Anderson County, Tennessee

Coordinates: 36°07′N 84°12′W / 36.11°N 84.20°W / 36.11; -84.20
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Anderson County
County
Anderson County Courthouse in Clinton
Anderson County Courthouse in Clinton
Official seal of Anderson County
Seal
Map of Tennessee highlighting Anderson County
Location within the U.S. state of Tennessee
Map of the United States highlighting Tennessee
Tennessee's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 36°07′N 84°12′W / 36.11°N 84.2°W / 36.11; -84.2
Country United States
State Tennessee
FoundedNovember 6, 1801
Named forJoseph Anderson[1]
SeatClinton
Largest cityOak Ridge
Government
 • MayorTerry Frank (R)
Area
 • Total345 sq mi (890 km2)
 • Land337 sq mi (870 km2)
 • Water7.6 sq mi (20 km2)  2.2%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total77,123 Increase
 • Estimate 
(2023)
80,234 Increase
 • Density228.85/sq mi (88.36/km2)
Time zoneUTC−5 (Eastern)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district3rd
Websitewww.andersontn.org

Anderson County is a county in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is located in the northern part of the state in East Tennessee. As of the 2020 census, its population was 77,123.[2] Its county seat is Clinton.[3] Anderson County is included in the Knoxville, TN Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History[edit]

Before the formation of Anderson County, Tennessee, that territory was initially land of what is today called the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, which had been settled by several pioneer families including the Wallace, Gibbs, Freels, Frost and Tunnell families. Although the Treaty of Holston, signed in 1791, was intended as a negotiation with the Cherokee to prohibit settlement of the area including what is today Anderson County, the treaty became ineffective as more settlers moved through the Appalachian Mountains from Virginia and North Carolina into Tennessee. The flooding of white settlers into the Indian domain was cause for several skirmishes, which eased after the Treaty of Tellico in 1798 (with an origination point for relinquished land from the Cherokee being the Tellico Blockhouse) allowed for greater ease in settling the area.[4]

Anderson County was partitioned from a portion of Grainger County, Tennessee as well as a portion of Knox County, Tennessee, in 1801; neighboring Roane County, Tennessee, was also formed from a portion of Knox County, Tennessee, in 1801, making Anderson and Roane counties effectively called 'sister counties'.[5] Anderson County was named in honor of Joseph Anderson (1757-1847), who was at that time U.S. senator from Tennessee, and whose career also included judge of the Superior Court of the Territory South of the River Ohio and Comptroller of the U.S. Treasury.

Like many East Tennessee counties, the residents of Anderson County were largely opposed to secession on the eve of the Civil War. On June 8, 1861, Anderson Countians voted against Tennessee's Ordinance of Secession, 1,278 to 97.[6]

The construction of Norris Dam, the first dam built by the Tennessee Valley Authority, brought major changes to the county in the 1930s. Approximately 2900 families were relocated from reservoir lands in Anderson and nearby counties during the construction, which began in 1933 and was completed in 1936. The town of Norris was initially built as a planned community to house the workers involved in the construction of this dam. As a result of the dam completion and operation, the temperature of the downstream Clinch River bed changed, so that a former pearl industry which had been successful for many years evaporated as the mussels, once prevalent in the river, were not able to sustain life in the changed climate.

During World War II, the federal government's Manhattan Project brought more change to the county, including the displacement of more families and the founding of Oak Ridge.

The Museum of Appalachia in Norris commemorates pioneer and rural life of past decades in Anderson County and the surrounding region. It is also an antique shop that sells artifacts from the times of the first settlers to the times of the Coal Creek War

Geography[edit]

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 345 square miles (890 km2), of which 337 square miles (870 km2) is land and 7.6 square miles (20 km2) (2.2%) is water.[7]

Adjacent counties[edit]

National protected area[edit]

State protected areas[edit]

Demographics[edit]

Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
18103,959—
18204,66817.9%
18305,31013.8%
18405,6586.6%
18506,93822.6%
18607,0681.9%
18708,70423.1%
188010,82024.3%
189015,12839.8%
190017,63416.6%
191017,7170.5%
192018,2983.3%
193019,7227.8%
194026,50434.4%
195059,407124.1%
196060,0321.1%
197060,3000.4%
198067,34611.7%
199068,2501.3%
200071,3304.5%
201075,1295.3%
202077,1232.7%
2023 (est.)80,234[8]4.0%
U.S. Decennial Census[9]
1790-1960[10] 1900-1990[11]
1990-2000[12] 2010-2020[2]
Age pyramid for Anderson County[13]

2020 census[edit]

Anderson County racial composition[14]
Race Number Percentage
White (non-Hispanic) 66,044 85.63%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic) 2,841 3.68%
Native American 217 0.28%
Asian 975 1.26%
Pacific Islander 53 0.07%
Other/Mixed 4,173 5.41%
Hispanic or Latino 2,820 3.66%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 77,123 people, 30,175 households, and 19,074 families residing in the county.

