[2] The county was organized January 6, 1837, and named for Nathaniel Macon, a Revolutionary War hero and North Carolina politician.

[4] As of the census[10] of 2010, there were 15,556 people, 6,501 households, and 4,381 families residing in the county.

The racial makeup of the county was 96.18% White, 2.21% Black or African American, 0.39% Native American, 0.16% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.22% from other races, and 0.83% from two or more races.

29.00% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.00% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

The accompanying table (below right) shows the county elected officials and their party affiliation.