Mathews County, Virginia
From Freepedia
| Image:Map of Virginia highlighting Mathews County.png Location in the state of Virginia | |
| Formed | 1791 |
| Seat | Mathews |
| Area - Total - Water | 653 km² (252 mi²) 431 km² (166 mi²) 65.99% |
| Population - (2000) - Density | 9,207 41/km² |
Mathews County is a county located on the Middle Peninsula in the state of Virginia. As of 2000, the population is 9,207. Its county seat is Mathews6.
History
Mathews County was established in 1791 from Gloucester County. The county is named for Brigadier General Thomas Mathews, then speaker of the House of Delegates of the General Assembly of Virginia. In 1776, Virginia' last Royal Governor, Lord Dunmore, left Virginia after being driven to Gwynn's Island by General Andrew Lewis and the Continental Army.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 653 km² (252 mi²). 222 km² (86 mi²) of it is land and 431 km² (166 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 65.99% water.
Demographics
As of the census2 of 2000, there are 9,207 people, 3,932 households, and 2,823 families residing in the county. The population density is 41/km² (108/mi²). There are 5,333 housing units at an average density of 24/km² (62/mi²). The racial makeup of the county is 87.30% White, 11.25% Black or African American, 0.25% Native American, 0.18% Asian, 0.00% Pacific Islander, 0.31% from other races, and 0.70% from two or more races. 0.79% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 3,932 households out of which 24.20% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.20% are married couples living together, 7.90% have a female householder with no husband present, and 28.20% are non-families. 24.90% of all households are made up of individuals and 13.50% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.32 and the average family size is 2.75.
In the county, the population is spread out with 19.90% under the age of 18, 5.20% from 18 to 24, 23.10% from 25 to 44, 30.10% from 45 to 64, and 21.60% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 46 years. For every 100 females there are 93.20 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 91.70 males.
The median income for a household in the county is $43,222, and the median income for a family is $50,653. Males have a median income of $36,294 versus $23,434 for females. The per capita income for the county is $23,610. 6.00% of the population and 4.30% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total people living in poverty, 7.50% are under the age of 18 and 4.80% are 65 or older.
