LaVale is a

census-designated place A census-designated place (CDP) is a Place (United States Census Bureau), concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only. CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the count ...

(CDP) in Allegany County,

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to ...

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

. It is part of the

Cumberland, MD-WV Metropolitan Statistical Area Cumberland, MD-WV MSA, or Cumberland Metro for short, is the Metropolitan Statistical Area of Cumberland, Maryland and the surrounding economic region of Allegany County, Maryland and Mineral County, West Virginia, in the United States. A Metrop ...

. The population was 3,551 at the 2010 census.

Geography

LaVale is located at , in the shadow of Haystack Mountain. To the east is Cumberland and the very scenic

Narrows A narrows or narrow (used interchangeably but usually in the plural form), is a restricted land or water passage. Most commonly a narrows is a strait, though it can also be a water gap. A narrows may form where a stream passes through a tilted ...

, a

water gap A water gap is a gap that flowing water has carved through a mountain range or mountain ridge and that still carries water today. Such gaps that no longer carry water currents are called wind gaps. Water gaps and wind gaps often offer a prac ...

between Haystack Mountain to the south and

Wills Mountain Wills Mountain is a quartzite-capped ridge in the Ridge and Valley physiographic province of the Appalachian Mountains in Pennsylvania and Maryland, United States, extending from near Bedford, Pennsylvania, to near Cumberland, Maryland. It is t ...

to the north. To the west is Piney Mountain and Frostburg. LaVale is on the Old

National Pike The National Road (also known as the Cumberland Road) was the first major improved highway in the United States built by the federal government. Built between 1811 and 1837, the road connected the Potomac and Ohio Rivers and was a main tran ...

. LaVale is a business center that contains the largest concentration of retail and the only indoor shopping mall, Country Club Mall, in the Cumberland metro area. The LaVale Tollgate House was listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

in 1971. 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 t ...

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

Demographics

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 in ...

of 2000, there were 4,613 people, 1,924 households, and 1,377 families residing in the CDP. The population density was . There were 2,045 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the CDP was 97.59%

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 ...

, 0.65%

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 ...

, 0.04% Native American, 1.02%

Asian Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...

, 0.02%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...

, 0.13% from

other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...

, and 0.54% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties forme ...

Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...

of any race were 0.48% of the population. There were 1,924 households, out of which 26.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.7% were married couples living together, 7.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.4% were non-families. 25.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.38 and the average family size was 2.82. In the CDP, the population was spread out, with 20.6% under the age of 18, 7.0% from 18 to 24, 24.3% from 25 to 44, 27.6% from 45 to 64, and 20.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.0 males. The median income for a household in the CDP was $42,911, and the median income for a family was $48,494. Males had a median income of $33,125 versus $23,179 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 CDP was $20,989. About 4.8% of families and 7.3% 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 4.9% of those under age 18 and 5.1% of those age 65 or over.

Library

The LaVale Public Library is part of the Allegany Country Library System and is the headquarters for the Allegany County Bookmobile. The first public library in LaVale opened on April 18, 1953. The current building opened on September 28, 1975.

Major roads

Interstate 68 Interstate 68 (I-68) is a Interstate Highway in the US states of West Virginia and Maryland, connecting I-79 in Morgantown, West Virginia, to I-70 in Hancock, Maryland. I-68 is also Corridor E of the Appalachian Development Highway ...

* US Alternate Route 40 *

Maryland Route 53 Maryland Route 53 (MD 53) is a state highway in the U.S. state of Maryland. Known as Winchester Road, the state highway runs from U.S. Route 220 in Maryland, U.S. Route 220 (US 220) in Cresaptown, Maryland, Cresaptown north to U.S. Route 40 Alt ...

Maryland Route 49 Maryland Route 49 (MD 49) is a state highway located in Allegany County, Maryland, Allegany County in the U.S. state of Maryland. Known as Braddock Road, the state highway runs from Maryland Route 658, MD 658 in La Vale, Maryland, La Vale east ...

Schools

LaVale is served by the Allegany County Public Schools school district. * Parkside Elementary School * Cash Valley Elementary School * Braddock Middle School (in Cumberland) *

Allegany High School Allegany High School is a public high school in the Allegany County, Maryland, city of Cumberland, United States. Allegany High is part of Allegany County Public Schools. Allegany High School was built as Allegany County High School in 1887, h ...

(in Cumberland)

References

{{Authority control Census-designated places in Allegany County, Maryland