| Rainelle, West Virginia | |
|---|---|
| — Town — | |
| Location of Rainelle, West Virginia | |
| Coordinates: | |
| Country | United States |
| State | West Virginia |
| County | Greenbrier |
| Area | |
| • Total | 1.1 sq mi (2.9 km2) |
| • Land | 1.1 sq mi (2.9 km2) |
| • Water | 0.0 sq mi (0.0 km2) |
| Elevation | 2,405 ft (733 m) |
| Population (2000) | |
| • Total | 1,545 |
| • Density | 1,402.3/sq mi (541.4/km2) |
| Time zone | Eastern (EST) (UTC-5) |
| • Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) |
| Area code(s) | 304 |
| FIPS code | 54-66652[1] |
| GNIS feature ID | 1555435[2] |
Rainelle is a town in Greenbrier County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 1,545 at the 2000 census.
Contents |
Rainelle was named for the Raine family. Thomas and his brother John Raine moved there from Pennsylvania in 1906 to exploit one of the last large stands of virgin hardwoods in the eastern United states. Their Meadow River Lumber Company operated for 60 years, and at one time was the largest hardwood sawmill in the world. In 1970, the owners sold it to Georgia-Pacific Corporation, which tore it down in 1975.[3]
Rainelle is located at (37.969639, -80.767210)[4].
According to the US Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 1.1 square miles (2.9 km²). 1.1 square miles (2.8 km²) of it is land and 0.90% is water. The Meadow River flows through the town in a westerly direction on its way to eventually join the Gauley River.
As of the census[1] of 2000, there were 1,545 people, 696 households, and 421 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,402.3 inhabitants per square mile (542.3/km²). There were 802 housing units at an average density of 727.9 per square mile (281.5/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 97.22% White, 0.71% African American, 1.17% Native American, 0.13% Asian, and 0.78% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.65% of the population.
There were 696 households out of which 23.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.1% were married couples living together, 13.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.5% were non-families. 36.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 19.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.14 and the average family size was 2.78.
In the town the population was spread out with 18.4% under the age of 18, 8.4% from 18 to 24, 21.8% from 25 to 44, 26.7% from 45 to 64, and 24.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 46 years. For every 100 females there were 82.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 77.2 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $19,491, and the median income for a family was $26,528. Males had a median income of $22,000 versus $14,900 for females. The per capita income for the town was $14,069. About 23.8% of families and 28.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 42.3% of those under age 18 and 14.9% of those age 65 or over.