Mercer County, West Virginia

Mercer County, West Virginia
Location in the state of West Virginia
West Virginia's location in the U.S.
Founded	1837
Seat	Princeton
Area  - Total  - Land  - Water	421 sq mi (1,090 km²) 420 sq mi (1,088 km²) 0 sq mi (0 km²), 0.06%
Population  - (2000)  - Density	62,980 150/sq mi (58/km²)

The Mercer County Courthouse in Princeton in 2007

Mercer County is a county located in West Virginia since that U.S. state was formed in 1863. The county was originally established in the state of Virginia by act of its General Assembly on 17 March 1837, using lands taken from Giles and Tazewell counties. As of the 2010 census, the population was 62,264. [1] Its county seat is Princeton.^[1]

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 421 square miles (1,090 km²), of which 420 square miles (1,089 km²) is land and 0 square miles (1 km²) (0.06%) is water.

Major highways

Interstate 77 U.S. Highway 19 U.S. Highway 52 U.S. Highway 460

West Virginia Route 10 West Virginia Route 20 West Virginia Route 44 West Virginia Route 71

The West Virginia Turnpike, now part of Interstate 77, begins in Princeton.

Adjacent counties

• Raleigh County (north)
• Summers County (northeast)
• Giles County, Virginia (east)
• Bland County, Virginia (south)
• Tazewell County, Virginia (southwest)
• McDowell County (west)
• Wyoming County (northwest)

National protected area

• Bluestone National Scenic River (part)

Demographics

Historical populations
Census	Pop.		%±
1840	2,233		—
1850	4,222		89.1%
1860	6,819		61.5%
1870	7,064		3.6%
1880	7,467		5.7%
1890	16,002		114.3%
1900	23,023		43.9%
1910	38,371		66.7%
1920	49,558		29.2%
1930	61,323		23.7%
1940	68,289		11.4%
1950	75,013		9.8%
1960	68,206		−9.1%
1970	63,206		−7.3%
1980	73,942		17.0%
1990	64,980		−12.1%
2000	62,980		−3.1%

As of the census^[2] of 2000, there were 62,980 people, 26,509 households, and 17,946 families residing in the county. The population density was 150 people per square mile (58/km²). There were 30,143 housing units at an average density of 72 per square mile (28/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 92.56% White, 5.82% Black or African American, 0.19% Native American, 0.46% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.10% from other races, and 0.85% from two or more races. 0.45% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 26,509 households out of which 26.70% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.00% were married couples living together, 11.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.30% were non-families. 28.70% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.60% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.33 and the average family size was 2.85.

In the county, the population was spread out with 21.10% under the age of 18, 9.80% from 18 to 24, 26.20% from 25 to 44, 25.50% from 45 to 64, and 17.40% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 91.10 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.70 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $26,628, and the median income for a family was $33,524. Males had a median income of $29,243 versus $19,013 for females. The per capita income for the county was $15,564. About 14.70% of families and 19.70% of the population were below the poverty line, including 28.90% of those under age 18 and 12.70% of those age 65 or over.

The county part of the Bluefield, WV-VA micropolitan area which, with its population of 107,578, is the thirty-third largest micropolitan area in the United States.

Education

The Mercer County Public School System has nineteen elementary schools, including Athens, Bluefield Intermediate, Bluewell, Brushfork, Ceres, Glenwood Elementary, Lashmeet-Matoaka, Melrose, Memorial, Mercer County Early Learning - Bluefield and Princeton sites, Mercer, Montcalm, Oakvale (funding for constructing a new Oakvale school has been approved), Princeton Primary, Spanishburg, Straley, Sun Valley and Whitethorne. There are six middle school facilities including Princeton Middle, Bluefield Middle, Montcalm Middle, PikeView Middle, and Glenwood Middle. There are also four high school facilities including Princeton Senior (AAA), Bluefield High (AA), Montcalm High (A) and PikeView High (AA). There is also the Mercer County Technical Education Center, which is currently being transitioned into a comprehensive technical high school. Mercer County Schools educates approximately 9200 students. The professional and service staff are about 1200.

Higher educational institutions include Bluefield State College, located in Bluefield, Concord University, located in Athens and New River Community and Technical College, located in Princeton, WV.

Law Enforcement

Mercer County is protected by 7 agencies. 5 agencies protect the incorporated area of the county but the non-incorporated area is the primary responsibility of the Mercer County Sheriff's Department. The Mercer County Sheriff's Department consists of 30 sworn law enforcement officers and a number of civilian employess. Within the Mercer County Sheriff's Department are several specialized units to better serve the citizens.

K-9 Unit: Deputy Ballard (Quando), Deputy Parks (Arrow), Deputy Rose (Mitis), & Deputy Ellsion (Max).

Detective Bureau: Cpl. Murphy, Detective Sparks, & Detective Combs.

SWAT: Sgt. G. W. Woods, Cpl. J. J. Ruble, Cpl. S. A. Sommers, & Detective Combs; The rest of the team is compromised from other agencies within the County, excluding the WV State Police.

The Sheriff's Department has one dedicated Deputy that serves on the Southern Regional Drug and Violent Crime Task Force.

Mercer County is also home to the Princeton Detachment of the West Virginia State Police and a Turnpike Detachment (Highway Patrol).

Cities and towns

• Athens
• Bluefield
• Bramwell
• Lashmeet
• Matoaka
• Montcalm
• Oakvale
• Princeton

See also

• Camp Creek State Park
• National Register of Historic Places listings in Mercer County, West Virginia
• Pinnacle Rock State Park
• Pipestem Resort State Park
• Pocahontas coalfield
• Tate Lohr Wildlife Management Area

References

1. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx. Retrieved 2011-06-07. 
2. ^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31. 

External links

• Community Foundation of the Virginias, Inc.
• Mercer County Convention and Visitors Bureau
• Mercer County Public Schools
• Bluefield State College
• Concord University
• Mercer County
• Early History of Mercer County

Coordinates: 37°25′N 81°07′W / 37.41°N 81.11°W / 37.41; -81.11