Zebulon, North Carolina
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Downtown Zebulon at the intersection of Arendell Avenue and Horton Street
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Flag 
Seal | |
| Motto:
"The Town of Friendly People"
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Location in Wake County and the state of North Carolina.
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| Coordinates: 35°49′50″N 78°18′54″W / 35.83056°N 78.31500°W / 35.83056; -78.31500 | |
| Country | United States |
| State | North Carolina |
| Counties | Wake, Johnston (partial), Nash (partial), Franklin (partial) |
| Incorporated | 1907 |
| Named for | Zebulon Baird Vance[1] |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Glenn York |
| Area | |
| • Total | 6.12 sq mi (15.84 km2) |
| • Land | 6.09 sq mi (15.77 km2) |
| • Water | 0.03 sq mi (0.08 km2) |
| Elevation | 322 ft (98 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 6,903 |
| • Density | 1,134.06/sq mi (437.85/km2) |
| Demonym | Zebulonian |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| ZIP code |
27597
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| Area code | 919 |
| FIPS code | 37-76220[4] |
| GNIS feature ID | 2406928[3] |
| Website | http://www.townofzebulon.org/ |
Zebulon (/ˈzɛbjulən/ ZEB-yoo-luhn)[5] is the easternmost town in Wake County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 6,903 at the 2020 census.[6] Zebulon is part of the Research Triangle metropolitan region. In May 2022, Zebulon was ranked North Carolina's second fastest growing town, only behind neighboring Wendell.[7]
In 1906, the Raleigh and Pamlico Sound Railroad Company decided to bring the railroad through the Whitley and Horton family farms in eastern Wake County. Edgar B. Barbee and Falconer B. Arendell organized the Zebulon Company for development that same year. The company received its charter on February 15, 1906. Shortly thereafter, they began to divide up their 49 acres (20 ha) into lots, blocks, streets and avenues. On February 16, 1907, the town was officially recognized as Zebulon, North Carolina. The town was named after Zebulon Baird Vance, the Governor of North Carolina during the American Civil War. The first election was held in May 1907, and the first elected mayor was Thomas J. Horton.
In 1997 Zebulon annexed the neighboring community of Wakefield, increasing the total area inside the corporate limits to 2,115 acres (8.56 km2) and the population to 3,908. The population had grown to 6,903 by 2020.[6]
There are three properties in Zebulon listed on the National Register of Historic Places: Wakelon School, Bennett Bunn Plantation, and the George and Neva Barbee House.
Zebulon follows the council-manager government form of government, in which the elected governing body is responsible for legislative functions such as establishing policy, passing local ordinances, adopting annual budget, and developing an overall town vision. The council then appoints a professional town manager who is responsible for overseeing administrative operations, implementing policies, and advising the council.
Zebulon is governed by a five-member Board of Commissioners and a mayor. Three members are elected in one year and the two remaining members and the mayor are elected two years later. The mayor, as the principal elected official of the town, provides leadership to the governing body and the community and presides over Board meetings.
As the legislative body of Zebulon, the Board's primary responsibilities include establishing town policies and adopting an annual budget. Local municipality budgets for each fiscal year must be adopted by June 30. The budget for the fiscal year runs from July 1 to June 30.[8]
Current Board members are Shannon Baxter, Quentin Miles, Beverly Wall Clark, Amber Davis, Jessica Harrison, and Mayor Glenn York. The town Manager is Joe Moore.[9][10]
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 4.2 square miles (10.8 km2), of which 4.1 square miles (10.7 km2) is land and 0.02 square miles (0.06 km2), or 0.57%, is water.[11]
Zebulon is located in the northeast central region of North Carolina, where the North American Piedmont and Atlantic Coastal Plain regions meet. This area is known as the "Fall Line" because it marks the elevation inland at which waterfalls begin to appear in creeks and rivers. Its central Piedmont location situates Zebulon about three hours by car west of Atlantic Beach, North Carolina, and four hours east of the Great Smoky Mountains.
Zebulon is located on an elevated portion of land between the Little River and Moccasin Creek.[12]
Zebulon has a cool subtropical climate or warm temperate climate, with moderate temperatures in the spring, and fall. Summers are typically hot with high humidity. Winter highs generally range in the low 50s°F (10 to 13 °C) with lows in the low-to-mid 30s°F (-2 to 2 °C), although an occasional 60 °F (15 °C) or warmer winter day is not uncommon. Spring and fall days usually reach the low-to-mid 70s°F (low 20s°C), with lows at night in the lower 50s°F (10 to 14 °C). Summer daytime highs often reach the upper 80s to low 90s°F (29 to 35 °C). The rainiest months are July and August.[citation needed]
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1910 | 482 | — | |
| 1920 | 953 | 97.7% | |
| 1930 | 860 | −9.8% | |
| 1940 | 1,070 | 24.4% | |
| 1950 | 1,378 | 28.8% | |
| 1960 | 1,534 | 11.3% | |
| 1970 | 1,839 | 19.9% | |
| 1980 | 2,055 | 11.7% | |
| 1990 | 3,173 | 54.4% | |
| 2000 | 4,046 | 27.5% | |
| 2010 | 4,433 | 9.6% | |
| 2020 | 6,903 | 55.7% | |
| 2023 (est.) | 9,401 | [13] | 36.2% |
| U.S. Decennial Census[14] | |||
Similar to other towns in eastern Wake County, the town recorded a population growth of 13% in the 2020 United States census, making it the second fasting growing town in the state.[7] In August 2023, the town was reported to have reached 10,000 population, according to an estimate by the town's planning department.[15] The sudden growth was attributed to its relative affordability in living, incentives for new businesses, and an increased focus on development and expansion.[15][16]
| Race | Number | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 2,554 | 37.0% |
| Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 2,741 | 39.71% |
| Native American | 29 | 0.42% |
| Asian | 78 | 1.13% |
| Other/Mixed | 364 | 5.27% |
| HispanicorLatino | 1,137 | 16.47% |
The town's largest employers include GlaxoSmithKline, US Foods, BB&T, Nomaco, Vinventions.[18] Until closing in 2022, Whitley Furniture Galleries located downtown was historically one of the largest employers in the town and had the largest furniture stock in the Research Triangle upon closing.[19]
In addition to these businesses, WakeMed operates the Zebulon/Wendell Outpatient and Skilled Nursing Facility, a satellite facility for the hospital's primary location in Raleigh.[20] In rural areas of the town, agriculture is still an important aspect of the local economy with products such as cotton, tobacco, wheat, corn and soybeans being grown.[citation needed]
The town is home to four public schools: including Corinth-Holders Elementary, Wakelon Elementary, Zebulon Elementary, Zebulon Middle. There is also one charter school, being East Wake Academy (K-12), and one private school, being Heritage Christian Academy.[21]
Higher education is provided by Wake Technical Community College [citation needed]
The town has six public parks and a community center. The largest park, Zebulon Community Park, contains a number of trails and playing fields.[22] Other parks include:
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Municipalities and communities of Wake County, North Carolina, United States
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| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
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