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Accomack County, Virginia

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Accomack County is a United States county that, together with Northampton County, constitutes the Eastern Shore region of the Commonwealth of Virginia. These two counties also form the southern portion of the Delmarva Peninsula, which is bordered by the Chesapeake Bay to the west, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. The town of Accomac serves as the county seat, while Chincoteague is the largest town in the county.<ref name="GR6">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

The area was named for the Accawmack Indians, who resided in the area when the English first explored it in 1603. The region was known as "Accomac Shire" until it was renamed Northampton County in 1642. The present Accomack County was then carved out of Northampton County in 1663.

As of the 2020 census, Accomack County had a total population of 33,413.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The population has remained relatively stable over the 20th century, though Accomack is one of the poorest parts of Virginia.<ref name= "Rural"/>

HistoryEdit

File:Notice! Persons desiring to establish Supply Stores in the Counties of Accomac and Northampton, Va. Drummondtown, Virginia, 1864.png
Notice to persons "desiring to establish supply stores" in Accomac and Northampton Counties, Virginia, September 19, 1864

The county was named for its original residents, the Accomac people, an Eastern Algonquian-speaking Native American tribe.

Members of an English voyage of exploration landed in the area in 1603, four years before the founding of the Jamestown Colony. Captain John Smith visited the region in 1608. The Accomac people at the time numbered around 6,000 and was led by Debedeavon, a paramount chief, whom the English colonists called the "Laughing King." He became a staunch ally of the colonists, granting them several large areas for their own use.

Accomac Shire was established in 1634 as one of the eight original shires of Virginia. The name comes from the native word Accawmacke, which meant "on the other side".<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> In 1642 the name was changed to Northampton by the colonists. Northampton was divided into two counties in 1663. The northern adopted the original name, while the south remained Northampton.

In 1670, the Virginia Colony's Royal Governor William Berkeley abolished Accomac County, but the Virginia General Assembly re-created it in 1671.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

In 1940, the General Assembly officially added a "k" to the end of the county's name to arrive at its current spelling. The name of "Accomack County" first appeared in the Decisions of the United States Board on Geographical Names in 1943.<ref>Topping, Mary, comp., Approved Place Names in Virginia: An Index to Virginia Names Approved by the United States Board on Geographic Names through 1969 (Charlottesville, VA: University Press of Virginia, 1971), 1.</ref>

GeographyEdit

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of Template:Convert, of which Template:Convert is land and Template:Convert (65.7%) is water.<ref name="GR1">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> It is the largest county in Virginia by total area.

The state of Delaware is roughly Template:Convert away from the Virginia and Maryland state-line in Greenbackville.

DemographicsEdit

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2020 censusEdit

Accomack County, Virginia – Racial and ethnic composition
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% 2000 % 2010 Template:Partial
White alone (NH) 23,697 20,266 19,825 61.86% 61.11% 59.33%
Black or African American alone (NH) 12,039 9,253 8,639 31.43% 27.90% 25.86%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) 106 97 65 0.28% 0.29% 0.19%
Asian alone (NH) 86 177 249 0.22% 0.53% 0.75%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH) 35 34 1 0.03% 0.10% 0.00%
Other race alone (NH) 35 44 99 0.09% 0.13% 0.30%
Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) 270 443 1,105 0.70% 1.34% 3.31%
Hispanic or Latino (any race) 2,062 2,850 3,430 5.38% 8.59% 10.27%
Total 38,305 33,164 33,413 100.00% 100.00% 100.00%

As of 2022, the median household income in the county is $50,601 and the per capita income is $29,202.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

2010 CensusEdit

As of the census<ref name="GR8">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> of 2010, there were 33,164 people, 15,299 households, and 10,388 families residing in the county. The population density was Template:Convert. There were 19,550 housing units at an average density of Template:Convert. The racial makeup of the county was 65.3% White, 28.1% Black or African American, 0.4% Native American, 0.6% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 3.9% from other races, and 1.6% from two or more races. 8.6% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. Black or African American (28%), English American (15%), German (9%), Irish (9%) and Mexican (4%)Template:Citation needed.

There were 15,299 households, out of which 28.90% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.20% were married couples living together, 14.40% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.10% were non-families. 27.70% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.50% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 2.96.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 24.30% under the age of 18, 8.20% from 18 to 24, 26.20% from 25 to 44, 24.70% from 45 to 64, and 16.70% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 94.30 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.00 males.

