Appalachia, Virginia
Town of Appalachia, Virginia | |
|---|---|
 Location in the Commonwealth of Virginia | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Virginia |
| County | Wise |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Eddie Gollaway |
| Population (2000) | |
| • Total | 1,839 |
| U.S. Census Bureau, 2000 Population Estimates | |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (EST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| Website | http://www.townofappalachiava.us/ |
Appalachia is a town in Wise County, Virginia, United States. The population was 1,839 at the 2000 census.
Geography
Appalachia is located at 36°54′23″N 82°47′8″W / 36.90639°N 82.78556°WInvalid arguments have been passed to the {{#coordinates:}} function (36.906505, -82.785560)Template:GR.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 6.0 km² (2.3 mi²), all land.
Demographics
As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there were 1,839 people, 790 households, and 515 families residing in the town. The population density was 307.4/km² (797.3/mi²). There were 891 housing units at an average density of 148.9/km² (386.3/mi²). The racial makeup of the town was 94.18% White, 4.57% African American, 0.27% Native American, 0.16% Asian, 0.38% from other races, and 0.44% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.20% of the population.
There were 790 households out of which 29.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.4% were married couples living together, 17.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.8% were non-families. 33.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.33 and the average family size was 2.95. h In the town the population was spread out with 25.3% under the age of 18, 9.7% from 18 to 24, 26.0% from 25 to 44, 23.1% from 45 to 64, and 15.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 86.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.5 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $20,405, and the median income for a family was $25,221. Males had a median income of $26,842 versus $18,864 for females. The per capita income for the town was $11,782. About 28.0% of families and 29.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 41.0% of those under age 18 and 16.2% of those age 65 or over.
Education
Appalachia is home to two public schools, Appalachia Elementary School and Appalachia High School. [1]
Notable residents
- Film actress Peggie Castle was born in Appalachia.
- Actor, dialogue coach, television writer, and radio personality Bob Thomas was born in Appalachia.
Electoral fraud
On March 6, 2006, a grand jury in Wise County, Virginia indicted fourteen Appalachia residents with charges relating to an alleged electoral fraud conspiracy. The town's mayor and the head of the town's police department were among the individuals charged. [1] On November 30, 2006, the former mayor, Ben Cooper, pleaded guity to 243 felonies, including vote-rigging and corruption.[2] He was sentenced to 2 years in jail.[3]
References
- ^ Lester, Jeff (2006-03-21). "Thirteen of 14 defendants pleaded not guilty Tuesday in the massive investigation of alleged election fraud and corruption in the town of Appalachia". Coalfield Progress. Coalfield.com. Retrieved 2006-11-20.
- ^ Associated Press (2006-12-01). "Ex-mayor pleads guilty to 243 felonies". breitbart.com. Retrieved 2007-01-04.
- ^ The Roanoke Times (2007-02-01). "Ex-mayor sentenced in election fraud case". roanoke.com. Retrieved 2007-02-10.