kids encyclopedia robot

Ritchie County, West Virginia facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
Quick facts for kids
Ritchie County
U.S. county
Ritchie County Courthouse in Harrisville
Ritchie County Courthouse in Harrisville
Map of West Virginia highlighting Ritchie County
Location within the U.S. state of West Virginia
Map of the United States highlighting West Virginia
West Virginia's location within the U.S.
Country  United States
State  West Virginia
Founded February 18, 1843
Named for Thomas Ritchie
Seat Harrisville
Largest town Harrisville
Area
 • Total 454 sq mi (1,180 km2)
 • Land 452 sq mi (1,170 km2)
 • Water 1.7 sq mi (4 km2)  0.4%%
Population
 (2010)
 • Total 10,449
 • Estimate 
(2019)
 9,554
 • Density 23.015/sq mi (8.886/km2)
Time zone UTC−5 (Eastern)
 • Summer (DST) UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district 1st

Ritchie County is a county in the U.S. state of West Virginia. As of the 2010 census, the population was 10,449. Its county seat is Harrisville. The county was created in 1843 by the Virginia General Assembly and named for Richmond newspaper publisher Thomas Ritchie.

History

In 1911, historian Minnie Kendall Lowther published "The History of Ritchie County." Her book is still regarded as one of the most comprehensive histories of any county in West Virginia.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 454 square miles (1,180 km2), of which 452 square miles (1,170 km2) is land and 1.7 square miles (4.4 km2) (0.4%) is water.

Major highways

  • US 50.svg U.S. Route 50
  • WV-16.svg West Virginia Route 16
  • WV-31.svg West Virginia Route 31
  • WV-47.svg West Virginia Route 47
  • WV-74.svg West Virginia Route 74

Adjacent counties

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop. %±
1850 3,902 —
1860 6,847 75.5%
1870 9,055 32.2%
1880 13,474 48.8%
1890 16,621 23.4%
1900 18,901 13.7%
1910 17,875 −5.4%
1920 16,506 −7.7%
1930 15,594 −5.5%
1940 15,389 −1.3%
1950 12,535 −18.5%
1960 10,877 −13.2%
1970 10,145 −6.7%
1980 11,442 12.8%
1990 10,233 −10.6%
2000 10,343 1.1%
2010 10,449 1.0%
2019 (est.) 9,554 −8.6%
U.S. Decennial Census
1790–1960 1900–1990
1990–2000 2010–2019

2010 census

As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 10,449 people, 4,367 households, and 2,960 families living in the county. The population density was 23.1 inhabitants per square mile (8.9/km2). There were 5,843 housing units at an average density of 12.9 per square mile (5.0/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 98.7% white, 0.2% black or African American, 0.1% Asian, 0.1% American Indian, 0.2% from other races, and 0.8% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 0.5% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 20.3% were German, 14.6% were Irish, 13.2% were American, and 11.3% were English.

Of the 4,367 households, 28.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.2% were married couples living together, 9.8% had a female householder with no husband present, 32.2% were non-families, and 28.2% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.37 and the average family size was 2.85. The median age was 44.3 years.

The median income for a household in the county was $32,619 and the median income for a family was $39,919. Males had a median income of $31,807 versus $23,966 for females. The per capita income for the county was $18,255. About 13.9% of families and 18.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 21.6% of those under age 18 and 15.2% of those age 65 or over.

Notable sights

Communities

City

Towns

Unincorporated communities

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Condado de Ritchie para niños

kids search engine
All content from Kiddle encyclopedia articles (including the article images and facts) can be freely used under Attribution-ShareAlike license, unless stated otherwise. Cite this article:
Ritchie County, West Virginia Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.