Anderson County, Tennessee

Last updated

Anderson County
County
Anderson-County-Courthouse-tn2.jpg
Anderson County Courthouse in Clinton
Andersoncotnseal.jpg
Seal
Map of Tennessee highlighting Anderson County.svg
Location within the U.S. state of Tennessee
Tennessee in United States.svg
Tennessee's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 36°07′N84°12′W / 36.11°N 84.2°W / 36.11; -84.2
CountryFlag of the United States.svg United States
StateFlag of Tennessee.svg Tennessee
FoundedNovember 6, 1801
Named after Joseph Anderson [1]
Seat Clinton
Largest city Oak Ridge
Government
 • MayorTerry Frank (R)
Area
 • Total
345 sq mi (890 km2)
 • Land337 sq mi (870 km2)
 • Water7.6 sq mi (20 km2)  2.2%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total
77,123
 • Estimate 
(2023)
80,234 Increase2.svg
 • Density220/sq mi (86/km2)
Time zone UTC−5 (Eastern)
 • Summer (DST) UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district 3rd
Website andersoncountytn.gov

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.

Contents

History

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

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

National protected area

State protected areas

Demographics

Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
1810 3,959—
1820 4,66817.9%
1830 5,31013.8%
1840 5,6586.6%
1850 6,93822.6%
1860 7,0681.9%
1870 8,70423.1%
1880 10,82024.3%
1890 15,12839.8%
1900 17,63416.6%
1910 17,7170.5%
1920 18,2983.3%
1930 19,7227.8%
1940 26,50434.4%
1950 59,407124.1%
1960 60,0321.1%
1970 60,3000.4%
1980 67,34611.7%
1990 68,2501.3%
2000 71,3304.5%
2010 75,1295.3%
2020 77,1232.7%
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 USA Anderson County, Tennessee.csv age pyramid.svg
Age pyramid for Anderson County

2020 census

Anderson County racial composition [14]
RaceNumberPercentage
White (non-Hispanic)66,04485.63%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic)2,8413.68%
Native American 2170.28%
Asian 9751.26%
Pacific Islander 530.07%
Other/Mixed 4,1735.41%
Hispanic or Latino 2,8203.66%

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

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

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

Clinton Market-Clinton-tn1.jpg
Clinton

Cities

Town

Census-designated place

Unincorporated communities

Politics

Anderson County has traditionally leaned Republican, consistent with East Tennessee’s Unionist roots, but the creation of Oak Ridge during World War II, when the federal government established the city in 1942 as part of the Manhattan Project, brought in thousands of scientists, engineers, and federal employees who provided Democrats with a stronger base of support than in surrounding counties. [16] [17] Oak Ridge made Anderson County more politically competitive through much of the mid-20th century, but in recent decades the county has trended back Republican, with Democratic strength largely confined to parts of Oak Ridge. [18] The last Democratic presidential candidate to carry the county was Bill Clinton in 1996.

United States presidential election results for Anderson County, Tennessee [19]
Year Republican Democratic Third party(ies)
No. %No. %No. %
1912 53923.04%59725.52%1,20351.43%
1916 1,73075.68%53723.49%190.83%
1920 3,12780.30%74819.21%190.49%
1924 1,49569.28%54825.39%1155.33%
1928 2,30481.27%53118.73%00.00%
1932 1,60559.51%1,08140.08%110.41%
1936 1,80542.84%2,34855.73%601.42%
1940 1,85245.27%2,21854.22%210.51%
1944 3,42449.48%3,47650.23%200.29%
1948 5,37245.38%5,91549.97%5504.65%
1952 10,48953.88%8,93945.92%380.20%
1956 11,07152.42%9,36844.35%6823.23%
1960 11,15352.56%9,87846.55%1900.90%
1964 8,86042.18%12,14657.82%00.00%
1968 10,23347.04%7,19833.09%4,32319.87%
1972 13,86566.03%6,71331.97%4212.00%
1976 10,49443.29%13,45555.50%2931.21%
1980 14,23555.31%10,19439.61%1,3075.08%
1984 16,78361.31%10,41538.05%1760.64%
1988 15,05660.74%9,58938.68%1430.58%
1992 11,83841.38%13,48247.12%3,29111.50%
1996 11,94343.40%13,45748.91%2,1167.69%
2000 14,68851.04%13,55647.10%5351.86%
2004 18,51058.42%12,89640.70%2760.87%
2008 19,67562.32%11,39636.10%4991.58%
2012 18,96863.95%10,12234.13%5691.92%
2016 19,21264.30%9,01330.16%1,6565.54%
2020 23,18465.18%11,74133.01%6451.81%
2024 24,58267.26%11,52531.53%4411.21%

See also

References

  1. ↑ Tara Mitchell Mielnik, "Anderson County," Tennessee Encyclopedia of History and Culture. Retrieved: March 31, 2013.
  2. 1 2 "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.{{cite book}}: ISBN / Date incompatibility (help)
  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. ↑ Gillis, Ann (2009). Oak Ridge. Arcadia Publishing.
  17. ↑ "Oak Ridge, Tennessee (U.S. National Park Service)". www.nps.gov. Retrieved August 30, 2025.
  18. ↑ Datar, Saurabh; Marcus, Ilana; Murray, Eli; Singer, Ethan; Lemonides, Alex; Zhang, Christine; Smith, Jonah (January 15, 2025). "An Extremely Detailed Map of the 2024 Election". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved August 30, 2025.
  19. ↑ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved March 9, 2018.

36°07′N84°12′W / 36.11°N 84.20°W / 36.11; -84.20

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