Parkersburg, West Virginia

Parkersburg is the county seat of Wood County⁶. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 33,099.

Ohio Valley College and a campus of West Virginia University are located in Parkersburg. President George W. Bush visited Parkersburg on May 13, 2004, speaking at Parkersburg South High School about federal assistance with education reform.

History

Parkersburg was originally named Newport when it was laid out in the late 1700's. A section of the land in the town was laid out over land granted to Alexander Parker for his Revolutionary War service. The title conflicts between Parker and the city planners of Newport were settled in 1809 in favor of Alexander Parker's heirs. The town was renamed Parkersburg in 1810. It was chartered by the state of Virginia in 1820. It was rechartered as a city in 1860. The town was the terminus of the Staunton-Parkersburg Turnpike and the Northwest Turnpike. In 1857 the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad built a branch line to the town. The town was important as a transportation and medical center during the American Civil War. It then became a transportation hub in the gas and oil boom following that war. It is now the home of the Bureau of Public Debt.

Geography

Parkersburg is located at 39°15'58" North, 81°32'32" West (39.266175, -81.542139)¹.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 31.6 km² (12.2 mi²). 30.6 km² (11.8 mi²) of it is land and 1.0 km² (0.4 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 3.19% water.

Demographics

As of the census² of 2000, there are 33,099 people in the city, organized into 14,467 households and 8,767 families. The population density is 1,081.2/km² (2,800.5/mi²). There are 16,100 housing units at an average density of 525.9/km² (1,362.2/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 96.36% White, 1.75% African American, 0.42% Native American, 0.20% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 0.21% from other races, and 1.00% from two or more races. 0.81% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There are 14,467 households out of which 25.0% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.2% are married couples living together, 13.5% have a female householder with no husband present, and 39.4% are non-families. 34.0% of all households are made up of individuals and 15.1% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.23 and the average family size is 2.83.

The age distribution is 21.2% under the age of 18, 9.1% from 18 to 24, 27.1% from 25 to 44, 23.7% from 45 to 64, and 18.9% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 40 years. For every 100 females there are 87.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 83.9 males.

The median income for a household in the city is $26,990, and the median income for a family is $33,081. Males have a median income of $30,516 versus $20,287 for females. The per capita income for the city is $16,106. 19.8% of the population and 16.1% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 32.7% of those under the age of 18 and 10.4% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.