longEW = W

postal_code_type = ZIP code
postal_code = 28463
area_code = 910
blank_name = FIPS code
blank_info = 37-66520GR|2
blank1_name = GNIS feature ID
blank1_info = 0995822GR|3
website =
footnotes =

Tabor City is a town in Columbus County, North Carolina, United States.

It was named after Mount Tabor Baptist Church (now Tabor City Baptist Church), which itself is named after the biblical Mount Tabor. Originally named Mt. Tabor, the town adopted its current name after postal authorities confused it with Tarboro, North Carolina.

Notoriously known as Razor City in the mid-20th century, it has been called the "Yam Capital of the World." Each October, the North Carolina Yam Festival is held, celebrating the sweet potato with crafts, train rides, arts and vendors. [http://www.ncfestivals.com/events/eventdetails.asp?event=194]

Now a rural area, it has suffered economic difficulties in recent years, with the loss of the tobacco cash crop and high unemployment. A new state prison, the Tabor Correctional Facility, is under construction two miles northwest from the center of Tabor City, and upon completion will create about 510 new jobs. [http://www.taborcitync.org/correctionalfacility.asp]

The town also contains Lake Tabor, a 500-acre recreational lake.

The "Tabor City Tribune" was a weekly newspaper established by W. Horace Carter (a Stanly County native) in 1946. Along with the "Whiteville News Reporter", the "Tribune" was awarded the 1953 Pulitzer Prize for Public Service for its editorials against the Ku Klux Klan. The Pulitzer Prize citation stated that the newspapers were awarded the prize "for their successful campaign against the Ku Klux Klan, waged on their own doorstep at the risk of economic loss and personal danger, culminating in the conviction of over one hundred Klansmen and an end to terrorism in their communities." The newspapers were the first weeklies to win a Pulitzer Prize. The name of the "Tabor City Tribune" was changed to the "Tabor-Loris Tribune" in 1996. The small W. Horace Carter Newspaper Museum in Tabor City at the "Tabor-Loris Tribune offices" has exhibits on Carter's life and work. [http://www.hmdb.org/marker.asp?marker=863]

Tabor City is home to South Columbus High School. Prior to South Columbus High School was Tabor City High School, which closed in 1992. The former Tabor City High School facility now houses Tabor City Elementary School.

Geography

Tabor City is located at coor dms|34|8|55|N|78|52|19|W|city (34.148621, -78.872073).GR|1

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 2.9 square miles (7.6 km²), all of it land. It is located on the border with South Carolina, about 30 miles inland from the Atlantic, 28 miles north of Myrtle Beach, and 65 miles west of Wilmington. Mild winters and hot, humid summers are typical.

Demographics

As of the censusGR|2 of 2000, there were 2,509 people, 1,020 households, and 637 families residing in the town. The population density was 852.2 people per square mile (329.5/km²). There were 1,116 housing units at an average density of 379.1/sq mi (146.6/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 64.61% White, 32.88% African American, 0.72% Native American, 0.08% Asian, 0.12% Pacific Islander, 1.16% from other races, and 0.44% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.19% of the population.

There were 1,020 households out of which 27.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.2% were married couples living together, 17.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.5% were non-families. 34.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.37 and the average family size was 3.05.

In the town the population was spread out with 25.5% under the age of 18, 8.3% from 18 to 24, 23.9% from 25 to 44, 23.7% from 45 to 64, and 18.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 82.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 76.8 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $22,551, and the median income for a family was $30,720. Males had a median income of $26,577 versus $18,750 for females. The per capita income for the town was $13,280. About 15.9% of families and 26.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 26.7% of those under age 18 and 36.7% of those age 65 or over.

References

External links

* [http://www.angelfire.com/nc/taborcitychamber/index.html Greater Tabor City Chamber of Commerce]
* [http://www.ffast.net/ FFAST.NET Leading Internet provider of Tabor City, NC]