Northfork is a town in McDowell 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, located on

U.S. Route 52 U.S. Route 52 (US 52) is a major United States highway in the central United States that extends from the northern to southeastern region of the United States. Contrary to most other even-numbered U.S. Highways, US 52 primarily follows ...

between Welch and Bluefield. The population was 231 at the 2020 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 Clark is an English language surname, ultimately derived from the Latin with historical links to England, Scotland, and Ireland ''clericus'' meaning "scribe", "secretary" or a scholar within a religious order, referring to someone who was educate ...

on March 26, 1948.

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. The town is on the

Norfolk Southern Railway The Norfolk Southern Railway is a Class I freight railroad in the United States formed in 1982 with the merger of Norfolk and Western Railway and Southern Railway. With headquarters in Atlanta, the company operates 19,420 route miles (31 ...

(former

Norfolk and Western The Norfolk and Western Railway , commonly called the N&W, was a US class I railroad, formed by more than 200 railroad mergers between 1838 and 1982. It was headquartered in Roanoke, Virginia, for most of its existence. Its motto was "Precisio ...

) network.

Demographics

2010 census

At the 2010 census there were 429 people, 173 households, and 108 families living in the town. The population density was . There were 242 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 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 173 households 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 households were one person and 16.8% were one person aged 65 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 or older. The gender makeup of the town was 47.6% male and 52.4% female.

2000 census

At the 2000 census there were 519 people, 229 households, and 130 families living in the town. The population density was . There were 298 housing units at an average density of . The

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 229 households 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 households were one person and 20.1% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.24 and the average family size was 3.03. The age distribution was 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% 65 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 household income was $16,544 and the median family income 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 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 52.6% of those under age 18 and 20.9% of those age 65 or over.

Notable people

Charlie Manuel Charles Fuqua Manuel Jr. (born January 4, 1944), is an American former professional baseball player, coach, and manager. During his playing career, he appeared over parts of six Major League Baseball seasons for the Minnesota Twins and Los Angel ...

, MLB baseball manager *

Tom Beasley Thomas Lynn Beasley (born August 11, 1954) is a former American football defensive lineman in the National Football League (NFL) for the Washington Redskins and Pittsburgh Steelers. Beasley won two Super Bowl rings when playing with the Steeler ...

Washington Redskins The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) N ...

References

{{authority control Towns in McDowell County, West Virginia Towns in West Virginia