Northampton County, Virginia

Northampton County
Northampton County
County
	Northampton County Courthouse Historic District
	Flag Seal
	Location within the U.S. state of Virginia
	Virginia's location within the U.S.
	Coordinates: 37°18′03″N 75°55′43″W / 37.30078°N 75.92854°W
Country	United States
State	Virginia
Founded	1634
Seat	Eastville
Largest town	Exmore
Area
• Total	795 sq mi (2,060 km2)
• Land	212 sq mi (550 km2)
• Water	584 sq mi (1,510 km2) 73.4%
Population (2020)
• Total	12,282
• Density	15/sq mi (6.0/km2)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district	2nd
Website	www.co.northampton.va.us

Northampton County is a county located in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 12,282.^[1] Its county seat is Eastville.^[2] Northampton and Accomack Counties are a part of the larger Eastern Shore of Virginia.

The county is the center of the late Eocene meteor strike that resulted in the Chesapeake Bay impact crater. The Northampton County Courthouse Historic District is part of the Eastville Historic District at the county seat.

History

When English colonists first arrived in the area in the early 1600s, the Virginia Eastern Shore region was governed by Debedeavon (aka "The Laughing King"), who was the paramount chief of the Accomac people, which numbered around 2,000 at the time. The former name of the county was Accomac Shire, one of the original eight shires of Virginia after the founding of the first settlement at Jamestown in 1607. In 1642, the name was changed to Northampton County by the colonists. In 1663, Northampton County was split into two counties that still exist today. The northern two-thirds took the original "Accomac" name (Accomack County), while the southern third to the Point Cape Charles remained as Northampton.^{[citation needed]}

Slavery

Northampton County is notable for a colonial court case involving an indentured servant. The first free negro (a term used prior to the abolition of slavery) in North America was Anthony Johnson of Northampton County. Johnson was one of the first black Americans to own land in America.^[3] In 1653, Johnson brought suit in Northampton County Court to argue that one of his servants, John Casor, was indentured to him for life. Casor had left him and was working for a neighbor. This was the first instance of a judicial determination in the Thirteen Colonies holding that a person who had committed no crime could be held in servitude for life.^[4]

This court ruling decision also gives insight to how owners of indentured servants could easily choose to ignore the expiration of indentured contracts and force their servants into lifetime slavery. Although Casor, an African, had well-known white planters taking his part, he was reduced to lifetime slavery. Some planters sought more profitable methods of labor by taking advantage of Negro indentured servants, who had little recourse in the legal and social system to protect their rights.^[5]

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 795 square miles (2,060 km²), of which 212 square miles (550 km²) is land and 584 square miles (1,510 km²) (73.4%) is water.^[6]

Adjacent county and independent city

Accomack County – north
Virginia Beach, Virginia – south

National protected areas

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1790	6,889	—
1800	6,763	−1.8%
1810	7,474	10.5%
1820	7,705	3.1%
1830	8,641	12.1%
1840	7,715	−10.7%
1850	7,498	−2.8%
1860	7,832	4.5%
1870	8,046	2.7%
1880	9,152	13.7%
1890	10,313	12.7%
1900	13,770	33.5%
1910	16,672	21.1%
1920	17,852	7.1%
1930	18,565	4.0%
1940	17,597	−5.2%
1950	17,300	−1.7%
1960	16,966	−1.9%
1970	14,442	−14.9%
1980	14,625	1.3%
1990	13,061	−10.7%
2000	13,093	0.2%
2010	12,389	−5.4%
2020	12,282	−0.9%
U.S. Decennial Census^[7] 1790-1960^[8] 1900-1990^[9] 1990-2000^[10] 2010^[11] 2020^[12]

2020 census

**Northampton County, Virginia – Racial and ethnic composition**
*Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.*
Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)	Pop 2010^[11]	Pop 2020^[12]	% 2010	% 2020
White alone (NH)	6,755	6,932	54.52%	56.44%
Black or African American alone (NH)	4,491	3,756	36.25%	30.58%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)	26	58	0.21%	0.47%
Asian alone (NH)	81	80	0.65%	0.65%
Pacific Islander alone (NH)	2	8	0.02%	0.07%
Some Other Race alone (NH)	15	30	0.12%	0.24%
Mixed Race or Multi-Racial (NH)	145	350	1.17%	2.85%
Hispanic or Latino (any race)	874	1,068	7.05%	8.70%
Total	12,389	12,282	100.00%	100.00%

