In recent years, Greene County has become a tourist destination for metropolitan areas to escape to the Shenandoah National Park and Virginia's scenic foothills.
A major incident occurred on October 24, 1979, when a natural gas main ruptured, causing an explosion. The resulting fire destroyed the bell tower of the county courthouse and county office building. However, quick action by the firefighters on the scene saved the county records secured in the vault.[4]
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 156.8 square miles (406.1 km2), of which 156.1 square miles (404.3 km2) is land and 0.7 square miles (1.8 km2) (0.4%) is water.[5] It is the second-smallest county in Virginia by total area.
U.S. Decennial Census[6] 1790–1960[7] 1900–1990[8] 1990–2000[9] 2010[10] 2020[11]
2020 census
Greene County, Virginia – Racial and ethnic composition Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.
As of the census[12] of 2010, there were 18,403 people, 6,780 households, and 5,072 families residing in the county. The population density was 117.8 people per square mile (45.5 people/km2). There were 7,509 housing units at an average density of 48.1 per square mile (18.6/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 87.6% White, 6.3% Black or African American, 0.19% Native American, 0.45% Asian, 0.2% Pacific Islander, 0.64% from other races, and 2.2% from two or more races. 4.2% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 6,780 households, out of which 32.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59% were married couples living together, 11.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.2% were non-families. 20.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.69 and the average family size was 3.08. The median age for all individuals in the county was 59.3 years.
The median income for a household in the county was $54,307 and median family income was $60,414. The per capita income for the county was $24,696. 8.4% of the population and 4.9% of families were below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 8.6% of those under the age of 18 and 11.8% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.
In May 2022, County Commissioner of Revenue Larry Vernon Snow resigned and pled guilty to federal charges of witness tampering. He had held the position since 1987 and had been reelected while under indictment. His son, Bryant Austin Snow, also pled guilty to charges of drug distribution.[13][14]
Board of Supervisors
The Board of Supervisors contains five members:[15]
The Greene County Sheriff's Office (GCSO) is Greene County, Virginia's primary law enforcement agency.
After a 1994 study rated Greene County the second most dangerous county in Virginia for traffic, the Sheriff's office cracked down on speeding. In 1997, the office wrote 15 times more tickets than in 1992.[21]