Jackson County, West Virginia Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Jackson County
U.S. county
The Jackson County Courthouse in Ripley in 2007
Location within the U.S. state of West Virginia
West Virginia's location within the U.S.
Country	United States
State	West Virginia
Founded	March 1, 1831
Named for	Andrew Jackson
Seat	Ripley
Largest city	Ravenswood
Area
• Total	472 sq mi (1,220 km²)
• Land	464 sq mi (1,200 km²)
• Water	7.3 sq mi (19 km²) 1.5%%
Population (2010)
• Total	29,211
• Estimate (2019)	28,576
• Density	61.89/sq mi (23.895/km²)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district	2nd

Jackson County is a county in the U.S. state of West Virginia. As of the 2010 census, the population was 29,211. Its county seat is Ripley, and its largest municipality is Ravenswood.

Geography
Demographics
- 2010 census
Communities
- Cities
- Unincorporated communities
See also

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has an area of 472 square miles (1,220 km²), of which 464 square miles (1,200 km²) is land and 7.3 square miles (19 km²) (1.5%) is water. The Ohio River forms part of Jackson County's western border. Sandy Creek and Mill Creek, tributaries of the Ohio, flow through the county's northern and central portions.

Major highways

Interstate 77
U.S. Highway 33
West Virginia Route 2
West Virginia Route 34
West Virginia Route 62
West Virginia Route 68
West Virginia Route 87
West Virginia Route 331

Adjacent counties

Wood County (north)
Wirt County (northeast)
Roane County (east)
Kanawha County (south)
Putnam County (southwest)
Mason County (west)
Meigs County, Ohio (northwest)

National protected area

Ohio River Islands National Wildlife Refuge (part)

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1840	4,890	—
1850	6,544	33.8%
1860	8,306	26.9%
1870	10,300	24.0%
1880	16,312	58.4%
1890	19,021	16.6%
1900	22,987	20.9%
1910	20,956	−8.8%
1920	18,658	−11.0%
1930	16,124	−13.6%
1940	16,598	2.9%
1950	15,299	−7.8%
1960	18,541	21.2%
1970	20,903	12.7%
1980	25,794	23.4%
1990	25,938	0.6%
2000	28,000	7.9%
2010	29,211	4.3%
2019 (est.)	28,576	−2.2%
U.S. Decennial Census 1790–1960 1900–1990 1990–2000 2010–2019

2010 census

As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 29,211 people, 11,931 households, and 8,503 families living in the county. The population density was 62.9 inhabitants per square mile (24.3/km²). There were 13,305 housing units at an average density of 28.7 per square mile (11.1/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 98.2% white, 0.3% black or African American, 0.3% Asian, 0.2% American Indian, 0.2% from other races, and 0.9% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 0.6% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 22.4% were American, 18.4% were German, 15.7% were Irish, and 13.7% were English.

Of the 11,931 households, 30.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.5% were married couples living together, 10.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 28.7% were non-families, and 25.0% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.43 and the average family size was 2.88. The median age was 42.2 years.

The median income for a household in the county was $41,406 and the median income for a family was $49,395. Males had a median income of $42,862 versus $32,376 for females. The per capita income for the county was $20,633. About 14.6% of families and 18.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 28.0% of those under age 18 and 10.5% of those age 65 or over.