For a brief history of Alleghany County and Sparta, North Carolina, as well as information on other communities in the county and Sparta's Crouse Park, explore the links at the upper left of this page.

• The county seat is Sparta.

 
• The county population as of the 2000 Census was 10,677. Sparta's population as of 2000 was 1,817.

 
• County land area is 235 square miles.

 
• Alleghany has an unemployment rate of approximately 13.1% (Jan. 2001). The total labor force is 5,740.

 
• Median household income: $27,730 (1997).

 
• Sparta's tax rate as of FY 2000-01 is $0.20. The county tax rate is $0.51.

 
• City sewer, water and garbage pickup are available.

 
• Power is supplied by Blue Ridge Electric Membership Cooperative.

 
• Telephone service is through Sprint (Roaring Gap, NC and eastern portion of the county) and Skyline Telephone cooperative (remainder of the county).

 
• The county is served by one weekly newspaper, The Alleghany News and a daily paper, The Winston-Salem Journal.

 
• The primary U.S. roads in Alleghany are U.S. 21 and U.S. 221. The state primary roads are NC 18, NC 93, and NC 113.

 
• The nearest Interstate Interchange is I-77 which is approximately 25 miles from Sparta.

 
• The nearest commercial airport to Alleghany is Greensboro Piedmont Triad Internaitonal. The airport is approximately 80 miles from Sparta.

 
• Sparta's governmental body consists of a Mayor and Town Council. Alleghany County's governmental body consists of a County Manager and a Board of Commissioners.

 
• The city and county are serviced by a police department and a sheriff's department, respectively.

 
• There are five volunteer fire departments in the county. Ambulance and rescue service is available throughout the county.

 
• There are five financial institutions located in Sparta. They are: AF Bank, BB&T Bank, First Community Bank, First Citizens Bank, First Charter Bank and Grayson National Bank

 
• The county is serviced by one local am radio station (WCOK).

 
• Alleghany County Memorial Hospital, 617 Doctors Street, SPARTA, NC 28675, 336 372-5511, serves the county with 46 beds.

 
• The Alleghany Board of Education presently operates Glade Creek Elementary, Piney Creek Elementary, Sparta Elementary and Alleghany High School.

 
• Major manufacturing companies in the county include: Magnolia Manufacturing (yarn), NAPCO (gameboards, binders, promotional materials), New River Artisans (specialty rugs), Pioneer Eclipse (high-speed floor care equipment and supplies), SpartaCraft (promotional products), Sparta Industries (Dr. Grabow Pipes) and TruLine Truss (trusses for building construction).

 
• Christmas trees are the largest agricultural commodity with an annual income of approximately $17 million. Dairy cattle and livestock have an annual income of around $14 million.

 
• Alleghany's annual average temperature is 50.1 F. The county receives approximately 46 inches of rain a year and 17 inches of snow.