Census reports show a marked drop of nearly 10 percent in county population from 1910 to 1920, the period of the
Great Migration of African Americans from rural areas of the South to northern and midwestern industrial cities offering more economic and social opportunities. Workers were recruited by northern industries, including the Pennsylvania Railroad, which was rapidly expanding at the time.
Racial and ethnic composition 2020 census As of the
2020 census, there were 12,276 people, 5,193 households, and 3,589 families residing in the county. Less than 0.1% of residents lived in urban areas, while 100.0% lived in rural areas. There were 7,118 housing units, of which 27.0% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 80.5% were owner-occupied and 19.5% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.6% and the rental vacancy rate was 11.6%.
2000 census At the
2000 census, there were 12,934 people, 5,178 households, and 3,717 families residing in the county. The
population density was . There were 6,781 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 73.17%
White, 24.57%
Black or
African American, 0.53%
Native American, 0.38%
Asian, 0.02%
Pacific Islander, 0.59% from
other races, and 0.74% from two or more races. 1.32% of the population were
Hispanic or
Latino of any race. There were 5,178 households, out of which 25.20% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.60% were
married couples living together, 11.50% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.20% were non-families. 25.00% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.10% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.38 and the average family size was 2.81. In the county, the population was spread out, with 21.10% under the age of 18, 6.40% from 18 to 24, 25.80% from 25 to 44, 28.00% from 45 to 64, and 18.80% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females there were 101.40 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.80 males. The median income for a household in the county was $34,084, and the median income for a family was $41,659. Males had a median income of $31,806 versus $21,344 for females. The
per capita income for the county was $18,005. About 11.80% of families and 15.30% of the population were below the
poverty line, including 24.20% of those under age 18 and 13.40% of those age 65 or over. ==Government and politics==