Berea, Kentucky
Berea, Kentucky | |
|---|---|
 Berea City Hall | |
| Nickname(s): The Folk Arts And Crafts Capital Of Kentucky | |
| Motto(s): "Where Art's Alive" | |
 Location of Berea in Madison County, Kentucky. | |
| Coordinates: 37°34′37″N 84°17′37″W / 37.57694°N 84.29361°WCoordinates: 37°34′37″N 84°17′37″W / 37.57694°N 84.29361°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Kentucky |
| County | Madison |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Bruce Fraley |
| Area | |
| • Total | 16.58 sq mi (42.95 km2) |
| • Land | 16.51 sq mi (42.76 km2) |
| • Water | 0.07 sq mi (0.19 km2) |
| Elevation | 1,024 ft (312 m) |
| Population (2010) | |
| • Total | 13,561 |
| • Estimate (2019)[2] | 16,026 |
| • Density | 970.68/sq mi (374.78/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| ZIP codes | 40403-40404 |
| Area code(s) | 859 |
| FIPS code | 21-05842 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0486894 |
| Website | bereaky.gov |
Berea is a home rule-class city[3] in Madison County, Kentucky, in the United States. The town is best known for its art festivals, historic restaurants and buildings, and as the home to Berea College, a private liberal arts college. The population was 13,561 at the 2010 census. It is one of the fastest-growing towns in Kentucky, having increased by 27.4% since 2000. The name appears to come from the King James Bible, being a province in Asia Minor mentioned in Acts 17:11, where its Jewish citizens were more receptive to the message of the Apostles, but also searched the Scriptures each day to check them, in obedience to Isaiah 8:20.
Berea is a principal city of the Richmond−Berea Micropolitan Statistical Area, which includes Madison and Rockcastle counties. It was formally incorporated by the state assembly in 1890.[4]
Geography[]
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 9.4 square miles (24 km2), of which 9.3 square miles (24 km2) is land and 0.04 square miles (0.10 km2) (0.32%) is water. The city is located along Interstate 75, which runs to the west of downtown, with access from exits 76 and 77. Via I-75, Lexington is 40 mi (64 km) north, and Knoxville, Tennessee is 134 mi (216 km) south. U.S. Route 25 is the main highway through the center of town, leading north 14 mi (23 km) to Richmond, the Madison County seat, and south 17 mi (27 km) to Mount Vernon. Kentucky Route 21 also runs through the city as well, leading east 6 mi (10 km) to Bighill and northwest 10 mi (16 km) to Paint Lick.
Berea is located on the border of the Cumberland Plateau. The area has a mountainous appearance, but most outcroppings in the area have a maximum elevation of 2,500 feet or 760 metres.
Climate[]
Berea has a humid subtropical climate, with hot summers and relatively cold winters. Summers tend to be humid and sunny, with occasional storms, while winters are generally cold with many milder periods.
| hideClimate data for Berea, Kentucky | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 77 (25) |
80 (27) |
85 (29) |
90 (32) |
92 (33) |
98 (37) |
104 (40) |
102 (39) |
104 (40) |
93 (34) |
82 (28) |
78 (26) |
104 (40) |
| Average high °F (°C) | 45 (7) |
50 (10) |
60 (16) |
70 (21) |
77 (25) |
85 (29) |
87 (31) |
87 (31) |
80 (27) |
69 (21) |
58 (14) |
47 (8) |
68 (20) |
| Average low °F (°C) | 28 (−2) |
31 (−1) |
38 (3) |
47 (8) |
56 (13) |
64 (18) |
67 (19) |
66 (19) |
59 (15) |
49 (9) |
41 (5) |
31 (−1) |
48 (9) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −21 (−29) |
−10 (−23) |
−3 (−19) |
21 (−6) |
27 (−3) |
39 (4) |
47 (8) |
42 (6) |
31 (−1) |
22 (−6) |
−3 (−19) |
−17 (−27) |
−21 (−29) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 2.91 (74) |
3.56 (90) |
4.11 (104) |
3.71 (94) |
5.26 (134) |
4.65 (118) |
4.74 (120) |
3.58 (91) |
3.58 (91) |
3.29 (84) |
3.81 (97) |
4.09 (104) |
47.29 (1,201) |
| Source: The Weather Channel.[5] | |||||||||||||
Demographics[]
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1880 | 580 | — | |
| 1900 | 762 | — | |
| 1910 | 1,510 | 98.2% | |
| 1920 | 1,640 | 8.6% | |
| 1930 | 1,827 | 11.4% | |
| 1940 | 2,176 | 19.1% | |
| 1950 | 3,372 | 55.0% | |
| 1960 | 4,302 | 27.6% | |
| 1970 | 6,956 | 61.7% | |
| 1980 | 8,226 | 18.3% | |
| 1990 | 9,126 | 10.9% | |
| 2000 | 9,851 | 7.9% | |
| 2010 | 13,561 | 37.7% | |
| 2019 (est.) | 16,026 | [2] | 18.2% |
| U.S. Decennial Census[6] | |||
At the 2010 census,[7] there were 13,561 people, 5,119 households and 3,382 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,458.2 per square mile (560.4/km2). There were 5,633 housing units at an average density of 612.3 per square mile (232.8/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 90.7% White, 4.00% African American, 0.5% Native American, 1.2 percent Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 0.9% from other races, and 2.6% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 2.7% of the population.
