Middlebourne is a town in Tyler 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 Bur ...

, United States. The population was 715 at the 2020 census. It serves as the

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US st ...

of Tyler County.

History

Middlebourne was established by an enactment of the

Virginia General Assembly The Virginia General Assembly is the legislative body of the Commonwealth of Virginia, the oldest continuous law-making body in the Western Hemisphere, the first elected legislative assembly in the New World, and was established on July 30, 161 ...

in 1813. Two explanations have been given for the name of the town: One is that it was located halfway between

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

and a series of

salt well A salt well (or brine well) is used to mine salt from caverns or deposits. Water is used as a solution to dissolve the salt or halite deposits so that they can be extracted by pipe to an evaporation process, which results in a brine or dry produ ...

s along the

Kanawha River The Kanawha River ( ) is a tributary of the Ohio River, approximately 97 mi (156 km) long, in the U.S. state of West Virginia. The largest inland waterway in West Virginia, its valley has been a significant industrial region of the stat ...

upstream of Charleston; the other is that it is located midway between the source and the mouth of

Middle Island Creek Middle Island Creek is a river, 77 miles (124 km) long, in northwestern West Virginia in the United States. It is a tributary of the Ohio River, draining an area of 565 square miles (1,463 km2) on the unglaciated Allegheny Plateau. It w ...

, which flows through the town. The Tyler County Courthouse and Jail is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Geography

Middlebourne is located at (39.493966, -80.905751). 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 , of which is land and is water.

Climate

The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and cold winters. According to the

Köppen Climate Classification The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, notabl ...

system, Middlebourne has a

humid continental climate A humid continental climate is a climatic region defined by Russo-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1900, typified by four distinct seasons and large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and freezing ...

, abbreviated "Cfd" on climate maps.Climate Summary for Middlebourne, West Virginia
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Demographics

2010 census

At the 2010 census there were 815 people, 360 households, and 228 families living in the town. The population density was . There were 405 housing units at an average density of . The

racial makeup A race is a categorization of humans based on shared physical or social qualities into groups generally viewed as distinct within a given society. The term came into common usage during the 1500s, when it was used to refer to groups of variou ...

of the town was 99.3% White and 0.7% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.2%. Of the 360 households 27.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.2% were married couples living together, 11.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.4% had a male householder with no wife present, and 36.7% were non-families. 35.3% of households were one person and 14.2% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.25 and the average family size was 2.87. The median age in the town was 42.5 years. 23.7% of residents were under the age of 18; 6.4% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 22.7% were from 25 to 44; 29% were from 45 to 64; and 18% were 65 or older. The gender makeup of the town was 46.0% male and 54.0% female.

2000 census

At the 2000 census there were 870 people, 370 households, and 247 families living in the town. The population density was 2,320.0 inhabitants per square mile (907.9/km). There were 402 housing units at an average density of 1,072.0 per square mile (419.5/km). The

of the town was 99.54% White, and 0.46% from two or more races. Of the 370 households 30.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.9% were married couples living together, 11.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.2% were non-families. 31.4% of households were one person and 16.8% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.31 and the average family size was 2.89. The age distribution was 23.3% under the age of 18, 7.5% from 18 to 24, 25.1% from 25 to 44, 28.7% from 45 to 64, and 15.4% 65 or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females, there were 85.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 80.3 males. The median household income was $128,704 and the median family income was $40,893. Males had a median income of $35,000 versus $19,167 for females. The per capita income for the town was $14,673. About 12.6% of families and 13.9% 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 18.3% of those under age 18 and 11.9% of those age 65 or over.

References

{{authority control County seats in West Virginia Populated places established in 1813 Towns in West Virginia Towns in Tyler County, West Virginia