1790-1960{{cite web|url=http://mapserver.lib.virginia.edu|title=Historical Census Browser|publisher=University of Virginia Library|access-date=April 14,2015}}1900-1990{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/population/cencounts/tn190090.txt|title=Population of Counties by Decennial Census:1900 to 1990|publisher=United States Census Bureau|editor-last=Forstall|editor-first=Richard L.|date=March 27,1995|access-date=April 14,2015}}
1990-2000{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/population/www/cen2000/briefs/phc-t4/tables/tab02.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/https://www.census.gov/population/www/cen2000/briefs/phc-t4/tables/tab02.pdf |archive-date=October 9,2022 |url-status=live|title=Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties:1990 and 2000|publisher=United States Census Bureau|date=April 2,2001|access-date=April 14,2015}}2010-2014{{cite web|title=State &County QuickFacts|url=http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/47/47159.html|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=December 7,2013|archive-date=July 5,2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110705042603/http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/47/47159.html|url-status=dead}}"}},"i":0}}]}" id="mwhw">.mw-parser-output .us-census-pop{border-spacing:1px;border:1px solid #a2a9b1;background-color:var(--background-color-neutral-subtle,#f8f9fa);padding:0.3em;font-size:95%}.mw-parser-output .us-census-pop caption{background-color:lavender;color:black;padding-right:0.2em;padding-left:0.2em;font-size:110%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a2a9b1;border-bottom:none}.mw-parser-output .us-census-pop th[scope=col]{border-bottom:1px solid black}.mw-parser-output .us-census-pop td:nth-child(2){text-align:right;padding-left:0.5em;padding-right:0}.mw-parser-output .us-census-pop td.us-census-pop-estimate{padding-left:0}.mw-parser-output .us-census-pop td:nth-child(3){padding-left:0}.mw-parser-output .us-census-pop td:nth-child(4){padding-left:0.5em;text-align:right}.mw-parser-output .us-census-pop-footnote{border-top:1px solid black;font-size:85%;text-align:center}@media(min-width:720px){.mw-parser-output .us-census-pop-right{float:right;clear:right;margin:0 0 1em 1em}.mw-parser-output .us-census-pop-left{float:left;clear:left;margin:0 1em 1em 0}.mw-parser-output .us-census-pop-center{float:none;margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto}.mw-parser-output .us-census-pop-none{float:none;margin:0 1em 1em 0}}
Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
---|---|---|---|
1800 | 4,294 | — | |
1810 | 11,649 | 171.3% | |
1820 | 17,580 | 50.9% | |
1830 | 19,906 | 13.2% | |
1840 | 21,179 | 6.4% | |
1850 | 18,412 | −13.1% | |
1860 | 16,357 | −11.2% | |
1870 | 15,994 | −2.2% | |
1880 | 17,799 | 11.3% | |
1890 | 18,404 | 3.4% | |
1900 | 19,026 | 3.4% | |
1910 | 18,548 | −2.5% | |
1920 | 17,134 | −7.6% | |
1930 | 15,473 | −9.7% | |
1940 | 16,148 | 4.4% | |
1950 | 14,098 | −12.7% | |
1960 | 12,059 | −14.5% | |
1970 | 12,059 | 0.0% | |
1980 | 14,935 | 23.8% | |
1990 | 14,143 | −5.3% | |
2000 | 17,712 | 25.2% | |
2010 | 19,166 | 8.2% | |
2020 | 19,904 | 3.9% | |
U.S. Decennial Census [6] 1790-1960 [7] 1900-1990 [8] 1990-2000 [9] 2010-2014 [10] |
Race | Number | Percentage |
---|---|---|
White (non-Hispanic) | 18,054 | 90.71% |
Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 356 | 1.79% |
Native American | 61 | 0.31% |
Asian | 84 | 0.42% |
Other/Mixed | 831 | 4.18% |
Hispanic or Latino | 518 | 2.6% |
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 19,904 people, 7,603 households, and 5,409 families residing in the county.
