Editing Love Valley, North Carolina

{{for|the valley in Turkey|Love Valley, Cappadocia}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2024}}
{{Infobox settlement
| official_name            = Love Valley, North Carolina
| settlement_type          = [[Town]]
<!-- Images -->
| image_skyline            = 
| image_caption            = 
| image_flag               = 
| image_seal               = 
<!-- Maps -->
| pushpin_map              = North Carolina#USA
| pushpin_label            = Love Valley
| pushpin_map_caption      = 
<!-- Location -->
| coordinates              = {{coord|35|59|15|N|80|58|26|W|region:US-NC|display=inline,title}}
| subdivision_type         = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
| subdivision_name         = [[United States]]
| subdivision_type1        = [[U.S. state|State]]
| subdivision_name1        = [[North Carolina]]
| subdivision_type2        = [[List of counties in North Carolina|County]]
| subdivision_name2        = [[Iredell County, North Carolina|Iredell]]
| established_title        = Chartered
| established_date         = April 2, 1963
| founder                  = [[Andy Barker (philanthropist)|Andy Barker]]
<!-- Government -->
|government_footnotes     = 
|government_type          = Mayor-council
|leader_title             = Mayor
|leader_name              = Timothy Meadows ([[Republican Party (United States)|R]])
|leader_title1            = 
|leader_name1             = 
<!-- Area -->
| unit_pref                = Imperial
| area_total_km2           = 2.65
| area_total_sq_mi         = 1.02
| area_land_km2            = 2.65
| area_land_sq_mi          = 1.02
| area_water_km2           = 0.00
| area_water_sq_mi         = 0.00
<!-- Elevation -->
| elevation_footnotes      = <ref name=gnis/>
| elevation_ft             = 1476
<!-- Population -->
| population_footnotes     = 
| population_total         = 90
| population_as_of         = [[2010 United States census|2010]]
| population_density_km2   = 58.12
<!--2016 est.-->
| population_density_sq_mi = 150.54
<!-- General information -->
| timezone                 = [[North American Eastern Time Zone|Eastern (EST)]]
| utc_offset               = -5
| timezone_DST             = EDT
| utc_offset_DST           = -4
<!-- Area/postal codes & others -->
| postal_code_type         = [[ZIP code]]
| postal_code              = 28625
| area_code                = [[Area code 704|704]]
| blank_name               = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
| blank_info               = 37-39420<ref name="GR2">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|accessdate=January 31, 2008|title=U.S. Census website}}</ref>
| blank1_name              = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
| blank1_info              = 2406050<ref name=gnis>{{GNIS|2406050}}</ref>
| website                  = {{URL|www.lovevalley.com}}
|pop_est_footnotes = 
|area_footnotes = <ref name="TigerWebMapServer">{{cite web|title=ArcGIS REST Services Directory|url=https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer|publisher=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=September 20, 2022}}</ref>
}}
'''Love Valley''' is a town<ref>https://www.ncleg.gov/Files/BillDrafting/CityCharters/Charter%20of%20the%20Town%20of%20Love%20Valley.pdf {{Bare URL PDF|date=August 2024}}</ref> in [[Iredell County, North Carolina|Iredell County]], [[North Carolina]], [[United States]]. The population was 90 at the [[2010 United States census|2010 census]].<ref name="Census 2010">{{Cite web| url=https://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_SF1/G001/1600000US3739420| title=Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Census Summary File 1 (G001): Love Valley town, North Carolina| publisher=U.S. Census Bureau| work=American Factfinder| accessdate=April 10, 2018| archive-url=https://archive.today/20200213101925/https://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_SF1/G001/1600000US3739420| archive-date=February 13, 2020| url-status=dead}}</ref>

== History ==
Love Valley is a small town located in a remote valley in the [[Brushy Mountains (North Carolina)|Brushy Mountains]] of northwestern North Carolina. Its creation in 1954 marked the fulfillment of a dream for founder [[Andy Barker (philanthropist)|Andy Barker]]. Barker developed two visions as a young man—he wanted to build a [[Christianity|Christian]] community, and he wanted to be a [[cowboy]]. In 1954 he combined those visions to create an [[Old West]]-style village in the hills of northwestern Iredell County. The town was incorporated on April 2, 1963.<ref>"Love Valley Is Incorporated", AP report in ''Asheville (NC) Times'', April 2, 1963, p.15</ref><ref name='McNally'>McNally, Jim, [https://www.journalnow.com/news/local/andy-barker-founder-of-love-valley-dies/article_9aff0405-137c-5265-b963-5c2dc3561d03.html Andy Barker, Founder of Love Valley, dies], Winston-Salem Journal, August 12, 2011</ref><ref name='Love'>{{cite web|url=http://www.lovevalley.com/|title=Town of Love Valley, Cowboy Town|website=Lovevalley.com|accessdate=February 7, 2019}}</ref>

Modeled after the Old West towns seen in countless Hollywood films, Love Valley boasts a saloon, general store, hitching posts, and rodeos. Automobiles are not allowed inside the town limits; people still use horses and [[horse-drawn vehicle]]s to travel in the town. A small, [[nondenominational Christian]] church sits on a hill overlooking the town, thus emphasizing Barker's vision of a Christian utopia. The town garnered its share of controversy in the 1960s and 1970s, including around the "Love Valley Rock Festival", which local farmers complained brought drug addicts and other "troublemakers" to the area. However, over the last two decades the town has settled down considerably and is now known as a popular gathering spot for horse-lovers and horseback riding. There are miles of horseback riding trails in the surrounding Brushy Mountains.<ref name='McNally'/><ref name='Love'/>

==Geography==
Love Valley is located in the [[Brushy Mountains (North Carolina)|Brushy Mountains]] of northwestern Iredell County. It is {{convert|16|mi}} north of [[Statesville, North Carolina|Statesville]], the Iredell [[County seat]], and {{convert|23|mi}} southeast of [[Wilkesboro, North Carolina|Wilkesboro]] by road through the Brushy Mountains.

According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the town has a total area of {{convert|1.6|km2|order=flip}}, of which {{convert|5366|sqm|acre|1}}, or 0.33%, are water.<ref name="Census 2010"/> The town's area drains southwest to Snow Creek, part of the [[South Yadkin River]] watershed.

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1970= 40
|1980= 55
|1990= 67
|2000= 30
|2010= 90
|2020= 154
|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census<ref name="DecennialCensus">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=Census of Population and Housing|publisher=Census.gov|accessdate=June 4, 2015}}</ref>
}}
As of the [[census]]<ref name="GR2" /> of 2010, there were 90 people, 17 households, and 9 families residing in the town. The population density was {{convert|450.0|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. There were 31 housing units at an average density of {{convert|154.0|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. The racial makeup of the town is 98.9% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]].

There were 17 households, out of which 11.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.1% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 11.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 41.2% were non-families. 41.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.76 and the average family size was 2.20.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 6.7% under the age of 18, 6.7% from 18 to 24, 20.0% from 25 to 44, 36.7% from 45 to 64, and 30.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 55 years. For every 100 females, there were 87.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.7 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $24,375, and the median income for a family was $25,313. Males had a median income of $0 versus $0 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the town was $9,848. There were 15.4% of families and 31.0% of the population living below the [[poverty line]], including 50.0% of under eighteens and none of those over 64.

==See also==
*[[List of American utopian communities]]
*[[Mackinac Island]], another American settlement that forbids automobiles to a large extent

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{Iredell County, North Carolina}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Towns in Iredell County, North Carolina]]
[[Category:Towns in North Carolina]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1954]]