Greene County, Tennessee | |
|---|---|
 Greene County Courthouse in Greeneville | |
 Flag  Seal | |
 Location within the U.S. state ofTennessee | |
| Coordinates:36°10′N82°51′W / 36.17°N 82.85°W /36.17; -82.85 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Tennessee |
| Founded | 1783 |
| Named after | Nathanael Greene[1] |
| Seat | Greeneville |
| Largest town | Greeneville |
| Area | |
• Total | 624 sq mi (1,620 km2) |
| • Land | 622 sq mi (1,610 km2) |
| • Water | 2.0 sq mi (5.2 km2) 0.3% |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 70,152 |
| • Density | 111/sq mi (43/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| Congressional district | 1st |
| Website | greenecountytngov |
Greene County is acounty located on the eastern border of theU.S. state ofTennessee. As of the2020 census, the population was 70,152.[2] Itscounty seat isGreeneville.[3] Greene County comprises the Greeneville, TNMicropolitan Statistical Area.
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Greene County developed from the "Nolichucky settlement," established by pioneer Jacob Brown on land leased in the early 1770s from theCherokee people. The Nolichucky settlement was aligned with theWatauga settlement, centered in modernElizabethton.
After the United States became independent, Greene County was formed in 1783 from the originalWashington County, North Carolina, part of the formerWashington District. The county is named for Major GeneralNathanael Greene[4] (1742–1786), a major general in theContinental Army fromRhode Island.John Crockett, father ofDavy Crockett, and his wife settled in the county nearLimestone. Davy Crockett was born there in 1786. At the time, the area was part of the extra-legal stateFranklin.
Greene County is the home ofTusculum College, the oldestcollege in Tennessee; the state's oldestMethodist congregation (the Ebenezer Methodist Church, near Chuckey), and the state's second oldest continuously cultivated farm (Elmwood Farm, part of theEarnest Farms Historic District).Revolutionary War veteran, and state legislator,Col. Joseph Hardin made Greene County his home for a period of time, serving asjustice of the peace and as one of the original trustees of Tusculum (then Greeneville) College.
As with yeomen farmers in much of East Tennessee, those in Greene County were generally Unionist and opposed to secession on the eve of the Civil War. In Tennessee's Ordinance of Secession referendum on June 8, 1861, Greene Countians voted against secession by a vote of 2,691 to 744.[5] Following the vote (the call for secession was passed statewide), the second session of theEast Tennessee Convention convened in Greeneville. It called for a separate, Union-aligned state to be formed in East Tennessee.
A railroad bridge near Mosheim was among those destroyed by theEast Tennessee bridge-burning conspiracy in November 1861. Several of the conspirators who had taken part in the burning of this bridge were later captured and executed by Confederate supporters, including Jacob Hensie, Henry Fry, Jacob and Henry Harmon, and noted local potterAlex Haun.[6]
According to theU.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 624 square miles (1,620 km2), of which 622 square miles (1,610 km2) is land and 2.0 square miles (5.2 km2) (0.3%) is water.[7] Most of Greene County is located within theRidge-and-Valley Appalachians, a range characterized by long, narrow ridges alternating with similarly shaped valleys.Bays Mountain, a prominent ridge in this range, forms much of Greene's northern border withHawkins County. The extreme southeastern part of Greene County is located within theBlue Ridge Mountains, specifically a subrange of the Blue Ridge known as theBald Mountains.[8] This range straddles Greene's border with North Carolina, and includes the county's two highest points: Gravel Knob, which rises to over 4,840 feet (1,480 m), and 4,844-foot (1,476 m) Camp Creek Bald (it's uncertain which is higher due to lack of an exact measurement for Gravel Knob's elevation).[9]
Greene County is drained by theNolichucky River, which traverses the southern half of the county. This river is impounded byNolichucky Dam south of Greeneville, creatingDavy Crockett Lake.
