ZIP Code 26354

Grafton is a city in and the county seat of Taylor County, West Virginia, United States. It originally developed as a junction point for the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, serving numerous branches of a network vital to the regional coal industry. Mother's Day was founded in Grafton on May 10, 1908, and the city is home to the International Mother's day Shrine. The city was also among the first cities in the U.S. to observe Memorial Day. The name of the city may have been named for John Graft, a civil engineer of the B&O during the Civil War. It is the home of both of West Virginia's national cemeteries, and was where the West Virginia Equal Suffrage Association formed in 1895. In 1776, Virginia's remote District of West Augusta was divided into three counties, including Monongalia County, which included what are now Taylor County and Graft on. In 1847, the Virginia General Assembly passed an act authorizing the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Company to extend its line to the Ohio River at Wheeling. This was the first trans-Appalachian railroad line. Within a year, GraftOn had emerged as a booming railroad town with residences, stores, and railroad facilities. It was also the branch point for a side line north to Morgantown, also becoming the accidental beneficiary of the line's extension. The town's name is disputed, but it is believed to have been derived from the word "graft" or "grafted".

History

Grafton is the primary city name, but also Belgium, Harmony Grove, Haymond, White Day are acceptable city names or spellings. The official name is Grafton, West Virginia. Grafton developed from early white settlements at the confluence of Three Fork Creek with the Tygart Valley River. In 1776, Virginia's remote District of West Augusta was divided into three counties, including Monongalia County, which included what are now Taylor County and Grafton. In 1847, the Virginia General Assembly passed an act authorizing the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Company to extend its line to the Ohio River at Wheeling. During the Civil War, both sides tried to control the railroad, but neither had much success. The city may have been named for a civil engineer of the B&O. Alternatively, railroad crews may have referred to the town as "Graftin" because it was at the point at which a number of branch railroad lines met (grafted to) the mainline railroad's mainline. The first "iron horse" arrived two days after the line was completed on January 11, 1852 and the first residences and stores were opened within a year. The town was chartered on March 15, 1856 in theVirginia General Assembly. The name "GRAFTon" originally GRAFTon Junction is disputed. Graft on became an early strategic target for the Union Army during the Civil war; General Robert E. Lee initially vowed to protect GraftOn. The Graftons sided with the Union, led by Col. George Ratham, and sent first CSA Major Francis M. Boykin Jr., then a Virginia Military Institute graduate from Harpers Town.

Geography

Grafton is located at 39°2030N 80°111W (39.341757, 80.019817), along the Tygart Valley River. Tygart Lake State Park is a major nearby tourist attraction. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 3.80 square miles (9.84 km²) of which 3.67 square miles is land and 0.34 km² is water. Grafton has a population of 2,816. The city is located on the shores of Tygart River, which is a tributary of the San Francisco Bay. The town's population was 2,788 at the 2010 U.S. Census, up from 2,638 at the 2000 Census. The U.N. World Population Census estimates the city's population to be 2,917. The City of Graft on the SanFrancisco River is the largest city in the state, with a population in excess of 1,000. The population of the city was 1,827 at the 1990 Census. It is the second-largest city in California, after the city of Los Angeles, after L.A. It has an elevation of 3,715 feet (903 meters) and an area of 4,722 feet (1,038 meters) according to the U.K. Census. Graftedon is home to a number of small businesses, including a small number of wineries and restaurants.

Demographics

As of the census of 2010, there were 5,164 people, 2,192 households, and 1,357 families residing in the city. There were 2,512 housing units at an average density of 684.5 per square mile (264.3/km²) The racial makeup of the city was 97.1% White, 0.7% African American,0.3% Native American, and 0.2% Asian. Hispanic or Latino people of any race comprised 0.67% of the population. The city's median income was $18,981, and the median income for a family was $25,161. The per capita income for the city in 2010 was $9,616. About 26.6% of families and 35.1%. of the residents were below the poverty line, including 51.2%. of those under age 18 and 15.7. of those age 65 or over. The average household size was 2.29 and the average family size was2.92. The median age was 41.7 years, with 21.9% of residents under the age of 18; 8.4% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 23. 9% were from 25 to 44; 26.9%. were from 45 to 64; and 19.3%. were 65 years of age or older. The gender split was 47.6%. male and 52.4%. female. The population density was 1,407.1 inhabitants per squaremile (543.3 /km²).

