Craig County, Virginia | |
|---|---|
 Craig County Courthouse in New Castle | |
 Seal  Logo | |
 Location within the U.S. state ofVirginia | |
| Coordinates:37°29′N80°13′W / 37.49°N 80.22°W /37.49; -80.22 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Virginia |
| Founded | 1851 |
| Named after | Robert Craig |
| Seat | New Castle |
| Largest town | New Castle |
| Area | |
• Total | 331 sq mi (860 km2) |
| • Land | 330 sq mi (850 km2) |
| • Water | 1.1 sq mi (2.8 km2) 0.3% |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 4,892 |
| • Density | 15/sq mi (5.7/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| Congressional district | 9th |
| Website | www |
Craig County, part of theRoanoke metropolitan area, is a rural, mountainouscounty located on the western border of theCommonwealth ofVirginia. Itscounty seat isNew Castle,[1] which is also the only town in the county. As of the2020 census, the Craig County population was only 4,892,[2] making it one of the least populated counties in Virginia.[3]
Craig County was formed in 1851 from parts of several adjacent counties, and was named in honor ofRobert Craig, a longtime congressman from Southwest Virginia. More than half of the county remains federally protected land, forming a major part of theJefferson National Forest.[4]
Nestled in the mountains of Southwest Virginia, Craig County was named forRobert Craig, a 19th-century Virginia congressman.[5] The initial outpost in the area was called "Craig's Camp," and it is claimed thatGeorge Washington visited it in 1756 during his travels to the frontier.[6] Formed from parts ofBotetourt,Roanoke,Giles, andMonroe (in present-day West Virginia) counties in 1851, Craig was later enlarged with several subsequent additions from neighboring counties.[7]
The secluded, mountainous town ofNew Castle, the county seat, has one of the commonwealth's antebellum court complexes, including a porticoed courthouse built in 1852.[8]Craig Healing Springs, a collection of well-preserved early-20th-century resort buildings representative of the architecture of Virginia's more modest mountain spas, is located here.[9][10]
According to theU.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 330.6 square miles (856.3 km2), of which 329.5 square miles (853.4 km2) is land and 1.1 square miles (2.8 km2) (0.3%) is water.[11] More than 112,000 acres of the county is national forest[12]. Craig County is one of the 423 counties served by theAppalachian Regional Commission,[13] and it is identified as part of "Greater Appalachia" by Colin Woodard in his bookAmerican Nations: A History of the Eleven Rival Regional Cultures of North America.[14]
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1860 | 3,553 | — | |
| 1870 | 2,942 | −17.2% | |
| 1880 | 3,794 | 29.0% | |
| 1890 | 3,835 | 1.1% | |
| 1900 | 4,293 | 11.9% | |
| 1910 | 4,711 | 9.7% | |
| 1920 | 4,100 | −13.0% | |
| 1930 | 3,562 | −13.1% | |
| 1940 | 3,769 | 5.8% | |
| 1950 | 3,452 | −8.4% | |
| 1960 | 3,356 | −2.8% | |
| 1970 | 3,524 | 5.0% | |
| 1980 | 3,948 | 12.0% | |
| 1990 | 4,372 | 10.7% | |
| 2000 | 5,091 | 16.4% | |
| 2010 | 5,190 | 1.9% | |
| 2020 | 4,892 | −5.7% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[15] 1790–1960[16] 1900–1990[17] 1990–2000[18] 2010[19] 2020[20] | |||
| Race / Ethnicity(NH = Non-Hispanic) | Pop 2010[19] | Pop 2020[20] | % 2010 | % 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| White alone (NH) | 5,103 | 4,631 | 98.32% | 94.66% |
| Black or African American alone (NH) | 5 | 11 | 0.10% | 0.22% |
| Native American orAlaska Native alone (NH) | 6 | 5 | 0.12% | 0.10% |
| Asian alone (NH) | 8 | 11 | 0.15% | 0.22% |
| Pacific Islander alone (NH) | 0 | 3 | 0.00% | 0.06% |
| Some Other Race alone (NH) | 1 | 12 | 0.02% | 0.25% |
| Mixed Race or Multi-Racial (NH) | 31 | 166 | 0.60% | 3.39% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 36 | 53 | 0.69% | 1.08% |
| Total | 5,190 | 4,892 | 100.00% | 100.00% |
As of the2020 census, the county had a population of 4,892. The median age was 47.9 years. 18.8% of residents were under the age of 18 and 23.0% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 101.1 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 98.8 males age 18 and over.[21][22]
The racial makeup of the county was 95.1% White, 0.3%Black or African American, 0.1%American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%Asian, 0.1%Native Hawaiian andPacific Islander, 0.4% from some other race, and 3.8% fromtwo or more races.Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 1.1% of the population.[22]
0.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 100.0% lived in rural areas.[23]
There were 2,111 households in the county, of which 25.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them and 22.1% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 28.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[21]
There were 2,584 housing units, of which 18.3% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 81.6% were owner-occupied and 18.4% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.4% and the rental vacancy rate was 6.9%.[21]
As of thecensus[24] of 2000, there were 5,091 people, 2,060 households, and 1,507 families residing in the county. Thepopulation density was 15 people per square mile (5.8 people/km2). There were 2,554 housing units at an average density of 8 units per square mile (3.1 units/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 98.94%White, 0.20%Black orAfrican American, 0.22%Native American, 0.16%Asian, 0.14% fromother races, and 0.35% from two or more races. 0.33% of the population wereHispanic orLatino of any race.
