Athens is a town in Mercer County,

West Virginia West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian, Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States.The Census Bureau and the Association of American Geographers classify West Virginia as part of the Southern United States while the B ...

, United States. The population was 944 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Bluefield, WV- VA micropolitan area which has a population of 107,578. Athens is the home of

Concord University Concord University (Concord) is a public university in Athens, West Virginia. It was founded on February 28, 1872, when the West Virginia Legislature passed "an Act to locate a Branch State Normal School, in the town of Concord Church, in ...

History

The community was named Concord; however, in 1896 another post office in Concord, Hampshire County, West Virginia was established and the town's name was changed to Athens after the Greek city and a center of learning. The community incorporated as a town on August 6, 1906. Located near Athens is the Col. William Henderson French House, listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

in 1976.

Geography

Athens is located at (37.423849, -81.013363). The town is situated on a bluff above Laurel Creek, a tributary of the

Bluestone River The Bluestone River is a tributary of the New River, 77 mi (124 km) long, in southwestern Virginia and southern West Virginia in the United States.West Virginia Route 20 West Virginia Route 20 is a major north–south state highway in the U.S. state of West Virginia. The southern terminus of the route is at U.S. Route 52 in Bluewell, a small unincorporated suburb of Bluefield. The northern terminus is a ...

(State Street) traverses Athens, connecting the town with

Princeton Princeton University is a private research university in Princeton, New Jersey. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and one of the ni ...

to the southwest and the rural towns along New River to the northeast. According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of t ...

, the town has a total area of , all land.

Climate

The climate in this area has mild differences between highs and lows, and there is adequate rainfall year-round. According to the

Köppen Climate Classification The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, notabl ...

system, Athens has a

marine west coast climate An oceanic climate, also known as a marine climate, is the humid temperate climate sub-type in Köppen classification ''Cfb'', typical of west coasts in higher middle latitudes of continents, generally featuring cool summers and mild winters ...

, abbreviated "Cfb" on climate maps.Climate Summary for Athens, West Virginia
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Demographics

2010 census

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses in ...

of 2010, there were 1,048 people, 347 households, and 182 families living in the town. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical ...

was . There were 408 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 91.1%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White o ...

, 5.6%

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 0.1% Native American, 2.1% Asian, 0.2% from

other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...

, and 0.9% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties forme ...

Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...

of any race were 1.4% of the population. There were 347 households, of which 21.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.8% were married couples living together, 8.6% had a female householder with no husband present, 2.0% had a male householder with no wife present, and 47.6% were non-families. 34.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.13 and the average family size was 2.76. The median age in the town was 23.1 years. 11.5% of residents were under the age of 18; 43.7% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 16% were from 25 to 44; 18.4% were from 45 to 64; and 10.3% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 48.2% male and 51.8% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 1,102 people, 359 households, and 199 families living in the town. The

was 2,549.5 inhabitants per square mile (989.5/km²). There were 414 housing units at an average density of 957.8 per square mile (371.7/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 92.29%

, 4.81%

, 0.18% Native American, 1.54% Asian, 0.09%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...

, and 1.09% from two or more races.

of any race were 0.91% of the population. There were 359 households, out of which 20.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.7% were married couples living together, 10.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 44.3% were non-families. 32.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.14 and the average family size was 2.74. In the town, the population was spread out, with 12.7% under the age of 18, 40.1% from 18 to 24, 17.4% from 25 to 44, 17.4% from 45 to 64, and 12.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 24 years. For every 100 females, there were 147.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 156.5 males. The median income for a household in the town was $27,260, and the median income for a family was $45,694. Males had a median income of $28,214 versus $20,268 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the town was $13,553. About 9.7% of families and 20.7% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...

, including 17.1% of those under age 18 and 9.6% of those age 65 or over.

Notable person

* Don Caruth, West Virginia politician

References

External links

*
Official site
{{authority control Towns in Mercer County, West Virginia Towns in West Virginia Bluefield micropolitan area