Harrisburg dates to 1732, and 1 of its places is on the National Register
More historic than 56% of U.S. towns · #121 of 290 in North Carolina. What drives it
Most of Harrisburg was built recently: 0.7% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 2006. Its Register listing is the Rocky River Presbyterian Church. Below: maps from 1949 on and the census since 1980.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Harrisburg is more historic than 56% of U.S. towns, #121 of 290 in North Carolina. Its age holds the grade up; its share of homes from before 1940 pulls it down.
B
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Harrisburg’s overall grade.
North Carolina towns list more on the Register than most of the country (a typical North Carolina town has 12.5 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Harrisburg’s 1.5 sits near the middle of its state (40% of North Carolina towns have fewer) while its 3 historic buildings outnumber those of 65% of U.S. towns.
NoteThe founding year comes from Wikidata alone; no second source gives 1732.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from C− to A−. The pre-1940 share (±0.7 points) is firm at this size.
Founding year: Wikidata (other dates in Quick answers). Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →
What stands out about Harrisburg’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Wikipedia doesn’t have a history of Harrisburg yet. The photos, dates and memories neighbors add here are how it gets written.
Harrisburg is a town in Cabarrus County, North Carolina, United States. It is a northeastern suburb of Charlotte. In the 2020 census, the population was 18,967.
Harrisburg was established in 1732. Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses its population grew from 11,526 to 18,967 (+65%).
Intro from Wikipedia. Population: U.S. Census Bureau.
In 1732, according to Wikidata. Harrisburg’s post office opened in 1834, and the census of 1980 counted 1,433 people here.
How does Harrisburg rank for history?
Harrisburg is more historic than 56% of U.S. towns, #121 of 290 in North Carolina. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
What is on the National Register in Harrisburg?
One place: the Rocky River Presbyterian Church (listed 1986).
How old are the homes in Harrisburg?
0.7% of Harrisburg’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate), against a typical 4.1% for a North Carolina town; the median home was built in 2006.
Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
From Wikimedia Commons (1), the National Register of Historic Places (1), Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock) and the USGS Geographic Names Information System. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
2011