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Kevin Morrison was elected County Mayor in August 2018 and began as mayor on September 1, 2018.
Members of the county commission are elected by geographic district. They are as follows:
Constables are elected law enforcement officials pursuant to T.C.A. 8–1–101. Constables, much like County Commissioners are elected by geographic district. They are as follows:
Like all of East Tennessee, Greene County is a Republican stronghold. The last Democratic presidential candidate to carry this county wasFranklin D. Roosevelt in 1936.
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 1912 | 1,650 | 33.18% | 2,076 | 41.75% | 1,247 | 25.08% |
| 1916 | 3,055 | 57.54% | 2,254 | 42.46% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1920 | 5,677 | 65.97% | 2,924 | 33.98% | 5 | 0.06% |
| 1924 | 3,282 | 55.66% | 2,586 | 43.85% | 29 | 0.49% |
| 1928 | 3,599 | 61.06% | 2,295 | 38.94% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1932 | 3,223 | 42.79% | 4,264 | 56.61% | 45 | 0.60% |
| 1936 | 4,313 | 47.62% | 4,708 | 51.98% | 36 | 0.40% |
| 1940 | 4,587 | 50.21% | 4,406 | 48.23% | 142 | 1.55% |
| 1944 | 4,922 | 64.21% | 2,726 | 35.56% | 17 | 0.22% |
| 1948 | 4,375 | 55.56% | 3,282 | 41.68% | 218 | 2.77% |
| 1952 | 6,864 | 64.98% | 3,656 | 34.61% | 43 | 0.41% |
| 1956 | 7,396 | 64.87% | 3,949 | 34.63% | 57 | 0.50% |
| 1960 | 8,835 | 66.55% | 4,406 | 33.19% | 35 | 0.26% |
| 1964 | 6,913 | 53.89% | 5,916 | 46.11% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1968 | 7,957 | 58.26% | 2,947 | 21.58% | 2,753 | 20.16% |
| 1972 | 9,772 | 76.89% | 2,764 | 21.75% | 173 | 1.36% |
| 1976 | 8,664 | 54.56% | 7,070 | 44.52% | 146 | 0.92% |
| 1980 | 10,704 | 63.13% | 5,822 | 34.34% | 430 | 2.54% |
| 1984 | 13,215 | 73.15% | 4,763 | 26.37% | 87 | 0.48% |
| 1988 | 11,947 | 69.73% | 5,077 | 29.63% | 108 | 0.63% |
| 1992 | 9,912 | 47.48% | 7,857 | 37.64% | 3,106 | 14.88% |
| 1996 | 9,779 | 53.10% | 6,885 | 37.39% | 1,752 | 9.51% |
| 2000 | 12,540 | 60.24% | 7,909 | 37.99% | 367 | 1.76% |
| 2004 | 16,382 | 67.71% | 7,635 | 31.56% | 177 | 0.73% |
| 2008 | 17,151 | 69.52% | 7,110 | 28.82% | 409 | 1.66% |
| 2012 | 17,245 | 72.19% | 6,225 | 26.06% | 417 | 1.75% |
| 2016 | 18,562 | 78.71% | 4,216 | 17.88% | 805 | 3.41% |
| 2020 | 22,259 | 79.25% | 5,199 | 18.51% | 629 | 2.24% |
| 2024 | 25,586 | 82.28% | 5,145 | 16.55% | 364 | 1.17% |
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1790 | 7,741 | — | |
| 1800 | 7,610 | −1.7% | |
| 1810 | 9,713 | 27.6% | |
| 1820 | 11,324 | 16.6% | |
| 1830 | 14,410 | 27.3% | |
| 1840 | 16,076 | 11.6% | |
| 1850 | 17,824 | 10.9% | |
| 1860 | 19,004 | 6.6% | |
| 1870 | 21,668 | 14.0% | |
| 1880 | 24,005 | 10.8% | |
| 1890 | 26,614 | 10.9% | |
| 1900 | 30,596 | 15.0% | |
| 1910 | 31,083 | 1.6% | |
| 1920 | 32,824 | 5.6% | |
| 1930 | 35,119 | 7.0% | |
| 1940 | 39,405 | 12.2% | |
| 1950 | 41,048 | 4.2% | |
| 1960 | 42,163 | 2.7% | |
| 1970 | 47,630 | 13.0% | |
| 1980 | 54,422 | 14.3% | |
| 1990 | 55,853 | 2.6% | |
| 2000 | 62,909 | 12.6% | |
| 2010 | 68,831 | 9.4% | |
| 2020 | 70,152 | 1.9% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[11] 1790-1960[12] 1790-1990[13] 1900-1990[14] 1990-2000[15] 2010-2014[2] | |||
| Race | Number | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 63,143 | 90.01% |
| Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 1,308 | 1.86% |
| Native American | 142 | 0.2% |
| Asian | 299 | 0.43% |
| Pacific Islander | 14 | 0.02% |
| Other/Mixed | 2,711 | 3.86% |
| Hispanic orLatino | 2,535 | 3.61% |
As of the2020 census, there were 70,152 people, 28,738 households, and 18,481 families residing in the county. The median age was 44.8 years; 19.7% of residents were under the age of 18 and 22.0% were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 96.2 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 93.5 males age 18 and over.[18]
