Editing West Jefferson, North Carolina

{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}}
{{Infobox settlement
| official_name      = West Jefferson, North Carolina
| settlement_type    = [[Town]]
| nickname           = 
| motto              = <!-- Images -->
| image_skyline      = Downtown West Jefferson on a September morning.jpg
| imagesize          = 
| image_caption      = North Jefferson Avenue in West Jefferson
| image_flag         = 
| image_seal         = <!-- Maps -->
| image_map          = West Jefferson.png
| mapsize            = 250px
| map_caption        = Location within the U.S. state of North Carolina
| image_map1         = 
| mapsize1           = 
| map_caption1       = <!-- Location -->
| subdivision_type   = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
| subdivision_name   = {{flag|United States}}
| subdivision_type1  = [[U.S. state|State]]
| subdivision_name1  = [[North Carolina]]
| subdivision_type2  = [[List of counties in North Carolina|County]]
| subdivision_name2  = [[Ashe County, North Carolina|Ashe]]
| government_footnotes = 
| government_type    = 
| leader_title       = 
| leader_name        = 
| leader_title1      = 
| leader_name1       = 
| established_title  = 
| established_date   = <!-- Area -->
| unit_pref          = Imperial
| 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>
| area_magnitude     = 
| area_total_km2     = 5.58
| area_total_sq_mi   = 2.15
| population_as_of   = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
| population_footnotes = 
| population_total   = 1279
| population_density_km2 = 229.44
| population_density_sq_mi = 594.33

<!-- General information -->| timezone           = [[North American Eastern Time Zone|EST]]
| utc_offset         = -5
| timezone_DST       = EDT
| utc_offset_DST     = -4
| elevation_footnotes = <ref name=gnis/>
| elevation_ft       = 2986
| coordinates        = {{coord|36|23|46|N|81|30|02|W|region:US_type:city|display=inline,title}}
| postal_code_type   = [[ZIP code]]
| postal_code        = 28694
| area_code          = [[Area codes 336 and 743|336, 743]]
| blank_name         = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
| blank_info         = 37-72540<ref name="GR2">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=2008-01-31|title=U.S. Census website}}</ref>
| blank1_name        = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
| blank1_info        = 2406863<ref name=gnis>{{GNIS|2406863}}</ref>
| website            = {{URL|www.townofwj.com}}
| footnotes          = 
| pop_est_as_of      = 
| pop_est_footnotes  = 
| population_est     = 
}}

'''West Jefferson''' is a [[resort town]] in [[Ashe County, North Carolina|Ashe County]], [[North Carolina]], [[United States]]. The population was 1,279 at the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]].<ref name="Census 2020">https://ncleg.gov/Files/GIS/Base_Data/2021/Reports/PL94_171_2020_PlacePop.pdf Retrieved July 11, 2023</ref>

West Jefferson is a popular destination among [[tourists]] and [[retirees]] from [[Florida]], as well as those from the lower elevations of [[the Carolinas]] and [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]].

==History==
West Jefferson was [[Incorporated town|incorporated]] in 1909. At one time, West Jefferson had the distinction of having the only cheese factory in the southeastern United States. For many decades, West Jefferson was served by the [[Norfolk and Western Railroad]], better known as the "[[Virginia Creeper Trail|Virginia Creeper]]." The railroad was the primary reason for the creation of West Jefferson, as the town became a major stop on the railway. With the decline of the railroad and the loss of textile factory jobs to foreign markets, West Jefferson's economy is increasingly devoted to the [[tourism industry]]. The town's location in the [[Appalachian Mountains]] has led to many tourists visiting the area each year, and many out-of-state tourists have begun to build cabins and housing developments around the town. Attractions include a [[West Jefferson Historic District|walkable main street]] with food, breweries, local art, a cheese factory, a vintage theater, an annual festival, a [[caboose]] from a train, and a children's playground.<ref name="Town of West Jefferson">https://visitwestjefferson.org/services/ Retrieved July 11, 2023</ref>

==Geography==
West Jefferson is situated in the Appalachian Mountain chain, in a valley between [[Mount Jefferson (North Carolina)|Mount Jefferson]] (to the east) and Paddy Mountain (to the west).

