Greene County is a county in Virginia in the eastern United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 20,552.[1] Its county seat is Stanardsville.[2]
Greene County | |
|---|---|
,_Stanardsville,_(Greene_County,_Virginia).jpg) Courthouse, built 1838, in Stanardsville | |
 Seal | |
 Location within the U.S. state of Virginia | |
 Virginia's location within the U.S. | |
| Coordinates: 38°18′N 78°28′W / 38.3°N 78.47°W | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Virginia |
| Founded | 1838 |
| Named for | Nathanael Greene |
| Seat | Stanardsville |
| Largest community | Twin Lakes |
| Area | |
| • Total | 157 sq mi (410 km2) |
| • Land | 156 sq mi (400 km2) |
| • Water | 0.7 sq mi (2 km2) 0.4% |
| Population (2020) | |
| • Total | 20,552 |
| • Density | 130/sq mi (51/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| Congressional district | 7th |
| Website | www |
Greene County is part of the Charlottesville, VA Metropolitan Statistical Area.
In recent years, Greene County has become a tourist destination for metropolitan areas to escape to the Shenandoah National Park and Virginia's scenic foothills.
History
Greene County was established in 1838 from Orange County. The county is named for American Revolutionary War hero Nathanael Greene, who was a general in the Continental Army.[3]
A major incident occurred on October 24, 1979, when a natural gas main ruptured, causing an explosion. The resulting fire destroyed the bell tower of the county courthouse and county office building. However, quick action by the firefighters on the scene saved the county records secured in the vault.[4]
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 156.8 square miles (406.1 km2), of which 156.1 square miles (404.3 km2) is land and 0.7 square miles (1.8 km2) (0.4%) is water.[5] It is the second-smallest county in Virginia by total area.
Adjacent counties
- Rockingham County, Virginia – west
- Page County, Virginia – northwest
- Madison County, Virginia – northeast
- Orange County, Virginia – southeast
- Albemarle County, Virginia – south
National protected areas
- Shenandoah National Park (part)
Major highways
Demographics
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1840 | 4,232 | — | |
| 1850 | 4,400 | 4.0% | |
| 1860 | 5,022 | 14.1% | |
| 1870 | 4,634 | −7.7% | |
| 1880 | 5,830 | 25.8% | |
| 1890 | 5,622 | −3.6% | |
| 1900 | 6,214 | 10.5% | |
| 1910 | 6,937 | 11.6% | |
| 1920 | 6,369 | −8.2% | |
| 1930 | 5,980 | −6.1% | |
| 1940 | 5,218 | −12.7% | |
| 1950 | 4,745 | −9.1% | |
| 1960 | 4,715 | −0.6% | |
| 1970 | 5,248 | 11.3% | |
| 1980 | 7,625 | 45.3% | |
| 1990 | 10,297 | 35.0% | |
| 2000 | 15,244 | 48.0% | |
| 2010 | 18,403 | 20.7% | |
| 2020 | 20,552 | 11.7% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[6] 1790–1960[7] 1900–1990[8] 1990–2000[9] 2010[10] 2020[11] | |||
2020 census
| Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic) | Pop 2010[10] | Pop 2020[11] | % 2010 | % 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| White alone (NH) | 15,785 | 16,214 | 85.77% | 78.89% |
| Black or African American alone (NH) | 1,160 | 1,442 | 6.30% | 7.02% |
| Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) | 38 | 26 | 0.21% | 0.13% |
| Asian alone (NH) | 247 | 456 | 1.34% | 2.22% |
| Pacific Islander alone (NH) | 2 | 4 | 0.01% | 0.02% |
| Some Other Race alone (NH) | 46 | 92 | 0.25% | 0.45% |
| Mixed Race or Multi-Racial (NH) | 344 | 988 | 1.87% | 4.81% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 781 | 1,330 | 4.24% | 6.47% |
| Total | 18,403 | 20,552 | 100.00% | 100.00% |
2020 Census
As of the census[12] of 2010, there were 18,403 people, 6,780 households, and 5,072 families residing in the county. The population density was 117.8 people per square mile (45.5 people/km2). There were 7,509 housing units at an average density of 48.1 per square mile (18.6/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 87.6% White, 6.3% Black or African American, 0.19% Native American, 0.45% Asian, 0.2% Pacific Islander, 0.64% from other races, and 2.2% from two or more races. 4.2% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 6,780 households, out of which 32.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59% were married couples living together, 11.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.2% were non-families. 20.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.69 and the average family size was 3.08. The median age for all individuals in the county was 59.3 years.
The median income for a household in the county was $54,307 and median family income was $60,414. The per capita income for the county was $24,696. 8.4% of the population and 4.9% of families were below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 8.6% of those under the age of 18 and 11.8% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.
Government
Local Representation at Federal and State Level
- Democrat Abigail Spanberger in the U.S. House of Representatives as part of the 7th District.
