Benton County, Tennessee | |
|---|---|
 Benton County Courthouse in Camden | |
 Seal | |
 Location within the U.S. state ofTennessee | |
| Coordinates:36°04′N88°04′W / 36.07°N 88.07°W /36.07; -88.07 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Tennessee |
| Founded | 1835 |
| Named after | David Benton (early settler)[1] |
| Seat | Camden |
| Largest city | Camden |
| Area | |
• Total | 436 sq mi (1,130 km2) |
| • Land | 394 sq mi (1,020 km2) |
| • Water | 41 sq mi (110 km2) 9.6% |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 15,864 |
| • Density | 40.26/sq mi (15.54/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| Congressional districts | 7th,8th |
| Website | www |
Benton County is acounty located in theU.S. state ofTennessee. As of the2020 census, the population was 15,864.[2] Itscounty seat isCamden.[3] The county was created in December 1835 and organized in 1836.[4][5]
Benton County is located in northwest Tennessee, bordering the western branch of theTennessee River and 30 miles south of theKentucky border. Aside from Camden, other major communities include agrarian communitiesBig Sandy andHolladay. It is known well in the area for itsduck hunting andfishing industries, and in the past, was recognized forsorghum production, although it is no longer produced there.
Benton County was formed in 1835 from part ofHumphreys County. It was named in honor of David Benton (1779–1860), who was an early settler in the county and a member of the Third Regiment, Tennessee Militia in theCreek War.[6][7][8]
According to theU.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 436 square miles (1,130 km2), of which 394 square miles (1,020 km2) is land and 42 square miles (110 km2) (9.6%) is water.[9]
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1840 | 4,772 | — | |
| 1850 | 6,315 | 32.3% | |
| 1860 | 8,463 | 34.0% | |
| 1870 | 8,234 | −2.7% | |
| 1880 | 9,780 | 18.8% | |
| 1890 | 11,230 | 14.8% | |
| 1900 | 11,888 | 5.9% | |
| 1910 | 12,452 | 4.7% | |
| 1920 | 12,046 | −3.3% | |
| 1930 | 11,237 | −6.7% | |
| 1940 | 11,976 | 6.6% | |
| 1950 | 11,495 | −4.0% | |
| 1960 | 10,662 | −7.2% | |
| 1970 | 12,126 | 13.7% | |
| 1980 | 14,901 | 22.9% | |
| 1990 | 14,524 | −2.5% | |
| 2000 | 16,537 | 13.9% | |
| 2010 | 16,489 | −0.3% | |
| 2020 | 15,864 | −3.8% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[10] 1790-1960[11] 1900-1990[12] 1990-2000[13] 2010-2020[2] | |||
| Race | Num. | Perc. |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 14,378 | 90.63% |
| Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 316 | 1.99% |
| Native American | 50 | 0.32% |
| Asian | 107 | 0.67% |
| Pacific Islander | 4 | 0.03% |
| Other/Mixed | 634 | 4.0% |
| Hispanic orLatino | 375 | 2.36% |
The racial composition per the 2020 census is detailed in the table above.[14]
As of the2020 census, there were 15,864 people, 6,881 households, and 3,832 families residing in the county.[15]
The median age was 47.9 years. 19.5% of residents were under the age of 18 and 24.0% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 98.3 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 96.6 males age 18 and over.[15]
There were 6,881 households in the county, of which 24.7% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 44.7% were married-couple households, 20.6% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 27.6% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 32.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 17.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[15]
There were 8,485 housing units, of which 18.9% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 76.4% were owner-occupied and 23.6% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.0% and the rental vacancy rate was 7.2%.[15]
Fewer than 0.1% of residents lived in urban areas, while 100.0% lived in rural areas.[16]
As of thecensus[17] of 2000, there were 16,537 people, 6,863 households, and 4,886 families residing in the county. Thepopulation density was 42 people per square mile (16 people/km2). There were 8,595 housing units at an average density of 22 per square mile (8/2). The racial makeup of the county was 96.44%White, 2.10%Black orAfrican American, 0.33%Native American, 0.24%Asian, 0.20% fromother races, and 0.69% from two or more races. 0.95% of the population wereHispanic orLatino of any race.
