Smyth County, Virginia

{{Infobox U.S. county

| county = Smyth County

| state = Virginia

| flag = Flag of Smyth County, Virginia.png

| seal = Smyth Seal.jpg

| founded = 1832

| named for = Alexander Smyth

| seat wl = Marion

| largest city wl = Marion

| city type = town

| area_total_sq_mi = 452

| area_land_sq_mi = 451

| area_water_sq_mi = 1.4

| area percentage = 0.3

| population_total = 29,800

| population_as_of = 2020

| population_est =

| pop_est_as_of =

| pop_est_footnotes =

| density_sq_mi = auto

| web = www.smythcounty.org

| ex image = SmythCoCourthouse.jpg

| ex image cap = Smyth County Courthouse in Marion

| ex image size = 225px|

| time zone = Eastern

| district = 9th

}}

Smyth County is a county located in the U.S. state of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 29,800.{{Cite web|title=Smyth County, Virginia|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/profile?g=0500000US51173|website=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=January 30, 2022}} Its county seat is Marion.{{cite web|url=http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx|access-date=June 7, 2011|title=Find a County|publisher=National Association of Counties}}

History

Smyth County was formed on February 23, 1832, from Washington and Wythe counties. The county is named after Alexander Smyth, a general during the War of 1812 who was elected to the state Senate, House of Delegates, and as a Representative to the United States Congress.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of {{convert|452|sqmi|km2}}, of which {{convert|451|sqmi|km2}} is land and {{convert|1.4|sqmi|km2}} (0.3%) is water.{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/geographies/reference-files/time-series/geo/gazetteer-files.html|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=April 23, 2011|date=February 12, 2011|title=US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990}} Smyth County is one of the 423 counties served by the Appalachian Regional Commission,{{cite web |title=About the Appalachian Region |url=https://www.arc.gov/about-the-appalachian-region/ |publisher=Appalachian Regional Commission |access-date=21 June 2024}} and it is identified as part of "Greater Appalachia" by Colin Woodard in his book American Nations: A History of the Eleven Rival Regional Cultures of North America.{{cite news |last1=Woodard |first1=Colin |title=The Maps That Show That City vs. Country Is Not Our Political Fault Line |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/30/opinion/urban-rural-united-states-regions-midterms.html |work=New York Times |date=July 30, 2018 |access-date=30 July 2018}}

=Adjacent counties=

Russell County – northwest
Tazewell County – north
Bland County – northeast
Wythe County – east
Grayson County – south
Washington County – southwest

=National protected areas=

Jefferson National Forest (part)
Mount Rogers National Recreation Area (part)

=Major highways=

{{Jct|state=VA|I|81}}
{{Jct|state=VA|US|11}}
{{Jct|state=VA|SR|16}}
{{Jct|state=VA|SR|42}}
{{Jct|state=VA|SR|91}}
{{Jct|state=VA|SR|107}}

Demographics

{{US Census population

|1840= 6522

|1850= 8162

|1860= 8952

|1870= 8898

|1880= 12160

|1890= 13360

|1900= 17121

|1910= 20326

|1920= 22125

|1930= 25125

|1940= 28861

|1950= 30187

|1960= 31066

|1970= 31349

|1980= 33366

|1990= 32370

|2000= 33081

|2010= 32208

|2020= 29800

|estref=

|align-fn=center

|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/prod/www/decennial.html|title=Census of Population and Housing from 1790-2000|publisher=US Census Bureau|access-date=January 24, 2022}}
1790–1960{{cite web|url=http://mapserver.lib.virginia.edu|title=Historical Census Browser|publisher=University of Virginia Library|access-date=January 5, 2014}} 1900–1990{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/population/cencounts/va190090.txt|title=Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=January 5, 2014}}
1990–2000{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/population/www/cen2000/briefs/phc-t4/tables/tab02.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/https://www.census.gov/population/www/cen2000/briefs/phc-t4/tables/tab02.pdf |archive-date=October 9, 2022 |url-status=live|title=Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=January 5, 2014}} 2010 2020

}}

=2020 census=

class="wikitable"

|+Smyth County, Virginia - Demographic Profile
(NH = Non-Hispanic)

!Race / Ethnicity

!Pop 2010{{Cite web|title=P2 HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE - 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) - Smyth County, Virginia|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=p2&g=0500000US51173&tid=DECENNIALPL2010.P2|website=United States Census Bureau}}

!Pop 2020{{Cite web|title=P2 HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE - 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) - Smyth County, Virginia|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=p2&g=0500000US51173&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P2|website=United States Census Bureau}}

!% 2010

!% 2020

White alone (NH)

|30,642

|27,762

|95.14%

|93.16%

Black or African American alone (NH)

|630

|408

|1.96%

|1.37%

Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)

|41

|36

|0.13%

|0.12%

Asian alone (NH)

|82

|104

|0.25%

|0.35%

Pacific Islander alone (NH)

|0.01%

|0.00%

Some Other Race alone (NH)

|18

|49

|0.06%

|0.16%

Mixed Race/Multi-Racial (NH)

|265

|882

|0.82%

|2.96%

Hispanic or Latino (any race)

|527

|558

|1.64%

|1.87%

Total

|32,208

|29,800

|100.00%

Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos can be of any race.

=2000 Census=

As of the census{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=May 14, 2011|title=U.S. Census website}} of 2000, there were 33,081 people, 13,493 households, and 9,607 families residing in the county. The population density was {{convert|73|PD/sqmi|/km2}}. There were 15,111 housing units at an average density of {{convert|33|/mi2|/km2|disp=preunit|units |units|}}. The racial makeup of the county was 96.86% White, 1.87% Black or African American, 0.15% Native American, 0.18% Asian, 0.32% from other races, and 0.60% from two or more races. 0.86% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 13,493 households, out of which 29.20% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.70% were married couples living together, 11.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.80% were non-families. 26.00% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.50% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.37 and the average family size was 2.83.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 21.60% under the age of 18, 8.00% from 18 to 24, 28.10% from 25 to 44, 26.00% from 45 to 64, and 16.30% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 93.80 males. For every 100 females aged 18 and over, there were 90.50 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $30,083, and the median income for a family was $36,392. Males had a median income of $26,698 versus $19,712 for females. The per capita income for the county was $16,105. About 9.90% of families and 13.30% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.20% of those under age 18 and 14.00% of those age 65 or over.

Tourism

The Smyth County Tourism Association was formed in April 2006 to promote sustainable tourism development and manages the operation of the state-certified H.L. Bonham Regional Development and Tourism Center. The organization markets the area through https://visitsmythcountyva.com/

Education

= Public high schools =

=Job Corps=

Blue Ridge Job Corps, Marion

Communities

=Towns=

=Census-designated places=

=Other unincorporated communities=

Politics

{{PresHead|place=Smyth County, Virginia|source={{Cite web|url=http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS|title=Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections|last=Leip|first=David|website=uselectionatlas.org|access-date=December 9, 2020}}}}