Owsley County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of 2000, the population is 4,858. Its county seat is Booneville[1]. The county is named for William Owsley, the Governor of Kentucky from 1844 to 1848. It is a prohibition or dry county. It is among the poorest counties in America, with a median household income of less than $16,000.[2]
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 198 square miles (513 km²), of which, 198 square miles (513 km²) of it is land and 0 square miles (0 km²) of it (0.00%) is water.
Adjacent counties
Demographics
| Historical populations |
| Census |
Pop. |
|
%± |
| 1850 |
3,774 |
|
—
|
| 1860 |
5,335 |
|
41.4% |
| 1870 |
3,889 |
|
−27.1% |
| 1880 |
4,942 |
|
27.1% |
| 1890 |
5,975 |
|
20.9% |
| 1900 |
6,874 |
|
15% |
| 1910 |
7,979 |
|
16.1% |
| 1920 |
7,820 |
|
−2% |
| 1930 |
7,223 |
|
−7.6% |
| 1940 |
8,957 |
|
24% |
| 1950 |
7,324 |
|
−18.2% |
| 1960 |
5,369 |
|
−26.7% |
| 1970 |
5,023 |
|
−6.4% |
| 1980 |
5,709 |
|
13.7% |
| 1990 |
5,036 |
|
−11.8% |
| 2000 |
4,858 |
|
−3.5% |
| http://ukcc.uky.edu/~census/21189.txt |
As of the census[3] of 2000, there were 4,858 people, 1,894 households, and 1,388 families residing in the county. The population density was 24 people per square mile (9/km²). There were 2,247 housing units at an average density of 11 per square mile (4/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 99.22% White, 0.10% Black or African American, 0.06% Native American, 0.04% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.02% from other races, and 0.54% from two or more races. 0.72% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 1,894 households out of which 32.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.8% were married couples living together, 12.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.7% were non-families. 24.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.51 and the average family size was 2.98.
In the county the population was spread out with 24.6% under the age of 18, 8.9% from 18 to 24, 27.0% from 25 to 44, 24.5% from 45 to 64, and 15.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 101.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.7 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $15,805, which is the third lowest in the nation, and the median income for a family was $18,034. Males had a median income of $25,100 versus $18,203 for females. The per capita income for the county was $10,742. About 41.7% of families and 45.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 56.3% of those under age 18 and 34.5% of those age 65 or over. Poverty rates are therefore among the 10 highest of any county in the United States.
Famous people from Owsley County
Earle Combs, who played baseball for the New York Yankees from 1924 to 1935 and was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1970, is from Owsley County. A plaque to honor his birthplace stands on Highway 11 in Pebworth. [4]
Communities in Owsley County
- Lerose
- Pebworth
- Travelers Rest
- Vincent
See also
References
- ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
- ^ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poorest_places_in_the_United_States
- ^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
- ^ Earle Combs Statistics - Baseball-Reference.com
Coordinates: 37°25′N 83°41′W / 37.41, -83.69
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