Fayette County, Tennessee

Last updated

Fayette County
County
Somerville TN 01-2012 003.jpg
Fayette County Courthouse in Somerville
Fayette co tn.gif
Seal
Map of Tennessee highlighting Fayette County.svg
Location within the U.S. state of Tennessee
Tennessee in United States.svg
Tennessee's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 35°11′N89°25′W / 35.19°N 89.41°W / 35.19; -89.41
CountryFlag of the United States.svg United States
StateFlag of Tennessee.svg  Tennessee
FoundedSeptember 29, 1824
Named for Marquis de Lafayette [1]
Seat Somerville
Largest town Oakland
Area
 • Total
706 sq mi (1,830 km2)
 • Land705 sq mi (1,830 km2)
 • Water1.5 sq mi (4 km2)  0.2%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total
41,990 Increase2.svg
 • Density56.8/sq mi (21.9/km2)
Time zone UTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST) UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district 8th
Website fayettetn.us

Fayette County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of the 2020 census, the population was 41,990. [2] Its county seat is Somerville. [3] The county was named after the Marquis de la Fayette, French hero of the American Revolution. [4] A part of the Memphis, TN-MS-AR Metropolitan Statistical Area, Fayette County is culturally alike to the Mississippi Delta and was a major area of cotton plantations dependent on slave labor in the nineteenth century.

Contents

History

Fayette County was established by Tennessee General Assembly in 1824 from the neighboring counties of Shelby and Hardeman. [5] The same year, Somerville was selected as its county seat. The first churches in the county were the First Presbyterian Church in Somerville, established in 1829, and Immanuel Parish, established in 1832.

Herb Parsons 1908–1959) of Somerville, Tennessee, was Winchester's "Showman Shooter" for 30 years.

Following the emancipation of slaves on plantations, many of Fayette County's African-American residents worked as sharecroppers. In the 1960s and 1970s, civil rights activists fought for school integration and voting rights; and created tent cities to house displaced tenant farmers who had tried to register to vote.

In recent years, Fayette County has been transitioning from a rural area to accommodate the suburban sprawl from Memphis. [6]

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 706 square miles (1,830 km2), of which 705 square miles (1,830 km2) is land and 1.5 square miles (3.9 km2) (0.2%) is water. [7] It is the third-largest county in Tennessee by area. The county is, roughly, the same size as Marshall County, Mississippi.

Adjacent counties

State protected areas

Demographics

Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
1830 8,652—
1840 21,501148.5%
1850 26,71924.3%
1860 24,327−9.0%
1870 26,1457.5%
1880 31,87121.9%
1890 28,878−9.4%
1900 29,7012.8%
1910 30,2571.9%
1920 31,4994.1%
1930 28,891−8.3%
1940 30,3225.0%
1950 27,535−9.2%
1960 24,577−10.7%
1970 22,692−7.7%
1980 25,30511.5%
1990 25,5591.0%
2000 28,80612.7%
2010 38,41333.4%
2020 41,9909.3%
U.S. Decennial Census [8]
1790–1960 [9] 1900–1990 [10]
1990–2000 [11] 2010–2014 [2] 2017 [12]
Age pyramid Fayette County USA Fayette County, Tennessee.csv age pyramid.svg
Age pyramid Fayette County

Since the four-lane expansion of Highway 64 in the early 1990s, western Fayette County has had a population explosion. Although the county seat is still in Somerville, the population of Oakland has far surpassed it because of the influx of people working in Shelby County and seeking more affordable housing.

Although Fayette County is growing on its western side, the county's economy is still based on agriculture. Historically it was a site of cotton plantations as part of the Mississippi Delta. Several of the county's largest farmers control the vast majority of the county's wealth. Some of these families have been farming for generations dating back to plantations before the Civil War. Others are younger farmers who have used their skill, business savvy, and work ethic to develop large farming operations.[ citation needed ]

Fayette County has become a destination for people of the Memphis metro area. The total value for building permits in June 2007 was close to that of the much larger Memphis suburban area of DeSoto County, Mississippi.[ citation needed ]

2020 census

Fayette County racial composition [14]
RaceNum.Perc.
White (non-Hispanic)27,55865.63%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic)11,03826.29%
Native American 590.14%
Asian 2690.64%
Pacific Islander 180.04%
Other/Mixed 1,6183.85%
Hispanic or Latino 1,4303.41%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 41,990 people, 15,596 households, and 11,567 families residing in the county.

2010 census

As of the census of 2010 [15] there were 38,413 people, 14,505 households, and 11,029 families residing in the county. The population density was 54.49 persons per square mile and the housing unit density was 20.57 units per square mile. The racial makeup of the county was 69.19% White, 28.07% Black or African American, 0.48% Asian, 0.28% Native American, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 1.08% from other races, and 0.89% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origins were 2.23% of the population.

