EZ Home Search Guide to Living in Anson County, NC 

Welcome to the laid-back Anson County, the home away from home that awaits an hour’s east of Charlotte. There’s plenty of room to spread out here with just 51 people per square mile. The outdoors enthusiast has two major rivers and acres of nature preserves with recreation available. For a small-town Americana experience, explore the Main Street in Wadesboro, the county seat. 

If you’re looking for a place to get away from it all, explore Anson County and see why it is a great place to live. 

About Anson County

Anson County is about 40 miles to Charlotte’s east in the Piedmont region bordering South Carolina. You can be in Uptown Charlotte within an hour’s drive. 

This makes Anson County a refuge from the city. Ample, wide-open spaces and rolling forested hills exude calm. The Rocky and Great Pee Dee Rivers make up the north and western borders. The Pee Dee National Wildlife Refuge in the county’s north protects vital habitats for migrating species.

Living here, you’ll experience a four-season climate with warm, humid summers and dry, cool winters. Snow happens, but it isn’t common, and accumulations don’t last long. July high temperatures are 90F, and January averages 50F. The county’s rainfall averages between 40 and 50 in of rain, with August being the wettest month and April the driest. 

Residents enjoy a low cost of living based on the Best Places Index. The US average is set at 100, and Anson County has an overall 71.5 score. It’s also less expensive here than the North Carolina average of 90.6. The category with the lowest cost of living was housing, while utilities and health care were the most expensive. 

Anson County is bordered by Chesterfield County, South Carolina, along the south. Union, Stanly, and Richmond counties form its in-state borders. 

Anson County History

The original inhabitants of Anson County include the Waccamaw and Catawba peoples. They occupied vast territory throughout the region. 

Anson County was once one of the largest counties in the states, with its border stretching to the Mississippi River. Over the years, sections of Anson County have been carved away to form other states and counties. 

Small towns were established throughout the late 1700s and into the 1800s. For example, the Lilesville post office was established in 1828, although the town was not incorporated until 1874. McFarlan was named after the President of the Cheraw and Salisbury Railroad. It was established in 1883. 

The town of Wadesboro has its claim to fame as the place where future president Andrew Jackson was issued his license to practice law. 

General William T Sherman’s troops camped at the Loch Adele Plantation during the Civil War. Union Soldiers raided and burned most of the town of Morven. 

Anson County Cities and Areas 

Most of Anson County is rural, with agriculture, farmland, and forests.  

The county seat and largest town is Wadesboro, home to around 6,000 residents. Its roots date back to 1783, when it was called New Town. Several homes are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Other towns sprinkled around Anson County include Ansonville, Lilesville, McFarlan, Morven, Peachland, and Polkton. The town populations range from a hundred to a few hundred residents. Many of their roots go back to the 1800s.

The county itself is broken into eight townships. There are two unincorporated communities and one ghost town. 

Anson County Job Market

Agricultural production is important in Anson County. It’s one of the top-producing counties in the state, making it ideal for food and beverage manufacturers. The forests supply essential wood products. Millions of board feet of lumber are produced annually from Anson forests and mills. 

The county is a resource for mined building products, such as aggregate and clay. Metal fabrication and advanced textiles industries further round out the local economy. 

Based on their employee count, Anson County’s major employers are Anson County Schools, Anson Community Hospital, Hornwood, Brown Creek Correctional Institution, Anson County, Wal-mart, JJ Haines, South Piedmont Community College, Columbus-McKinnon, and Carolina By-Products. 

The unemployment rate in November 2021 stood at 4.7%.

Anson County Real Estate Market Highlights

The data for Anson County from December 2021 shows that new listings were up for the year to date by 63%. Still, demand remained tight, leading to a median sales price of $135,000, an 8% increase year-over-year. In December, homes were on the market 34 days until the sale, which was 65% less year-over-year. The monthly supply of inventory was 1.7.

Looking back at median sales price trends, Anson County real estate has been relatively stable. Median prices did steadily rise from 2016 up through May 2018. A larger jump occurred in mid-2019 and again in early 2021. 

Around 68% of residents own and live in their homes. 

Anson County Population

The US Census Data for 2020 counted 22,055 residents living in Anson County. That declined from 26,948 residents in 2010. The median age was 40. One-fifth of the population was under 18, and another 20% was over 65. 

Demographically, about 49% of residents identified as African-American, while 44% identified as white alone. Around 4% indicated Hispanic or Latino origin. 

