Mercer County (West Virginia)

Mercer County is a county located in the state of West Virginia in the United States. The administrative headquarters ( County Seat) is Princeton.

Geography

The County is located in southern West Virginia, bordered by Virginia and has an area of 1090 square kilometers, of which one square kilometers of water surface. It is bordered clockwise to the following counties: Raleigh County, Summers County, Giles County ( Virginia), Bland County ( Virginia), Tazewell County ( Virginia), McDowell County and Wyoming County.

History

Mercer County was formed on March 17, 1837 from parts of Giles and Tazewell County, Virginia. It was named for Hugh Mercer, a general in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War, who died from the effects of wounding during the Battle of Princeton.

Demographic data

1900-1990

According to the census in 2000, lived in Mercer County 62 980 people in 26 509 households and 17 946 families. The population density was 58 people per square kilometer. The racial the population was made ​​up of 92.56 percent White, 5.82 percent African American, 0.19 percent Native American, 0.46 percent Asian, 0.01 percent of residents from the Pacific Islander, and 0.10 percent from other races groups; 0.85 percent were descended from two or more races. 0.45 percent of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

Of the 26 509 households out of which 26.7 percent have children under the age of 18 living with them. 53.0 percent were married couples living together, 11.2 percent were single mothers, 32.3 percent were non-families, 28.7 percent of all households and 13.6 percent lived in people aged 65 years or older. The average household size was 2.33 and the average family size was 2.85.

Based on the county the population was spread from 21.1 percent population under 18 years, 9.8 percent between 18 and 24 years, 26.2 percent between 25 and 44 years, 25.5 percent between 45 and 64 years and 17.4 percent were 65 years old or older. The average age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 91.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.7 men statistically.

The median income for a household was $ 26,628, and the median income for a family was $ 33,524. Males had a median income of $ 29,243, women $ 19,013. The per capita income was $ 15,564. 14.7 percent of families and 19.7 percent of the population lived below the poverty line. Of these, 28.9 percent were children or adolescents under age 18 and 12.7 percent of those 65 years.

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