Oak Hill is a city in Fayette County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 8,179 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Beckley metropolitan area.
Country singer Hank Williams died in Oak Hill on his way to a concert on January 1, 1953. The city is also home to the historic Oak Hill Railroad Depot which still stands today as an artisan shop. More recently, recreation has become a leading industry as the city neighbors the New River Gorge National Park and Preserve.
History
Oak Hill was settled in 1820. The community was so named on account of an oak tree at the elevated town site. It was incorporated as a town in 1905.
Oak Hill is the supposed place of death of Hank Williams. According to his driver Charles Carr, they had stopped at a gas station in Oak Hill and found Williams dead in the backseat. On March 26, 2016, the city was honored with a historical marker to pay tribute to Williams' memory.
Geography
Oak Hill is located at (37.982775, -81.145334).
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which is land and is water.
Climate
Demographics
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, Oak Hill had a population of 8,179. The median age was 42.5 years. 23.3% of residents were under the age of 18 and 21.4% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 86.8 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 82.5 males age 18 and over.
94.8% of residents lived in urban areas, while 5.2% lived in rural areas.
There were 3,543 households in Oak Hill, of which 28.2% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 38.3% were married-couple households, 17.5% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 36.3% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 34.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. of 2010, there were 7,730 people, 3,398 households, and 2,085 families living in the city. The population density was . There were 3,703 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 93.3% White, 4.3% African American, 0.3% Native American, 0.2% Asian, 0.2% from other races, and 1.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.2% of the population.
There were 3,398 households, of which 27.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.1% were married couples living together, 13.8% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.4% had a male householder with only a computer present, and 38.6% were non-families. 34.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.22 and the average family size was 2.84.
The median age in the city was 43.3 years. 21.2% of residents were under the age of 18; 7.3% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 23.8% were from 25 to 44; 28.7% were from 45 to 64; and 19% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 46.8% male and 53.2% female.
2000 census
As of the census
- Needles Eye Park
- Oak Hill City Park
- Collins Park and Disc Golf course
- Russel E. Matthews Park at Harlem Heights
- Doc Hamilton Dog Park
- The Lively Family Amphitheater
Government
Oak Hill uses a city council consisting of eight members including the mayor. The city also employs a city manager to assist in organizing its day-to-day operations. As of 2023, the current mayor of Oak Hill is Charles H. Briscoe and the current city manager is Damita Johnson.
Education
Public Schools:
New River Intermediate School,
New River primary School,
Oak Hill Middle School,
Oak Hill High School,
Fayette Institute of Technology
Private Schools:
St. Peter & Paul Catholic School
Mountain View Christian School
Notable people
- Randy Gilkey, American singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, producer and recording engineer (born in Oak Hill)
- Earl Jones, former professional basketball player (born in Oak Hill)
- Charlie McCoy, session musician and multi-instrumentalist.