Elk Garden is a

town A town is a human settlement. Towns are generally larger than villages and smaller than cities, though the criteria to distinguish between them vary considerably in different parts of the world. Origin and use The word "town" shares an ori ...

in Mineral County,

West Virginia West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian, Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States.The Census Bureau and the Association of American Geographers classify West Virginia as part of the Southern United States while the B ...

, United States. It is part of the ' Cumberland, MD- WV

Metropolitan Statistical Area In the United States, a metropolitan statistical area (MSA) is a geographical region with a relatively high population density at its core and close economic ties throughout the area. Such regions are neither legally Incorporated town, incorporate ...

'. The population was 211 at the 2020 census. Elk Garden High School was consolidated into

Keyser High School Keyser High School is a comprehensive four-year public high school located in Keyser, West Virginia, in Mineral County that operates as part of the Mineral County Schools District. History Piedmont High School was combined into Keyser High ...

in 1997. However the Primary School is still in session, offering classes from Pre-Kindergarten through the fifth grade. The school mascot is the Elk Garden Stags. Elk Garden was incorporated in 1890 by the Mineral County Circuit Court. It is named for an

elk The elk (''Cervus canadensis''), also known as the wapiti, is one of the largest species within the deer family, Cervidae, and one of the largest terrestrial mammals in its native range of North America and Central and East Asia. The common ...

lick near the original town site.

Geography

According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...

, the town has a total area of , all land.

Transportation

The only significant highway directly serving Elk Garden is

West Virginia Route 42 West Virginia Route 42 is a north–south state highway connecting Grant County to Mineral County in West Virginia's Eastern Panhandle. The southern terminus of the route is at West Virginia Route 28 and West Virginia Route 55 in Peters ...

. Route 42 continues north to Maryland and extends southward to

U.S. Route 50 U.S. Route 50 or U.S. Highway 50 (US 50) is a major east–west route of the U.S. Highway system, stretching from Interstate 80 (I-80) in West Sacramento, California, to Maryland Route 528 (MD 528) in Ocean City, Maryland, on the Atlanti ...

and beyond to Petersburg. Just east of Elk Garden, West Virginia Route 46 has its western terminus at Route 42. Route 46 continues northeast, eventually reaching

Luke People *Luke (given name), a masculine given name (including a list of people and characters with the name) *Luke (surname) (including a list of people and characters with the name) *Luke the Evangelist, author of the Gospel of Luke. Also known as ...

Demographics

2010 census

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...

of 2010, there were 232 people, 92 households, and 69 families living in the town. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopul ...

was . There were 108 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 98.3%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White o ...

and 1.7% from two or more races. There were 92 households, of which 34.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.3% were married couples living together, 13.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 8.7% had a male householder with no wife present, and 25.0% were non-families. 22.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.52 and the average family size was 2.93. The median age in the town was 41 years. 22.8% of residents were under the age of 18; 7.9% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 25.8% were from 25 to 44; 27.7% were from 45 to 64; and 15.9% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 51.7% male and 48.3% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 217 people, 89 households, and 59 families living in the town. The

was 826.0 inhabitants per square mile (322.2/km²). There were 103 housing units at an average density of 392.1 per square mile (153.0/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 98.62%

, 0.46%

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, and 0.92% from two or more races. There were 89 households, out of which 31.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.3% were married couples living together, 15.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.6% were non-families. 29.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.44 and the average family size was 3.00. In the town, the population was spread out, with 23.5% under the age of 18, 8.8% from 18 to 24, 26.3% from 25 to 44, 28.6% from 45 to 64, and 12.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 104.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.6 males. The median income for a household in the town was $24,375, and the median income for a family was $26,964. Males had a median income of $26,071 versus $13,125 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the town was $11,453. About 21.7% of families and 22.9% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...

, including 21.7% of those under the age of eighteen and 20.8% of those 65 or over.

References

External links

Town of Elk Garden website

Elk Garden Primary School
{{authority control Towns in Mineral County, West Virginia Towns in West Virginia