Nebo, North Carolina

Nebo, North Carolina
Census-designated place
Country	United States
State	North Carolina
County	McDowell
Area
• Total	5.30 sq mi (13.72 km2)
• Land	5.30 sq mi (13.72 km2)
• Water	0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation	1,322 ft (403 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	1,790
• Density	337.99/sq mi (130.50/km2)
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP Code	28761.
GNIS feature ID	2812797

Nebo is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in the Nebo Township of eastern McDowell County, North Carolina, United States. It was first listed as a CDP in the 2020 census with a population of 1,790.

History

Nebo is named after a Methodist campground that existed before the Civil War. The Western North Carolina Railroad named its depot Nebo after the campground. The community was incorporated in 1909, with the repeal of the charter coming in 1943.

Attractions

The primary attraction in Nebo is Lake James. Lake James State Park is located on its southern shore.

The Nebo Historic Springbox is located between Nebo elementary and the railroad. It is one of the few remaining structures from Nebo's original incorporation as a town. The Nebo Historic Springbox was a meeting place for the community and the primary watersource for the original Nebo school building.

Education

Nebo Elementary School is located in the community. It serves children in kindergarten through fifth grade. The school was part of the last junior high system in the state of North Carolina which was replaced by the standard middle school model in the 2015–2016 school year. Before being incorporated as an elementary school, Nebo was a high school. Part of the high school burnt down years ago, but the lunchroom remained.

Location

The heart of Nebo is considered to be at the Nebo post office (28761). However, in recent times, Nebo has extended into Burke County due to new construction on Lake James. Some residents consider themselves to live in Nebo but reside just inside Burke County. This, however, is highly debatable, as the majority of residents of Nebo consider the boundary of Nebo to only cover the land area protected by the Nebo Volunteer Fire Department.

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
2020	1		—
U.S. Decennial Census 2020

2020 census

Nebo CDP, North Carolina – Racial and Ethnic Composition
(NH = Non-Hispanic)
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	Pop 2020	% 2020
White alone (NH)	1,616	90.28%
Black or African American alone (NH)	37	2.07%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)	9	0.50%
Asian alone (NH)	20	1.12%
Pacific Islander alone (NH)	0	0.00%
Some Other Race alone (NH)	1	0.06%
Mixed Race/Multi-Racial (NH)	57	3.18%
Hispanic or Latino (any race)	50	2.79%
Total	1,790	100.00%

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 can be of any race.