Northfork, West Virginia

Northfork, West Virginia
Town
250px
Nickname(s): Northfork Blue Demons
Location of Northfork, West Virginia Location of Northfork, West Virginia
Coordinates:
Country	United States
State	West Virginia
County	McDowell
Government
• Mayor	Marcus Wilkes
• Council Members	Martha Widener, Bernie F Shupe, Tara Capparelli, Latonya Foster, Dorothy Cordle, Town Recorder: Michelle Hargrave
Area
• Total	0.96 sq mi (2.49 km2)
• Land	0.96 sq mi (2.49 km2)
• Water	0 sq mi (0 km2)
Elevation	1,686 ft (514 m)
Population (2010)
• Total	429
• Estimate (2012)	411
• Density	446.9/sq mi (172.5/km2)
Time zone	Eastern (EST) (UTC-5)
• Summer (DST)	EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP code	24868
Area code(s)	304
FIPS code	54-59428
GNIS feature ID	1544237

Northfork is a town in McDowell County, West Virginia, USA, located on US Route 52 between Welch and Bluefield.

The population was 429 at the 2010 census. Northfork was incorporated in 1901, so named because of its location on the north fork of the Elkhorn Creek at its junction with the south fork. It was consolidated with the town of Clark on March 26, 1948.

The town also has a museum which has a variety of coal mining items.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 0.96 square miles (2.49 km²), all of it land.

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.		%±
1910	425		—
1920	421		−0.9%
1930	494		17.3%
1940	387		−21.7%
1950	994		156.8%
1960	798		−19.7%
1970	737		−7.6%
1980	1,105		49.9%
1990	656		−40.6%
2000	519		−20.9%
2010	429		−17.3%
Est. 2014	394		−8.2%
U.S. Decennial Census

2010 census

As of the census of 2010, there were 429 people, 173 households, and 108 families residing in the town. The population density was 446.9 inhabitants per square mile (172.5/km²). There were 242 housing units at an average density of 252.1 per square mile (97.3/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 42.2% White, 57.1% African American, 0.2% Native American, and 0.5% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.2% of the population.

There were 173 households of which 26.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 33.5% were married couples living together, 21.4% had a female householder with no husband present, 7.5% had a male householder with no wife present, and 37.6% were non-families. 36.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 3.24.

The median age in the town was 46.3 years. 23.1% of residents were under the age of 18; 5.2% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 20.6% were from 25 to 44; 33.6% were from 45 to 64; and 17.7% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 47.6% male and 52.4% female.

2000 census

As of the census of 2000, there were 519 people, 229 households, and 130 families residing in the town. The population density was 535.8 inhabitants per square mile (206.9/km²). There were 298 housing units at an average density of 307.7 per square mile (118.8/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 44.12% White, 53.95% African American, 0.19% Native American, and 1.73% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.39% of the population.

There were 229 households out of which 21.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 29.3% were married couples living together, 24.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 42.8% were non-families. 38.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 20.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.24 and the average family size was 3.03.

In the town the population was spread out with 22.5% under the age of 18, 8.1% from 18 to 24, 22.0% from 25 to 44, 23.3% from 45 to 64, and 24.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females there were 79.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 69.6 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $16,544, and the median income for a family was $19,236. Males had a median income of $27,917 versus $20,781 for females. The per capita income for the town was $10,001. About 31.3% of families and 34.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 52.6% of those under age 18 and 20.9% of those age 65 or over.

Prominent citizens

• Charlie Manuel, MLB baseball manager
• Tom Beasley - Washington Redskins
• David Riley - Philadelphia Stars - USFL