About Grant County

windmill


Grant County is located in northeast West Virginia, with the state of Maryland bordering the county to the north. As of 2000, the population was 11,299. Its county seat is Petersburg. Grant County was created from Hardy County in 1866 and named for General Ulysses Simpson Grant. The northwest corner of the county is marked by the historic Fairfax Stone.

The total land area is 480 square miles; water surface totals 3 square miles, or 0.62% of the area
Population (2000) – 11,299
Density – 23 per square mile

Geography

Grant County straddles the border of the elevated Allegheny Front and Allegheny Plateau highlands in the west, and the Ridge and Valley Province in the east. The Allegheny Front in the west of the county lies at about 3,250 feet (see Mount Storm Lake, Mount Storm Power Plant, and Dolly Sods Wilderness Area), and the lowest area lies at about 880 feet in the northeast portion of the county.

Rivers and streams

North Branch Potomac River (West Virginia – Maryland border).
Stony River
Abram Creek
New Creek
Patterson Creek

Major highways

Adjacent counties

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 11,299 people, 4,591 households, and 3,273 families residing in the county. The population density was 24 people per square mile. There were 6,105 housing units at an average density of 13 per square mile. The racial makeup of the county was 98.33% White, 0.67% Black or African American, 0.26% Native American, 0.14% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.13% from other races, and 0.45% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino made up 0.55% of the population.

There were 4,591 households, of which 30.20% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.50% were married couples living together, 8.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.70% were non families. 24.50% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.30% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.43, and the average family size was 2.87.

The population age was spread out, with 22.70% under the age of 18, 7.80% from 18 to 24, 27.50% from 25 to 44, 26.80% from 45 to 64, and 15.30% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 97.70 males. For every 100 females, age 18 and over, there were 94.50 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $28,916, and the median income for a family was $33,813. Males had a median income of $24,796 versus $18,354 for females. The per capita income for the county was $15,696. About 12.60% of families and 16.30% of the population were below the poverty line, including 21.00% of those under age 18 and 18.70% of those age 65 or over.
(Information from Wikipedia, 2008)

Grant County, Population by Decades

  Date   Population   Population Change   Annual % Change  
  1900   7,275   -   -  
  1910   7,838   563   0.7  
  1920   8,993   1,155   1.4  
  1930   8,441   -552   -0.6  
  1940   8,805   364   0.4  
  1950   8,756   -49   -0.1  
  1960   8,304   -452   -0.5  
  1970   8,607   303   0.4  
  1980   10,210   1,603   1.7  
  1990   10,428   218   0.2  
  2000   11,299   871   0.8  

(From the U.S. Census Bureau)