| Franklin County, Virginia | |
Location in the state of Virginia |
|
Virginia's location in the U.S. |
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| Founded | 1785 |
|---|---|
| Seat | Rocky Mount |
| Area - Total - Land - Water |
712 sq mi (1,844 km²) 692 sq mi (1,792 km²) 19 sq mi (49 km²), 2.74% |
| Population - Density |
56,159 81.2/sq mi (31/km²) |
| Website | www.franklincountyva.org |
Franklin County is a county located in the Piedmont of the U.S. state of Virginia. As of 2010, the population was 56,159.[1][2] Its county seat is Rocky Mount[3]. The Roanoke River forms its northeast boundary with Bedford County.
Franklin County is part of the Roanoke Metropolitan Statistical Area and located in the Roanoke Region of Virginia.[4] It is not to be confused with Franklin, VA, an independent city in southeast Virginia.
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The Piedmont area had long been inhabited by indigenous peoples. At the time of European encounter, mostly Siouan-speaking tribes lived in this area.
The county was formed in 1785 from parts of Bedford and Henry counties. It was named for Benjamin Franklin.
During Prohibition, local wits named Franklin County the "Moonshine Capital of the World," a name used today by the local chamber of commerce as a historic identification. Moonshine is still being made in the area.[5] In the 1920s, it was estimated that 99 out of every 100 Franklin County residents were in some way involved in the illegal liquor trade.[6] In 2002, a book was published about The Great Moonshine Conspiracy Trial of 1935 in the County.[7]
Since the 1980s, much residential development has occurred around Smith Mountain Lake. People live there who commute to Roanoke, Lynchburg, Martinsville, and Danville. Retirees have also moved there and both groups have increased the county's population.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 712 square miles (1,844.1 km2), of which 692 square miles (1,792.3 km2) is land and 19 square miles (49.2 km2) (2.74%) is water. It is upriver of the fall line of the Roanoke River, located at Roanoke Rapids, North Carolina.
The county is divided into supervisor districts; a few are: Blackwater, Blue Ridge, Boones Mill, Gills Creek, Rocky Mount, Snow Creek, Union Hall, Ferrum, Glade Hill, Penhook, and Callaway
| Historical populations | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1790 | 6,842 |
|
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| 1800 | 9,302 | 36.0% | |
| 1810 | 10,724 | 15.3% | |
| 1820 | 12,017 | 12.1% | |
| 1830 | 14,911 | 24.1% | |
| 1840 | 15,832 | 6.2% | |
| 1850 | 17,430 | 10.1% | |
| 1860 | 20,098 | 15.3% | |
| 1870 | 18,264 | −9.1% | |
| 1880 | 25,084 | 37.3% | |
| 1890 | 24,985 | −0.4% | |
| 1900 | 25,953 | 3.9% | |
| 1910 | 26,480 | 2.0% | |
| 1920 | 26,283 | −0.7% | |
| 1930 | 24,337 | −7.4% | |
| 1940 | 25,864 | 6.3% | |
| 1950 | 24,560 | −5.0% | |
| 1960 | 25,925 | 5.6% | |
| 1970 | 26,858 | 3.6% | |
| 1980 | 35,740 | 33.1% | |
| 1990 | 39,549 | 10.7% | |
| 2000 | 47,286 | 19.6% | |
| 2010 | 56,159 | 18.8% | |
As of the census[8] of 2000, there were 47,286 people, 18,963 households, and 13,918 families residing in the county. The population density was 68 people per square mile (26/km²). There were 22,717 housing units at an average density of 33 per square mile (13/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 88.95% White, 9.35% Black or African American, 0.19% Native American, 0.36% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.42% from other races, and 0.71% from two or more races. 1.21% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 18,963 households out of which 29.10% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.10% were married couples living together, 9.40% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.60% were non-families. 22.60% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.90% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.44 and the average family size was 2.84.
In the county, the population was spread out with 22.20% under the age of 18, 8.10% from 18 to 24, 28.20% from 25 to 44, 27.20% from 45 to 64, and 14.30% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 97.20 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.30 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $38,056, and the median income for a family was $45,163. Males had a median income of $29,807 versus $22,215 for females. The per capita income for the county was $19,605. About 7.30% of families and 9.70% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.70% of those under age 18 and 9.80% of those age 65 or over.
| Roanoke County | Bedford County | |||
| Floyd County | ||||
| Franklin County, Virginia | ||||
| Patrick County | Henry County | Pittsylvania County |
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