Rural Retreat, Virginia

Town of Rural Retreat, Virginia
Town
Former railroad depot
Seal
Location in the Commonwealth of Virginia
Coordinates: 36°53′36″N81°16′34″W / 36.89333°N 81.27611°W / 36.89333; -81.27611
Country	United States
State	Virginia
County	Wythe
Government
•  Mayor	Timothy G. Litz
Area [1]
• Total	2.28 sq mi (5.90 km2)
• Land	2.28 sq mi (5.89 km2)
• Water	0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation	2,513 ft (766 m)
Population  (2010)
• Total	1,483
• Estimate  (2019) [2]	1,448
• Density	636.20/sq mi (245.66/km2)
	U.S. Census Bureau, 2000 Population Estimates
Time zone	UTC-5 (EST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code	24368
Area code	276
FIPS code	51-69456 [3]
GNIS feature ID	1486817 [4]
Website	townofruralretreat.com

Rural Retreat is a town in Wythe County, Virginia, United States. The population was 1,483 at the 2010 census.

History

The Kimberling Lutheran Cemetery was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980; the Rural Retreat Depot was listed in 2014. ^[5]

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 2.2 square miles (5.8 km²), all land.

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1880	286		—
1920	463		—
1930	436		−5.8%
1940	440		0.9%
1950	478		8.6%
1960	413		−13.6%
1970	872		111.1%
1980	1,083		24.2%
1990	972		−10.2%
2000	1,350		38.9%
2010	1,483		9.9%
2019 (est.)	1,448	[2]	−2.4%
U.S. Decennial Census [6]

As of the census ^[3] of 2000, there were 1,350 people, 570 households, and 399 families living in the town. The population density was 600.6 people per square mile (231.7/km²). There were 629 housing units at an average density of 279.8 per square mile (107.9/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 98.52% White, 0.37% African American, 0.30% Native American, 0.15% Asian, 0.37% from other races, and 0.30% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.37% of the population.

There were 570 households, out of which 29.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.1% were married couples living together, 11.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.0% were non-families. 25.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.2% 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 2.84.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 22.7% under the age of 18, 9.7% from 18 to 24, 27.7% from 25 to 44, 23.6% from 45 to 64, and 16.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 88.8 males. For every 100 females aged 18 and over, there were 85.3 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $29,141, and the median income for a family was $41,776. Males had a median income of $27,198 versus $21,128 for females. The per capita income for the town was $15,993. About 7.7% of families and 11.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.8% of those under age 18 and 13.7% of those age 65 or over.

Notable people

• Doris Crouse-Mays, labor leader
• William N. Doak, third United States Secretary of Labor
• Dr. Charles T. Pepper, claimed as namesake of the drink "Dr Pepper"
• Deacon Phillippe, major league baseball pitcher ^[7]
• Pamela Stafford, model, fashion designer and artist

References

1. "2019 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 7, 2020.
2. "Population and Housing Unit Estimates". United States Census Bureau. May 24, 2020. Retrieved May 27, 2020.
3. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved January 31, 2008.
4. "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. October 25, 2007. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
5. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
6. "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
7. Reichler, Joseph L., ed. (1979) [1969]. The Baseball Encyclopedia (4th ed.). New York: Macmillan Publishing. ISBN   0-02-578970-8.