Nelson County, Virginia
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Nelson County, Virginia | |
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| Map | |
 Location in the state of Virginia |
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 Virginia's location in the USA |
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| Statistics | |
| Founded | 1807 |
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| Seat | Lovingston |
| Area - Total - Land - Water |
1,228 km² (474 mi²) sq mi ( km²) 5 km² (2 mi²), 0.41% |
| Population - (2000) - Density |
14,445 12/km² |
| Website: www.nelsoncounty.com | |
A county located in the U.S. state — officially, "Commonwealth" — of Virginia. As of the 2000 census, the population was 14,445. Its county seat is Lovingston6. It is also home to Wintergreen Resort, a local ski area, and is the location of Walton's Mountain made famous by the television show, The Waltons.
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[edit] History
Nelson County was established in 1807 from Amherst County. The county is named for Thomas Nelson, Jr., Governor of Virginia 1771. It was the site of disastrous flooding in August 1969 as the remnants of Hurricane Camille stalled and dumped an unexpected deluge of rain.
[edit] Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,228 km² (474 mi²). 1,223 km² (472 mi²) of it is land and 5 km² (2 mi²) of it (0.41%) is water. The Blue Ridge Mountains form the northwest boundary of the county; the James River forms the boundary to the southeast.
[edit] Education
The public education system consists of two elementary schools, one high school, and one middle school. The middle and high schools are located just outside Lovingston, Virginia.
[edit] Demographics
As of the census2 of 2000, there were 14,445 people, 5,887 households, and 4,144 families residing in the county. The population density was 12/km² (31/mi²). There were 8,554 housing units at an average density of 7/km² (18/mi²). The racial makeup of the county was 82.65% White, 14.89% Black or African American, 0.19% Native American, 0.24% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 0.62% from other races, and 1.35% from two or more races. 2.11% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 5,887 households out of which 27.10% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.70% were married couples living together, 10.70% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.60% were non-families. 25.00% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.30% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.42 and the average family size was 2.88.
In the county, the population was spread out with 21.70% under the age of 18, 6.40% from 18 to 24, 25.60% from 25 to 44, 29.60% from 45 to 64, and 16.80% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females there were 94.80 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.40 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $36,769, and the median income for a family was $42,917. Males had a median income of $29,684 versus $24,153 for females. The per capita income for the county was $22,230. 12.10% of the population and 8.50% of families were below the poverty line. Out of the total people living in poverty, 14.40% are under the age of 18 and 14.60% are 65 or older.
