Somerset

Somerset is a home rule-class city in Pulaski County, Kentucky, United States. The city population was 11,924 according to the 2020 census. Somerset is located at 37°459N 84°3634W (37.082966, 84.609387), and the downtown (central) part of the city is at an elevation of 974 feet above sea level. Nearby Lake Cumberland is one of the largest man-made lakes in the world (101 miles in length, with an average depth of 85 feet (26 m) and a normal pool containing more than 2 trillion gallons of water). Somerset is also near Cumberland Falls and the Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area; its tourism industries are, in part, due to its scenic and varied landscape. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Somerset has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps. It is located in the eastern end of Kentucky's Mississippian Plateau (or Pennyroyal Plateau); however, the micropolitan area extends eastward into the Appalachian Plateau and northward to Kentucky's Outer Bluegrass region. The major demographic differences between the city and the mic Metropolitan area relate to income, housing composition and age. The mic metropolitan area is more suburban in flavor and has a younger housing stock, a higher income, and contains most of the area's school age population. Over the last 20 years, housing growth has occurred along the Fishing Creek tary of Lake Cumberlands, just to the west of the City of Somerset.

History

Somerset is the primary city name, but also Acorn, Alcalde, Elihu, Poplarville, Public, Ruth, Stab, Walnut Grove are acceptable city names or spellings. The official name is Somerset, Kentucky. Somerset was first settled in 1798 by Thomas Hansford and received its name from Somerset County, New Jersey, where some of the early settlers had formerly lived. Somerset became the Pulaski County seat in 1802, and was incorporated as a city in 1887. A Civil War battle was fought in January 1862, at Mill Springs (now "Nancy") about 8 miles (13 km) west of Somerset. In 1875 tracks for the Southern Railroad were completed and Somerset saw a population growth and an increase in industry. The completion of Lake Cumberland in 1950 transformed Somerset from a sleepy rural community into a recreation center. In the late 1930s and early 1940s, library services were provided by the pack horse library. The Center for Rural Development in Somerset was established in 1996. It is a 501c(3) nonprofit organization that describes its mission as follows: "to provide leadership that stimulates innovative and sustainable economic development solutions and a better way of life for the citizens we serve." The Centers programs and services focus on public safety, arts & culture, leadership, and technology. The Somerset Museum is located in the town of Somerset and is open to the public. It has a collection of Civil War memorabilia, including a Civil War cannon, a rifle, and a rifle that was used in the battle of Mill Springs. The museum is at the site of the Mill Springs battlefield, which is now known as "Mill Springs" and has a museum at its base.

Geography

Somerset is located at 37°459N 84°3634W (37.082966, 84.609387), and the downtown (central) part of the city is at an elevation of 974 feet above sea level. Nearby Lake Cumberland is one of the largest man-made lakes in the world (101 miles in length, with an average depth of 85 feet (26 m) and a normal pool containing more than 2 trillion gallons of water) Somerset is also near Cumberland Falls and the Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area. The city has a total area of 11.3 square miles (29 km²), of which 11.2 square miles is land and 0.09% is water. The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. The annual average precipitation at Somerset is 51.08 inches (1,297 mm) The wettest month of the year is May with anAverage daily maximum temperature of 86 °F (30 °C) The coldest month is January with an Average minimum temperature of 25.10 °F. Snowfall typically occurs between the months of December and February. The average daily maximum temperatures in Somerset is 86 °C (30°F) The average monthly rainfall is 5.17 inches (131 mm) Snowfall is fairly evenly distributed throughout the year, with the wettlest month of May having an average rainfall of 5.16 inches (132 mm).

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 11,352 people, 4,831 households, and 2,845 families residing within the City of Somerset (proper) There were 5,428 housing units at an average density of 481.5 per square mile (186.0/km²) The racial makeup of the city was 94.16% White, 3.66% Black, 0.18% Native American,0.71% Asian, and 1.02% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.99% of the population. The median income for a household in the city. was $22,362, and the median income. for a family was $31,226. About 16.4% of families and 22.1% of. the city's population were below the poverty line, including 31.3% of those under age 18 and 18.9% ofThose age 65 or over. The micropolitan area, as compared to the incorporated city, is more suburban in flavor and has a younger housing stock, a higher income, and contains most of the area's school age population. Over the last 20 years, housing growth has occurred along the Fishing Creek tributary of Lake Cumberland, which lies just to the west of the City. of Somerset, and along the main body of Lake. Cumberland between City of Burnside and Fishing Creek. Much of the Somerset area housing growth in the last20 years is lake-oriented.