According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the town has a total area of {{convert|5.4|km2|disp=flip}}, all  land.<ref name="Census 2020"/>

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1920= 462
|1930= 704
|1940= 883
|1950= 871
|1960= 1000
|1970= 889
|1980= 822
|1990= 1002
|2000= 1081
|2010= 1299
|2020= 1279
|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|access-date=June 4, 2015}}</ref>
}}

===2020 census===
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:right"
|+West Jefferson racial composition<ref>{{Cite web|title=Explore Census Data|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?g=1600000US3772540&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P2|access-date=2021-12-20|website=data.census.gov}}</ref>
!scope="col"| Race
!scope="col"| Number
!scope="col"| Percentage
|-
!scope="row"| [[White (U.S. Census)|White]] (non-Hispanic)
| 1,079
| 84.36%
|-
!scope="row"| [[African American (U.S. Census)|Black or African American]] (non-Hispanic)
| 18
| 1.41%
|-
!scope="row"| [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]]
| 4
| 0.31%
|-
!scope="row"| [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]]
| 10
| 0.78%
|-
!scope="row"| [[Race (United States Census)|Other/Mixed]]
| 29
| 2.27%
|-
!scope="row"| [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]]
| 139
| 10.87%
|}
As of the [[2020 United States census]], there were 1,279 people, 663 households, and 333 families residing in the town.

===2000 census===
As of the [[census]]<ref name="GR2" /> of 2000, there were 1,081 people, 527 households, and 290 families residing in the town. The population density was {{convert|619.2|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. There were 601 housing units at an average density of {{convert|344.3|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. The racial makeup of the town was 94.73% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 0.37% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 1.57% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 0.28% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 0.19% [[Pacific Islander (U.S. Census)|Pacific Islander]], 2.04% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 0.83% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 5.27% of the population.

There were 527 households, out of which 22.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.4% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 11.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 44.8% were non-families. 41.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 19.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.02 and the average family size was 2.69.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 19.3% under the age of 18, 8.8% from 18 to 24, 25.2% from 25 to 44, 23.5% from 45 to 64, and 23.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females, there were 87.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.0 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $24,479, and the median income for a family was $35,000. Males had a median income of $22,800 versus $18,819 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the town was $19,799. About 11.2% of families and 18.9% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 25.0% of those under age 18 and 16.9% of those age 65 or over.

==West Jefferson Dr Pepper==
[[File:Dr. Pepper bottling plant in West Jefferson.jpg|thumb|Dr. Pepper bottling plant in West Jefferson]]
West Jefferson is the home of soda manufacturers West Jefferson Dr Pepper (WJDP). The company is known for producing all their non-diet products with [[cane sugar]], most of which are [[Dr Pepper Snapple Group]] (formerly [[Dr Pepper/Seven Up]]) products but also include [[Mountain Dew]]. WJDP is one of only two non-Pepsi franchises existing in the United States permitted to produce Mountain Dew.{{citation needed|date=August 2023}}

The company does not ship outside its contracted territory, but several websites sell the product at a premium price. The premium price has been justified by the fact that WJDP is one of the last bottlers in the U.S. to use cane sugar instead of [[high fructose corn syrup]].<ref>{{cite web| title=West Jefferson Dr Pepper| url=http://www.glassbottlesoda.org/bottlers/wjefferson.shtml| publisher=Brent Barber| access-date=September 5, 2012}}</ref>

==Newspapers==

Ashe County has two newspapers. The oldest covering West Jefferson and Ashe County is the ''Jefferson Post'', which publishes twice weekly and is distributed throughout the county via subscription and newsstand sales. It is owned by Civitas Media, which operates a large chain of small-town newspapers.

The second newspaper is the "Ashe Mountain Times," known as the newspaper of content  publishes once a week and is distributed through subscription and newsstand sales. It is the largest newspaper in Ashe County according to US Postal filings. It is owned by Jones Media publishing company and is a sister publication of the ''Watauga Democrat'' in [[Boone, North Carolina|Boone]].[http://www.ashemountaintimes.com] <ref>{{cite web| title=Our Publications| url=http://mountaintimes.com/advertising/publications/| publisher=Mountain Times Publications| access-date=September 5, 2012}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://www.townofwj.com Town official website]

{{Ashe County, North Carolina}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Towns in Ashe County, North Carolina]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1909]]
[[Category:1909 establishments in North Carolina]]