Flatwoods, Kentucky

Flatwoods is a city within Greenup County, Kentucky. Flatwoods is considered a suburb of Ashland, Kentucky, in the United States, although Ashland itself is located in neighboring Boyd County. The population was 7,423 at the 2010 census, making Flatwoods the largest city in Greenup County. Flatwoods is a part of the Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH, Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA). As of the 2000 census, the MSA had a population of 288,649.

Legally, Flatwoods is a 3rd-class city, making it the equivalent of much larger cities such as Florence. Locally, Flatwoods is considered to be a bedroom community, as it has no large employer within the city. Many residents work for CSX Transportation, AK Steel, Marathon Oil, King's Daughters Medical Center, or Our Lady of Bellefonte Hospital. There are six institutions of higher education located within 30–40 minutes of Flatwoods: Ashland Community and Technical College and Kentucky Christian University in Kentucky, the Ohio University Southern Campus and Shawnee State University in Ohio, and Marshall University and Mountwest Community and Technical College in West Virginia.

History
The area now known as the City of Flatwoods was originally named Advance: Advance Methodist Church formed a Sunday school beginning in 1860. The name was later changed to Cheap, after John Cheap, a blind clergyman. The original farming community returned to the name of Advance when a post office was established in 1918. In 1938, the post office was renamed Flatwoods, and the town was incorporated the same year under that name. Flatwoods is named for the area's unique topography, a belt of flat wooded land in the ancient Teays River Valley on an elevation of approximately 650 feet or higher, just south of the Ohio River Valley. The availability of flat level land and low tax rates made Flatwoods a local hot spot of new construction in the 1950s and 1960s, when many upper middle-class tract housing developments were built and quickly inhabited. A main contributor to Flatwoods' growth was the fact that nearby Ashland had developed much of its available land prior to 1960, with little new construction possible within its corporation limits.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 4.5 sqmi, all land.

The topography of Flatwoods is uncharacteristic to eastern Kentucky in that it consists of totally flat to rolling land on a single elevated hill. In eastern Kentucky, the dissected plateau landscape often referred to as "hill and valley" is standard terrain for the surrounding region. The flat terrain found in Flatwoods was created when it was the river bed of the ancient Teays River, which traveled through the area in prehistoric times, much larger than the Ohio River that now passes through the region.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 7,605 people, 3,114 households, and 2,282 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,691.9 people per square mile (654.0/km²). There were 3,338 housing units at an average density of 742.6 per square mile (287.0/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 98.19% White, 0.38% African American, 0.20% Native American, 0.36% Asian, 0.30% from other races, and 0.58% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.58% of the population.

There were 3,114 households out of which 31.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.0% were married couples living together, 12.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.7% were non-families. 24.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.41 and the average family size was 2.85.

In the city the population was spread out with 23.0% under the age of 18, 7.7% from 18 to 24, 28.0% from 25 to 44, 25.0% from 45 to 64, and 16.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 87.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.1 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $31,115, and the median income for a family was $39,023. Males had a median income of $36,184 versus $20,904 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,633. About 9.7% of families and 11.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.0% of those under age 18 and 10.3% of those age 65 or over.

Education
The majority of the city sits within the Russell Independent School District, which also includes the cities of Russell and Bellefonte. The main campus for the district, which includes Russell High School, Russell Middle School, Russell Primary School and the Russell Area Technology Center, sits on the Russell/Flatwoods city line (the school's mailing addresses are Russell but they primarily receive police and fire protection from Flatwoods). In addition, one school, Russell-McDowell Intermediate School, sits firmly within the Flatwoods city limits. Some students in a small section of the city (near The Oaks golf course) attend the Raceland-Worthington Independent Schools.

Radio

 * 100.5 WKEE
 * 93.7 The Dawg
 * 98.7 The Plannet
 * 101.5 Big Buck Country
 * 103.3 WTCR
 * Kool Hits 105.7

Television

 * WSAZ-TV

Points of interest

 * The Oaks - an 18 hole public golf course.


 * Greenbo Lake State Resort Park is located within 25 minutes of Flatwoods.

Notable people

 * Billy Ray Cyrus, country singer, actor and father of singer Miley Cyrus.