Logan County, West Virginia

Logan County, West Virginia
Map of West Virginia highlighting Logan County
Location in the U.S. state of West Virginia
Map of the United States highlighting West Virginia
West Virginia's location in the U.S.
Founded January 12, 1824
Named for Chief Logan
Seat Logan
Largest city Logan
Area
 • Total 456 sq mi (1,181 km2)
 • Land 454 sq mi (1,176 km2)
 • Water 1.9 sq mi (5 km2), 0.4%
Population (est.)
 • (2015) 34,707
 • Density 78/sq mi (30/km²)
Congressional district 3rd
Time zone Eastern: UTC-5/-4
Website www.logancounty.wv.gov

Logan County is a county in the U.S. state of West Virginia. As of the 2010 census, the population was 36,743.[1] Its county seat is Logan.[2] The county was formed in 1824 from parts of Giles, Tazewell, Cabell, and Kanawha counties.[3] It is named for Chief Logan, famous Native American chief of the Mingo tribe.

Logan County comprises the Logan, WV Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is also included in the Charleston-Huntington-Ashland, WV-OH-KY Combined Statistical Area.

In 1921 it was the location of the Battle of Blair Mountain, one of the largest armed uprisings in U.S. history. More recently, the Buffalo Creek Flood of February 26, 1972, killed 125 people when a coal slurry dam burst under the pressure of heavy rains, releasing over 100,000,000 US gallons (380,000,000 L) of waste and water in a 30-foot (9.1 m) wave onto the valley below. The communities of Lorado and Lundale were destroyed and 14 other communities heavily damaged, including Saunders, Amherstdale, Crites, and Latrobe.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 456 square miles (1,180 km2), of which 454 square miles (1,180 km2) is land and 1.9 square miles (4.9 km2) (0.4%) is water.[4]

Major highways

Adjacent counties

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop. %±
18303,680—
18404,30917.1%
18503,620−16.0%
18604,93836.4%
18705,1243.8%
18807,32943.0%
189011,10151.5%
19006,955−37.3%
191014,476108.1%
192041,006183.3%
193058,53442.7%
194067,76815.8%
195077,39114.2%
196061,570−20.4%
197046,269−24.9%
198050,6799.5%
199043,032−15.1%
200037,710−12.4%
201036,743−2.6%
Est. 201633,700[5]−8.3%
U.S. Decennial Census[6]
1790–1960[7] 1900–1990[8]
1990–2000[9] 2010–2015[1]

2000 census

As of the census[10] of 2000, there were 37,710 people, 14,880 households, and 10,936 families residing in the county. The population density was 83 people per square mile (32/km²). There were 16,807 housing units at an average density of 37 per square mile (14/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 96.33% White, 2.59% Black or African American, 0.12% Native American, 0.30% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.06% from other races, and 0.59% from two or more races. 0.54% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 14,880 households out of which 30.50% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.00% were married couples living together, 12.60% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.50% were non-families. 24.00% 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 2.50 and the average family size was 2.95.

In the county, the population was spread out with 22.10% under the age of 18, 9.30% from 18 to 24, 28.00% from 25 to 44, 26.10% from 45 to 64, and 14.50% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 94.20 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.00 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $24,603, and the median income for a family was $29,072. Males had a median income of $31,515 versus $20,212 for females. The per capita income for the county was $14,102. About 20.80% of families and 24.10% of the population were below the poverty line, including 34.60% of those under age 18 and 14.40% of those age 65 or over.

2010 census

As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 36,743 people, 14,907 households, and 10,512 families residing in the county.[11] The population density was 81.0 inhabitants per square mile (31.3/km2). There were 16,743 housing units at an average density of 36.9 per square mile (14.2/km2).[12] The racial makeup of the county was 96.5% white, 2.1% black or African American, 0.3% Asian, 0.1% American Indian, 0.1% from other races, and 0.8% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 0.7% of the population.[11] In terms of ancestry, 16.6% were Irish, 13.3% were German, 7.8% were English, and 6.9% were American.[13]

Of the 14,907 households, 30.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.7% were married couples living together, 12.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 29.5% were non-families, and 26.1% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.43 and the average family size was 2.90. The median age was 42.4 years.[11]

