Lancaster County is a county located on the Northern Neck in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population sits at 10,919. Its

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...

is Lancaster. Located on the Northern Neck near the mouth of the Rappahannock River, Lancaster County is part of the Northern Neck George Washington Birthplace wine-growing region recognized by the

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as an American Viticultural Area. Lancaster County is the most densely populated county in the Northern Neck. The largest town in Lancaster County is Kilmarnock, Virginia. The county's area code is 804.

History

Lancaster County was established in 1651 from Northumberland and

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counties, and large land patents (subject to terms including clearing and settlement) were issued that year. It was home to Robert King Carter in the 18th century, and remaining buildings from that time include Christ Church and St. Mary's, Whitechapel. Other historic attractions open to the public include the Lancaster Courthouse Historic District including the Mary Ball Washington Museum and Library, Belle Isle State Park, and the Village of Morattico Historic District.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (42.4%) is water.

Adjacent counties

* Richmond County – northwest * Northumberland County – north * Middlesex County – south and southwest

Major highways

* * * * *

Demographics

2020 census

2000 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 2000, there were 11,567 people, 5,004 households, and 3,412 families residing in the county. 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 6,498 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 69.95%

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, 28.88% Black or African American, 0.14% Native American, 0.34% Asian, 0.06%

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, 0.10% from other races, and 0.54% from two or more races. 0.61% of the population were

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or Latino of any race. There were 5,004 households, out of which 21.20% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.70% were married couples living together, 11.10% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.80% were non-families. 28.70% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.80% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.23 and the average family size was 2.71. In the county, the population was spread out, with 19.00% under the age of 18, 5.00% from 18 to 24, 19.60% from 25 to 44, 28.00% from 45 to 64, and 28.50% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 50 years. For every 100 females there were 86.80 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.50 males. Type of workers for this country are: Private wage or salary (72%); Government (15%); and Self-employed (12%). The median income for a household in the county was $33,239, and the median income for a family was $42,957. Males had a median income of $30,592 versus $23,039 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 county was $24,663. Approximately 9.90% of families and 12.50% 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 18.00% of those under age 18 and 11.20% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

The economy in Lancaster County is primarily composed of services industries with education, health care, social service administration, scientific, professional, administrative, and retail work making up about 56% of the workforce. Secondarily, trades such as construction, manufacturing, transportation, warehousing, and utilities make up about 21% of the workforce. Most businesses in the county are small businesses with 64% of businesses employing 0 to 4 employees. 81% of employers in the county employ fewer than 10 employees. Larger employers (50+ employees) make up just 3% of employers, with the largest among those including health care providers such as the Bon Secours Health System (Rappahannock General Hospital) and Rappahannock Westminster Canterbury—local governments such as the Lancaster County School Board and Lancaster County government—and retail including

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. Lancaster County overall had an unemployment rate of about 2.9%, similar to Virginia's of about 2.5% in September 2023, however, the county's unemployment rate tends to spike in off-season months from January through April due to seasonal employment.

Government

Lancaster County is governed by a five-member board of supervisors. The board meets in the Lancaster County Administration Building at 7 p.m. on the last Thursday of every month. The Administration building is located at 8311 Mary Ball Road in Lancaster, Virginia.www.lancova.com Retrieved 17 May 2014

Board of Supervisors

* District 1: Craig H. Giese (R) * District 2: Ernest W. Palin, Jr., Chair (I) * District 3: Jason D. Bellows, Vice Chair (I) * District 4: William R. Lee (I) * District 5: William C. Smith (I)

Constitutional officers

* Clerk of the Circuit Court: Diane H. Mumford (I) * Commissioner of the Revenue: Elizabeth Cornwell * Commonwealth Attorney: Anthony Spencer (R) * Sheriff: Patrick McCranie (R) * Treasurer: Bonnie J. Dickson Lancaster is represented by Republican Richard Stuart in the Virginia Senate, Republican Hillary Pugh Kent in the Virginia House of Delegates, and Republican Robert J. "Rob" Wittman in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Communities

Towns

* Irvington * Kilmarnock - partly in Northumberland County * White Stone

Census-designated places

* Lancaster * Weems

Other unincorporated communities

* Litwalton * Lively * Merry Point * Mollusk * Morattico * Ottoman

Points of interest

Lancaster County is home to the historic church of St. Mary's, Whitechapel, founded in 1669. Mary Ball Washington, mother of

George Washington George Washington (, 1799) was a Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father and the first president of the United States, serving from 1789 to 1797. As commander of the Continental Army, Washington led Patriot (American Revoluti ...

, was born in the parish of St. Mary's. Rappahannock General Hospital is in Kilmarnock, it is the only hospital on the Northern Neck. Other attractions are: * Irvington Steamboat Museum * Windmill Point Beach * Belle Isle State Park * Chilton Woods State Forest * Ampro Shipyard * Historic Christ Church

References

{{authority control Virginia counties 1651 establishments in the Colony of Virginia Northern Neck Populated places established in 1651 Virginia counties on the Chesapeake Bay