Summers County, West Virginia facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Summers County
U.S. county
The Summers County Courthouse in Hinton
Seal
Location within the U.S. state of West Virginia
West Virginia's location within the U.S.
Country	United States
State	West Virginia
Founded	February 27, 1871
Named for	George W. Summers
Seat	Hinton
Largest city	Hinton
Area
• Total	368 sq mi (950 km2)
• Land	360 sq mi (900 km2)
• Water	7.3 sq mi (19 km2)  2.0%%
Population  (2020)
• Total	11,959
• Estimate  (2021)	11,908
• Density	32.50/sq mi (12.547/km2)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district	1st

Summers County is a county located in the U.S. state of West Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 11,959. Its county seat is Hinton. The county was created by an act of the West Virginia Legislature on February 27, 1871, from parts of Fayette, Greenbrier, Mercer and Monroe counties and named in honor of George W. Summers (1804–68).

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 368 square miles (950 km²), of which 360 square miles (930 km²) is land and 7.3 square miles (19 km²) (2.0%) is water.

After gaining independence from 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. Summers County was initially divided into five townships: Forest Hill, Greenbrier, Green Sulphur, Jumping Branch, and Pipestem. Forest Hill consisted of territory received from Monroe County, where it had been part of a township of the same name. Greenbrier was also formed from territory that had been part of Monroe County. Green Sulphur was formed from territory received from Fayette and Greenbrier Counties, while Jumping Branch and Pipestem consisted of land received from Mercer County.

As the second-last of West Virginia's counties to be created, Summers County had townships for only a year before they were converted into magisterial districts. In 1879, Talcott District was organized from part of Greenbrier. The six historical districts remained largely unchanged for the next century, until in the 1970s they were consolidated into three new magisterial districts: Bluestone River, Greenbrier River, and New River.

Major highways

• Interstate 64
• West Virginia Route 3
• West Virginia Route 12
• West Virginia Route 20
• West Virginia Route 107

Adjacent counties

• Greenbrier County (northeast)
• Monroe County (east)
• Mercer County (southwest)
• Raleigh County (west)
• Fayette County (northwest)
• Giles County, Virginia (south)

National protected areas

• Bluestone National Scenic River (part)
• New River Gorge National Park and Preserve (part)

Demographics

2010 census

As of the 2010 United States census, there were 13,927 people, 5,572 households, and 3,632 families living in the county. The population density was 38.6 inhabitants per square mile (14.9/km²). There were 7,680 housing units at an average density of 21.3 units per square mile (8.2 units/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 93.0% white, 4.8% black or African American, 0.3% American Indian, 0.2% Asian, 0.4% from other races, and 1.3% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 1.4% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 20.2% were Irish, 18.2% were German, 17.1% were English, and 10.2% were American.

Of the 5,572 households, 24.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.8% were married couples living together, 10.9% had a female householder with no husband present, 34.8% were non-families, and 30.8% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.26 and the average family size was 2.79. The median age was 45.7 years.

The median income for a household in the county was $27,720 and the median income for a family was $39,235. Males had a median income of $27,382 versus $25,011 for females. The per capita income for the county was $15,190. About 15.6% of families and 21.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 23.4% of those under age 18 and 18.8% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Public schools in Summers County are governed by the Summers County Schools school district; per West Virginia state law, all school districts in West Virginia follow county boundaries. 1,548 students are enrolled in the five public schools in Summers County. Summers County has one public high school, Summers County High School, which serves students in grades 9–12; one middle school, Summers Middle School, which serves students in grades 5–8; and three elementary schools, Hinton Area Elementary School, serving Pre-K through 4th grades, and Jumping Branch Elementary School and Talcott Elementary School which serve students in grades Pre-K through 5. Summers County High School has a total enrollment of 458 students and a graduation rate of 78.45% Summers Middle School has an enrollment of 334 students, and Hinton Area Elementary School, Jumping Branch Elementary School, and Talcott Elementary School have enrollments of 469, 132, and 155 students respectively.

Summers County is also home to one private school, Pipestem Christian Academy. Pipestem Christian Academy is part of the West Virginia Christian Education Association and has a total enrollment of 89 students in grades Pre-K through 11. Greenbrier Academy, a therapeutic boarding school for girls, is also located in Summers County, in the community of Pence Springs.

Communities

City

• Hinton (county seat)

Magisterial districts

Current

• Bluestone River
• Greenbrier River
• New River

Historic

• Forest Hill
• Greenbrier
• Green Sulphur
• Jumping Branch
• Pipestem
• Talcott

Other places

See also

In Spanish: Condado de Summers para niños