Most of South Rosemary was built recently: 8% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1983. Below: maps from 1974 on and the census since 2000.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, South Rosemary is more historic than 23% of U.S. towns. Its share of homes from before 1940 holds the grade up; its National Register listings pull it down.
C−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of South Rosemary’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 South Rosemary’s 0.0 sits below most of its state (19% of North Carolina towns have fewer) while its 0 listings outnumber those of 23% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on two of the three inputs, so a change in either one moves the letter more than it would with three. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±4.9 points).
Founding year: our sources. 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 South Rosemary’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 South Rosemary yet. The photos, dates and memories neighbors add here are how it gets written.
South Rosemary is an unincorporated area and census-designated place (CDP) in Halifax County, North Carolina, United States. As of the 2020 census, South Rosemary had a population of 2,753. It is part of the Roanoke Rapids, North Carolina Micropolitan Statistical Area.
Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses its population fell from 2,836 to 2,753 (-3%).
Intro from Wikipedia. Population: U.S. Census Bureau.
Timeline
South Rosemary, 1902 to 1974
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.
The U.S. Geological Survey’s map of South Rosemary.
1974Roanoke Rapids sheet · 1:24,000
U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of South Rosemary.
People over time
South Rosemary, census by census
Between 2,753 and 2,843 people in every census since 2000.
3 censuses, 2000–2020.
U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on South Rosemary’s Wikipedia page.
Famous people
Famous people close to South Rosemary
Nobody well known was born in South Rosemary itself, so here are the best known from just nearby.
South Rosemary is more historic than 23% of U.S. towns. 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.
How old are the homes in South Rosemary?
8% of South Rosemary’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±4.9 points), against a typical 4.1% for a North Carolina town; the median home was built in 1983.
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 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.