About 11% of residents 25 and older had earned a bachelor’s degree or higher. In total, 38% had some type of college degree or professional certification. The median household income for 2015-2019 was $40,213. 

Anson County Education 

Anson County Schools is a rural district operating six elementary schools, one middle school, and three high schools. One of the high schools is an early college. 

South Piedmont Community College is a two-year school that offers associate’s degrees and certificates. The college has a free tuition and fees program for all students, thanks to a combination of local, state, and federal grants. 

The Anson County campus is located in Polkton, with another center in Wadesboro. Available programs include health sciences and nursing, early childhood education, information technology, manufacturing, university transfer, business, and digital media. 

Anson County Health Care 

Atrium Health Anson is the local hospital and emergency care provider, with 15 beds. Its other services cover primary care. Atrium Health runs a mobile health clinic that travels around Anson County to deliver free health tests and screenings. 

Anson County operates a public health department with low-cost general medical care and immunizations.

Anson Regional Medical Center has a location in Wadesboro. It provides primary care for children and adults, laboratory services, and dental services. You can also find assistance with substance abuse and behavioral health concerns. 

Anson County Things to Do

Located between the mountains and beach, this is a place for off-the-beaten-path exploration. The Pee Dee National Wildlife Refuge has access points for kayaking and canoeing. Explore over 8,000 acres of refuge for migratory waterfowl. Enjoy fishing, hunting, and camping. 

There are four access points to the river and the Pee Dee Blueway. The water trail is about 20 miles long and is rated moderately difficult. 

Hunting is a popular activity in Anson County. Buchanan Shoals is a 5,300-acre area spanning Anson and Richmond counties along the Great Pee Dee River. The pine uplands and bottomland hardwood forest create habitat conditions for various wildlife. The Devil’s Rib Hunting Preserve in Peachland hosts half and whole-day quail hunts from October through March. Creekside Hunting Adventures provides a fair-chase semi-guided hunt in Anson for hog, deer, and turkey. Four Branches Sporting Preserve has facilities for sporting clays and other hunting activities. 

Anson County has one golf club, the Twin Valley Golf Club. Initially launched in 1939, it opened to the public in 1970. The front porch overlooks the 9th green. 

Ansonia Theatre was founded in 1925. Today the Anson County Arts Council owns the facility and uses it for Vaudeville theater and live performances.

Anson County has a few historical sites maintained by the local Historical Society. They include the Ashe-Covington Medical Museum, the Leavitt house, and the Alexander Little Wing. The Bogan-Hammond House was built around 1783. 

The Rotary Planetarium and Science Center is a collaboration between Anson County Schools and the Wadesboro Rotary Club. It is available to all students but focuses on programming for grades 3 to 5. The center operates public programs throughout the year.

Pee Dee Orchards is a regular stop for locals and visitors heading out to the beach. A variety of peaches are available throughout the May to October season. 

Anson County Dining 

Enjoy the land’s bounty at a local restaurant or cafe. Anson County’s homegrown venues sell homemade ice cream, local baked goods, and seasonal produce. Pick up in-season peaches from local orchards or hand-crafted farmstead cheeses from cows milked in the local dairy. 

Various cuisine styles are available. Choose from national favorites like Italian and Mexican cuisine. You have North Carolina BBQ joints and fish camps. Residents also have fast-food options like Bojangles, McDonald’s, Subway, Waffle House, and Wendy’s.

A vineyard recently opened with a 2,400 sq ft tasting room. The owners renovated several historic buildings on the 50-acre of property. 

Anson County Shopping

Most local shopping options are located on what locals call the “Strip,” US Highway 74 between Polkton and Lilesville, and the historic Uptown Wadesboro central business district. 

Roses is the largest retailer, which is on the Strip in Wadesboro. Your other chain options include Dollar General, Family Dollar, and CVS. Uptown Wadesboro has a locally-owned hardware store, specialty collectibles, gift shops, and pharmacy. The Anson County Arts Council operates the Drake Gallery, featuring local artists.

Local grocer options include Food Lion and IGA.

Living in Anson County

If you dream of country roads, rolling farmland, and pristine forests, Anson County, NC, could be a great place to live. This rural Piedmont region is close to Charlotte, so you can visit when you need to, but you enjoy a rural lifestyle the rest of the time. Select from the small-town lifestyle or set up your homestead of acres of land.