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McDowell County is located in Southern West Virginia on the border with Virginia. The County was established in 1858 and named after a Governor of Virginia who served from 1843-46. The original county seat was established at the town of Perryville and later moved with considerable controversy to Welch after the Civil War. McDowell County was a coal mining center during the industry’s boom period and the population of the county reached close to 100,000 people by 1950. With the decline of the coal industry during the later part of the 20th century the county has steadily lost population. The latest population estimates available (2005) for McDowell County reflects a population of 24,273 people. About twenty-three percent (23.3%) of the population is under 18 years of age and sixteen percent (16.1%) is 65 years of age or older. There are 11,169 households in the county and about 7,840 families.
Community Profile (PDF)
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