| Wise County, Virginia | ||
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Location in the state of Virginia |
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Virginia's location in the U.S. |
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| Founded | 1856 | |
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| Named for | Henry A. Wise | |
| Seat | Wise | |
| Largest city | Big Stone Gap | |
| Area - Total - Land - Water |
405 sq mi (1,050 km²) 404 sq mi (1,047 km²) 1 sq mi (3 km²), 0.29% |
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| Population - Density |
41,452 99.1/sq mi (38.2/km²) |
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| Time zone | Eastern : -5/ | |
| Website | www.wisecounty.org | |
Wise County is a county located in the U.S. state of Virginia. In 1856, the county was formed from land taken from Lee, Scott, and Russell Counties. It was named after Henry A. Wise, who was the Governor of Virginia at the time. As of 2010, the population was 41,452,[1] making it the largest jurisdiction in terms of population outside of any metropolitan area in Virginia. Its county seat is Wise[2].
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According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 405 square miles (1,050 km²), of which 404 square miles (1,046 km²) is land and 1 square mile (3 km²) (0.29%) is water. The county is part of the Appalachians and has many mountainous features, including the peak of High Knob and Powell Valley.
| Historical populations | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1860 | 4,508 |
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| 1870 | 4,785 | 6.1% | |
| 1880 | 7,772 | 62.4% | |
| 1890 | 9,345 | 20.2% | |
| 1900 | 19,653 | 110.3% | |
| 1910 | 34,162 | 73.8% | |
| 1920 | 46,500 | 36.1% | |
| 1930 | 51,167 | 10.0% | |
| 1940 | 52,458 | 2.5% | |
| 1950 | 56,336 | 7.4% | |
| 1960 | 43,579 | −22.6% | |
| 1970 | 35,947 | −17.5% | |
| 1980 | 43,863 | 22.0% | |
| 1990 | 39,573 | −9.8% | |
| 2000 | 40,123 | 1.4% | |
| 2010 | 41,452 | 3.3% | |
As of the census[3] of 2010, there were 41,452 people, 15,968 households, and 10,892 families residing in the county. The population density was 102.8 people per square mile (38/km²). There were 17,940 housing units at an average density of 44 per square mile (17/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 93% White, 5.2% Black or African American, 0.10% Native American, 0.30% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, and 0.90% from two or more races. 1.10% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 15,968 households out of which 31.80% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50,30% were married couples living together, 12.60% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.80% were non-families. 27.40% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.40% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.40 and the average family size was 2.90.
In the county, the population was spread out with 20.80% under the age of 18 and 14.10% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 107 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 107.08 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $35,053. The per capita income for the county was $17,512. About 19.30% of the population were below the poverty line. The homeownership rate for the county is 70.00%
Wise County Public Schools operates seventeen school facilities in the county for over 7,000 students.[4] For several years the Wise County School Board has considered consolidating high school, and in 2011 it closed its three smallest high schools and consolidate them into the three largest high schools.
Wise County Christian School operates as a private school in the county.
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A large portion of the Jefferson National Forest is contained within Wise County, and the Clinch River winds through the county. These two factors, combined with Wise County's location in the Appalachian Mountains, mean that Wise County offers many opportunities for outdoor recreation.
In addition to many trails connecting to and surrounding the Appalachian Trail system, Wise county is home to many parks, including Miners' Park in Big Stone Gap and the Louis E. Henegar Miners' Memorial Park in Appalachia.
Among the unique features of Wise County are High Knob, a mountain which featured one of the last remaining Appalachian Fire Towers until its destruction by arson on October 31, 2007,[5] and Wetlands Estonoa, an Appalachian Wetland and part of the Clinch River Watershed.
| Letcher County, Kentucky | Pike County, Kentucky | Dickenson County | ||
| Harlan County, Kentucky | Russell County | |||
| Wise County, Virginia | ||||
| Lee County | Scott County |
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