Mecklenburg County, Virginia | |
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 Seal | |
 Location within the U.S. state ofVirginia | |
 Virginia's location within theU.S. | |
| Coordinates:36°41′N78°22′W / 36.68°N 78.37°W /36.68; -78.37 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Virginia |
| Founded | 1765 |
| Named after | Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz |
| Seat | Boydton |
| Largest town | South Hill |
| Area | |
• Total | 679 sq mi (1,760 km2) |
| • Land | 625 sq mi (1,620 km2) |
| • Water | 54 sq mi (140 km2) 7.9% |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 30,319 |
| • Density | 45/sq mi (17/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| Congressional district | 5th |
| Website | www |
Mecklenburg County is acounty in theCommonwealth ofVirginia. As of the2020 census, the population was 30,319.[1] Itscounty seat isBoydton.[2]
Mecklenburg County was organized on March 1, 1765, having split fromLunenburg County in 1764 as the result of the passage of an act by theVirginia General Assembly. Due to new settlement and population increases in the area, the legislature divided Lunenburg into three counties: Lunenburg,Charlotte, and Mecklenburg.[3] It was named afterCharlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz,[4] a British queen of German origin.
The first county government consisted of 13 members: Robert Munford, Richard Witton, John Speed, Henry Delony, Edmund Taylor, Benjamin Baird, John Camp, Thomas Erskine, John Potter, John Cox, Thomas Anderson, John Speed, Jr., and Samuel Hopkins, with Benjamin Baird acting as the first mayor.[3]
Mecklenburg County is governed by a nine-member Board of Supervisors, each elected from a single-member district. They serve as the county's legislative and policy body, enacting laws, ordinances, and taxes. They appoint a county administrator to conduct day-to-day operations. H. Wayne Carter, III is the current county administrator and Judy P. Sheffield is the current assistant county administrator.
The board members are:[5]
Mecklenburg County operates under what is commonly referred as the "traditional form" of county government under theVirginia Constitution, under which voters elect five countywide "constitutional officers":
Listed below are the County facilities, the department housed in that facility and its head.
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 1912 | 191 | 14.39% | 1,039 | 78.30% | 97 | 7.31% |
| 1916 | 222 | 14.38% | 1,317 | 85.30% | 5 | 0.32% |
| 1920 | 264 | 13.97% | 1,619 | 85.66% | 7 | 0.37% |
| 1924 | 286 | 14.62% | 1,649 | 84.30% | 21 | 1.07% |
| 1928 | 784 | 30.91% | 1,752 | 69.09% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1932 | 275 | 11.10% | 2,188 | 88.30% | 15 | 0.61% |
| 1936 | 202 | 6.88% | 2,730 | 93.05% | 2 | 0.07% |
| 1940 | 308 | 11.35% | 2,402 | 88.54% | 3 | 0.11% |
| 1944 | 430 | 14.38% | 2,561 | 85.62% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1948 | 513 | 16.80% | 2,117 | 69.34% | 423 | 13.86% |
| 1952 | 1,891 | 42.46% | 2,525 | 56.69% | 38 | 0.85% |
| 1956 | 1,498 | 33.78% | 2,004 | 45.20% | 932 | 21.02% |
| 1960 | 1,936 | 42.70% | 2,533 | 55.87% | 65 | 1.43% |
| 1964 | 4,976 | 60.48% | 3,238 | 39.36% | 13 | 0.16% |
| 1968 | 2,750 | 29.01% | 2,667 | 28.14% | 4,061 | 42.85% |
| 1972 | 6,381 | 68.55% | 2,804 | 30.12% | 124 | 1.33% |
| 1976 | 4,423 | 50.44% | 4,076 | 46.48% | 270 | 3.08% |
| 1980 | 4,853 | 54.45% | 3,790 | 42.52% | 270 | 3.03% |
| 1984 | 6,777 | 65.69% | 3,438 | 33.33% | 101 | 0.98% |
| 1988 | 5,887 | 63.45% | 3,275 | 35.30% | 116 | 1.25% |
| 1992 | 5,401 | 49.23% | 4,273 | 38.95% | 1,296 | 11.81% |
| 1996 | 4,933 | 48.00% | 4,408 | 42.89% | 937 | 9.12% |
| 2000 | 6,600 | 56.63% | 4,797 | 41.16% | 257 | 2.21% |
| 2004 | 7,319 | 57.27% | 5,293 | 41.42% | 168 | 1.31% |
| 2008 | 7,817 | 51.83% | 7,127 | 47.26% | 138 | 0.91% |
| 2012 | 7,973 | 52.88% | 6,921 | 45.90% | 183 | 1.21% |
| 2016 | 8,288 | 55.46% | 6,285 | 42.05% | 372 | 2.49% |
| 2020 | 9,266 | 57.18% | 6,803 | 41.98% | 135 | 0.83% |
| 2024 | 9,791 | 60.05% | 6,404 | 39.28% | 109 | 0.67% |
The county's education department is theMecklenburg County Public Schools. It is managed by the Board of Education. Scott Worner is the County Schools Superintendent.
