Harnett County, North Carolina
County
Harnett County Courthouse
Flag Seal Logo
Location within the U.S. state of North Carolina
Coordinates: 35°22′N 78°52′W / 35.37°N 78.87°W / 35.37; -78.87
Country	United States
State	North Carolina
Founded	1855
Named after	Cornelius Harnett
Seat	Lillington
Largest community	Anderson Creek
Area
• Total	601.22 sq mi (1,557.2 km2)
• Land	594.93 sq mi (1,540.9 km2)
• Water	6.29 sq mi (16.3 km2)  1.05%
Population  (2020)
• Total	133,568
• Estimate  (2024)	146,096
• Density	224.51/sq mi (86.68/km2)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district	13th
Website	www.harnett.org

Harnett County (/ˈhɑːrnɪt/ HAR-nit)^[1] is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 133,568.^[2] Its county seat is Lillington;^[3] its largest community is Anderson Creek.^[4] Harnett County is part of the Anderson Creek, NC Micropolitan Statistical Area.^[5]

Harnett County was formed in 1855 from land given by Cumberland County. It was named for American Revolutionary war soldier Cornelius Harnett,^[6] who was also a delegate to the Continental Congress. The first settlers came to the region in the mid-1720s, and were followed by Highland Scots immigrants. The Scots settled in the foothills, where land was more affordable, rather than in the rich alluvial soil area of the coastal plain. After the defeat by the British of Bonny Prince Charles at Culloden, Scots immigrants came up the Cape Fear River in ever increasing numbers and settled in western Harnett County. British immigrants had settled primarily along the banks of the Cape Fear River in the coastal area, generally from Erwin to Wilmington.

During the American Revolutionary War, many of the Scots were Loyalists. In their defeat in Scotland, they had been forced to take ironclad vows that prohibited taking up arms against the British.^[7] Some Rebels considered them traitors to the cause of Independence. Public executions of suspected spies occurred. One site near Lillington was the scene of a mass execution of "Scots traitors".^[8]

Though Harnett County was not a site of warfare during the Civil War, one of the last battles took place near Averasborough, which was once the third-most populated town in North Carolina, but is no longer in existence. During the Carolinas campaign, the Left Wing of General William Sherman's army under the command of Major General Henry W. Slocum defeated the army of General William Hardee in the Battle of Averasborough and proceeded eastward. A centennial celebration of the event was held in 1965 at the site of the battlefield.

Interactive map of Harnett County

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 601.22 square miles (1,557.2 km²), of which 594.93 square miles (1,540.9 km²) is land and 6.29 square miles (16.3 km²) (1.05%) is water.^[9]

• Anderson Creek County Park^[10]
• Averasboro Battlefield and Museum
• Harris Game Land (part)^[11]
• Raven Rock State Park
• Rhodes Pond Game Land (part)^[11]

• Black River^[12]
• Buies Creek
• Cape Fear River
• Cedar Creek
• East Buies Creek
• Little River
• Mingo Swamp
• Neills Creek
• Thorntons Creek
• Upper Little River
• West Buies Creek

• Wake County – north
• Johnston County – northeast
• Sampson County – southeast
• Cumberland County – south
• Moore County – west-southwest
• Lee County – west-northwest
• Chatham County – northwest

• Fort Bragg (Linden Oaks)
• Harnett Regional Jetport

As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 133,568, making it the 23rd most populous county in North Carolina; Anderson Creek was recorded as the largest community.^[16][17][4]

The median age was 35.0 years; 26.6% of residents were under the age of 18 and 13.3% were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 96.9 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 94.0 males age 18 and over.^[16]

The racial makeup of the county was 61.3% White, 20.5% Black or African American, 1.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1% Asian, 0.2% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 7.1% from some other race, and 8.7% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 14.1% of the population.^[18]

35.8% of residents lived in urban areas, while 64.2% lived in rural areas.^[19]

