| Rocky Mount | |||
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| — Town — | |||
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Rocky Mount
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| Coordinates: | |||
| Country | United States | ||
| State | Virginia | ||
| County | Franklin | ||
| Founded | 1786 | ||
| Government | |||
| • Mayor | Steve Angle | ||
| Area | |||
| • Total | 4.6 sq mi (11.9 km2) | ||
| • Land | 4.6 sq mi (11.9 km2) | ||
| Population (2000) | |||
| • Total | 4,066 | ||
| • Density | 884.9/sq mi (341.7/km2) | ||
| Time zone | Eastern (EST) (UTC-5) | ||
| • Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) | ||
| ZIP codes | |||
| FIPS code | |||
| GNIS feature ID | |||
| Website | Official website | ||
Rocky Mount is the county seat of Franklin County, Virginia, United States.[1] The town is part of the Roanoke Metropolitan Statistical Area, and had a population of 4,066 at the 2000 census. It is located in the Roanoke Region of Virginia[2]
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First settled in 1760, Rocky Mount was named for a steep cliff near the town. The area originally consisted of two adjacent villages, Rocky Mount and Mount Pleasant. The first court was held at Rocky Mount in 1786, and the first courthouse, made of logs, was replaced in 1831. By 1836 the town consisted of 30 homes and several businesses.
During the American Civil War, numerous planter families from the Tidewater sought refuge in Rocky Mount, and many brought their slaves with them. Among these were the former governor, Henry Wise, who settled his family here before serving in the military. The Confederate General Jubal Anderson Early, born on a farm nearby, practiced law in Rocky Mount.
In 1873, Rocky Mount absorbed the smaller village to create the present boundaries of the town, and the town of Rocky Mount was incorporated in that year.[3] The present Franklin County courthouse was constructed at Rocky Mount in 1909.
Rocky Mount is located at (36.999855, -79.889673)[4], along the Pigg River.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 4.6 square miles (11.9 km²), all of it land.
As of the census[5] of 2000, there were 4,066 people, 1,698 households, and 1,018 families residing in the town. The population density was 886.5 people per square mile (342.0/km²). There were 1,796 housing units at an average density of 391.6 per square mile (151.1/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 74.50% White, 22.26% African American, 0.27% Native American, 1.11% Asian, 0.10% Pacific Islander, 0.49% from other races, and 1.28% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.67% of the population.
There were 1,698 households out of which 26.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.2% were married couples living together, 15.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.0% were non-families. 36.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 18.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.21 and the average family size was 2.87.
In the town the population was spread out with 21.4% under the age of 18, 7.7% from 18 to 24, 25.2% from 25 to 44, 22.1% from 45 to 64, and 23.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 85.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.1 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $26,927, and the median income for a family was $38,688. Males had a median income of $30,947 versus $22,472 for females. The per capita income for the town was $16,207. About 16.6% of families and 14.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.6% of those under age 18 and 14.0% of those age 65 or over.
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