Poca is a town in

Putnam County, West Virginia Putnam County is a county in the U.S. state of West Virginia. As of the 2020 census, its population was 57,440. Its county seat is Winfield, its largest incorporated city is Hurricane, and its largest community is the census-designated place ...

, United States. The population was 875 at the 2020 census. It is part of the

Huntington–Ashland metropolitan area The Huntington–Ashland metropolitan area is a metropolitan area in the Appalachian Plateau region of the United States. Referred to locally as the "Tri-state area, Tri-State area," and colloquially as "Kyova" (Kentucky, Ohio, and West Virginia), ...

. The town derives its name from the

Pocatalico River The Pocatalico River is a tributary of the Kanawha River, approximately long, in west-central West Virginia in the United States. Via the Kanawha and Ohio rivers, it is part of the watershed of the Mississippi River. The Pocatalico begins in ...

Geography

Poca is located at (38.461343, -81.815592). It is sited at the

confluence In geography, a confluence (also ''conflux'') occurs where two or more watercourses join to form a single channel (geography), channel. A confluence can occur in several configurations: at the point where a tributary joins a larger river (main ...

of 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 watershed has been a significant industrial region of th ...

and the

. According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, the town has a total area of , of which is land and is water.

Demographics

2010 census

As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2010, there were 974 people, 395 households, and 290 families living in the town. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), 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 geog ...

was . There were 415 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 98.7%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 0.5%

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 0.2% Asian, and 0.6% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race were 0.6% of the population. There were 395 households, of which 28.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.2% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

living together, 10.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.1% had a male householder with no wife present, and 26.6% were non-families. 24.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 2.86. The median age in the town was 42.9 years. 21.6% of residents were under the age of 18; 7.2% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 24.3% were from 25 to 44; 28% were from 45 to 64; and 18.9% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 48.5% male and 51.5% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 1,013 people, 404 households, and 311 families living in the town. The

was 1,806.2 inhabitants per square mile (698.4/km²). There were 430 housing units at an average density of 766.7 per square mile (296.5/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 97.24%

, 1.09%

, 0.49% Native American, and 1.18% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 0.49% of the population. There were 404 households, out of which 34.4% had children that were under the age of 18 living with them, 61.9% were

living together, 11.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.0% were non-families. 21.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.51 and the average family size was 2.86. In the town, the population was spread out, with 23.5% under the age of 18, 8.6% from 18 to 24, 27.2% from 25 to 44, 27.2% from 45 to 64, and 13.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.0 males. The median income for a household in the town was $42,273, and the median income for a family was $49,500. Males had a median income of $39,306 versus $20,536 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the town was $19,108. About 9.2% of families and 12.0% 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 ...

, including 19.1% of those under age 18 and 2.5% of those age 65 or over.

Culture

The town's high school is somewhat famous for having the mascot "Dots," Poca Dots.

Poca High School Poca High School, originally named "Pocatalico District High School", is a high school in Poca, West Virginia, Poca, West Virginia, United States. It serves the easternmost portion of Putnam County, West Virginia, Putnam County and is a part ...

recently was selected by ESPN as having the number one sports nickname in the country. Poca High School's show choir
"Visual Volume,"
is a 14-time WVMEA state show choir champion. Director Joseph Kincaid, renowned for his title as "Best Dressed Director" in WVMEA competitive show choir, is a National Board certified teacher. As of 2018, Leonard Varner was the director. In Spring of 2020, Leonard Varner went missing after allegations. The new show choir director is Michael Rose as of Fall 2020. Poca is also memorialized in a series of art stamps and related stories created by West Virginian artist Ben Mahmoud. Th
series of stamps
feature humorous fictional stories sensationalized around bits and pieces of actual history.

References

{{authority control Towns in Putnam County, West Virginia Towns in West Virginia Populated places on the Kanawha River