Pound, Virginia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Pound, Virginia
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Main Street (2017)
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Location in the Commonwealth of Virginia
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| Country | United States |
| State | Virginia |
| County | Wise |
| Area | |
| • Total | 2.61 sq mi (6.75 km2) |
| • Land | 2.60 sq mi (6.75 km2) |
| • Water | 0.00 sq mi (0.01 km2) |
| Elevation | 1,565 ft (477 m) |
| Population
(2010)
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| • Total | 1,037 |
| • Estimate
(2019)
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918 |
| • Density | 352.40/sq mi (136.04/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (EST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| ZIP code |
24279
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| Area code | 276 |
| FIPS code | 51-64272 |
| GNIS ID | 1499906 |
Pound is a town in Wise County, Virginia, United States. The population was recorded as 1,037 in the 2010 United States Census.
Contents
History
The Pound area was explored in 1751 by Christopher Gist, and it is traditionally said to be the oldest settlement in Wise County. Also known as "The Pound," the name may derive from a family name, or from a pounding mill built in the area in 1815. The county's first post office was established there in 1848. Pound was not incorporated until 1950, the last town in Wise County to do so.
Historically, the town's economy benefited from the area's coal mining industry. In the 1940s, the town had nearly a dozen bars catering to miners from nearby Kentucky. As mining declined in the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries, Pound—like much of Southwest Virginia—saw its economy and tax base collapse. Over the following decades, fiscal and political difficulties led the Virginia General Assembly to pass a law in 2022 that would revoke the town's charter in 2023 unless improvements were made. Its charter was restored on February 2, 2023.
The Flat Gap High School and Sunnydale Farm are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Geography
Pound is located at 37°7′26″N 82°36′28″W / 37.12389°N 82.60778°W (37.123820, -82.607859).
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 2.6 square miles (6.8 km2), all land.
Climate
The climate in this area is characterized by relatively high temperatures and evenly distributed precipitation throughout the year. The Köppen Climate System describes the weather as humid subtropical, and uses the abbreviation Cfa.
Demographics
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1950 | 1,193 | — | |
| 1960 | 1,135 | −4.9% | |
| 1970 | 995 | −12.3% | |
| 1980 | 1,086 | 9.1% | |
| 1990 | 995 | −8.4% | |
| 2000 | 1,089 | 9.4% | |
| 2010 | 1,037 | −4.8% | |
| 2019 (est.) | 918 | −11.5% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
At the 2000 census there were 1,089 people, 455 households and 322 families in the town. The population density was 417.6 per square mile (161.1/km2). There were 516 housing units at an average density of 197.9 per square mile (76.3/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 98.71% White, 0.09% Native American, 0.09% from other races, and 1.10% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.18%.
Of the 455 households 31.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.5% were married couples living together, 15.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.2% were non-families. 25.9% of households were one person and 14.3% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.39 and the average family size was 2.88.
The age distribution was 24.0% under the age of 18, 8.8% from 18 to 24, 29.8% from 25 to 44, 21.5% from 45 to 64, and 16.0% 65 or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 87.8 males. For every 100 females aged 18 and over, there were 80.8 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $29,107, and the median family income was $33,688. Males had a median income of $32,065 versus $22,143 for females. The per capita income for the town was $14,375. About 19.4% of families and 23.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 37.9% of those under age 18 and 9.8% of those age 65 or over.
Education
Pound has one public school: James Woodrow Adams Combined School.
Infrastructure
Highways
US 23 runs through Pound and crosses into Kentucky at Pound Gap. Pound is also the proposed connection to US 23 for the planned Coalfield Expressway.
Places of interest
- Jefferson National Forest
- North Fork Pound Reservoir
- Pound Gap
Notable people
- Sean Brock - Chef
- Napoleon Hill - Author and motivational speaker, born in Pound in 1883
- Tony Mullins - Songwriter
- Francis Gary Powers - Central Intelligence Agency Pilot
- Glen Roberts - Professional Basketball Player
See also
In Spanish: Pound (Virginia) para niños
