Smyth County is a
county
A county () is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesL. Brookes (ed.) '' Chambers Dictionary''. Edinburgh: Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, 2005. in some nations. The term is derived from the Old French denoti ...
located in the
U.S. state of
Virginia
Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the East Coast of the United States ...
. As of the
2020 census, the population was 29,800.
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
Marion.
History
Smyth County was formed on February 23, 1832, from
Washington and
Wythe
A wythe is a continuous vertical section of masonry one unit in thickness. A wythe may be independent of, or interlocked with, the adjoining wythe(s). A single wythe of brick that is not structural in nature is referred to as a masonry veneer. ...
counties. The county is named after
Alexander Smyth, a
general
A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air force, air and space forces, marines or naval infantry.
In some usages, the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colone ...
during the
War of 1812
The War of 1812 was fought by the United States and its allies against the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, United Kingdom and its allies in North America. It began when the United States United States declaration of war on the Uni ...
who was elected to the
state Senate
In the United States, the state legislature is the legislative branch in each of the 50 U.S. states.
A legislature generally performs state duties for a state in the same way that the United States Congress performs national duties at ...
,
House of Delegates, and as a
Representative to the
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the legislature, legislative branch of the federal government of the United States. It is a Bicameralism, bicameral legislature, including a Lower house, lower body, the United States House of Representatives, ...
.
Geography
According to the
U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (0.3%) is water.
Smyth County is one of the 423 counties served by the
Appalachian Regional Commission
The Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) is a United States federal–state partnership that works with the people of Appalachia to create opportunities for self-sustaining economic development and improved quality of life. Congress established A ...
,
and it is identified as part of "Greater Appalachia" by Colin Woodard in his book ''
American Nations: A History of the Eleven Rival Regional Cultures of North America''.
Adjacent counties
*
Russell County – northwest
*
Tazewell County – north
*
Bland County – northeast
*
Wythe County – east
*
Grayson County – south
*
Washington County – southwest
National protected areas
*
Jefferson National Forest (part)
*
Mount Rogers National Recreation Area (part)
Major highways
*
*
*
*
*
*
Demographics
2020 census
''Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos can be of any race.''
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 33,081 people, 13,493 households, and 9,607 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 15,111 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 96.86%
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 ...
, 1.87%
Black
Black is a color that results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without chroma, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness.Eva Heller, ''P ...
or
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 ...
, 0.15%
Native American, 0.18%
Asian, 0.32% from
other races, and 0.60% from two or more races. 0.86% of the population were
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.
There were 13,493 households, out of which 29.20% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.70% 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, 11.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.80% were non-families. 26.00% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.50% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.37 and the average family size was 2.83.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 21.60% under the age of 18, 8.00% from 18 to 24, 28.10% from 25 to 44, 26.00% from 45 to 64, and 16.30% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 93.80 males. For every 100 females aged 18 and over, there were 90.50 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $30,083, and the median income for a family was $36,392. Males had a median income of $26,698 versus $19,712 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 $16,105. About 9.90% of families and 13.30% 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 15.20% of those under age 18 and 14.00% of those age 65 or over.
Tourism
The Smyth County Tourism Association was formed in April 2006 to promote
sustainable tourism
Sustainable tourism is a concept that covers the complete tourism experience, including concern for Impacts of tourism, economic, social, and environmental issues as well as attention to improving tourists' experiences and addressing the needs o ...
development and manages the operation of the state-certified H.L. Bonham Regional Development and Tourism Center. The organization markets the area through https://visitsmythcountyva.com/
Education
Public high schools
*
Chilhowie High School,
Chilhowie
*
Marion Senior High School,
Marion
*
Northwood High School,
Saltville
Job Corps
* Blue Ridge Job Corps,
Marion
Communities
Towns
*
Chilhowie
*
Marion
*
Saltville (partly in
Washington County)
Census-designated places
*
Adwolfe
*
Atkins
*
McMullin
*
Seven Mile Ford
*
Sugar Grove
Other unincorporated communities
*
Groseclose
*
Rich Valley
Politics
See also
*
National Register of Historic Places listings in Smyth County, Virginia
References
{{coord, 36.84, -81.53, display=title, type:adm2nd_region:US-VA_source:UScensus1990
Virginia counties
1832 establishments in Virginia
Populated places established in 1832