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Hazard, Kentucky

Coordinates: 37°14′55″N 083°11′42″W / 37.24861°N 83.19500°W / 37.24861; -83.19500
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Hazard, Kentucky
City
Main Street in Hazard
Main Street in Hazard
Flag of Hazard, Kentucky
Flag
Official seal of Hazard, Kentucky
Seal
Motto: 
Queen City of the Mountains
Location of Hazard in Perry County, Kentucky
Location of Hazard in Perry County, Kentucky
Coordinates: 37°14′55″N 083°11′42″W / 37.24861°N 83.19500°W / 37.24861; -83.19500
CountryUnited States
StateKentucky
CountyPerry
IncorporatedApril 30, 1884
Named forCdre. Oliver Hazard Perry
Government
 • MayorDonald "Happy" Mobelini[1]
 • City ManagerDerrick Hall [2]
 • Assistant City ManagerAmie Bedwell[2]
 • City Treasurer / Secretary to the Mayor[2]
Area
[3]
 • Total
7.60 sq mi (19.68 km2)
 • Land7.45 sq mi (19.30 km2)
 • Water0.15 sq mi (0.38 km2)  0%
Elevation
928 ft (283 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total
5,263
 • Estimate 
(2022)[4]
4,999
 • Density706.44/sq mi (272.76/km2)
Time zoneUTC−5 (EST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−4 (EDT)
ZIP Codes
41701–41702
Area code606
FIPS code21-35362
GNIS feature ID0512617
Websitewww.hazardky.gov

Hazard is a home rule-class city[5] in, and the county seat of, Perry County, Kentucky, United States.[6] The population was 5,263 at the 2020 census.[7]

History

[edit]
Coal miners' children cross a footbridge into Hazard, Kentucky, July 1940. Photograph by Marion Post Wolcott.

Local landowner Elijah Combs Sr. laid out the town in 1824 as the planned seat of the newly established Perry County. Both the town and the county were named for Cdre. Oliver Hazard Perry, a commander in the 1813 Battle of Lake Erie in the War of 1812.[8] The post office was initially known as Perry Court House but the name was officially changed to Hazard in 1854.[9] The city was formally incorporated by the state assembly in 1884.[10]

Long isolated by the surrounding mountains, Hazard was opened to the outside world by the arrival of the railroad in 1912. The only access to the valley had previously been 45 miles down the North Fork of the Kentucky River or a two-week trip over the surrounding mountains.[11] The railroad brought prosperity to the town, which ended up on the start of the Great Depression.

The song "High Sheriff of Hazard" was written by Tom Paxton in reference to a coal miner's strike in 1964.

In 1981, several cast members of the television series The Dukes of Hazzard, including Catherine Bach, James Best, Sorrell Booke and Rick Hurst, visited Hazard during its Black Gold Festival.[12] Soon afterwards, the series' stars Tom Wopat and John Schneider made appearances in Hazard.

After several decades of population decline, the city has seen a rapid increase of new residents as the growth rate approached 20% between 2010 and 2020. In July 1999, Hazard was the first stop on President Bill Clinton's tour of poverty-stricken communities that had failed to share in the boom of the 1990s. Hillary Clinton visited Hazard on November 2, 2008, at a political rally for Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Bruce Lunsford.[13][14]

One of the two ZIP codes serving Hazard is 41702; as of 2024, there are precisely 41,702 ZIP codes in the United States.

Geography

[edit]
See also: North Fork tributaries at Hazard, Kentucky

Hazard is located at 37°15′21″N 83°11′37″W / 37.25583°N 83.19361°W / 37.25583; -83.19361 (37.255910, −83.193706).[15]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 7.0 square miles (18 km2), all land.

Climate

[edit]

The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Hazard has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.[16]

Demographics

[edit]
Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
188076—
1910587—
19204,348640.7%
19307,02161.5%
19407,3975.4%
19506,985−5.6%
19605,958−14.7%
19705,459−8.4%
19805,371−1.6%
19905,4160.8%
20004,806−11.3%
20104,456−7.3%
20205,26318.1%
2022 (est.)4,999[17]−5.0%
U.S. Decennial Census[18]

As of the census[19] of 2021, there were 5,263 people, and 2,046 households. The population density was 692.5 inhabitants per square mile (267.4/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 78.4% White, 16.57% African American, 0.08% Native American, 2.07% Asian, 0.15% from other races, and 0.87% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.86% of the population.

In 2000, there were 1,946 households, out of which 30.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.9% were married couples living together, 18.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.9% were non-families. Of all households, 31.7% were made up of individuals, and 13.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.30 and the average family size was 2.88.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 21.9% under the age of 18, 8.5% from 18 to 24, 28.0% from 25 to 44, 23.9% from 45 to 64, and 17.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 85.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.3 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $20,690, and the median income for a family was $27,226. Males had a median income of $34,398 versus $22,386 for females. The per capita income for the city was $14,782. About 30.9% of families and 30.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 44.3% of those under age 18 and 13.9% of those age 65 or over.

Education

[edit]

Hazard has a lending library, the Perry County Public Library.[20]

Media

[edit]
The Mother Goose House in Hazard, Kentucky

Television

[edit]

Radio

[edit]
Main Street

Newspapers

[edit]
  • Hazard Herald
  • Perry County Advocate

Notable people

[edit]
See also: Category:People from Hazard, Kentucky

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Judge swears-in new city officials". Hazard Herald. December 14, 2014. Archived from the original on April 14, 2015. Retrieved April 7, 2015.
  2. ^ a b c "City Managers, City of Hazard, KY". Archived from the original on March 27, 2015. Retrieved April 7, 2015.
  3. ^ "2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 18, 2022.
  4. ^ "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Incorporated Places in Kentucky: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2022". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 26, 2023.
  5. ^ "Summary and Reference Guide to House Bill 331 City Classification Reform" (PDF). Kentucky League of Cities. Retrieved December 30, 2014.
  6. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  7. ^ "QuickFacts – Hazard city, Kentucky". United States Census Bureau.
  8. ^ Bergstrom, Bill (December 11, 1984). "Origins of place names are traced". Kentucky New Era. pp. 2B. Retrieved April 29, 2015.
  9. ^ Rennick, Robert M. (1987). Kentucky Place Names. University Press of Kentucky. pp. 134–135. ISBN 0813126312. Retrieved April 28, 2013.
  10. ^ Commonwealth of Kentucky. Office of the Secretary of State. Land Office. "Hazard, Kentucky". Accessed 29 July 2013.
  11. ^ "History". City of Hazard. Archived from the original on July 1, 2023. Retrieved July 1, 2023.
  12. ^ Hensley, Steve (September 17, 2009). "A look back at the 1981 Black Gold Festival". WYMT-TV. Archived from the original on May 5, 2011. Retrieved September 17, 2009.
  13. ^ "Hillary makes pick in KY House speaker race?[permanent dead link‍]" Pol Watchers. Accessed 2 November 2008.
  14. ^ "Hillary Clinton Stumps for Bruce Lunsford Archived 2011-05-23 at the Wayback Machine". WYMT-TV. Accessed 2 November 2008.
  15. ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. February 12, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
  16. ^ "Hazard, Kentucky Köppen Climate Classification (Weatherbase)". Weatherbase.
  17. ^ "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Incorporated Places in Kentucky: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2022". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 26, 2023.
  18. ^ "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
  19. ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
  20. ^ "Kentucky Public Library Directory". Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives. Archived from the original on January 11, 2019. Retrieved June 7, 2019.

Further reading

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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Hazard, Kentucky.
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