Of the 14,505 households, 32.58% had children under the age of 18 living in them, 58.24% were married couples living together, 4.64% had a male householder with no wife present, 13.15% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.96% were non-families. 20.77% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.71% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.62 and the average family size was 3.02

Of the 38,413 residents, 23.11% were under the age of 18, 62.01% were between the ages of 18 and 64, and 14.88% were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41.9 years. 50.42% of the residents were female, and 49.58% were male.

The median household income in the county was $57,919 and the median family income was $68,159. Males had a median income of $50,560 versus $40,412 for females. The per capita income for the county was $30,471. About 9.9% of families and 14.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 22.1% of those under the age of 18 and 9.8% of those age 65 and over.

2000 census

As of the census [16] of 2000, there were 28,806 people, 10,467 households, and 8,017 families residing in the county. The population density was 41 inhabitants per square mile (16/km2). There were 11,214 housing units at an average density of 16 units per square mile (6.2/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 62.48% White, 35.95% Black or African American, 0.19% Native American, 0.22% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.39% from other races, and 0.76% from two or more races. 1.03% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

According to the census of 2000, the largest ancestry groups in Fayette County were English 51.66%, African 35.95%, Scots-Irish 7.1%, and Scottish 1.2%.

In 2000 there were 10,467 households, out of which 31.00% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.50% were married couples living together, 14.00% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.40% were non-families. 20.50% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.60% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.71 and the average family size was 3.14.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 25.70% under the age of 18, 8.20% from 18 to 24, 27.40% from 25 to 44, 25.60% from 45 to 64, and 13.00% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 96.50 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.20 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $40,279, and the median income for a family was $46,283. Males had a median income of $33,603 versus $24,690 for females. The per capita income for the county was $17,969. About 10.90% of families and 14.30% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.40% of those under age 18 and 18.00% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Communities

Cities

Towns

Unincorporated communities

Politics

Fayette County has a 19-seat legislative body referred to as the Board of County Commissioners representing 8 districts. All positions are elected every four years.

* District 1 (Somerville)

* District 2 (Laconia)

* District 3 (Gallaway/Braden/Garnett)

* District 4 (North Oakland)

* District 5 (Piperton/Rossville)

* District 6 (Moscow/Williston)

* District 7 (Moscow)

* District 8 (Hickory Withe/Eads)

* District 9 (South Oakland

* District 10 (Lagrange)

[17]

The County Mayor is currently Rhea "Skip" Taylor. [18]

United States presidential election results for Fayette County, Tennessee [19]
Year Republican Democratic Third party(ies)
No. %No. %No. %
2024 16,75670.71%6,72028.36%2200.93%
2020 15,69068.26%7,02730.57%2671.16%
2016 13,05567.31%5,87430.29%4652.40%
2012 12,68964.83%6,68834.17%1971.01%
2008 12,17363.22%6,89235.80%1890.98%
2004 8,96260.81%5,69638.65%790.54%
2000 6,40255.53%5,03743.69%900.78%
1996 4,40646.29%4,65548.90%4584.81%
1992 3,71343.13%4,21148.91%6857.96%
1988 3,57351.63%3,29247.57%560.81%
1984 3,73350.44%3,63449.10%340.46%
1980 2,94440.92%4,14157.55%1101.53%
1976 2,13335.31%3,85363.79%540.89%
1972 3,26459.75%2,06737.84%1322.42%
1968 74013.34%2,23640.32%2,57046.34%
1964 2,92252.57%2,63647.43%00.00%
1960 1,37048.95%89231.87%53719.19%
1956 35818.19%63932.47%97149.34%
1952 1,02946.73%1,17353.27%00.00%
1948 663.70%22612.66%1,49383.64%
1944 17210.81%1,41789.06%20.13%
1940 784.09%1,82695.80%20.10%
1936 291.62%1,76498.38%00.00%
1932 423.12%1,28795.62%171.26%
1928 1219.91%1,10090.09%00.00%
1924 655.11%1,18192.77%272.12%
1920 34613.11%2,29486.89%00.00%
1916 1166.01%1,81293.89%20.10%
1912 596.01%83084.52%939.47%

Historically, Fayette County was part of the "Solid South" whereby the county's black majority was entirely disenfranchised. From the end of Reconstruction until Harry S. Truman's civil rights proposals during the 1940s, Democrats won over 85 percent of Fayette County's vote even in 1920 and 1928 when Warren G. Harding and Herbert Hoover carried the state's electoral votes. During the Civil Rights era, Fayette County's politics resembled that of Mississippi more than that of the rest of Tennessee, with Strom Thurmond winning over 83 percent of the county's limited electorate in 1948 and T. Coleman Andrews carrying the county as a "States' Rights" candidate in 1956. Once the county's blacks were enfranchised during the 1960s, Democrats would carry the county or only lose narrowly between 1976 and 1996, but in the twenty-first century as the county becomes increasingly white and suburban, its strongly conservative social views have made it strongly Republican. The first county Republican Primary was held in 2018. [20]