Economy

Lake Cumberland alone generates approximately $150 million in revenue each year. The Civil War Battle of Mill Springs took place in nearby Nancy and the reenactments held there often draw crowds. Somerset's location along Lake Cumberland has caused it to become a houseboat manufacturing center. In 2014, a municipal-run filling station, the Somerset Fuel Center, was opened in response to persistently high local gas prices. On June 26, 2012, Somerset city voters approved the sale of alcoholic beverages by a margin of 2,167 "Wet" votes to 1,464 "Dry" votes. This vote allows for packaged liquor and beer sales, and sales by the drink at restaurants and bars.Nearby Somerset, located off Highway 461, is the Valley Oak Technology Complex, an industrial center. Housed there are such companies as SafeAuto and others. The city also has auto- associated, flooring, wood-associated, and other industries. LCRH is regional hub for the region's only advanced medical services. A ventilator care facility, Rockcastle Regional Hospital and Respiratory Care Center, is in adjoining Rockcastle County. L CRH is a JCAHO-accredited hospital with 304 beds. A virtual online tour of the hospital is available. In 2006, a new 58-acre (230,000 m2) medical park, called MedPark West, was finished near the Lake Cumberlands Regional Hospital (LCRH) Since completion, new medical practices have opened there.

Employers

Major employers in the Somerset area include Walmart, H.T. Hackney Co. and Texas Roadhouse. The Somerset area is home to a number of schools, libraries and other public facilities. The town is located on the Somerset River. It has a population of about 6,000. The area is located in the eastern part of the Somerset County, which is the county seat of Somerset County. It is also home to the town of Somerset, where the population is about 4,500. The county's largest employer is Walmart, which has more than 2,000 employees. The largest employer in the area is the Somerset Recycling Services, with more than 1,200 employees. It also has a large number of other businesses, such as a bank, a hospital and a dairy farm, as well as a school and an insurance company. The city's population is around 5,000, with the majority of its residents living in or near the town's downtown area. It was founded in the early 1900s and has a history of being heavily affected by the Great Depression and the Second World War. In the early 20th century, Somerset was one of the first towns in the state to become a hub for the growth of the state. It became a major city in the mid-20th century and is now home to more than 4,000 people. The population has grown over the years, with most of its people living in and around the town center. The majority of the population lives in or around the city of Somerset.

Education

Somerset has a lending library, a branch of the Pulaski County Public Library. There is a local two-year college, Somerset Community College, part of the Kentucky Community and Technical College System (KCTCS) Somerset has one of the few Aviation Maintenance Technology programs (Airframe and Powerplant) in Kentucky. There are several smaller schools, including Tabernacle Christian Academy, Science Hill Independent, Somerset Christian School, and Saline Christian Academy. Students living within the city limits typically fall under the Somerset Independent school district. The three main high schools are Southwestern, Pulasksi County, and Somerset. The county is served by two main school systems, Somerset Independent and Pulasko County. The Somerset Independent School District is the largest school district in the county, with more than 2,000 students. The Pulaska County School System has about 1,500 students, with most of them living in the city of Somerset. It is the second largest school system in the state, after the Louisville and Lexington School District. The local high school is Southwestern High School, which was built in 1993 to alleviate overcrowding. The main high school in Somerset is Somerset High School (SHS), which was opened in 1996. The town also has a small private school, Somerset Presbyterian, which opened in 1998. The community is home to a number of Christian schools, such as Tabernacles Christian Academy and Science Hill Christian School. Somerset has a few small churches, including Somerset Christian Church.

