Revolutionary and Civil Wars

The county was named for Brigadier General Thomas Person, a Revolutionary War patriot, who made significant contributions to Person County and surrounding areas. He was a trustee of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. His generous donations were recognized by the construction and naming of Person Hall.

Lieutenant Colonel Stephen Moore, Deputy Quartermaster General of the Hillsborough district, was another Revolutionary War hero, commanding the Person County militia at the disastrous Battle of Camden. He was captured and held on the prison ship Torbay. In 1775-1776 he had purchased property in the south of Person County and named his plantation Mt. Tirzah. His home, constructed in 1778, has been renovated recently. Stephen Moore was buried in the family cemetery.

During the Civil War, Person County supplied between 800 and 1000 soldiers to the Confederate Army. A granite monument at the Courthouse honors E. Fletcher Satterfield, who carried the Confederate flag at Gettysburg.

Late 19th century

J.A. Long, W.W. Kitchin, A.R. Foushee, J.S. Bradsher, J.C. Pass, W.F. Reade, and R.E. Long were key leaders who helped make a transition to a more diversified economic base after the Civil War. The arrival of the newly constructed Norfolk and Western Railroad was a major influence around 1890, as it enabled the addition of tobacco processing plants and warehouses to the rural economy. Although the processing plants disappeared many years ago, a few of the warehouses still stand.

J.A. Long established Peoples Bank in 1891 and the Roxboro Cotton Mill in 1899, later known as Tultex Yarns. His home at Roxboro, the James A. and Laura Thompson Long House, was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2005.^[6] Long died in 1915 but was succeeded by his son, J.A. Long, Jr., who began attracting new business to Roxboro. Baker Company opened here in 1923, making textile manufacturing a major contributor to the local economy for decades. Baker was merged with Collins and Aikman Corporation (C&A), becoming a major industry in Person County for several decades before closing in August 2006. Textile manufacturers have moved to other locations in the US and overseas.

20th and 21st centuries

Residential and commercial development have grown steadily over the past few years in part due to the county's location near the Research Triangle region. The Hyco Lake area and southern portion of the county have had an influx of new home and commercial development in the late 20th and early 21st century. The county's largest employers are Duke Energy, Eaton Corporation, Georgia-Pacific Corporation and GKN Driveline.

The Holloway-Walker Dollarhite House, Henry-Vernon House, Burleigh, and Waverly Plantation are listed on the National Register of Historic Places outside Roxboro.^[6]

State and local protected areas

• Hagers Mountain
• Hyco Game Land^[8]
• Mayo Lake Park
• Mayo Game Land^[8]

Major water bodies

• After Bay Reservoir
• Byrds Creek
• Castle Creek
• Flat River
• Ghent Creek
• Hyco Lake
• Mayo Lake
• Mill Creek
• Richland Creek
• Roxboro Lake
• South Hyco Creek
• Storys Creek
• Tar River

Adjacent counties

• Halifax County, Virginia - north
• Granville County – east
• Durham County – south
• Orange County – south
• Caswell County – west

Major highways

• US 501
• US 158
• NC 49
• NC 57
• NC 157

Interstate 85 is the closest interstate highway to the county, located 29 miles south in Durham.

Major infrastructure

• Norfolk Southern, freight rail service
• Raleigh Regional Airport at Person County, located 6 miles (10 km) south of Roxboro on U.S. Route 501

Raleigh-Durham International Airport, located 42 miles (68 km) south of Roxboro. Piedmont Triad International Airport, located 82 miles (132 km) southwest of Roxboro.

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, there were 39,097 people, 15,896 households, and 10,695 families residing in the county.

2010 census

At the 2010 census,^[15] there were 39,464 people, 15,826 households, and 10,979 families residing in the county. The population density was 91 people per square mile (35 people/km²). There were 15,504 housing units at an average density of 40 units per square mile (15 units/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 68.1% White, 28.3% Black, 0.61% Native American, 0.15% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 1.37% from other races, and 0.86% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 2.09% of the population.

There were 14,085 households, out of which 31.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.8% were married couples living together, 13.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.2% were non-families. 24.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.50 and the average family size was 2.95.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 24.0% under the age of 18, 7.4% from 18 to 24, 30.6% from 25 to 44, 24.2% from 45 to 64, and 13.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 93.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.2 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $42,559 and the median income for a family was $54,474. Males had a median income of $30,970 versus $22,804 for females. The per capita income for the county was $22,189. About 9.4% of families and 12.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.9% of those under age 18 and 17.3% of those age 65 or over.

Elected officials

Elected officials in Person County (as of 2024):^{[17][18][19][20][21]}

• Valerie Foushee (D), representative for North Carolina's 4th congressional district
• Graig Meyer (D), representative for North Carolina's 23rd Senate district
• Ray Jeffers (D), representative for North Carolina's 2nd House district
• Jason Wilborn (R), sheriff
• Charlie Palmer (R), county commissioner
• Gordon Powell (R), county commissioner (chair)
• Kyle W. Puryear (R), county commissioner
• Derrick Sims (R), county commissioner (vice-chair)
• Jason D. Thomas (R), county commissioner
• Margaret Bradsher, school board member
• Phillip Gillis, school board vice-chair
• Harriett Tillet, school board member
• Freda Tillman, school board chair
• Jason Torian, school board member

Higher education

• Piedmont Community College offers associate degrees, technical training programs, and college credit which is transferable to local state supported colleges/universities. There is a satellite campus in neighboring Caswell County.

Public education

Private education

• Person Christian School
• Roxboro Christian Academy was founded in 1976 and serves a K-12 program. Total enrollment is 176.
• Zion Christian Academy was founded in 2002 and offers a 1-12 program. Total enrollment is 30.

City

• Roxboro (county seat and largest community)

Census-designated place

• Rougemont

Townships

Unincorporated communities