Roane County, West Virginia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Roane County
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Robey Theatre in Spencer
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Location within the U.S. state of West Virginia
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 West Virginia's location within the U.S. |
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| Country |  United States |
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| State |  West Virginia |
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| Founded | March 11, 1856 | ||
| Named for | Spencer Roane | ||
| Seat | Spencer | ||
| Largest city | Spencer | ||
| Area | |||
| • Total | 484 sq mi (1,250 km2) | ||
| • Land | 484 sq mi (1,250 km2) | ||
| • Water | 0.2 sq mi (0.5 km2) 0.03%% | ||
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 14,028 | ||
| • Estimate
(2021)
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13,898 | ||
| • Density | 28.983/sq mi (11.191/km2) | ||
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern) | ||
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) | ||
| Congressional district | 1st | ||
Roane County is a county located in the U.S. state of West Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 14,028. Its county seat is Spencer. The county was founded in 1856 and is named for Spencer Roane.
Contents
History
Roane County was created by an act of the Virginia General Assembly on March 11, 1856. It was named for the jurist Spencer Roane of Virginia. He was born in Essex County April 4, 1762. The county's seat Spencer was also named for Judge Roane.
On June 20, 1863, at the height of the Civil War, Roane was one of fifty Virginia counties that were admitted to the Union as the state of West Virginia. Later that year, the state's counties were divided into civil townships, with the intention of encouraging local government. This proved impractical in the heavily rural state, and in 1872 the townships were converted into magisterial districts. Roane County was divided into seven districts: Curtis, Geary, Harper, Reedy, Smithfield, Spencer, and Walton. Except for minor adjustments, these districts were largely unchanged for more than a century, until in the 1980s they were consolidated into three new magisterial districts: Northern, Eastern, and Western. A fourth district, Southern, was added in the 1990s.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 484 square miles (1,250 km2), of which 484 square miles (1,250 km2) is land and 0.2 square miles (0.52 km2) (0.03%) is water.
Major highways
Interstate 79
U.S. Highway 33
U.S. Highway 119
West Virginia Route 14
West Virginia Route 36
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Adjacent counties
- Wirt County (north)
- Calhoun County (east)
- Clay County (southeast)
- Kanawha County (south)
- Jackson County (west)
Demographics
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1860 | 5,381 | — | |
| 1870 | 7,232 | 34.4% | |
| 1880 | 12,184 | 68.5% | |
| 1890 | 15,303 | 25.6% | |
| 1900 | 19,852 | 29.7% | |
| 1910 | 21,543 | 8.5% | |
| 1920 | 20,129 | −6.6% | |
| 1930 | 19,478 | −3.2% | |
| 1940 | 20,787 | 6.7% | |
| 1950 | 18,408 | −11.4% | |
| 1960 | 15,720 | −14.6% | |
| 1970 | 14,111 | −10.2% | |
| 1980 | 15,952 | 13.0% | |
| 1990 | 15,120 | −5.2% | |
| 2000 | 15,446 | 2.2% | |
| 2010 | 14,926 | −3.4% | |
| 2020 | 14,028 | −6.0% | |
| 2021 (est.) | 13,898 | −6.9% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census 1790–1960 1900–1990 1990–2000 2010–2020 |
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2010 census
As of the 2010 United States census, there were 14,926 people, 6,195 households, and 4,193 families living in the county. The population density was 30.9 inhabitants per square mile (11.9/km2). There were 7,351 housing units at an average density of 15.2 per square mile (5.9/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 98.4% white, 0.3% Asian, 0.2% American Indian, 0.1% black or African American, 0.2% from other races, and 0.9% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 0.7% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 20.7% were American, 17.9% were Irish, 15.3% were German, and 9.1% were English.
Of the 6,195 households, 28.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.2% were married couples living together, 9.9% had a female householder with no husband present, 32.3% were non-families, and 27.2% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.39 and the average family size was 2.89. The median age was 43.5 years.
The median income for a household in the county was $27,428 and the median income for a family was $35,289. Males had a median income of $32,106 versus $22,914 for females. The per capita income for the county was $15,103. About 21.5% of families and 27.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 41.5% of those under age 18 and 15.5% of those age 65 or over.
Communities
City
- Spencer (county seat)
Town
Magisterial districts
Current
- Northern
- Southern
- Eastern
- Western
Historic
- Curtis
- Geary
- Harper
- Reedy
- Smithfield
- Spencer
- Walton
Unincorporated communities
Notable inhabitants
- William Franklin "Frank" George (1928-2017), old-time fiddler and folklorist
See also
In Spanish: Condado de Roane (Virginia Occidental) para niños