- Republican Nicholas J. (Nick) Freitas in the Virginia House of Delegates (62nd District)
- Republican Bryce E. Reeves in the Virginia State Senate (28th District)
History
Before the 2024 session, Greene County had been part of Virginia's 58th House of Delegates district and Virginia's 24th Senate district.[citation needed]
Before the 2022 session, Greene County had been part of the Virginia's 5th congressional district.[citation needed]
In May 2022, County Commissioner of Revenue Larry Vernon Snow resigned and pled guilty to federal charges of witness tampering. He had held the position since 1987 and had been reelected while under indictment. His son, Bryant Austin Snow, also pled guilty to charges of drug distribution.[13][14]
Board of Supervisors
The Board of Supervisors contains five members:[15]
- At-Large District: Francis X. McGuigan
- Midway District: Marie Durrer (I)
- Monroe District: Timothy L Goolsby
- Ruckersville District: Davis Lamb (I)
- Stanardsville District: Abbey Heflin (I)
Constitutional officers
- Clerk of the Circuit Court: Ashby Lamb-Gomez[16]
- Commissioner of Revenue: Kim Tate (I)[17]
- Commonwealth's Attorney: Edwin "Win" Consolvo (I)[18]
- Sheriff: Steven S. Smith (I) [19]
- Treasurer: Stephanie Allen Deal (I)[20]
Law enforcement
| Greene County Sheriff's Office | |
|---|---|
| Abbreviation | GCSO |
| Agency overview | |
| Formed | 1838 |
| Employees | 56 |
| Jurisdictional structure | |
| Constituting instrument |
|
| General nature | |
| Operational structure | |
| Headquarters | Stanardsville, Virginia |
| Deputys | 39 |
| Civilians | 17 |
| Agency executive |
|
| Website | |
| Official Website | |
The Greene County Sheriff's Office (GCSO) is Greene County, Virginia's primary law enforcement agency.
After a 1994 study rated Greene County the second most dangerous county in Virginia for traffic, the Sheriff's office cracked down on speeding. In 1997, the office wrote 15 times more tickets than in 1992.[21]
In November 2016, a few days before election day, the Sheriff's department held a public seminar at Piedmont Virginia Community College on Islam and jihadism. Counter-protestors described the content as islamophobic, and the group that spoke at the seminar was later added to the Southern Poverty Law Center's list of hate groups.[22][23]
Presidential election results
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 2020 | 6,866 | 60.70% | 4,163 | 36.80% | 282 | 2.49% |
| 2016 | 5,945 | 61.88% | 2,924 | 30.44% | 738 | 7.68% |
| 2012 | 5,569 | 61.72% | 3,290 | 36.46% | 164 | 1.82% |
| 2008 | 4,980 | 60.29% | 3,174 | 38.43% | 106 | 1.28% |
| 2004 | 4,570 | 65.86% | 2,240 | 32.28% | 129 | 1.86% |
| 2000 | 3,375 | 62.36% | 1,774 | 32.78% | 263 | 4.86% |
| 1996 | 2,351 | 55.29% | 1,440 | 33.87% | 461 | 10.84% |
| 1992 | 2,265 | 52.30% | 1,353 | 31.24% | 713 | 16.46% |
| 1988 | 2,234 | 69.29% | 899 | 27.88% | 91 | 2.82% |
| 1984 | 2,216 | 73.87% | 760 | 25.33% | 24 | 0.80% |
| 1980 | 1,702 | 60.55% | 925 | 32.91% | 184 | 6.55% |
| 1976 | 1,095 | 51.41% | 895 | 42.02% | 140 | 6.57% |
| 1972 | 1,208 | 78.24% | 318 | 20.60% | 18 | 1.17% |
| 1968 | 856 | 55.26% | 255 | 16.46% | 438 | 28.28% |
| 1964 | 641 | 58.06% | 460 | 41.67% | 3 | 0.27% |
| 1960 | 573 | 64.24% | 314 | 35.20% | 5 | 0.56% |
| 1956 | 539 | 63.49% | 246 | 28.98% | 64 | 7.54% |
| 1952 | 537 | 67.80% | 250 | 31.57% | 5 | 0.63% |
| 1948 | 420 | 58.82% | 261 | 36.55% | 33 | 4.62% |
| 1944 | 393 | 58.14% | 282 | 41.72% | 1 | 0.15% |
| 1940 | 282 | 43.72% | 363 | 56.28% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1936 | 321 | 48.42% | 341 | 51.43% | 1 | 0.15% |
| 1932 | 258 | 39.57% | 394 | 60.43% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1928 | 423 | 62.02% | 259 | 37.98% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1924 | 240 | 44.86% | 285 | 53.27% | 10 | 1.87% |
| 1920 | 414 | 57.18% | 306 | 42.27% | 4 | 0.55% |
| 1916 | 239 | 51.96% | 221 | 48.04% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1912 | 141 | 29.44% | 238 | 49.69% | 100 | 20.88% |
Public services
Jefferson-Madison Regional Library is the regional library system that provides services to the citizens of Greene.
Education
Greene County is served by a high school, a middle school, and two elementary schools.
Greene County is the location of the Piedmont VA CC - Eugene Giuseppe Center.
Communities
(Population according to the 2020 United States Census)
Towns
| Census-designated places (CDP)
| |||
| Unincorporated Communities | ||||
See also
References
External links