2020 Census

As of the census^[13] of 2010, there were 12,389 people, 5,321 households, and 3,543 families residing in the county. The population density was 63 people per square mile (24 people/km²). There were 6,547 housing units at an average density of 32 units per square mile (12 units/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 57.9% White, 36.5% Black or African American, 0.2% Native American, 0.7% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 3.2% from other races, and 1.4% from two or more races. 7.1% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

The largest ancestry groups in Northampton County include: African American (36%), English American (15%), German (7%), Irish (6%) and Italian (3%)

There were 5,321 households, out of which 25.70% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.30% were married couples living together, 17.50% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.40% were non-families. 29.40% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.60% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.39 and the average family size was 2.94.

In the county, the age distribution of the population shows 23.30% under the age of 18, 7.10% from 18 to 24, 23.60% from 25 to 44, 24.80% from 45 to 64, and 21.20% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 87.90 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.10 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $28,276, and the median income for a family was $385,034. Males had a median income of $26,842 versus $21,839 for females. The per capita income for the county was $16,591. About 15.80% of families and 20.50% of the population were below the poverty line, including 29.20% of those under age 18 and 16.50% of those age 65 or over.

Northampton County is home to the United States' oldest continuous court records.

Transportation

Campbell Field Airport

Major highways

Education

Northampton County Public Schools operates public schools in the county.

Communities

Towns

Census-designated places

Other unincorporated communities

Politics

Northampton County leans towards the Democratic Party. In presidential elections, it has voted for the Democratic nominee every time since 1992.

United States presidential election results for Northampton County, Virginia^[14]
Year	Republican		Democratic		Third party
Year	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
2020	2,955	43.89%	3,667	54.47%	110	1.63%
2016	2,686	43.55%	3,255	52.77%	227	3.68%
2012	2,676	41.23%	3,741	57.63%	74	1.14%
2008	2,713	41.19%	3,800	57.70%	73	1.11%
2004	2,669	48.54%	2,775	50.46%	55	1.00%
2000	2,299	47.00%	2,340	47.83%	253	5.17%
1996	1,763	35.63%	2,569	51.92%	616	12.45%
1992	2,088	37.17%	2,568	45.71%	962	17.12%
1988	2,562	52.00%	2,242	45.50%	123	2.50%
1984	2,906	55.81%	2,226	42.75%	75	1.44%
1980	2,165	45.65%	2,363	49.82%	215	4.53%
1976	2,043	43.15%	2,459	51.93%	233	4.92%
1972	2,587	66.45%	1,246	32.01%	60	1.54%
1968	1,410	35.48%	1,418	35.68%	1,146	28.84%
1964	1,586	51.11%	1,516	48.86%	1	0.03%
1960	995	41.60%	1,387	57.98%	10	0.42%
1956	1,264	51.03%	1,132	45.70%	81	3.27%
1952	1,307	50.12%	1,289	49.42%	12	0.46%
1948	525	29.86%	997	56.71%	236	13.42%
1944	381	25.52%	1,108	74.21%	4	0.27%
1940	359	29.23%	866	70.52%	3	0.24%
1936	277	22.07%	975	77.69%	3	0.24%
1932	298	18.90%	1,264	80.15%	15	0.95%
1928	688	42.39%	935	57.61%	0	0.00%
1924	180	15.53%	941	81.19%	38	3.28%
1920	217	18.42%	954	80.98%	7	0.59%
1916	109	11.85%	802	87.17%	9	0.98%
1912	83	9.37%	726	81.94%	77	8.69%

Notable people

John Casor, the first person of African descent in England's Thirteen Colonies to be declared as a slave for life as the result of a civil suit^[15]^[16]
Adrian "Ace" Custis (1974-), former NCAA All-America basketball player at Virginia Tech, which retired his jersey. He is a 1992 graduate of Northampton High School.
Alvy Powell (1955-), opera singer, performed National Anthem at inauguration of President George H.W. Bush. He is a 1974 graduate of Northampton High School.
Ralph Northam (1959-), 40th Lieutenant Governor of Virginia (2014-2018) and 73rd Governor of Virginia (2018-2022).
Abel Upshur (1791–1844), born in Northampton County, United States Secretary of State and United States Secretary of the Navy^[17]
Tyler Webb (1990-), MLB relief pitcher, currently playing for the St. Louis Cardinals.