McMinn County, Tennessee

McMinn County, Tennessee
The McMinn County courthouse in Athens, Tennessee.
Location in the state of Tennessee
Tennessee's location in the U.S.
Founded	1819
Seat	Athens
Largest city	Athens
Area  - Total  - Land  - Water	432 sq mi (1,119 km²) 430 sq mi (1,114 km²) 2 sq mi (5 km²), .45%
Population  - (2000)  - Density	49,015 114/sq mi (44/km²)
Time zone	Eastern: UTC-5/-4
Website	www.mcminncounty.org

McMinn County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. In 2000, the population was 49,015. Its county seat is Athens.^[1]

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 432 square miles (1,120 km²), of which 430 square miles (1,100 km²) is land and 2 square miles (5.2 km²) (0.45%) is water.

Adjacent counties

• Roane County (north)
• Loudon County (northeast)
• Monroe County (east)
• Polk County (southeast)
• Bradley County (southwest)
• Meigs County (west)

National protected area

• Cherokee National Forest (part)

Demographics

At the 2000 census^[2], there were 49,015 people, 19,721 households and 14,317 families residing in the county. The population density was 114 per square mile (44/km²). There were 21,626 housing units at an average density of 50 per square mile (19/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 92.72% White, 4.48% Black or African American, 0.27% Native American, 0.70% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.75% from other races, and 1.06% from two or more races. 1.80% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

Age pyramid McMinn County^[3]

There were 19,721 households of which 31.40% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.70% were married couples living together, 10.60% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.40% were non-families. 24.40% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.40% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 2.90.

Age distribution was 23.90% under the age of 18, 8.40% from 18 to 24, 28.50% from 25 to 44, 24.80% from 45 to 64, and 14.30% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 93.40 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.80 males.

The median household income was $31,919, and the median family income was $38,992. Males had a median income of $31,051 versus $20,524 for females. The per capita income for the county was $16,725. About 10.90% of families and 14.50% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.20% of those under age 18 and 16.80% of those age 65 or over.

History

See also: Battle of Athens (1946)

McMinn County was created in 1819 from Indian lands and was named in honor of Joseph McMinn (1758–1824). McMinn was a militia commander during the Revolutionary War, a member of the territorial legislature, speaker of the state senate, and eventually governor of the state of Tennessee. McMinn died on October 17, 1824, and is buried at Shiloh Presbyterian Cemetery, Calhoun, Tennessee.

Cities and towns

• Athens
• Calhoun
• Claxton (unincorporated)
• Delano (unincorporated)
• Englewood
• Etowah
• Mount Verd (unincorporated)
• Niota
• Riceville (unincorporated)
• Sweetwater (partial)

See also

• Battle of Athens (1946)
• National Register of Historic Places listings in McMinn County, Tennessee

References

1. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx. Retrieved 2011-06-07. 
2. ^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31. 
3. ^ Based on 2000 census data

External links

• McMinn County at the Open Directory Project

Coordinates: 35°25′N 84°37′W / 35.42°N 84.62°W / 35.42; -84.62