Dresden, Tennessee

Dresden, Tennessee
—  Town  —
Location of Dresden, Tennessee
Coordinates: 36°17′2″N 88°41′54″W / 36.28389°N 88.69833°W / 36.28389; -88.69833Coordinates: 36°17′2″N 88°41′54″W / 36.28389°N 88.69833°W / 36.28389; -88.69833
Country	United States
State	Tennessee
County	Weakley
Area
– Total	5.3 sq mi (13.8 km2)
– Land	5.3 sq mi (13.7 km2)
– Water	0.0 sq mi (0.0 km2)
Elevation	427 ft (130 m)
Population (2000)
– Total	2,855
– Density	537.9/sq mi (207.7/km2)
Time zone	Central (CST) (UTC-6)
– Summer (DST)	CDT (UTC-5)
ZIP code	38225
Area code(s)	731
FIPS code	47-21540[1]
GNIS feature ID	1282790[2]

Dresden is a town in and the county seat of Weakley County, Tennessee, United States.^[3] The population was 2,855 at the 2000 census.

Geography

Dresden is located at 36°17′2″N 88°41′54″W / 36.28389°N 88.69833°W / 36.28389; -88.69833 (36.283805, -88.698296).^[4]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 5.3 square miles (14 km²), of which 5.3 square miles (14 km²) is land and 0.19% is water.

Demographics

As of the census^[1] of 2000, there were 2,855 people, 1,212 households, and 784 families residing in the town. The population density was 537.9 people per square mile (207.6/km²). There were 1,331 housing units at an average density of 250.8 per square mile (96.8/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 94.54% White, 4.34% African American, 0.04% Native American, 0.35% Asian, 0.14% from other races, and 0.60% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.46% of the population.

There were 1,212 households out of which 26.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.6% were married couples living together, 12.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.3% were non-families. 31.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 17.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.22 and the average family size was 2.78.

In the town the population was spread out with 20.7% under the age of 18, 9.5% from 18 to 24, 27.7% from 25 to 44, 21.8% from 45 to 64, and 20.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 86.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.8 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $26,701, and the median income for a family was $37,321. Males had a median income of $27,589 versus $21,322 for females. The per capita income for the town was $16,286. About 6.4% of families and 10.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.0% of those under age 18 and 16.7% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Dresden's educational system consists of a combined elementary and middle school, a high school, an alternative school, and a vocational school. The high school was consolidated in 1998 to include students from the neighboring town of Palmersville.

Recreation

Recreational activities in Dresden include a public park with a walking track, a public library, and a smaller park that is more akin to a public garden. There are a variety of civic clubs, as well as local troops of the Boy Scouts of America and the Girl Scouts. Additionally, a number of summer festivals in neighboring towns are popular with the residents of Dresden (just as the Iris Festival in Dresden is popular with the residents of those towns.)

Notable individuals

Notable individuals from Dresden include former governor Ned McWherter, who was born in Palmersville and lived in Dresden for a number of years, former professional basketball player Popeye Jones, graceful dancer Taylor White, and country/blues/americana singer Stormy Montana and, perhaps most importantly, Todd Schaffer who has made great strides in the advancement of human medicine in recent years after obtaining a Master's Degree from Harvard University.

References

1. ^ ^{a b} "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31. 
2. ^ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. 2007-10-25. http://geonames.usgs.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31. 
3. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx. Retrieved 2011-06-07. 
4. ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. http://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/gazette.html. Retrieved 2011-04-23.