The median income for a household in the county was $35,465 and the median income for a family was $43,475. Males had a median income of $39,462 versus $26,571 for females. The per capita income for the county was $18,614. About 17.6% of families and 21.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 32.8% of those under age 18 and 7.4% of those age 65 or over.[14]

Politics

Logan County, being historically secessionist[15] and between the New Deal and the 1980s heavily unionized, was once powerfully Democratic. Before the 2008 election, the only Republican to carry the county had been Herbert Hoover in 1928, due to strong anti-Catholicism against Al Smith in this “Bible Belt” region. Logan was the only county in West Virginia to be carried by George McGovern in his disastrous 1972 campaign, and between 1976 and 2000 no Republican reached 40 percent of the county’s vote. However the decline of mining unions and the out-migration of black mining families and latent racism [16] has produced an extremely rapid swing to the Republican Party – so that over the past three presidential elections swings to the Republican Party have averaged thirty percentage points and Democratic vote percentages have plummeted to levels historically more typical of unionist, traditionally Republican counties like Grant.

Presidential Elections Results[17]
Year Republican Democratic Third Parties
2016 79.6% 9,897 16.8% 2,092 3.6% 451
2012 68.7% 8,222 29.0% 3,469 2.4% 281
2008 54.2% 7,326 43.4% 5,873 2.4% 325
2004 47.0% 7,047 52.6% 7,877 0.4% 63
2000 36.9% 5,334 61.8% 8,927 1.2% 178
1996 17.5% 2,627 72.0% 10,840 10.6% 1,589
1992 20.5% 3,336 68.1% 11,095 11.5% 1,866
1988 27.2% 4,244 72.5% 11,317 0.3% 47
1984 37.0% 6,425 62.7% 10,892 0.4% 65
1980 28.4% 4,945 69.0% 12,024 2.6% 459
1976 23.5% 4,021 76.5% 13,122
1972 48.7% 9,533 51.3% 10,045
1968 23.4% 4,754 67.4% 13,686 9.2% 1,861
1964 18.2% 3,776 81.8% 16,999
1960 32.4% 7,836 67.6% 16,360
1956 41.7% 10,588 58.3% 14,794
1952 32.2% 9,148 67.9% 19,302
1948 31.3% 7,362 68.4% 16,121 0.3% 76
1944 35.3% 8,000 64.8% 14,692
1940 36.7% 9,860 63.3% 17,010
1936 27.7% 7,069 72.1% 18,424 0.2% 49
1932 45.9% 10,683 53.8% 12,529 0.3% 71
1928 53.3% 11,404 46.5% 9,944 0.2% 41
1924 46.9% 7,062 49.0% 7,377 4.1% 612
1920 43.3% 4,304 56.2% 5,588 0.4% 44
1916 38.7% 2,107 60.1% 3,270 1.1% 62
1912 18.4% 518 50.0% 1,404 31.6% 889

Communities

City

Towns

Census-designated places

Unincorporated communities

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 10, 2014.
  2. ↑ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved 2011-06-07.
  3. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2001-09-23. Retrieved 2013-02-04.
  4. ↑ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Retrieved July 24, 2015.
  5. ↑ "Population and Housing Unit Estimates". Retrieved June 9, 2017.
  6. ↑ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 10, 2014.
  7. ↑ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved January 10, 2014.
  8. ↑ "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 10, 2014.
  9. ↑ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 10, 2014.
  10. ↑ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2011-05-14.
  11. 1 2 3 "DP-1 Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 Demographic Profile Data". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2016-04-03.
  12. ↑ "Population, Housing Units, Area, and Density: 2010 - County". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2016-04-03.
  13. ↑ "DP02 SELECTED SOCIAL CHARACTERISTICS IN THE UNITED STATES – 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2016-04-03.
  14. ↑ "DP03 SELECTED ECONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS – 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2016-04-03.
  15. ↑ Hinkle, Harlan H.; Grayback Mountaineers: The Confederate Face of Western Virginia, pp. 189-190 ISBN 0595268404
  16. ↑ Schwartzman, Gabe; ‘How Central Appalachia Went Right’; Daily Yonder, January 13, 2015
  17. ↑ http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS

Coordinates: 37°50′N 81°56′W / 37.83°N 81.94°W / 37.83; -81.94

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