Hazard, Kentucky

Hazard is a city in Perry County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 4,806 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Perry County.

History
The town of Hazard, as well as Perry County, is named after U.S. Navy Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry, known for his victory report during the War of 1812 stating, "We have met the enemy and they are ours." A post office named Perry Court House was established in the area in the 1820s, though some reports note that locals had always referred to the area as "Hazard". The town's name was officially changed to Hazard in 1854. Long isolated by the surrounding mountains, Hazard met the outside world with the arrival of the railroad in 1912. Previously, the only ways in or out of the valley were 45 miles down the North Fork of the Kentucky River, or a 2-week trip over the surrounding mountains. The railroad brought boom times to the town, but the Great Depression saw prosperity end as quickly as it had begun.

The CBS television series The Dukes of Hazzard got its name from Hazard, Kentucky. To avoid legal problems, the producers added an extra "Z" and set the show in a fictional county in Georgia. In 1981 many of the stars of the show, Catherine Bach, James Best, Sorrell Booke, and Rick Hurst visited Hazard, Kentucky during the Black Gold Festival. Soon afterwards Tom Wopat, & John Schneider, made appearances in Hazard.

In July, 1999, Hazard received the honor of being the first stop on President Bill Clinton's tour of poverty-stricken communities that had failed to share in the boom of the 1990s. Clinton's wife, Hillary, visited Hazard on November 2, 2008 at a political rally for Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Bruce Lunsford.

Although there has been a steady decline in Hazard's population since the 1950s, there have been numerous commercial and residential developments within the city. The city is also actively working on a downtown renaissance plan to rejuvenate its business district.

Geography
Hazard is located at 37.25583°N, -83.19361°W (37.255910, -83.193706).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 7.0 square miles (18.2 km²), all of it land.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 4,806 people, 1,946 households, and 1,266 families residing in the city. The population density was 684.6 people per square mile (264.3/km²). There were 2,291 housing units at an average density of 326.4 per square mile (126.0/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 90.26% White, 6.58% African American, 0.08% Native American, 2.06% Asian, 0.15% from other races, and 0.87% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.46% of the population.

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. 31.7% of all households 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 age distribution of the population shows 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.

Schools

 * Hazard Community and Technical College
 * Hazard Independent Schools
 * Perry County Public Schools
 * Wabaco Christian Academy

Television
WYMT-TV

WKHA-TV, a satellite station of Kentucky Educational Television

Radio
WSGS

WKIC

WZQQ

WJMD

WEKH, a satellite station of WEKU

WQXY WRZD-LP

Newspapers
Hazard Herald

Hazard Connections

 * "Hazard" a County Music duo from Hazard: Wayne Davis, Bernie Faulkner, Bruce Dees, recorded the '80's hit, "Love Letters".


 * Marie McDonald, American singer and actress attended grade school in Hazard.
 * Mary Lou Turner, Country music singer born in Hazard on June 13, 1947. Turner recorded the #1 song, "Sometimes" with Bill Anderson.
 * Bobby Borchers, Country Music singer, who lived in Hazard, recorded the top 10 hit, "Cheap Perfume and Candlelight" in 1977
 * Red Allen, Bluegrass singer, a native of in Pigeon Roost Hollow in Perry County, was a member of the Osborne Brothers band.
 * Wayne Fields, a native of Hazard, was as tenor singer and mandolin player with the Bluegrass band, J.D. Crowe & the New South.
 * Sam Smith, one of the first three African American basketball players at the University of Louisville. He later played for the Chicago Bulls. Born in Hazard.
 * Shelby Lee Adams, American environmental portrait photographer and artist best known for his images of Appalachian family life. Born in Hazard in 1950.
 * Cora Combs, former professional wrestler. Born on March 17, 1923 in Hazard.
 * Joe Craft, namesake of the Joe Craft Center, UK's practice basketball facility. Born in Hazard.
 * Louann Brizendine, a Hazard native and author of the New York Time's best selling book The Female Brain.
 * Susan Perkins, Miss America 1978. Susan's parents lived in Hazard.
 * Ernie Harwell, legendary Major League baseball announcer for the Detroit Tigers, was married to Hazard native Lulu Tankerseley.
 * Justin Townes Earle, Singer-songwriter and son of Steve Earle. The family of his mother, Carol-Ann Hunter, hails from Hazard.