Spencer is a city in and the

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US ...

of Roane 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 ...

, United States. Originally known as "California," Spencer was chartered in 1858, and named after Spencer Roane (1762–1822), a distinguished jurist from Virginia, who served on the

Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals The Supreme Court of Virginia is the highest court in the Commonwealth of Virginia. It primarily hears direct appeals in civil cases from the trial-level city and county circuit courts, as well as the criminal law, family law and administrati ...

, and for whom Roane County was named. The population was 2,062 at the 2020 census. Spencer is the home of the annual West Virginia Black Walnut Festival. Points of interest include Charles Fork Lake, Chrystal Water and Power Company-Spencer Water and Ice Company, the McIntosh Mansion, and the Robey Theatre.

Geography

Spencer is located at (38.801690, -81.351689). Spring Creek flows through the city. 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 th ...

, the city has a total area of , of which is land and is water.

Climate

The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. 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, nota ...

system, Spencer has a

humid subtropical climate A humid subtropical climate is a zone of climate characterized by hot and humid summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between latitudes 25° and 40° ...

, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.

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 inc ...

of 2010, there were 2,322 people, 1,005 households, and 578 families living in the city. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: 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 term.Matt RosenberPopu ...

was . There were 1,180 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 97.5%

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 ...

, 0.1% Native American, 0.3% Asian, 0.6% from other races, and 1.5% 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 for ...

or Latino of any race were 1.7% of the population. There were 1,005 households, of which 28.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.5% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between ...

living together, 13.6% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.4% had a male householder with no wife present, and 42.5% were non-families. 37.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.25 and the average family size was 2.94. The median age in the city was 40.2 years. 23.2% of residents were under the age of 18; 8.5% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 23.5% were from 25 to 44; 26.3% were from 45 to 64; and 18.5% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 46.7% male and 53.3% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 2,352 people, 1,005 households, and 614 families living in the city. The

was 1,984.3 people per square mile (763.1/km²). There were 1,154 housing units at an average density of 973.6 per square mile (374.4/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 97.62%

, 0.13%

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 ...

, 0.21% Native American, 0.68% Asian, 0.04% from other races, and 1.32% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 0.77% of the population. There were 1,005 households, out of which 27.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.2% were

living together, 12.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.9% were non-families. 35.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 19.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.25 and the average family size was 2.89. In the city, the population was spread out, with 23.9% under the age of 18, 8.3% from 18 to 24, 23.6% from 25 to 44, 22.1% from 45 to 64, and 22.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 86.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 80.6 males. The median income for a household in the city was $19,773, and the median income for a family was $28,500. Males had a median income of $28,000 versus $16,452 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 city was $12,976. About 24.9% of families and 31.0% 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 ...

, including 42.8% of those under age 18 and 21.4% of those age 65 or over.

Notable people

* Ruby Bradley, Colonel, U.S. Army, 1907–2002 * Derek Hardman,

Offensive tackle Offensive may refer to: * Offensive, the former name of the Dutch political party Socialist Alternative * Offensive (military), an attack * Offensive language ** Fighting words or insulting language, words that by their very utterance inflict in ...

for the

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the majo ...

Detroit Lions The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit. The Lions compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) North Division. The team play their home games at For ...

* Deborah Hersman, Chairperson,

National Transportation Safety Board The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is an independent U.S. government investigative agency responsible for civil transportation accident investigation. In this role, the NTSB investigates and reports on aviation accidents and inci ...

from 2009 to 2014Stump, Jake. "Obama taps Spencer native to head agency"
'' Charleston Daily Mail'', Friday July 10, 2009 *

Larry Starcher Larry V. Starcher (September 25, 1942 – December 24, 2022) was an American jurist who was a justice of the Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia. In November 1996, he was elected as a Democrat in a partisan election to the Supreme Court ...

, retired Justice of the West Virginia Supreme Court

Media

Radio

* WYRC-LP, Grade School (K-12) - 92.3 FM *

WVRC-FM WVRC-FM (104.7 FM) is a radio station broadcasting a Country format. Licensed to Spencer, West Virginia Spencer is a city in and the county seat of Roane County, West Virginia, United States. Originally known as "California," Spencer was cha ...

, Country - 104.7 FM * WMCC-LP, Religious (

3ABN Radio The Three Angels Broadcasting Network, or 3ABN, is a Christian media television and radio network which broadcasts Seventh-day Adventist religious and health-oriented programming, based in West Frankfort, Illinois, United States. Although it is ...

) - 105.7 FM * WVRC-AM, Gospel Music - 1400 AM

References

External links

City website
{{Authority control Cities in Roane County, West Virginia County seats in West Virginia