Honaker, Virginia Explained

Official Name:Honaker
Settlement Type:Town
Nickname:Redbud Capital of the World
Pushpin Map:Virginia#USA
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Name:United States
Subdivision Type1:State
Subdivision Name1:Virginia
Subdivision Type2:County
Subdivision Name2:Russell
Unit Pref:Imperial
Area Footnotes:[1]
Area Total Sq Mi:1.68
Area Land Sq Mi:1.68
Area Water Sq Mi:0.00
Area Total Km2:4.34
Area Land Km2:4.34
Area Water Km2:0.00
Population As Of:2020
Population Footnotes:[2]
Population Total:1217
Population Density Sq Mi:725.7
Population Density Km2:280.2
Timezone:Eastern (EST)
Utc Offset:-5
Timezone Dst:EDT
Utc Offset Dst:-4
Elevation Ft:1870
Coordinates:37.0169°N -81.9736°W
Postal Code Type:ZIP code
Postal Code:24260
Area Code:276
Blank Name:FIPS code
Blank Info:51-38280[3]
Blank1 Name:GNIS feature ID
Blank1 Info:1468202[4]
Website:www.honakerva.com

Honaker is a town in Russell County, Virginia, United States. The population was 1,217 at the 2020 census.[2]

History

Honaker was settled as early as 1772 when William Ferrill established a homesite in the area. During Dunmore's War of 1774 a fort, known as New Garden Fort, was established to protect the settlers from Indian raids.

The Honaker Commercial Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2009.

Geography

Honaker is located in the Clinch River watershed.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 1.7 square miles (4.3 km2), all of it land.

Demographics

As of the census of 2010, there were 1,449 people and 684 households. The racial makeup of the town was 98.83% White, 0.20% African American, 0.28% Native American, and 0.69% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were .35% of the population.

There were 684 households in 2010, out of which 23.39% had children under the age of 18 living with them. The number of vacant housing in Honaker was 5.59%. In the town, the population was spread out, with 21.95% under the age of 18, 5.94% from 20 to 24, 12.84% from 25 to 34, 19.81% from 35 to 49, 20.63% from 50 to 64, and 17.05% who were 65 years of age or older.

The median income for a household in the town was $22,969, and the median income for a family was $28,611. Males had a median income of $26,071 versus $17,386 for females. The per capita income for the town was $11,888. About 20.4% of families and 27.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 41.9% of those under age 18 and 17.2% of those age 65 or over.

Events and attractions

Honaker holds the Honaker Redbud Festival each spring, when the redbud trees start to bloom,[5] celebrating its status as "Redbud Capital of the World".[6] This celebration usually consists of dunk tanks, an array of food vendors, local petting zoos, horse rides, local beauty pageants and Inflatable playgrounds for the children.

The town is currently undergoing a restoration project in order to make a welcome center, shopping and park. This project is expected to be completed by mid-2020, however nothing has been done.[7]

Notable People

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: 2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files. United States Census Bureau. March 19, 2024.
  2. Web site: Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2020 Demographic Profile Data (DP-1): Honaker town, Virginia . . March 19, 2024.
  3. Web site: U.S. Census website. United States Census Bureau. January 31, 2008.
  4. Web site: US Board on Geographic Names. January 31, 2008. United States Geological Survey. October 25, 2007.
  5. http://honakerredbudfest.com/ Honaker Redbud Festival website
  6. Doug Doughty, Honaker's favorite son, The Roanoke Times, February 4, 2006
  7. http://www.honakerva.com/ Honaker, VA website