There were 48,083 households in the county, of which 37.4% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 51.2% were married-couple households, 16.8% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 25.8% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 23.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.^[16]

There were 52,876 housing units, of which 9.1% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 66.8% were owner-occupied and 33.2% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.1% and the rental vacancy rate was 7.6%.^[16]

Historical population

Historical population Census Pop. Note %± 1860 8,039 — 1870 8,895 10.6% 1880 10,862 22.1% 1890 13,700 26.1% 1900 15,988 16.7% 1910 22,174 38.7% 1920 28,313 27.7% 1930 37,911 33.9% 1940 44,239 16.7% 1950 47,605 7.6% 1960 48,236 1.3% 1970 49,667 3.0% 1980 59,570 19.9% 1990 67,822 13.9% 2000 91,025 34.2% 2010 114,678 26.0% 2020 133,568 16.5% 2024 (est.) 146,096 [20] 9.4% U.S. Decennial Census[21] 1790–1960[22] 1900–1990[23] 1990–2000[24] 2010[25] 2020[2]

Between 2010 and 2020, the population in Harnett County grew by 18,890 people, or 18.6 percent, though the largest city of Dunn (at the time) shrank by 4.8 percent during the same interval. Proportionately, the white population decreased by 6.7 percent, while the Hispanic/Latino population grew by 3.3 percent and the Asian population grew by 0.2 percent. The black and Native American populations remained about the same.^[17]

Harnett is a typical "Solid South" county in its political history. Apart from the 1928 election when it defected to Herbert Hoover because of opposition to the Catholicism of Al Smith,^[26] Harnett voted rock-solid Democratic until the 1960s when opposition to increasing liberalism on racial policies turned the electorate toward the segregationist candidacy of George Wallace. Since then apart from when carried twice by native Southerner Jimmy Carter in 1976 and 1980, Harnett has been a solidly Republican county.

Harnett County is a member of the regional Mid-Carolina Council of Governments.

Harnett County is home to Campbell University and to 27 pre-college schools: 4 primary schools, 13 elementary schools, 5 middle schools, 4 high schools, and 2 alternative schools.^[28][29]

Harnett County Schools is the local public school district.

Schools in the county include:

• Primary: Anderson Creek, Gentry, Harnett, North Harnett
• Elementary: Angier, Benhaven, Boone Trail, Buies Creek, Coats, Erwin, Highland, Johnsonville, LaFayette, Lillington-Shawtown, Overhills, South Harnett, Wayne Avenue
• Middle: Coats-Erwin, Dunn, Harnett Central, Highland, Overhills, Western Harnett
• High: Harnett Central, Overhills, Triton, Western Harnett
• Alternative: STAR Academy (grades 6–12), Harnett County Early College (grades 9-13)^[30]
• University: Campbell University

The Linden Oaks housing development, of Fort Bragg, has some Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) schools, including Gary Ivan Gordon Elementary School,^[31] Randall David Shughart Elementary School,^[32] and Shugart Middle School.^[33] High school students living in Linden Oaks are assigned to Harnett County Schools' Overhills High School.^[34]

The county is served by the Harnett County Library System, based in Lillington with branches at Angier, Coats, Dunn, Erwin, Anderson Creek Primary School, and Boone Trail Community Center and Library.^[35]

• Dunn^[17]

• Angier (most)
• Coats
• Erwin
• Lillington (county seat)
• Fuquay-Varina (part)^[17]

• Anderson Creek (largest community)^[36][4]
• Buies Creek
• Bunnlevel
• Mamers
• Spout Springs^[37]

• List of counties in North Carolina
• National Register of Historic Places listings in Harnett County, North Carolina
• Coharie Intra-tribal Council, Inc., state-recognized tribe that resides in the county
• USS Harnett County (LST-821)

• Geographic data related to Harnett County, North Carolina at OpenStreetMap
• Official website
• The Daily Record, newspaper headquartered in the county