John Mosby and Meriwether Lewis, were both born in Charlottesville, and Edgar Allen Poe lived in the city while attending the University of Virginia. Also, William McGuffey lived in Charlottesville while serving as a professor at the University. Dave Matthews was a bartender in a Charlottesville jazz club when he formed the Dave Matthews Band.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 26.6 km² (10.3 mi²). None of the area is covered with water.
Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there are 45,049 people, 16,851 households, and 7,633 families residing in the city. The population density is 1,695.3/km² (4,389.7/mi²). There are 17,591 housing units at an average density of 662.0/km² (1,714.1/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 69.56% White, 22.22% African American, 0.11% Native American, 4.93% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 1.02% from other races, and 2.13% from two or more races. 2.45% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 16,851 households out of which 20.5% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 29.2% are married couples living together, 13.1% have a female householder with no husband present, and 54.7% are non-families. 34.9% of all households are made up of individuals and 8.2% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.27 and the average family size is 2.85.
The age distribution, strongly influenced by the University of Virginia, is: 15.2% under the age of 18, 33.8% from 18 to 24, 25.8% from 25 to 44, 15.2% from 45 to 64, and 10.1% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 26 years. For every 100 females there are 87.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 84.6 males.
The median income for a household in the city is $31,007, and the median income for a family is $45,110. Males have a median income of $31,197 versus $26,458 for females. The per capita income for the city is $16,973. 25.9% of the population and 12.0% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total people living in poverty, 20.8% are under the age of 18 and 7.2% are 65 or older.