There were 5,119 households, of which 31.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them. 47.1% were married couples living together, 4.5% had a male householder with no wife present, 14.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.9% were non-families. 28.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 22.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.39 and the average family size was 2.92.
The age distribution was 22.7% under the age of 18, 8.6% from 18 to 21, 53.2% from 21 to 62, 2.8% from 62 to 65, and 12.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32.4 years. The population was 53.4% female and 46.6% male (81 males per 100 females).
The median household income was $38,333 and the median family income was $45,541. Males had a median income of $28,304 compared $12,163 for females. The per capita income for the city was $18,003. About 27.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 39.6% of those under age 18 and 7.0% of those age 65 or over.
Economy[]
Major employers[]
Major employers include[8]
- Hitachi Automotive Systems Americas (auto parts)
- Kentucky Steel Center (auto parts)
- KI (USA) (auto parts)
- STEMCO Motor Wheel (auto parts)
- NACCO Materials Handling Group (forklifts)
- Novelis (metals)
- Pittsburgh Glass Works (auto parts)
- Wal-Mart
- Berea College
- City of Berea
- Madison County School System
Education[]
Berea has a lending library, a branch of the Madison County Public Library.[9]
Arts and culture[]
Due to the high number of arts and crafts produced, Berea is a tourist attraction. It hosts several crafts festivals throughout the year. Berea also hosts a Spoonbread Festival in mid-September, which features a cornmeal bread traditionally served with a wooden spoon.[10]
Notable people[]
- Sue Draheim, fiddler, lived in Berea in her later years until her death in 2013.
- John Fenn, recipient of 2002 Nobel Prize in Chemistry; grew up in Berea.[11]
- Red Foley, singer, musician, and radio and TV personality; raised in Berea and graduated from Berea High School.
- Damien Harris, college football player at the University of Alabama; graduated from Madison Southern High School, now a running back for the New England Patriots.
- bell hooks, author, radical feminist, and social activist; lives in Berea.
- Silas House, writer and novelist lives in Berea.
- Louise Gilman Hutchins (1911–1996), pediatrician and president of Berea's Mountain Maternal Health League.
- Ashley Judd, actress, humanitarian and political activist; briefly lived and attended school in Berea
- Naomi Judd, country music singer; briefly lived in Berea.
- Wynonna Judd, country music singer; briefly lived and attended school in Berea.[12]
- Lily May Ledford, banjo player, member of the Coon Creek Girls; lived in Berea and is buried in the Berea cemetery.[13]
- J.P. Pennington, musician, son of Lily May Ledford; born in Berea.
- Jean Ritchie, musician, "Mother of Folk"; resided in Berea until her death in 2015.
- Tony Snow, former White House press secretary; born in Berea.
- Luke Stocker, NFL player, tight end, Tampa Bay Buccaneers; graduated from Madison Southern High School.
References[]
- ^ "2019 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 24, 2020.
- ^ Jump up to: a b "Population and Housing Unit Estimates". United States Census Bureau. May 24, 2020. Retrieved May 27, 2020.
- ^ "Summary and Reference Guide to House Bill 331 City Classification Reform" (PDF). Kentucky League of Cities. Retrieved December 30, 2014.
- ^ Commonwealth of Kentucky. Office of the Secretary of State. Land Office. "Berea, Kentucky". Accessed 15 July 2013.
- ^ "Monthly Climatology for Travel Section". The Weather Channel. Retrieved May 20, 2012.
- ^ "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
- ^ American FactFinder - Results Retrieved on 2012-5-20
- ^ "Berea Madison County Business and Industry". Kentucky Cabinet for Economic Development. 2011-12-28. Retrieved 2012-01-08.
- ^ "Kentucky Public Library Directory". Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives. Archived from the original on 11 January 2019. Retrieved 7 June 2019.
- ^ http://www.spoonbreadfestival.com
- ^ Herschbach, Dudley R.; Kolb, Charles E. (2014). "John Bennett Fenn" (PDF). National Academy of Sciences.
- ^ CMT : News : Wynonna Reflects in Coming Home to Myself
- ^ The Kentucky Encyclopedia - John E. Kleber - Google Books
External links[]
 |
Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Berea, Kentucky. |
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- Cities in Madison County, Kentucky
- Richmond–Berea micropolitan area