2000 census[edit]

As of the census[15] of 2000, there were 71,330 people, 29,780 households, and 20,518 families residing in the county. The population density was 211 people per square mile (81 people/km2). There were 32,451 housing units at an average density of 96 units per square mile (37/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 93.36% White, 3.88% Black or African American, 0.32% Native American, 0.83% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.38% from other races, and 1.22% from two or more races. 1.10% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

According to the 2000 Census the largest ancestry groups in Anderson County were English (37%), Irish (14.7%), German (13.5%), Scots-Irish (4.5%) and Scottish (3.1%).

There were 29,780 households, out of which 29.60% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.80% were married couples living together, 11.50% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.10% were non-families. 27.70% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.10% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.37 and the average family size was 2.88.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 23.20% under the age of 18, 7.50% from 18 to 24, 27.30% from 25 to 44, 25.50% from 45 to 64, and 16.60% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.10 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.40 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $35,483, and the median income for a family was $42,584. Males had a median income of $33,710 versus $23,467 for females. The per capita income for the county was $19,009. About 10.20% of families and 13.10% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.40% of those under age 18 and 8.80% of those age 65 or over.

Economy[edit]

Anderson County has a thriving tourism industry, thanks to major attractions such as Norris Lake, the Green McAdoo School, the Museum of Appalachia, and American Museum of Science and Energy, and the county is considered a part of the Norris Highlands.

Communities[edit]

Clinton

Cities[edit]

Town[edit]

Census-designated place[edit]

Unincorporated communities[edit]

Politics[edit]

The last Democrat to carry this county was Bill Clinton in 1996.

United States presidential election results for Anderson County, Tennessee[16]
Year Republican Democratic Third party
No.  % No.  % No.  %
2020 23,184 65.18% 11,741 33.01% 645 1.81%
2016 19,212 64.30% 9,013 30.16% 1,656 5.54%
2012 18,968 63.95% 10,122 34.13% 569 1.92%
2008 19,675 62.32% 11,396 36.10% 499 1.58%
2004 18,510 58.42% 12,896 40.70% 276 0.87%
2000 14,688 51.04% 13,556 47.10% 535 1.86%
1996 11,943 43.40% 13,457 48.91% 2,116 7.69%
1992 11,838 41.38% 13,482 47.12% 3,291 11.50%
1988 15,056 60.74% 9,589 38.68% 143 0.58%
1984 16,783 61.31% 10,415 38.05% 176 0.64%
1980 14,235 55.31% 10,194 39.61% 1,307 5.08%
1976 10,494 43.29% 13,455 55.50% 293 1.21%
1972 13,865 66.03% 6,713 31.97% 421 2.00%
1968 10,233 47.04% 7,198 33.09% 4,323 19.87%
1964 8,860 42.18% 12,146 57.82% 0 0.00%
1960 11,153 52.56% 9,878 46.55% 190 0.90%
1956 11,071 52.42% 9,368 44.35% 682 3.23%
1952 10,489 53.88% 8,939 45.92% 38 0.20%
1948 5,372 45.38% 5,915 49.97% 550 4.65%
1944 3,424 49.48% 3,476 50.23% 20 0.29%
1940 1,852 45.27% 2,218 54.22% 21 0.51%
1936 1,805 42.84% 2,348 55.73% 60 1.42%
1932 1,605 59.51% 1,081 40.08% 11 0.41%
1928 2,304 81.27% 531 18.73% 0 0.00%
1924 1,495 69.28% 548 25.39% 115 5.33%
1920 3,127 80.30% 748 19.21% 19 0.49%
1916 1,730 75.68% 537 23.49% 19 0.83%
1912 539 23.04% 597 25.52% 1,203 51.43%

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Tara Mitchell Mielnik, "Anderson County," Tennessee Encyclopedia of History and Culture. Retrieved: March 31, 2013.
  2. ^ a b "Anderson County, Tennessee". quickfacts.census.gov. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 29, 2021.
  3. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  4. ^ Overholt, James (1989). Anderson County, Tennessee. The Donning Company. pp. 13–20. ISBN 0-89865-770-9.
  5. ^ Wells, Emma Middleton (1927). History of Roane County, Tennessee, Volume 1. The Lookout Publishing Company. pp. 9–11. ISBN 0-8063-8003-9.
  6. ^ Oliver Perry Temple, East Tennessee and the Civil War (R. Clarke Company, 1899), p. 199.
  7. ^ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Retrieved April 1, 2015.
  8. ^ "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2023". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 14, 2024.
  9. ^ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved April 1, 2015.
  10. ^ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved April 1, 2015.
  11. ^ Forstall, Richard L., ed. (March 27, 1995). "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved April 1, 2015.
  12. ^ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. April 2, 2001. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 9, 2022. Retrieved April 1, 2015.
  13. ^ Based on 2000 census data
  14. ^ "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved December 26, 2021.
  15. ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 14, 2011.
  16. ^ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved March 9, 2018.

External links[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Anderson County, Tennessee.

36°07′N 84°12′W / 36.11°N 84.20°W / 36.11; -84.20

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