2022 ESTIMATE RAISES
JOHNSTON POPULATION
TO NEW HIGH OF 234,778
That's up 8.7% from the 2020 Census, which officially put Johnston's population at 215,991. Johnston's percentage rate of growth over the two-year period ranks us fourth in the state behind three smaller coastal counties: Brunswick, Currituck, and Pender.

SMITHFIELD & SELMA
POPULATIONS ARE UP
The U.S. Census Bureau estimates Smithfield's population grew to 12,129 in 2022 – up 499 from the previous year. Selma's population is up to 6,806 – a gain of 205 above the 2021 estimate. View updated Census estimates for Smithfield, Selma, Johnston County, and all of North Carolina>

FOR LOCAL NEWS
check out the Smithfield Weekly Sun and the daily JoCoReport.

LOCAL OBITUARIES
Links to funeral homes posting obituaries online:
Parrish & Underwood
Sanders Funeral Home
Walter Sanders F.H.

WEATHER DATA
Temperature and conditions at Johnston Regional Airport

Regional radar from weather.com

Neuse River depth at Smithfield from National Weather Service (current readings, predicted levels, historical high marks)

ALMANAC
View today's times of sunrise, sunset (plus moonrise, moonset)>
NEXT FULL MOON:
June 3 @ 11:43 p.m. EDT

SUMMER ARRIVES:
June 21 @ 10:58 a.m. EDT

OFFICIAL TIME
Set your clock according to the National Institute of Standards and Technology>







SMITHFIELD'S AMAZON DISTRIBUTION CENTER
The 620,000-square-foot processing facility off US 70 Business West appears to be finished but it is not yet in operation. When the project was announced in May 2021 Amazon said it would hire 500 by the end of this year.
(Johnston County Economic Development photo)

TRACKING OUR LOCAL GOVERNING BOARDS

JOHNSTON COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
Agendas for upcoming meetings
Highlights of recent board meetings
Minutes of board meetings
BUDGET  for FY 2022-23
 

JOHNSTON COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION
Meeting agendas and minutes
  BUDGET for FY 2022-23


SMITHFIELD TOWN COUNCIL
Meeting agendas and minutes
  BUDGET for FY 2022-23

SELMA TOWN COUNCIL

Meeting agendas and minutes
  BUDGET for FY 2022-23
UNEMPLOYMENT RATE
STILL 3.2% IN MARCH
Johnston County's jobless rate was unchanged at 3.2% from February to March as the number of Johnstonians employed rose to a new high of 106,242. At the same time, the number looking for work rose slightly from 3,436 to 3,553, according to the N.C. Department of Commerce. Get more news and stats from NCDC>

RETAIL SALES UP 6.6%
IN 4th QUARTER 2022
According to the N.C. Dept. of Revenue, taxable retail sales of $816,844,699 in Johnston County in October, November, and December were almost $50.5 million above the $766,390,585 total reported for the fourth quarter of 2021. Get more reports from NCDR>

JOHNSTON RANKS 5th
IN CASH FROM CROPS
Local farmers reported cash income of $109,936,285 in 2020, ranking us 4th among the state's 100 counties, according to the latest report from the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. We rank 29th in livestock, dairy, and poultry production at $75.6 million.
Here's the latest report for all of the state's counties>

MORE ECONOMIC DATA
ABOUT JOHNSTON CO.
Visit the website of the county's Economic Development Office>

AMTRAK STOPS HERE Here's information about passenger trains that serve Selma Union Station>

THINGS TO SEE & DO
Check out this rundown of upcoming cultural events – compiled by the Johnston County Visitors Bureau.

SMITHFIELD-SELMA MAP

Open an interactive Google map of our area>
a Hometown Heritage site:
updated 5-24-23
E-mail the editor:
Wingate Lassiter