Amherst, Virginia

Amherst, Virginia
Town

Amherst Historical Society building

Seal

Location of Amherst, Virginia
Coordinates: 37°34′37″N 79°3′2″W / 37.57694°N 79.05056°WCoordinates: 37°34′37″N 79°3′2″W / 37.57694°N 79.05056°W
Country United States
State Virginia
County Amherst
Area
 • Total 5.0 sq mi (12.9 km2)
 • Land 5.0 sq mi (12.9 km2)
 • Water 0.0 sq mi (0.0 km2)
Elevation 761 ft (232 m)
Population (2010)
 • Total 2,231
 • Density 450/sq mi (170/km2)
Time zone Eastern (EST) (UTC-5)
 • Summer (DST) EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP code 24521
Area code(s) 434
FIPS code 51-01672[1]
GNIS feature ID 1498447[2]
Website Official website

Amherst (formerly Dearborn) is a town in Amherst County, Virginia, United States. The population was 2,231 at the 2010 census.[3] It is the county seat of Amherst County.[4]

Amherst is part of the Lynchburg Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History

Bear Mountain Indian Mission School, Edgewood, 1818, Edgewood, 1858, Fairview, Forest Hill, The Glebe, Dulwich Manor, and Tusculum are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.[5][6]

Geography

Amherst is located at 37°34′37″N 79°3′2″W / 37.57694°N 79.05056°W (37.576899, -79.050424).[7]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 5.0 square miles (12.9 km²), all of it land.

Demographics

As of the census[1] of 2000, there were 2,251 people, 940 households, and 568 families residing in the town. The population density was 451.3 people per square mile (174.2/km²). There were 1,000 housing units at an average density of 200.5 per square mile (77.4/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 68.95% White, 29.63% African American, 0.31% Native American, 0.31% Asian, 0.04% from other races, and 0.76% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.02% of the population.

There were 940 households out of which 28.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.4% were married couples living together, 14.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.5% were non-families. 37.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 19.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.18 and the average family size was 2.84.

In the town the population was spread out with 21.6% under the age of 18, 6.1% from 18 to 24, 24.4% from 25 to 44, 23.5% from 45 to 64, and 24.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females there were 84.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 77.3 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $33,000, and the median income for a family was $44,181. Males had a median income of $35,714 versus $20,321 for females. The per capita income for the town was $18,457. About 13.3% of families and 18.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 25.1% of those under age 18 and 26.5% of those age 65 or over.

Notable people

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
  2. ↑ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. 2007-10-25. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
  3. ↑ "Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (DP-1): Amherst town, Virginia" (Amherst was granted a charter by the Virginia General Assembly in April 1910). U.S. Census Bureau, American Factfinder. Retrieved 2012-08-12.
  4. ↑ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved 2011-06-07.
  5. ↑ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. 2010-07-09.
  6. ↑ "National Register of Historic Places Listings". Weekly List of Actions Taken on Properties: 5/28/13 through 5/31/13. National Park Service. 2013-06-07.
  7. ↑ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. Retrieved 2011-04-23.