Duplin county
Chapter 2: Community Profile
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Chapter 2: Community ProfileDuplin County is located in the Coastal Plains of the Southeastern portion of North Carolina. The county claims 819 square miles, making it the 9th largest county for land mass in the state, with Kenansville as its county seat. The county is governed by the six members of the Duplin County Board of Commissioners. They are elected officials who serve for four-year terms. A professional county manager serves under the direction of the County Commissioners. Duplin County has operated under the County Manager form of government since 1979. Geography
Land In general, most Duplin County soils located outside the flood plains are suitable for agriculture and are capable of supporting structures. The major limiting factor is poor drainage. The soils of Duplin County, except Pamlico Muck, are derived from the Coastal Plains parent formations and are classified as mineral soils. Information on soil conditions for specific sites is available through the Duplin County Natural Resources Conservation Service.1 Water Abundant supplies of high quality ground water are available to Duplin County from two aquifers; the water table aquifer and the cretaceous aquifer. The water table aquifer is generally within 20 feet of the ground surface. Wells tapping this aquifer generally yield 10 to 350 gallons per minute. The water quality varies from fair to good. The cretaceous aquifer is Duplin County’s most important source of water. This aquifer varies from 400 to 800 feet and consists of water stored under artesian pressures in sands of the Cretaceous Age. The quality of the Cretaceous aquifer varies from very good to excellent.2 Surface Duplin County’s surface water streams are classified by the North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources as class “CSW Waters”. This classification designates water suitable for aquatic life propagation and survival, fishing, wildlife, secondary recreation and agriculture. The section of the Northeast Cape Fear River between Muddy Creek and Rockfish Creek is classified as “High Quality Waters”. This segment is rated as good based on biological and physical/chemical characteristics.2 Drainage The greater portion of the County is drained by the Northeast Cape Fear River. Its main tributaries include Goshen Swamp and Rockfish Cypress, Maxwell, Muddy, Limestone, and Grove Creeks. A small area west of Warsaw is drained by Stewarts and Turkey Creeks, which are both tributaries of the Black River in Sampson County.3 Climate Due to its proximity to the Atlantic Ocean and its location in the coastal plain, Duplin County experiences relatively mild temperatures. The average temperature is 61 degrees and the average annual rainfall is approximately 49 inches with most precipitation occurring during the summer months. Summers are long and commonly have short periods of very hot and humid weather. Winters are generally short and mild with significant accumulations of ice and snow being unusual. The average frost-free season is from mid-April to mid-November, slightly more than 200 days.4,5 Topography Duplin County lies within the Coastal Plain of Eastern North Carolina. Typical of this region, the terrain is nearly flat to gently rolling. Slopes rarely exceed 5 percent. The highest elevation in the county is near Bowden, approximately 167 feet above sea level. The lowest elevation is approximately 20 feet above sea level at the point where the Northeast Cape Fear River flows out of the county.6 Highways Interstate 40 is accessible via six exits across Duplin County and provides easy connections to I-95, I-85, I-77 and I-26. The County is also traversed by a well-maintained network of U.S. and state highways. Typical drive times are:
Source: quickfacts.census.gov EconomyDuplin County has a strong future with many new and promising developments coupled with a strong agricultural heritage. Duplin County is now home to three Industrial Parks, which is an incentive for businesses to relocate or develop within the county. The parks are in proximity to North Carolina's Global TransPark and Foreign Trade Zone 214 as well as the deep-water ports of Wilmington and Morehead City, NC. The parks are geographically located between Fayetteville, Goldsboro and Jacksonville, all of which are homes to major military bases. SouthPark is located northeast of Wallace, approximately one-quarter mile from Interstate 40 via NC Highway 11. SouthPark Center is a corridor of 175 acres of industrial property. The entire tract is planned for subdividing into smaller tracts, which are zoned for industrial use. The current land layout is farmland and idle wooded acres. The initial facility was a joint effort between the Wallace 100 Committee, Inc., Duplin County Economic Development Commission, North Carolina Department of Commerce and Four County Electric Membership Corporation. WestPark is located just west of Warsaw and one mile from Interstate 40 via NC Highway 24 and US Highway 117. WestPark is a 906 acre corridor of industrial property adjacent to I-40. Formerly used as farmland, this site currently is home to Eastern Carolina Food Ventures Incubator Kitchen. This facility is a regional shared-use commercial incubator kitchen whose mission is to help develop food entrepreneurs, create new food businesses and provide workforce development resulting in new jobs and economic development. It is a collaborative effort of James Sprunt Community College, Duplin and Pender counties. Duplin County Airport covers 126 acres, is centrally located in Duplin County approximately 2 miles north of Kenansville and within close proximity to Interstate 40. The airport has a 6,000’ runway; new terminal and conference facilities. Geographically located under the North/South Flyway and Midpoint between New York and Miami, the airport is a preferred stop for many regular transients. 
Industry in Duplin County While Duplin County is a regional leader in agriculture, livestock, textiles and manufacturing, the County has a broadly diversified economy and is an excellent choice for many types of enterprises.
Employment Most of Duplin County is a rural agrarian economy and depends on livestock, poultry and manufacturing industries for jobs and economic growth. Today, Duplin’s agriculture industries range from the family farm to corporate headquarters of agriculture related businesses. Drawing from the rich, natural resources and mild climate, local farmers grow crops ranging from cotton to grapes to zucchini. Duplin County recognizes emerging opportunities and many citizens are meeting the ever-changing demands of the industry with new crops as well as services. Duplin County recently ranked second in North Carolina in livestock and poultry total receipts while also ranking in the top 10 in crop receipts. Swine and poultry are Duplin County’s two most important agricultural commodities. Duplin County, along with neighboring Sampson County, produces 1/6 of the world’s population food supply. In August 2012 the unemployment rate for Duplin County was 9.9%. The average unemployment rate has remained fairly stable for the last three years: for 2009 it was 9.6%, for 2010 it was 9.7%, and for 2011 it was 9.8%7. At least 46% of all jobs in the county are related to the agriculture industry. The Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is a measure of the total economic production of a county or state. In Duplin County 98% of the GDP is impacted by the agriculture industry. The GDP does not measure quality of life or account for disparity in incomes but is used to give a picture of how much the county’s economy relies on the agriculture industry. Many agriculture jobs are at or below the minimum wage, do not offer health benefits or benefits are provided at cost to the employee which most cannot afford. Directory: uploadedFiles uploadedFiles -> Alabama Historical Association Annual Meeting Presentations 1980–present 33rd Annual Meeting — 1980 uploadedFiles -> Corbicula an annotated bibliography 1774 2005 uploadedFiles -> Harold j. Brody, md uploadedFiles -> Kerry B. Dumbaugh uploadedFiles -> Executive Summary uploadedFiles -> Commuter rail operating agreement uploadedFiles -> Board meeting of march 3, 2010 uploadedFiles -> University of north florida facilities inventory validation Download 1.51 Mb. Share with your friends:
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