Raeford is a city in Hoke County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 4,626 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Hoke County. The county was named after Confederate General Robert F. Hoke, a North Carolina native.
History
John McRae and A.A. Williford operated a turpentine distillery and general store, respectively. Each took a syllable from his name and came up with the name Raeford for the post office they established. The MacRae family, who lived at the 'ford of the creek', was at one time made up primarily of old Highland Scot families. Likewise, the Upper Cape Fear Valley of North Carolina was in the 18th and 19th centuries the largest settlement of Gaelic-speaking Highland Scots in North America. Today, many of these old families continue to live in the area, though their presence is noticeably diminished by the great numbers of newcomers to the area as a result of Fort Bragg. Since World War II, many Lumbee Indian families have moved northward from Robeson County and now constitute a significant element of the population that is otherwise European and African American.
The Hoke County Courthouse and Raeford Historic District are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Transportation
- U.S 401
- NC 211
- NC 20
Geography
Raeford is located at 34°58′54″N 79°13′39″W (34.981800, -79.227469).
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 3.8 square miles (9.8Â km2), of which 3.8 square miles (9.8Â km2) is land and 0.27% is covered by water.
Demographics
As of the census of 2000, 3,386 people, 1,323 households, and 899 families resided in the city. The population density was 902.3 people per square mile (348.6/km²). The 1,440 housing units averaged 383.7 per square mile (148.3/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 52.75% White, 40.93% African American, 2.86% Native American, 0.95% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 1.09% from other races, and 1.39% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 4.16% of the population.
Of the 1,323 households, 30.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.1% were married couples living together, 18.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.0% were not families. About 29.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.40 and the average family size was 2.94.
In the city, the population was distributed as 23.7% under the age of 18, 7.3% from 18 to 24, 25.5% from 25 to 44, 23.7% from 45 to 64, and 19.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 84.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 77.9 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $31,306, and for a family was $33,772. Males had a median income of $27,060 versus $26,050 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,093. About 18.6% of families and 22.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 30.6% of those under age 18 and 13.6% of those age 65 or over. Raeford is also the home of the Raeford Drop Zone, once owned by the late Gene Paul Thacker and his wife Billie Thacker.
Notable people
- Eric Maynor, drafted 20th overall by the Utah Jazz in the 2009 NBA Draft
- Robert Brown, multi-instrumentalist musician who has released two albums -->
- Terrell McIntyre, is a retired American professional basketball player. A two-time All-Euroleague First Team selection, he reached the Euroleague Final Four in 2008 with Montepaschi Siena.
- Earl Wolff, is an American football safety for the Washington Redskins of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at North Carolina State. He was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the fifth round of the 2013 NFL Draft.
References
External links
- Official website of Raeford, NC
- Raeford and Hoke Chamber of Commerce (new website)
- The News-Journal, the local newspaper