Popular culture

Somerset has been featured on television as a result of the Somernites Cruise event. The FX drama Justified mentions Somerset in Seasons 1, 2, 3, and 5. The ID Channel featured the city on the show Sins and Secrets in 2012. In 2019 Somerset was featured in season 2 of the docuseries "Hellier". The series investigated the mysterious and strange happenings in Somerset, and Pulaski County. The city is also featured on My Classic Car on the Speed Channel, "Horsepower TV" on the Spike TV network, and "Mothers Car Show Series" on ESPN2. It has also been featured in the "Lokar Car Show series" on Fox Sports. The town has a population of about 2,000. It is located in the eastern part of the state of Kentucky, near the state line with Kentucky. The population of the county is about 3,000, and it is located on the eastern edge of the Kentucky Bootheel, which is the state's bootheel region. The county is home to the Somerset High School football team, which won the state championship in 2010. The school has a history of winning state championships in the 1980s, 1990s, and 2000s. It also has a track and field team, the Somerset Track and Field Club, which has won several state championships. The Somerset High Football Team won the Kentucky State Championship in 2010 and 2011. The team also won the national championship in 2008 and 2009.

Air Quality, Water Quality, Superfund Sites & UV Index

The Air Quality index is in Somerset, Pulaski County, Kentucky = 96.5. These Air Quality index is based on annual reports from the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The number of ozone alert days is used as an indicator of air quality, as are the amounts of seven pollutants including particulates, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, lead, and volatile organic chemicals. The Water Quality Index is 65. A measure of the quality of an area’s water supply as rated by the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The EPA has a complex method of measuring the watershed quality, using 15 indicators such as pollutants, turbidity, sediments, and toxic discharges. The Superfund Sites Index is 100. Higher is better (100=best). Based upon the number and impact of EPA Superfund pollution sites in the county, including spending on the cleanup efforts. The UV Index in Somerset = 4.1 and is a measure of an area's exposure to the sun's ultraviolet rays. This is most often a combination of sunny weather, altitude, and latitude. The UV Index has been defined by the WHO (www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/radiation-the-ultraviolet-(uv)-index) and is uniform worldwide.

Employed

The most recent city population of 11,924 individuals with a median age of 41.9 age the population grows by 4.94% in Somerset, Pulaski County, Kentucky population since 2000 and are distributed over a density of 847.60 residents per square mile of area (327.26/km²). There are average 2.06 people per household in the 5,262 households with an average household income of $25,879 a year. The unemployment rate in Alabama is 10.30% of the available work force and has dropped -3.30% over the most recent 12-month period and the projected change in job supply over the next decade based on migration patterns, economic growth, and other factors will increase by 23.10%. The number of physicians in Somerset per 100,000 population = 208.1.

Weather

The annual rainfall in Somerset = 49.8 inches and the annual snowfall = 12.5 inches. The annual number of days with measurable precipitation (over .01 inch) = 104. The average number of days per year that are predominantly sunny = 193. 86 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily high temperature for the month of July and 25 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily low temperature for the month of January. The Comfort Index (higher=better) is 48, where higher values mean a more pleasant climate. The Comfort Index measure recognizes that humidity by itself isn't the problem. (Have you noticed nobody ever complains about the weather being 'cold and humid?) It's in the summertime that we notice the humidity the most, when it's hot and muggy. Our Comfort Index uses a combination of afternoon summer temperature and humidity to closely predict the effect that the humidity will have on people.

Median Home Cost

The percentage of housing units in Somerset, Pulaski County, Kentucky which are owned by the occupant = 49.62%. A housing unit is a house, apartment, mobile home, or room occupied as separate living quarters. The average age of homes = 40 years with median home cost = $80,590 and home appreciation of 0.00%. This is the value of the years most recent home sales data. Its important to note that this is not the average (or arithmetic mean). The median home price is the middle value when you arrange all the sales prices of homes from lowest to highest. This is a better indicator than the average, because the median is not changed as much by a few unusually high or low values. The property tax rate of $5.17 shown here is the rate per $1,000 of home value. If for simplification for example the tax rate is $14.00 and the home value is $250,000, the property tax would be $14.00 x ($250,000/1000), or $3500. This is the 'effective' tax rate.

Study

The local school district spends $4,677 per student. There are 15.2 students for each teacher in the school, 423 students for each Librarian and 437 students for each Counselor. 5.40% of the area’s population over the age of 25 with an Associate Degree or other 2-year college degree, 6.98% with a master’s degree, Ph.D. or other advanced college degree and 6.31% with high school diplomas or high school equivalency degrees (GEDs).