See also

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">La Grange, Tennessee</span> Town in Tennessee, United States

La Grange is a town in Fayette County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 133 at the 2010 census. A large area in the town is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as La Grange Historic District.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Moscow, Tennessee</span> City in Tennessee, United States

Moscow is a city in Fayette County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 568 at the 2020 census, 556 at the 2010 census, and 422 at the 2000 census. The town was named after Moscow, Russia, by its founder J. A. Dilliard to honor his wife Alexandra, a native of the Russian city, whom he met on a business trip to Russia in 1834. Moscow, Tennessee maintained close relations with Russia in the years leading to the Civil War, which led to Dilliard’s niece, Lucy Pickens born in La Grange, Tennessee, along with her husband serving as the US ambassador to Russia then after secession serving as Confederate representative to the Russian Emperor during the Civil War. Moscow is also known as the “Land Between Two Rivers,” due to its location after the Army Corps of Engineers rerouted the waterways, moving the main channel west to its current location.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oakland, Tennessee</span> Town in Tennessee, United States

Oakland is a town in Fayette County, Tennessee, United States. In 2020 the population of the town was 8,936, a gain of 417.8% since 2000, Reasons for this population boom, are the cities/counties low taxes, its low crime rate, and the 4 lane expansion of U.S. Highway 64 in the early 1990s. In 2023, the town was found to be one of the safest in Tennessee, rating 2nd.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Piperton, Tennessee</span> City in Tennessee, United States

Piperton is a city in Fayette County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 2,263 at the 2020 census. In 2007, USA Today cited the National Motorist Association when it listed Piperton as one of the worst cities for speeding tickets across the USA.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rossville, Tennessee</span> Town in Tennessee, United States

Rossville is a town in Fayette County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 1,041 at the 2020 census, up from 664 at the 2010 census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Somerville, Tennessee</span> Town in Tennessee, United States

Somerville is a town in Fayette County, Tennessee, United States. It is part of the Memphis metropolitan area. The population was 3,415 at the 2020 census, up from 3,094 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Fayette County.

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Williston is a city in Fayette County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 395 at the 2010 census.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Saulsbury, Tennessee</span> Town in Tennessee, United States

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Whiteville, Tennessee</span> Town in Tennessee, United States

Whiteville is a town in Hardeman County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 2,606 at the 2020 census and 4,638 at the 2010 census, Whiteville is the location of two privately owned prisons, Whiteville Correctional Facility and Hardeman County Correctional Center. Whiteville is also home to Allen-White School, a former Rosenwald school that was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2005.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grand Junction, Tennessee</span> City in Tennessee, United States

Grand Junction is a city between the border of Hardeman and Fayette County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 325 at the 2010 census, and was estimated to be 303 in 2015.

References

  1. ↑ Dorothy R. Morton, "Fayette County," Tennessee Encyclopedia of History and Culture. Retrieved: June 27, 2013.
  2. 1 2 "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on June 7, 2011. Retrieved November 29, 2013.
  3. ↑ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 3, 2015. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  4. ↑ Gannett, Henry (1905). The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States. Govt. Print. Off. pp.  124.
  5. ↑ Summerlin, Cathy; Summerlin, Vernon (1999). Traveling Tennessee. Thomas Nelson. ISBN   1418559687.
  6. ↑ Morton, Dorothy R. (October 8, 2017). "Fayette County". Tennessee Encyclopedia. Archived from the original on November 16, 2018. Retrieved June 29, 2019.
  7. ↑ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Retrieved April 4, 2015.
  8. ↑ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved April 4, 2015.
  9. ↑ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Archived from the original on August 11, 2012. Retrieved April 4, 2015.
  10. ↑ Forstall, Richard L., ed. (March 27, 1995). "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved April 4, 2015.
  11. ↑ "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 4, 2015.
  12. ↑ "QuickFacts. Fayette County, Tennessee". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 2, 2019. Retrieved October 3, 2018.
  13. ↑ Based on 2000 census data
  14. ↑ "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved December 8, 2021.
  15. ↑ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved January 14, 2020.
  16. ↑ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved May 14, 2011.
  17. ↑ "Members of Board of Commissioners".
  18. ↑ "County Directory". Fayettetn.us. Archived from the original on July 25, 2013. Retrieved May 5, 2013.
  19. ↑ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved March 10, 2018.
  20. ↑ Cohn, Nate; 'Demographic Shift: Southern Whites' Loyalty to G.O.P. Nearing That of Blacks to Democrats', The New York Times , April 24, 2014

35°11′N89°25′W / 35.19°N 89.41°W / 35.19; -89.41

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