Charlottesville is an independent city located within the confines of
Albemarle County in the State of Virginia. As of the 2000 census, the city
had a total population of 45,049. It is the county seat of Albemarle County.
Geography and History
Charlottesville is located along the Rivanna River, a tributary of the
James, just west of the Southwest Mountains which parallel the Blue Ridge
about 20 miles to the West. It was formed by charter in 1762 along a trade
route called Three Notched Road (present day US 250) which led from Richmond
to the Great Valley. Other major highways through Charlottesville are US 29,
from Washington, D.C. to Danville, Virginia, and I-64 which parallels US 250
in the vicinity of Charlottesville.
Nearby, Monticello, the plantation manor of Thomas Jefferson is a popular
tourist attraction. Located within Charlottesville is the University of
Virginia which was designed by Thomas Jefferson. During the American Civil
War several battles took place in Charlottesville including the Battle of
Rio Hill.
John Mosby and Meriwether Lewis were both born in Charlottesville, and Edgar
Allan Poe lived in the city while attending the University of Virginia.
William Faulkner was a writer in residence at the University of Virginia, to
which he bequeathed all of his original manuscripts. Also, William McGuffey
lived in Charlottesville while serving as a professor at the University.
Dave Matthews was a bartender in a Charlottesville jazz club called Miller's
when he formed the Dave Matthews Band; although his main home is now in the
Seattle area, he still keeps a home in the Charlottesville area. John
Grisham currently makes Charlottesville one of his two homes. Actress Sissy
Spacek, famous for her portrayal of tormented highschooler Carrie, lives
just outside of Charlottesville, in Albemarle County. Both Stephen Malkmus
of rock band Pavement and David Berman of rock band Silver Jews lived for a
time in and formed their respective bands while residing in the city.
Charlottesville is the home of a National Radio Astronomy Observatory
research facility.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of
26.6 km˛ (10.3 mi˛). None of the area is covered with water.
Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there are 45,049 people, 16,851 households, and
7,633 families residing in the city. The population density is 1,695.3/km˛
(4,389.7/mi˛). There are 17,591 housing units at an average density of
662.0/km˛ (1,714.1/mi˛). The racial makeup of the city is 69.56% White,
22.22% African American, 0.11% Native American, 4.93% Asian, 0.03% Pacific
Islander, 1.02% from other races, and 2.13% from two or more races. 2.45% of
the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 16,851 households out of which 20.5% have children under the age
of 18 living with them, 29.2% are married couples living together, 13.1%
have a female householder with no husband present, and 54.7% are non-families.
34.9% of all households are made up of individuals and 8.2% have someone
living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is
2.27 and the average family size is 2.85.
The age distribution, strongly influenced by the University of Virginia, is:
15.2% under the age of 18, 33.8% from 18 to 24, 25.8% from 25 to 44, 15.2%
from 45 to 64, and 10.1% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is
26 years. For every 100 females there are 87.5 males. For every 100 females
age 18 and over, there are 84.6 males.
The median income for a household in the city is $31,007, and the median
income for a family is $45,110. Males have a median income of $31,197 versus
$26,458 for females. The per capita income for the city is $16,973. 25.9% of
the population and 12.0% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the
total people living in poverty, 20.8% are under the age of 18 and 7.2% are
65 or older.
Charlottesville was recently ranked the best place to live in the United
States, in the book Cities Ranked and Rated by Bert Sperling and Peter
Sander. Sperling and Sander ranked the cities based on cost of living,
climate, and quality of life.