Air Quality, Water Quality, Superfund Sites & UV Index

The Air Quality index is in Grafton, Taylor County, West Virginia = 94.7. These Air Quality index is based on annual reports from the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The number of ozone alert days is used as an indicator of air quality, as are the amounts of seven pollutants including particulates, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, lead, and volatile organic chemicals. The Water Quality Index is 33. A measure of the quality of an area’s water supply as rated by the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The EPA has a complex method of measuring the watershed quality, using 15 indicators such as pollutants, turbidity, sediments, and toxic discharges. The Superfund Sites Index is 80. Higher is better (100=best). Based upon the number and impact of EPA Superfund pollution sites in the county, including spending on the cleanup efforts. The UV Index in Grafton = 3.6 and is a measure of an area's exposure to the sun's ultraviolet rays. This is most often a combination of sunny weather, altitude, and latitude. The UV Index has been defined by the WHO (www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/radiation-the-ultraviolet-(uv)-index) and is uniform worldwide.

Employed

The most recent city population of 4,729 individuals with a median age of 41.7 age the population grows by 2.28% in Grafton, Taylor County, West Virginia population since 2000 and are distributed over a density of 1,356.75 residents per square mile of area (523.77/km²). There are average 2.28 people per household in the 2,366 households with an average household income of $30,553 a year. The unemployment rate in Alabama is 6.60% of the available work force and has dropped -3.38% over the most recent 12-month period and the projected change in job supply over the next decade based on migration patterns, economic growth, and other factors will increase by 26.64%. The number of physicians in Grafton per 100,000 population = 72.1.

Weather

The annual rainfall in Grafton = 43.6 inches and the annual snowfall = 38 inches. The annual number of days with measurable precipitation (over .01 inch) = 147. The average number of days per year that are predominantly sunny = 151. 85 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily high temperature for the month of July and 22 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily low temperature for the month of January. The Comfort Index (higher=better) is 44, where higher values mean a more pleasant climate. The Comfort Index measure recognizes that humidity by itself isn't the problem. (Have you noticed nobody ever complains about the weather being 'cold and humid?) It's in the summertime that we notice the humidity the most, when it's hot and muggy. Our Comfort Index uses a combination of afternoon summer temperature and humidity to closely predict the effect that the humidity will have on people.

Median Home Cost

The percentage of housing units in Grafton, Taylor County, West Virginia which are owned by the occupant = 60.98%. A housing unit is a house, apartment, mobile home, or room occupied as separate living quarters. The average age of homes = 59 years with median home cost = $72,070 and home appreciation of -1.68%. This is the value of the years most recent home sales data. Its important to note that this is not the average (or arithmetic mean). The median home price is the middle value when you arrange all the sales prices of homes from lowest to highest. This is a better indicator than the average, because the median is not changed as much by a few unusually high or low values. The property tax rate of $5.69 shown here is the rate per $1,000 of home value. If for simplification for example the tax rate is $14.00 and the home value is $250,000, the property tax would be $14.00 x ($250,000/1000), or $3500. This is the 'effective' tax rate.

Study

The local school district spends $4,991 per student. There are 16.7 students for each teacher in the school, 616 students for each Librarian and 197 students for each Counselor. 2.09% of the area’s population over the age of 25 with an Associate Degree or other 2-year college degree, 5.39% with a master’s degree, Ph.D. or other advanced college degree and 3.44% with high school diplomas or high school equivalency degrees (GEDs).