| County: | Boone County |
| State: | West Virginia |
| Seal: | Seal of Boone County, West Virginia.png |
| Founded: | March 11, 1847 |
| Founded Year: | 1847 |
| Seat Wl: | Madison |
| Largest City Wl: | Madison |
| Area Total Sq Mi: | 503.19 |
| Area Land Sq Mi: | 501.53 |
| Area Water Sq Mi: | 1.66 |
| Population As Of: | 2020 |
| Population Total: | 21809 |
| Pop Est As Of: | 2021 |
| Population Est: | 21312 |
| Population Density Sq Mi: | 43.48 |
| Web: | www.boonecountywv.org |
| Ex Image: | Boone County Courthouse West Virginia.jpg |
| Ex Image Cap: | Boone County Courthouse in Madison |
| Time Zone: | Eastern |
| District: | 1st |
Boone County is a county in the U.S. state of West Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 21,809.[1] Its county seat is Madison.[2] Boone County is part of the Charleston, WV Metropolitan Statistical Area. Leading industries and chief agricultural products in Boone County include coal, lumber, natural gas, tobacco, and strawberries.
The county was formed in 1847 with territories annexed from Kanawha, Cabell, and Logan counties. It was named for frontiersman Daniel Boone, who lived in the Great Kanawha Valley from 1789 until 1795.[3]
In 1863, West Virginia's counties were divided into civil townships, with the intention of encouraging local government. This proved impractical in the heavily rural state, and in 1872 the townships were converted into magisterial districts.[4] Boone County was divided into five districts: Crook, Peytona, Scott, Sherman, and Washington. Between 1980 and 1990, the county was redivided into three magisterial districts: District 1, District 2, and District 3.[5]
On February 1, 2006, two fatal mining accidents occurred in the communities of Uneeda and Wharton in Boone County. These two deaths with the addition of January's Sago Mine disaster and the Aracoma Alma Mine disaster caused West Virginia Governor Joe Manchin to close all of West Virginia's mines in a "mine safety stand-down."
Boone County lies in the central southwestern part of West Virginia. Its terrain consists of low wooded mountains, carved with drainages.[6] The terrain slopes to the north and west, with its highest point at its south corner, at 3212feet ASL.[7] The county has a total area of, of which is land and (0.3%) is water.[8]
As of the census of 2010, there were 24,629 people, 9,928 households, and 7,014 families in the county.[9] The population density was 49.1/mi2. There were 11,070 housing units at an average density of 22.1/mi2.[10] The racial makeup of the county was 98.5% white, 0.5% black or African American, 0.1% Asian, 0.1% American Indian, 0.2% from other races, and 0.6% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 0.4% of the population.[9] In terms of ancestry, 15.4% were German, 13.3% were American, 12.9% were Irish, and 8.3% were English.[11]
Of the 9,928 households, 32.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.0% were married couples living together, 11.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 29.4% were non-families, and 25.7% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.47 and the average family size was 2.94. The median age was 40.7 years.[9]
The median income for a household in the county was $39,783 and the median income for a family was $47,981. Males had a median income of $51,740 versus $32,110 for females. The per capita income for the county was $20,457. About 15.6% of families and 19.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 25.9% of those under age 18 and 13.4% of those age 65 or over.[12]
As of the census of 2000, there were 25,535 people, 10,291 households, and 7,460 families in the county. The population density was 50.9/mi2. There were 11,575 housing units at an average density of 23.1/mi2. The racial makeup of the county was 98.53% White, 0.65% Black or African American, 0.12% Native American, 0.07% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.07% from other races, and 0.54% from two or more races. 0.46% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
The largest ancestry groups in Boone County are English (13%), Irish (12%) and German (11%).[13]
There were 10,291 households, out of which 31.10% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.50% were married couples living together, 10.50% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.50% were non-families. 24.60% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.00% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.47 and the average family size was 2.92.
The county contained 23.20% under the age of 18, 9.00% from 18 to 24, 28.00% from 25 to 44, 26.30% from 45 to 64, and 13.60% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.50 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.50 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $25,669, and the median income for a family was $31,999. Males had a median income of $34,931 versus $19,607 for females. The per capita income for the county was $14,453. About 18.30% of families and 22.00% of the population were below the poverty line, including 27.90% of those under age 18 and 13.90% of those age 65 or over.
With the exception of the 1972 Nixon landslide, Boone County voted Democratic in every presidential election from 1924 until 2012. In 2012, Republican Mitt Romney won over sixty percent of the vote in the process of becoming the first presidential candidate to sweep every county in the state. Also in 2012, in the state's Democratic primaries, Boone County was one of the West Virginia counties that voted for eccentric perennial candidate Keith Russell Judd, who at the time was still in prison on felony charges, over incumbent president Barack Obama.