As of the census [13] of 2000, there were 17,712 people, 6,878 households, and 5,069 families residing in the county. The population density was 56 people per square mile (22 people/km2). There were 7,665 housing units at an average density of 24 units per square mile (9.3/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 95.42% White, 2.53% Black or African American, 0.37% Native American, 0.17% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.59% from other races, and 0.93% from two or more races. 1.13% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 6,878 households, out of which 34.10% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.10% were married couples living together, 9.80% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.30% were non-families. 23.40% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.10% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.55 and the average family size was 3.00.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 25.50% under the age of 18, 8.00% from 18 to 24, 30.00% from 25 to 44, 23.10% from 45 to 64, and 13.40% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.00 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.40 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $35,625, and the median income for a family was $41,645. Males had a median income of $30,853 versus $22,133 for females. The per capita income for the county was $17,473. About 10.30% of families and 12.20% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.70% of those under age 18 and 14.80% of those age 65 or over.
The Smith County School System operates nine schools: [14]
The county formerly operated Pleasant Shade Elementary School, which closed in 2007, and Cox Davidson Elementary, which closed sometime in the 1950s. [15] New Middleton Elementary was formerly PreK–8, while Gordonsville Elementary was formerly PreK–6. A realignment beginning with the 2017–2018 school year resulted in the current grade alignment of those schools. [16]
Prior to 2008, Smith County was a Democratic Party stronghold at the presidential level. The county failed to back a Democratic candidate only twice between the Civil War and 2004, when voting for George Wallace in 1968 and against George McGovern in 1972. However, while the county was Carthage resident Al Gore's fourth strongest statewide in his 2000 presidential bid, he failed to win an increasingly Republican Tennessee. Democrat John Kerry won the county in 2004, but by a much narrower four point margin. Since then, Smith County has swung hard towards the Republican Party similar to the rest of the state outside of Memphis and Nashville. Hillary Clinton failed to win even a quarter of the county's votes in 2016, a far cry from the 71 percent and 62 percent her husband Bill won in the county with Gore also on the ticket.
Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
2024 | 7,655 | 81.73% | 1,595 | 17.03% | 116 | 1.24% |
2020 | 7,136 | 78.84% | 1,802 | 19.91% | 113 | 1.25% |
2016 | 5,494 | 73.88% | 1,689 | 22.71% | 253 | 3.40% |
2012 | 4,495 | 63.41% | 2,470 | 34.84% | 124 | 1.75% |
2008 | 4,563 | 58.95% | 2,992 | 38.65% | 186 | 2.40% |
2004 | 3,739 | 47.76% | 4,044 | 51.66% | 45 | 0.57% |
2000 | 2,384 | 32.44% | 4,884 | 66.47% | 80 | 1.09% |
1996 | 1,857 | 30.66% | 3,812 | 62.94% | 388 | 6.41% |
1992 | 1,482 | 21.04% | 5,061 | 71.85% | 501 | 7.11% |
1988 | 2,138 | 45.63% | 2,522 | 53.82% | 26 | 0.55% |
1984 | 2,393 | 42.05% | 3,258 | 57.25% | 40 | 0.70% |
1980 | 1,755 | 31.73% | 3,674 | 66.43% | 102 | 1.84% |
1976 | 1,332 | 25.93% | 3,753 | 73.07% | 51 | 0.99% |
1972 | 1,812 | 56.84% | 1,260 | 39.52% | 116 | 3.64% |
1968 | 1,089 | 24.96% | 1,443 | 33.07% | 1,831 | 41.97% |
1964 | 1,084 | 26.98% | 2,934 | 73.02% | 0 | 0.00% |
1960 | 1,601 | 39.43% | 2,411 | 59.38% | 48 | 1.18% |
1956 | 1,267 | 29.96% | 2,949 | 69.73% | 13 | 0.31% |
1952 | 1,412 | 34.80% | 2,622 | 64.61% | 24 | 0.59% |
1948 | 773 | 27.33% | 1,764 | 62.38% | 291 | 10.29% |
1944 | 887 | 29.51% | 2,107 | 70.09% | 12 | 0.40% |
1940 | 648 | 22.30% | 2,244 | 77.22% | 14 | 0.48% |
1936 | 626 | 22.96% | 2,092 | 76.74% | 8 | 0.29% |
1932 | 595 | 22.30% | 2,057 | 77.10% | 16 | 0.60% |
1928 | 1,150 | 43.94% | 1,446 | 55.25% | 21 | 0.80% |
1924 | 700 | 28.82% | 1,701 | 70.03% | 28 | 1.15% |
1920 | 1,981 | 38.61% | 3,150 | 61.39% | 0 | 0.00% |
1916 | 941 | 29.98% | 2,196 | 69.96% | 2 | 0.06% |
1912 | 915 | 30.89% | 1,863 | 62.90% | 184 | 6.21% |