Accomack and adjacent Northampton County are the two poorest counties in the Commonwealth of Virginia.<ref name="Rural">Accomack and Northampton County EC Template:Webarchive on USDA Rural Development</ref>

Government and politicsEdit

Board of SupervisorsEdit

Board of County Supervisors
Name Party District
style="background-color:Template:Party color" |  William J. "Billy Joe" Tarr Ind 1
style="background-color:Template:Party color" |  Ron Wolff Dem 2
style="background-color:Template:Party color" |  Vanessa Johnson Dem 3
style="background-color:Template:Party color" |  Paul E.J. Muhly Ind 4
style="background-color:Template:Party color" |  Harrison W. Phillips, III Ind 5
style="background-color:Template:Party color" |  Robert Crockett Ind 6
style="background-color:Template:Party color" |  Jackie Phillips Ind 7
style="background-color:Template:Party color" |  Donald Hart, Jr. Dem 8
style="background-color:Template:Party color" |  C. Reneta Major Dem 9

Constitutional officersEdit

  • Clerk of the Circuit Court: Talia C. Taylor (I)
  • Commissioner of the Revenue: Kim A. Satterwhite (I)
  • Commonwealth's Attorney: J. Spencer Morgan, III (I)
  • Sheriff: W. Todd Wessells (I)
  • Treasurer: James Lilliston, Sr. (I)

Accomack County is represented by Republican William “Bill” DeSteph, Jr in the Virginia Senate, Republican Robert Bloxom in the Virginia House of Delegates, and Republican Jen Kiggans in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Presidential politicsEdit

Accomack County has been consistently Republican-leaning in the 21st century; prior to this, it was a Democratic stronghold turned swing county. The last Democrat to obtain an absolute majority was Jimmy Carter in 1976, though Bill Clinton narrowly carried the county by a plurality in 1996.<ref>https://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS/</ref>

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Adjacent countiesEdit

National protected areasEdit

EconomyEdit

Accomack County is home to large chicken processing facilities owned by Perdue Farms and Tyson Foods.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

TransportationEdit

AirportEdit

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Major highwaysEdit

Public transportationEdit

STAR Transit provides public transit services for both Accomack and Northampton counties and is headquartered in Tasley.

EducationEdit

The county is served by Accomack County Public Schools.<ref name="VDOE">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> It is the only school district in the county.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }} - Text list</ref>

High schools and K-12 schools in this district are:<ref name="ACPSschools">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}Template:Dead link</ref>

Eastern Shore Community College is located near Melfa.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}
Compare the address to the Melfa town limits. The college is outside of the Melfa town limits: {{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}
The area around the college is shown here: {{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}
The City of Houston stated: "The U.S. Postal Service establishes ZIP codes and mailing addresses in order to maximize the efficiency of their system, not to recognize jurisdictional boundaries."</ref>

MediaEdit

The county maintains and is the licensee of six television translator stations on two towers, with four located on a tower off US 13 in unincorporated Mappsville licensed to Onancock, and the other two licensed to unincorporated Craddockville on a tower near Route 178. Each translator tower has four signals to relay the signals of Hampton Roads's major network affiliates to the county, including WAVY, WHRO, WTKR, and WVEC. Meanwhile, Fox programming via WVBT is provided by WPMC-CA (Channel 36) from the Mappsville tower, a station owned by Nexstar Media Group, the parent company of WAVY/WVBT.

Additionally, Salisbury, Maryland CBS / Fox affiliate WBOC-TV has long claimed Accomack County as part of its coverage area.

Call letters City of license Channel Station relayed (Network)
W14DY-D Onancock 14 WAVY (NBC)
W42DP Craddockville 42 WAVY (NBC)
W25AA-D Onancock 25 WHRO (PBS)
W18EG-D Onancock 18 WAVY (NBC), 18.1
WVEC (ABC), 18.2
WTKR (CBS), 18.3
WHRO (PBS), 18.4
W22DN Craddockville 22 WTKR (CBS)
W34DN Onancock 34 WVEC (ABC)

CommunitiesEdit

TownsEdit

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Census Designated PlacesEdit

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Notable peopleEdit

In popular cultureEdit

MusicEdit

In Sydney Brown's lyrics for the Maple Leaf Rag, the first line states, "I come from ol' Virginny, from de County Accomack"

See alsoEdit

ReferencesEdit

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Further readingEdit

External linksEdit

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