| County: | Scott County |
| State: | Virginia |
| Flag: | Flag of Scott County, Virginia.png |
| Seal: | Seal of Scott County, Virginia.png |
| Founded: | November 24, 1814 |
| Seat Wl: | Gate City |
| Largest City Wl: | Gate City |
| City Type: | town |
| Area Total Sq Mi: | 539 |
| Area Land Sq Mi: | 536 |
| Area Water Sq Mi: | 3.1 |
| Area Percentage: | 0.6 |
| Pop: | 21576 |
| Census Yr: | 2020 |
| Population Density Sq Mi: | auto |
| Web: | www.scottcountyva.com |
| Ex Image: | Scott County Courthouse, Gate City, Virginia.JPG |
| Ex Image Cap: | Scott County Courthouse in 2013 |
| Ex Image Size: | 225px |
| Time Zone: | Eastern |
| District: | 9th |
Scott County is a county located in the far southwestern part of the U.S. state of Virginia, on the border with Tennessee. As of the 2020 census, the population was 21,576.[1] Its county seat is Gate City.[2] Scott County was formed by an act of the General Assembly on November 24, 1814, from parts of Washington, Lee, and Russell counties and was named for Virginia -born General Winfield Scott.[3] Scott County is part of the Kingsport–Bristol–Bristol, TN-VA Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is a component of the Johnson City–Kingsport–Bristol, TN-VA Combined Statistical Area, commonly known as the "Tri-Cities" region. The County Administrator is Freda Russell Starnes.
The area was occupied for thousands of years by indigenous Native Americans. Early Anglo-European settlers found evidence of a former native village at the mouth of Stony Creek on the Clinch River. Bands of Cherokee lived in the area.
In 1769 Thomas McCulloch was the first white settler in what was later organized as the county. Daniel Boone commanded several forts located here in 1774 during Dunmore's War, and several more were built in successive years.[4]
Increased settlement of colonial Americans encroached on Cherokee territory. A group known by the settlers as the Chickamauga Cherokee (but they were not a separate tribe), was led by Bob Benge. They had armed confrontations with settlers during the Cherokee–American wars. Benge was killed in 1794, years after the United States gained independence in the American Revolution.
By the time houses were built in the 1790s, the largely Scots-Irish population had increased. They were mostly yeomen farmers who had moved into the backcountry where land was more available. They were served by the Wilderness Road which brought traders to the area. After Scott County was formed in 1814, the first court took place in 1815.
The first public schools were not established here until 1870, years after the American Civil War and during the Reconstruction era in Virginia and other former Confederate states.[5] The wealthy planters of Virginia paid for their own children's education but nothing for the rest of the white people.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 539sqmi, of which 536sqmi is land and 3.1sqmi (0.6%) is water.[6] Scott County is one of the 423 counties served by the Appalachian Regional Commission,[7] and it is identified as part of "Greater Appalachia" by Colin Woodard in his book American Nations: A History of the Eleven Rival Regional Cultures of North America.[8]
| White alone (NH) | 22,585 | 20,528 | 97.45% | 95.14% | |
| Black or African American alone (NH) | 135 | 134 | 0.58% | 0.62% | |
| Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) | 48 | 26 | 0.21% | 0.12% | |
| Asian alone (NH) | 35 | 20 | 0.15% | 0.09% | |
| Pacific Islander alone (NH) | 0 | 2 | 0.00% | 0.01% | |
| Some Other Race alone (NH) | 3 | 28 | 0.01% | 0.13% | |
| Mixed Race/Multi-Racial (NH) | 137 | 583 | 0.59% | 2.70% | |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 234 | 255 | 1.01% | 1.18% | |
| Total | 23,177 | 21,576 | 100.00% | 100.00% |
As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 23,177 people living in the county. 97.9% were White, 0.6% Black or African American, 0.2% Native American, 0.2% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 0.4% of some other race and 0.7 of two or more races. 1.0% were Hispanic or Latino (of any race).
As of the census[11] of 2000, there were 23,403 people, 9,795 households, and 7,023 families living in the county. The population density was 44sp=usNaNsp=us. There were 11,355 housing units at an average density of 21/mi2. The racial makeup of the county was 98.51% White, 0.59% Black or African American, 0.14% Native American, 0.07% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.15% from other races, and 0.52% from two or more races. 0.42% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 9,795 households, out of which 27.60% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.40% were married couples living together, 9.00% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.30% were non-families. 26.10% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.10% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.35 and the average family size was 2.82.
In the county, 20.60% of the population was under the age of 18, 7.50% was from 18 to 24, 27.30% from 25 to 44, 26.80% from 45 to 64, and 17.80% was 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.30 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.70 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $27,339, and the median income for a family was $33,163. Males had a median income of $28,328 versus $20,553 for females. The per capita income for the county was $15,073. About 13.00% of families and 16.80% of the population were below the poverty line, including 20.10% of those under age 18 and 20.50% of those age 65 or over.