| Kanawha County, West Virginia | |
Location in the state of West Virginia |
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West Virginia's location in the U.S. |
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| Founded | 1789 |
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| Seat | Charleston |
| Area - Total - Land - Water |
911 sq mi (2,359 km²) 903 sq mi (2,339 km²) 8 sq mi (21 km²), 0.87% |
| Population - (2010) - Density |
193,063 223/sq mi (86/km²) |
| Website | www.kanawha.us |
Kanawha County (pronounced /kəˈnɑː/) is a county located in the U.S. state of West Virginia taking its name from the Native American term, kanawha, meaning "place of white stone". As of 2010, the population was 193,063. Its county seat is Charleston, the state capital[1]. Kanawha County is the most populous county in the state of West Virginia.
Kanawha County is part of the Charleston, WV metropolitan area, with a 2009 Census population estimate of 304,214 people.
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According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 911 square miles (2,359.5 km2), of which 903 square miles (2,338.8 km2) is land and 8 square miles (20.7 km2) (0.87%) is water.
| Historical populations | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1800 | 3,239 |
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| 1810 | 3,866 | 19.4% | |
| 1820 | 6,399 | 65.5% | |
| 1830 | 9,326 | 45.7% | |
| 1840 | 13,567 | 45.5% | |
| 1850 | 15,353 | 13.2% | |
| 1860 | 16,150 | 5.2% | |
| 1870 | 22,349 | 38.4% | |
| 1880 | 32,466 | 45.3% | |
| 1890 | 42,756 | 31.7% | |
| 1900 | 54,696 | 27.9% | |
| 1910 | 81,457 | 48.9% | |
| 1920 | 119,650 | 46.9% | |
| 1930 | 157,667 | 31.8% | |
| 1940 | 195,619 | 24.1% | |
| 1950 | 239,629 | 22.5% | |
| 1960 | 252,925 | 5.5% | |
| 1970 | 229,515 | −9.3% | |
| 1980 | 231,414 | 0.8% | |
| 1990 | 207,619 | −10.3% | |
| 2000 | 200,073 | −3.6% | |
| 2010 | 193,063 | −3.5% | |
As of the census[2] of 2000, there were 200,073 people, 86,226 households, and 55,960 families residing in the county. The population density was 222 people per square mile (86/km²). There were 93,788 housing units at an average density of 104 per square mile (40/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 90.46% White, 6.97% Black or African American, 0.21% Native American, 0.85% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.21% from other races, and 1.27% from two or more races. 0.59% of the population were Hispanics or Latinos of any race.
There were 86,226 households out of which 26.50% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.00% were married couples living together, 12.30% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.10% were non-families. 30.80% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.50% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.28 and the average family size was 2.84.
The age distribution was 21.30% under the age of 18, 8.40% from 18 to 24, 28.10% from 25 to 44, 25.60% from 45 to 64, and 16.50% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 90.70 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.10 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $33,766, and the median income for a family was $42,568. Males had a median income of $33,842 versus $24,188 for females. The per capita income for the county was $20,354. About 11.20% of families and 14.40% of the population were below the poverty line, including 20.60% of those under age 18 and 10.50% of those age 65 or over.
In 1974, Kanawha County gained national media attention for a school textbook controversy that erupted when conservatives complained that material in some of the textbooks was morally offensive. Journalist John D. Maurice won a Pulitzer Prize for his editorials covering the controversy.
On 12 March 1974, the English Language Arts Textbook Committee of Kanawha County recommended 325 books and textbooks to the school board for use in Kanawha elementary schools. One of the school board members rejected the books as morally offensive and asked the county for support. The controversy that followed caused violent protests and school closings through 1975.
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| Jackson County | Roane County | Clay County | ||
| Putnam County | Nicholas County and Fayette County | |||
| Kanawha County, West Virginia | ||||
| Lincoln County | Boone County | Raleigh County |
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