Richwood (West Virginia)

Richwood is located in the center of West Virginia at the confluence of the northern and southern tributaries of the Cherry River. According to the US Census Bureau, the city ​​of Richwood has a total area of ​​4.33 km², of which 4.17 km² is land and 0.16 km² is water ^[1] .

Richwood was incorporated in 1901. It was founded by Cherry River Boom and Lambert as a city for logging. Initially, the place was known under the name Cherry Three Bottoms, but then, when moving the post office from Mount Hinkle to the city, its name was changed to Richwood. In 1901, a railway was brought to the city. By the 30s, the population of the city had grown significantly, several factories were opened. Until 1931, Richwood was the largest woodworking center in West Virginia. By 1930, in Richwood, with a population of about 7,000, there were several factories, including the production of leather goods and clothespins ^{[1] [2] [3]} . However, after Highway 19 was built through Summerville, the city ​​began to decline. Many coal mines were closed, residents left the village in search of work.

In 2001, the historic city center was added to the US National Register of Historic Places ^[4] . In June 2016, the city was flooded during a historic flood in West Virginia ^{[5] [6]} .

According to the 2010 census, the population of Richwood was 2051 people (of which 47.2% were men and 52.8% were women), there were 889 households and 543 families. Racial composition : white - 97.1%, African - Americans - 0.2%, Native Americans - 0.4% and representatives of two or more races - 2.2% ^[7] .

Of 889 households, 40.0% were cohabiting couples (11.0% with children under 18 years of age), women lived without husbands in 15.2% of households, men lived without wives in 5.8% of households, 38, 9% did not have a family. On average, 2.21 people were households, and the average family size was 2.78 people. 35.2% of the population lived alone, 17.3% were lonely elderly people (over 65) ^[7] .

The population of the city by age range was as follows: 18.9% - residents under 18 years old, 56.4% - from 18 to 65 years old and 24.7% - aged 65 years and over. The average age of the population is 49.0 years. For every 100 females there are 89.6 males, while for 100 adult females there are already 87.3 males of comparable age ^[7] .

In 2014, out of 1761 able-bodied residents over 16 years old, 590 people worked. At the same time, men had a median income of $ 41,731 per year, compared to $ 23,380 of the average annual income for women. In 2014, the median income for a family was estimated at $ 34,750, for a household - at $ 26,935. The per capita income is $ 15,112. 27.9% of the total number of families and 34.0% of the total population were below the poverty line at the time of the census ^[7] .

Population dynamics:

• United States Geographic Names Information System: Richwood (West Virginia )