There were 2,060 households, out of which 30.80% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.90% weremarried couples living together, 7.00% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.80% were non-families. 23.90% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.50% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 2.88.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 23.60% under the age of 18, 6.40% from 18 to 24, 29.70% from 25 to 44, 26.70% from 45 to 64, and 13.60% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 103.40 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 101.50 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $37,314, and the median income for a family was $41,750. Males had a median income of $26,713 versus $21,337 for females. Theper capita income for the county was $17,322. About 6.60% of families and 10.30% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 15.90% of those under age 18 and 10.50% of those age 65 or over.
Craig County is represented by Republican Stephen D. "Steve" Newman in the Virginia Senate, Republican Joe McNamara in the Virginia House of Delegates, and Republican H. Morgan Griffith in the U.S. House of Representatives.
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 1912 | 62 | 11.19% | 337 | 60.83% | 155 | 27.98% |
| 1916 | 200 | 35.03% | 369 | 64.62% | 2 | 0.35% |
| 1920 | 315 | 45.06% | 381 | 54.51% | 3 | 0.43% |
| 1924 | 300 | 36.01% | 512 | 61.46% | 21 | 2.52% |
| 1928 | 451 | 47.98% | 489 | 52.02% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1932 | 302 | 31.26% | 649 | 67.18% | 15 | 1.55% |
| 1936 | 395 | 37.65% | 653 | 62.25% | 1 | 0.10% |
| 1940 | 299 | 31.24% | 656 | 68.55% | 2 | 0.21% |
| 1944 | 327 | 36.66% | 564 | 63.23% | 1 | 0.11% |
| 1948 | 317 | 39.82% | 456 | 57.29% | 23 | 2.89% |
| 1952 | 425 | 46.45% | 490 | 53.55% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1956 | 485 | 48.84% | 501 | 50.45% | 7 | 0.70% |
| 1960 | 433 | 44.78% | 534 | 55.22% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1964 | 477 | 38.34% | 767 | 61.66% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1968 | 581 | 46.18% | 419 | 33.31% | 258 | 20.51% |
| 1972 | 774 | 63.44% | 425 | 34.84% | 21 | 1.72% |
| 1976 | 546 | 32.75% | 1,103 | 66.17% | 18 | 1.08% |
| 1980 | 768 | 43.17% | 946 | 53.18% | 65 | 3.65% |
| 1984 | 1,173 | 57.70% | 845 | 41.56% | 15 | 0.74% |
| 1988 | 1,112 | 55.46% | 864 | 43.09% | 29 | 1.45% |
| 1992 | 1,008 | 43.88% | 965 | 42.01% | 324 | 14.11% |
| 1996 | 979 | 45.35% | 895 | 41.45% | 285 | 13.20% |
| 2000 | 1,580 | 63.38% | 851 | 34.14% | 62 | 2.49% |
| 2004 | 1,706 | 65.09% | 901 | 34.38% | 14 | 0.53% |
| 2008 | 1,695 | 64.67% | 877 | 33.46% | 49 | 1.87% |
| 2012 | 1,757 | 65.88% | 830 | 31.12% | 80 | 3.00% |
| 2016 | 2,140 | 76.68% | 541 | 19.38% | 110 | 3.94% |
| 2020 | 2,536 | 80.03% | 587 | 18.52% | 46 | 1.45% |
| 2024 | 2,562 | 81.72% | 542 | 17.29% | 31 | 0.99% |
Places adjacent to Craig County, Virginia | |
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Municipalities and communities ofCraig County, Virginia,United States | ||
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| Town |  | |
| Unincorporated communities | ||
37°29′N80°13′W / 37.49°N 80.22°W /37.49; -80.22
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