The county seat and largest city is Sanford, with roughly 33,000–34,000 residents. Sanford serves as the main commercial, government, and economic hub for the county. The only other incorporated town is Broadway, a small community of about 1,400 people located in the southern part of the county.

Most of the county’s population of approximately 70,000 lives in and around Sanford or in unincorporated areas and townships such as Jonesboro, West Sanford, and Pocket. There are very few other distinct towns — the rest of the county consists of smaller communities, farmland, and wooded areas.

It’s a growing county thanks to its central location, with a mix of suburban neighborhoods near Sanford and more traditional rural countryside across the rest of the area.