The racial makeup of the county was 91.0%White, 2.0%Black or African American, 0.3%American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%Asian, <0.1%Native Hawaiian andPacific Islander, 1.5% from some other race, and 4.8% fromtwo or more races.Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 3.6% of the population.[19]
32.7% of residents lived in urban areas, while 67.3% lived in rural areas.[20]
Of the 28,738 households, 26.5% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 47.8% were married-couple households, 18.5% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 27.0% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 28.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[18]
There were 32,154 housing units, of which 10.6% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 72.8% were owner-occupied and 27.2% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.5% and the rental vacancy rate was 7.0%.[18]
As of thecensus[21] of 2000, there were 62,909 people, 25,756 households, and 18,132 families residing in the county. Thepopulation density was 101 people per square mile (39 people/km2). There were 28,116 housing units at an average density of 45 units per square mile (17/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 96.42%White, 2.11%Black orAfrican American, 0.18%Native American, 0.27%Asian, 0.02%Pacific Islander, 0.43% fromother races, and 0.56% from two or more races. 1.02% of the population wereHispanic orLatino of any race.
There were 25,756 households, out of which 29.20% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.70% weremarried couples living together, 10.80% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.60% were non-families. 25.80% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.70% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.38 and the average family size was 2.84.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 22.20% under the age of 18, 8.10% from 18 to 24, 28.70% from 25 to 44, 26.10% from 45 to 64, and 14.80% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 95.10 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.40 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $30,382, and the median income for a family was $36,889. Males had a median income of $26,331 versus $20,304 for females. Theper capita income for the county was $15,746. About 11.20% of families and 14.50% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 19.00% of those under age 18 and 16.70% of those age 65 or over.
There are two school districts:Greene County School District andGreeneville City School District. The latter includes the Greeneville city limits, and the former includes all other areas of the county.[22]
Public schools in Greene County school system include the following:
Public schools that are within Greene County but are part of the Greeneville City School System[23] include:
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Twohospitals are located in Greene County, Greeneville Community Hospital West campus and Greeneville Community East campus. These hospitals were formally Takoma Regional Hospital and Laughlin Memorial Hospital, respectively, after Ballad Health formed from the merger between Mountain States Health Alliance and Wellmont Health System.
Places adjacent to Greene County, Tennessee | |
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Municipalities and communities ofGreene County, Tennessee,United States | ||
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| City |  | |
| Towns | ||
| CDP | ||
| Unincorporated communities | ||
| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
| International | |
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| National | |
| Geographic | |
| Other | |