There were 6,863 households, out of which 27.30% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.10% weremarried couples living together, 9.50% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.80% were non-families. 25.70% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.30% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.37 and the average family size was 2.82.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 22.00% under the age of 18, 7.00% from 18 to 24, 26.20% from 25 to 44, 27.00% from 45 to 64, and 17.70% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 93.80 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.40 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $28,679, and the median income for a family was $32,727. Males had a median income of $29,177 versus $19,038 for females. Theper capita income for the county was $14,646. About 11.90% of families and 15.60% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 23.90% of those under age 18 and 11.70% of those age 65 or over.
The Camden Chronicle
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 1912 | 652 | 31.56% | 1,095 | 53.00% | 319 | 15.44% |
| 1916 | 805 | 37.58% | 1,313 | 61.30% | 24 | 1.12% |
| 1920 | 1,514 | 44.04% | 1,914 | 55.67% | 10 | 0.29% |
| 1924 | 714 | 38.53% | 1,097 | 59.20% | 42 | 2.27% |
| 1928 | 949 | 43.08% | 1,241 | 56.33% | 13 | 0.59% |
| 1932 | 455 | 22.51% | 1,540 | 76.20% | 26 | 1.29% |
| 1936 | 661 | 27.21% | 1,762 | 72.54% | 6 | 0.25% |
| 1940 | 858 | 29.82% | 1,996 | 69.38% | 23 | 0.80% |
| 1944 | 1,195 | 38.25% | 1,901 | 60.85% | 28 | 0.90% |
| 1948 | 908 | 32.57% | 1,757 | 63.02% | 123 | 4.41% |
| 1952 | 1,304 | 34.57% | 2,452 | 65.01% | 16 | 0.42% |
| 1956 | 1,279 | 36.22% | 2,231 | 63.18% | 21 | 0.59% |
| 1960 | 1,773 | 45.20% | 2,030 | 51.75% | 120 | 3.06% |
| 1964 | 1,363 | 34.30% | 2,611 | 65.70% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1968 | 1,468 | 30.70% | 1,059 | 22.15% | 2,255 | 47.16% |
| 1972 | 2,614 | 61.83% | 1,479 | 34.98% | 135 | 3.19% |
| 1976 | 1,678 | 28.90% | 4,088 | 70.41% | 40 | 0.69% |
| 1980 | 2,281 | 36.83% | 3,811 | 61.54% | 101 | 1.63% |
| 1984 | 2,481 | 42.07% | 3,398 | 57.62% | 18 | 0.31% |
| 1988 | 2,167 | 43.26% | 2,826 | 56.42% | 16 | 0.32% |
| 1992 | 1,625 | 26.58% | 3,896 | 63.72% | 593 | 9.70% |
| 1996 | 2,395 | 32.15% | 4,341 | 58.27% | 714 | 9.58% |
| 2000 | 2,484 | 39.36% | 3,700 | 58.63% | 127 | 2.01% |
| 2004 | 3,161 | 44.58% | 3,869 | 54.57% | 60 | 0.85% |
| 2008 | 3,696 | 57.05% | 2,645 | 40.82% | 138 | 2.13% |
| 2012 | 3,850 | 61.84% | 2,258 | 36.27% | 118 | 1.90% |
| 2016 | 4,716 | 74.53% | 1,474 | 23.29% | 138 | 2.18% |
| 2020 | 5,668 | 78.07% | 1,529 | 21.06% | 63 | 0.87% |
| 2024 | 5,886 | 81.07% | 1,317 | 18.14% | 57 | 0.79% |
Places adjacent to Benton County, Tennessee | ||||||||||||||||
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Municipalities and communities ofBenton County, Tennessee,United States | ||
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| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties. | |
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