According to theU.S. Census Bureau, the county has an area of 679 square miles (1,760 km2), of which 625 square miles (1,620 km2) is land and 54 square miles (140 km2) (7.9%) is water.[7]
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1790 | 14,733 | — | |
| 1800 | 17,008 | 15.4% | |
| 1810 | 18,453 | 8.5% | |
| 1820 | 19,786 | 7.2% | |
| 1830 | 20,477 | 3.5% | |
| 1840 | 20,724 | 1.2% | |
| 1850 | 20,630 | −0.5% | |
| 1860 | 20,096 | −2.6% | |
| 1870 | 21,318 | 6.1% | |
| 1880 | 24,610 | 15.4% | |
| 1890 | 25,359 | 3.0% | |
| 1900 | 26,551 | 4.7% | |
| 1910 | 28,956 | 9.1% | |
| 1920 | 31,208 | 7.8% | |
| 1930 | 32,622 | 4.5% | |
| 1940 | 31,933 | −2.1% | |
| 1950 | 33,497 | 4.9% | |
| 1960 | 31,428 | −6.2% | |
| 1970 | 29,426 | −6.4% | |
| 1980 | 29,444 | 0.1% | |
| 1990 | 29,241 | −0.7% | |
| 2000 | 32,280 | 10.4% | |
| 2010 | 32,727 | 1.4% | |
| 2020 | 30,319 | −7.4% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[8] 1790-1960[9] 1900-1990[10] 1990-2000[11] 2010[12] 2020[13] | |||
| Race / Ethnicity(NH = Non-Hispanic) | Pop 2010[12] | Pop 2020[13] | % 2010 | % 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| White alone (NH) | 19,215 | 17,864 | 58.71% | 58.92% |
| Black or African American alone (NH) | 11,958 | 10,364 | 36.54% | 34.18% |
| Native American orAlaska Native alone (NH) | 73 | 73 | 0.22% | 0.24% |
| Asian alone (NH) | 213 | 205 | 0.65% | 0.68% |
| Pacific Islander alone (NH) | 10 | 0 | 0.03% | 0.00% |
| Other race alone (NH) | 22 | 110 | 0.07% | 0.36% |
| Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) | 430 | 882 | 1.31% | 2.91% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 806 | 821 | 2.46% | 2.71% |
| Total | 32,727 | 30,319 | 100.00% | 100.00% |
As of thecensus[14] of 2010, there were 32,727 people, 12,951 households, and 8,962 families residing in the county. Thepopulation density was 52 people per square mile (20 people/km2). There were 17,403 housing units at an average density of 28 units per square mile (11 units/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 59.24%White, 39.08%Black orAfrican American, 0.21%Native American, 0.30%Asian, 0.01%Pacific Islander, 0.48% fromother races, and 0.68% from two or more races. 1.21% of the population wereHispanic orLatino of any race.
There were 12,951 households, out of which 26.50% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.00% weremarried couples living together, 14.10% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.80% were non-families. 27.20% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.20% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.38 and the average family size was 2.87.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 21.60% under the age of 18, 7.20% from 18 to 24, 27.40% from 25 to 44, 26.00% from 45 to 64, and 17.80% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 97.30 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.50 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $31,380, and the median income for a family was $37,752. Males had a median income of $26,852 versus $19,609 for females. Theper capita income for the county was $17,171. About 11.60% of families and 15.50% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 20.60% of those under age 18 and 17.30% of those age 65 or over.
Places adjacent to Mecklenburg County, Virginia | |
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Municipalities and communities ofMecklenburg County, Virginia,United States | ||
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| Unincorporated communities | ||
| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
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