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.
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. The population has remained relatively stable over the 20th century, though Accomack is one of the poorest parts of Virginia.
History
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". 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.
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.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.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (65.7%) is water. It is the largest county in Virginia by total area, as well as its easternmost county.
The state of Delaware is roughly away from the Virginia and Maryland state-line in Greenbackville.
Demographics
Racial and ethnic composition +Accomack County, Virginia – Racial and ethnic compositionRace / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)Pop 1980Pop 1990Pop 2000Pop 2010 Pop 2020% 1980% 1990% 2000% 2010% 2020White alone (NH)19,64420,31523,69720,26619,82562.82%64.08%61.86%61.11%59.33%Black or African American alone (NH)11,11310,83412,0399,2538,63935.54%34.17%31.43%27.90%25.86%Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)433510697650.14%0.11%0.28%0.29%0.19%Asian alone (NH)4463861772490.14%0.20%0.22%0.53%0.75%Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH)x included in the Asian category in the 1980 Censusx included in the Asian category in the 1990 Census10341xx0.03%0.10%0.00%Other race alone (NH)543544990.02%0.01%0.09%0.13%0.30%Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)x not an option in the 1980 Censusx not an option in the 1990 Census2704431,105xx0.70%1.34%3.31%Hispanic or Latino (any race)4194522,0622,8503,4301.34%1.43%5.38%8.59%10.27%Total31,26831,70338,30533,16433,413 100.00%100.00%100.00%100.00%100.00%
2020 census As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 33,413. The median age was 47.8 years. 19.6% of residents were under the age of 18 and 24.6% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 93.8 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 90.6 males age 18 and over.
The racial makeup of the county was 60.6% White, 25.9% Black or African American, 0.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% Asian, 0.0% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 6.5% from some other race, and 5.3% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 10.3% of the population.
9.6% of residents lived in urban areas, while 90.4% lived in rural areas.
There were 14,302 households in the county, of which 24.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them and 30.0% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 31.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
There were 21,703 housing units, of which 34.1% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 70.5% were owner-occupied and 29.5% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 3.0% and the rental vacancy rate was 9.7%.
2010 census As of the census of 2010, there were 33,164 people, 15,299 households, and 10,388 families residing in the county. The population density was . There were 19,550 housing units at an average density of . 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%).
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.Accomack and Northampton County EC on USDA Rural Development Government and politics Board of Supervisors
+Board of County Supervisors Name Party District William J. "Billy Joe" Tarr Ind 1 Ron Wolff Dem 2 Vanessa Johnson Dem 3 Paul E.J. Muhly Ind 4 Harrison W. Phillips, III Ind 5 Robert Crockett Ind 6 Jackie Phillips Ind 7 Donald Hart, Jr. Dem 8 C. Reneta Major Dem 9
Constitutional officers 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 politics 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.
Adjacent counties Somerset County, Maryland - northwest Worcester County, Maryland - northeast Northampton County - south
National protected areas Assateague Island National Seashore (part) Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge (part) Martin National Wildlife Refuge (part, Watts Island portion) Wallops Island National Wildlife Refuge
Economy Accomack County is home to large chicken processing facilities owned by Perdue Farms and Tyson Foods.
Transportation
Airport Accomack County Airport is in an unincorporated area near Melfa.
Major highways
Public transportation STAR Transit provides public transit services for both Accomack and Northampton counties and is headquartered in Tasley.
Education The county is served by Accomack County Public Schools. It is the only school district in the county. - Text list
High schools and K-12 schools in this district are: Arcadia High School Chincoteague High School Nandua High School Tangier Combined School
Eastern Shore Community College is located near Melfa.Compare the address to the Melfa town limits. The college is outside of the Melfa town limits: The area around the college is shown here: 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."
Media 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), 18.3WHRO (PBS), 18.4 W22DN Craddockville 22 WTKR (CBS) W34DN Onancock 34 WVEC (ABC)
Communities
Towns Accomack County has 14 towns, which is the most of any county in Virginia. This is double the number of towns of the locality with the next-most towns, a position which is held by both Loudoun and Rockingham counties both. Accomac Belle Haven, Partially within Northampton County as well Bloxom Chincoteague Hallwood Keller Melfa Onancock Onley Painter Parksley Saxis Tangier Wachapreague
Census Designated Places
Atlantic Bayside Bobtown Boston Captains Cove Cats Bridge Chase Crossing Deep Creek Gargatha Greenbackville Greenbush Harborton Horntown Lee Mont Locust Mount Makemie Park Mappsburg Mappsville Metompkin Modest Town Nelsonia New Church Oak Hall Pastoria Pungoteague Quinby Sanford Savage Town Savageville Schooner Bay Southside Chesconessex Tasley Temperanceville Wattsville Whitesville
Notable people William Anderson (1762–1829) born in Accomack County, United States Congressman from Pennsylvania Thomas Evans (c.1755–1815), born in Accomack County, United States Congressman from Virginia Lucy Virginia French (1825–1881), writer George T. Garrison (1835–1889), born in Accomack County, member of Virginia state legislature and United States Congressman from Virginia James Hamilton (c.1710–1783), born in Accomack County, lawyer and mayor of Philadelphia James Henry (1731–1804), born in Accomack County, lawyer and delegate to the Continental Congress Ralph Northam (born 1957), born and raised in Accomack County, 73rd Governor of Virginia W. Sherman Savage (1890–1981), born and raised in Accomack County, historian of African Americans in the Old West David P. Weber (? -), resident of Accomack County, lawyer, professor and forensic accountant, who was a prominent whistleblower in the Bernard L. Madoff misconduct and Chinese Espionage matters Henry A. Wise (1806–1876), Minister to Brazil, Governor of Virginia and Confederate General
In popular culture
Music