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Bedford, Virginia

Bedford is an independent city located within the confines of Bedford County in the state of Virginia. It serves as the county seat of Bedford County.

Bedford is home of the National D-Day Memorial; it was selected for that honor because it lost more residents per capita in the Normandy landings than any other American community. Nineteen soldiers from Bedford, whose 1944 population was about 3,200, were killed on D-Day. Two other Bedford soldiers died later in the Normandy campaign.

It is also near Poplar Forest, the rural retreat of Thomas Jefferson. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 6,299.

Geography

\nAccording to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 17.9 km² (6.9 mi²). 17.8 km² (6.9 mi²) of it is land and 0.14% is water.

Demographics

\nAs of the
census of 2000, there are 6,299 people, 2,519 households, and 1,592 families residing in the city. The population density is 353.0/km² (914.5/mi²). There are 2,702 housing units at an average density of 151.4/km² (392.3/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 75.33% White, 22.38% African American, 0.24% Native American, 0.57% Asian, 0.08% Pacific Islander, 0.24% from other races, and 1.16% from two or more races. 0.89% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race. There are 2,519 households out of which 27.7% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.0% are married couples living together, 17.2% have a female householder with no husband present, and 36.8% are non-families. 33.0% of all households are made up of individuals and 15.7% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.26 and the average family size is 2.87. In the city the population is spread out with 21.6% under the age of 18, 7.2% from 18 to 24, 27.8% from 25 to 44, 20.7% from 45 to 64, and 22.6% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 41 years. For every 100 females there are 90.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 85.4 males. The median income for a household in the city is $28,792, and the median income for a family is $35,023. Males have a median income of $28,668 versus $18,065 for females. The per capita income for the city is $15,423. 19.7% of the population and 15.4% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total people living in poverty, 29.4% are under the age of 18 and 11.1% are 65 or older.