Orrum, North Carolina

Orrum is a town in Robeson County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 59 at the 2020 census.

Orrum, North Carolina
Town
Orrum, North Carolina Location within the state of North Carolina
Coordinates: 34°28′00″N 79°00′32″W
Country	United States
State	North Carolina
County	Robeson
Founded	1832[1]
Incorporated	1903[1]
Named for	Variant of Orton[1]
Area [2]
• Total	0.48 sq mi (1.24 km2)
• Land	0.48 sq mi (1.24 km2)
• Water	0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation [3]	95 ft (29 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	59
• Density	123.43/sq mi (47.64/km2)
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code	28369
Area codes	910, 472
FIPS code	37-49460[4]
GNIS feature ID	2407055[3]

History

The community that became Orrum was established around 1832 around Big Branch Church. It was incorporated in 1903. Residents originally wanted to name it Orton, but as the name was already in use in nearby Columbus County, the locals opted for "Orrum" as a similar name.^[5] The Williams-Powell House was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984.^[6]

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 0.6 square miles (1.6 km²), all land.

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1910	214		—
1920	86		−59.8%
1930	209		143.0%
1940	173		−17.2%
1950	162		−6.4%
1960	139		−14.2%
1970	162		16.5%
1980	167		3.1%
1990	103		−38.3%
2000	79		−23.3%
2010	91		15.2%
2020	59		−35.2%
U.S. Decennial Census[7]

As of the census^[4] of 2000, there were 79 people, 32 households, and 20 families residing in the town. The population density was 140.0 inhabitants per square mile (54.1/km²). There were 36 housing units at an average density of 63.8 per square mile (24.6/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 79.75% White, 15.19% African American, 2.53% Native American and 2.53% Pacific Islander.

There were 32 households, out of which 28.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.6% were married couples living together, 15.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.4% were non-families. 31.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.28 and the average family size was 2.81.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 19.0% under the age of 18, 7.6% from 18 to 24, 26.6% from 25 to 44, 34.2% from 45 to 64, and 12.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females, there were 83.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.2 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $25,417, and the median income for a family was $35,000. Males had a median income of $27,917 versus $13,125 for females. The per capita income for the town was $12,095. There were 22.2% of families and 17.0% of the population living below the poverty line, including no under eighteens and 35.7% of those over 64.

References

1. "North Carolina Gazetteer". Retrieved December 12, 2022.
2. "ArcGIS REST Services Directory". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved September 20, 2022.
3. U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Orrum, North Carolina
4. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
5. Powell 1976, p. 365.
6. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
7. "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.

Works cited

• Powell, William S. (1976). The North Carolina Gazetteer: A Dictionary of Tar Heel Places. Chapel Hill: The University of North Carolina Press. ISBN 9780807812471.