Pleasants County, West Virginia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Pleasants County
|
|
|---|---|
Pleasants County Courthouse in St. Marys
|
|
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 29, 1851 |
| Named for | James Pleasants |
| Seat | St. Marys |
| Largest city | St. Marys |
| Area | |
| • Total | 135 sq mi (350 km2) |
| • Land | 130 sq mi (300 km2) |
| • Water | 4.4 sq mi (11 km2) 3.3%% |
| Population
(2020)
|
|
| • Total | 7,653 |
| • Estimate
(2021)
|
7,601  |
| • Density | 56.69/sq mi (21.89/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| Congressional district | 1st |
Pleasants County is a county located in the U.S. state of West Virginia. At the 2020 census, the population was 7,653. Its county seat is St. Marys.
Contents
History
Pleasants County was formed by the Virginia General Assembly from portions of adjacent Wood, Ritchie and Tyler counties on March 29, 1851. The county's namesake is James Pleasants, Jr., an esteemed former US Senator and Virginia Governor. On June 20, 1863, at the height of the Civil War, Pleasants County was one of fifty Virginia counties that entered the Union as the state of West Virginia.
In 1863, West Virginia's counties were divided into civil townships, with the intention of encouraging local government. This proved impractical in the heavily rural state, and in 1872 the townships were converted into magisterial districts. Pleasants County was divided into six districts: Grant, Jefferson, Lafayette, McKim, Union, and Washington. These remained largely unchanged for over a century, but in the 1980s the six historic magisterial districts were consolidated into four new districts: District A, District B, District C, and District D.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 135 square miles (350 km2), of which 130 square miles (340 km2) is land and 4.4 square miles (11 km2) (3.3%) is water. It is the fourth-smallest county in West Virginia by area.
Major highways
West Virginia Route 2
West Virginia Route 16
West Virginia Route 807
Adjacent counties
- Washington County, Ohio (north)
- Tyler County (east)
- Ritchie County (southeast)
- Wood County (southwest)
National protected area
- Ohio River Islands National Wildlife Refuge (part)
Demographics
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1860 | 2,945 | — | |
| 1870 | 3,012 | 2.3% | |
| 1880 | 6,256 | 107.7% | |
| 1890 | 7,539 | 20.5% | |
| 1900 | 9,345 | 24.0% | |
| 1910 | 8,074 | −13.6% | |
| 1920 | 7,379 | −8.6% | |
| 1930 | 6,545 | −11.3% | |
| 1940 | 6,692 | 2.2% | |
| 1950 | 6,369 | −4.8% | |
| 1960 | 7,124 | 11.9% | |
| 1970 | 7,274 | 2.1% | |
| 1980 | 8,236 | 13.2% | |
| 1990 | 7,546 | −8.4% | |
| 2000 | 7,514 | −0.4% | |
| 2010 | 7,605 | 1.2% | |
| 2020 | 7,653 | 0.6% | |
| 2021 (est.) | 7,601 | −0.1% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census 1790–1960 1900–1990 1990–2000 2010–2020 |
|||
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, there were 7,653 people and 2,688 households residing in the county. There were 3,209 housing units in Pleasants county. The racial makeup of the county was 94.7% White, 1.2% African American, 0.2% Asian, 0.3% Native American, 0.3% from other races, and 3.3% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 0.8% of the population.
Of the 2,688 households, 58.1% were married couples living together, 20.5% had a female householder with no spouse present, 18.2% had a male householder with no spouse present. The average household and family size was 3.06. The median age in the county was 43.1 years with 19.2% of the population under 18. The median income for a household was $58,433 and the poverty rate was 7.4%.
2010 census
As of the 2010 United States census, there were 7,605 people, 2,861 households, and 2,021 families living in the county. The population density was 58.5 inhabitants per square mile (22.6/km2). There were 3,390 housing units at an average density of 26.1 units per square mile (10.1 units/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 97.3% white, 1.3% black or African American, 0.2% American Indian, 0.1% Asian, 0.1% from other races, and 1.0% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 0.8% of the population. In terms of ancestry,
Of the 2,861 households, 31.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.1% were married couples living together, 9.8% had a female householder with no husband present, 29.4% were non-families, and 24.9% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.44 and the average family size was 2.90. The median age was 42.4 years.
The median income for a household in the county was $38,882 and the median income for a family was $54,391. Males had a median income of $52,738 versus $23,750 for females. The per capita income for the county was $18,770. About 6.7% of families and 13.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.6% of those under age 18 and 10.8% of those age 65 or over.
Education
In Pleasants County, there is a single school district including one high school, one middle school, and two elementary schools. The county is also served by the Mid Ohio Valley Technical Institute, which offers vocational education in a variety of fields.
Communities
Cities
Towns
Magisterial districts
Current
- District A
- District B
- District C
- District D
Historic
- Grant
- Jefferson
- Lafayette
- McKim
- Union
- Washington
Unincorporated communities
See also
In Spanish: Condado de Pleasants para niños
