Quality of Life

North Carolina is a great place to live. Its mild Sunbelt climate allows outdoor recreation at many of the nation’s finest golf and skiing resorts and at numerous state and national parks. North Carolina’s per capita state and local tax rates are among the lowest of the 50 states. Excellent health care and hospital facilities are available.

Location

Strategically located between New Bern, Kinston and Jacksonville, Trenton (the County Seat) in Jones County is 22 miles from the North Carolina Global TransPark. It is only 30 miles from the Atlantic Coast beaches. Its location, halfway between major markets of New York and Florida, make it an ideal site location for industry. It has the undeveloped flat land area and the capacity to support induced commercial and industrial development. The distance from Trenton to Raleigh is 98 miles; to Wilmington (deep water seaport), 87 miles; to Morehead City (deep water port), 58 miles; to I-95, 72 miles; to Charlotte, 215 miles; to Jacksonville, 20 miles.

Jones County is predominantly a rural area. The local economy is driven by farming activities with no major industries. Most residents commute daily to nearby cities of Kinston, New Bern and Jacksonville.

Jones County is a beautiful rural county marked by many scenic areas. Its distinctive natural environment remains relatively unspoiled by farming, lumbering, urbanization, or other human influences.

Land

Jones County lies in North Carolina’s coastal plain. Its soils are well suited for tree farming and crop production. In fact, some of the soils are rated par with those in the Mississippi Delta, which has some of the world’s most productive soils. Jones also has two quarries where marl deposits are mined. Marl is used primarily for road building and may be mined for calcite lime, an important nutrient for agricultural crops.

Water

Jones County’s most significant water resource is the Trent River, one of the world’s oldest rivers. The River, which flows from the western to the eastern part of the county is lined by trees covered with Spanish moss. Its scenic nature has prompted waterfront development. The White Oak River, which is the primary stream in the White Oak River Basin, flows along the extreme southern edge of Jones County and forms the boundary between Jones and Onslow Counties.

There are six existing lakes or ponds of five acres or more as well as potential impoundment sites for lakes or ponds of five acres or more.

Brock Mill Pond in Trenton is one of the County’s most scenic and historic areas. Artists come from all around to do paintings of the historical Brock Mill Pond and dam. The first gristmill was built at the site before the Revolutionary War.

Plants and Animals

With vast forestlands, wetlands, lake or river areas, Jones County has diverse habitats for fish and other wildlife. The abundant population of wildlife is a good indication of the high quality of the county’s natural resources.

The County includes some relatively unspoiled areas of the Croatan National Forest, where Venus’s-flytraps and wild orchids grow. Another important wildlife habitat is the Hoffman Forest, a North Carolina State University teaching and research forest. Some 31,798 acres of the forest lie in Jones County.

Other important natural areas include land near Catfish Lake and along the road to Great Lake, where trumpet plants, pitcher plants and alligators can be found.

Recreation

Natural Resources provide the base for many recreational opportunities in Jones County. Hunting is one of the most popular activities. Quail, rabbit, squirrel, dove, raccoon, otter, muskrat, ducks, geese, deer and bear are the primary game animals found in the County.

In addition, numerous horseback riding trails cross the county’s forestland. The Trent and White Oak Rivers provide the sportsman with numerous fish species. The rivers are also used for canoeing, boating, sailing, skiing, and other water sports.

Climate

Area temperatures recorded by the State Office of North Carolina have averaged 61 degrees for the past 20 years.

Annual Rainfall – 56 inches
Annual Average Temperature – 62 degrees F
Average Air Temperature – January – 44 degrees F
Average Air Temperature – July – 79 degrees F
Average Maximum Temperature – 69 degrees F
Average Minimum Temperature – 55 degrees F
Average Annual Snowfall – 2 inches