Obion County, Tennessee | |
|---|---|
 Obion County Courthouse | |
 Flag | |
 Location within the U.S. state ofTennessee | |
| Coordinates:36°22′N89°09′W / 36.36°N 89.15°W /36.36; -89.15 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Tennessee |
| Founded | 1824[1] |
| Named after | Obion River[1] |
| Seat | Union City |
| Largest city | Union City |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Steve Carr[2] |
| Area | |
• Total | 556 sq mi (1,440 km2) |
| • Land | 545 sq mi (1,410 km2) |
| • Water | 11 sq mi (28 km2) 1.9% |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 30,787 |
| • Density | 58/sq mi (22/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| Congressional district | 8th |
| Website | www |
Obion County is acounty located in the northwest corner of theU.S. state ofTennessee. As of the2020 census, the population was 30,787.[3] Thecounty seat isUnion City.[4] The county was formed in 1823 and organized in 1824.[1] It was named after theObion River.[5]
Obion County is part of the Union City, TN–KYMicropolitan Statistical Area, which is also included in theMartin–Union City, TNCombined Statistical Area.
In the year, 1811 there was a largeseismic activity located on theNew Madrid Fault Line. The series of earthquakes, while devastating, formed Reelfoot Lake.
Obion was later established in 1823 and organized the following year. It was named for theObion River, which flows through the county and is a tributary of the nearbyMississippi River. The word "Obion" is believed to be derived from a Native American word meaning "many forks", or from an Irish trapper named O'Brien.[1][6][7][8]
The founding of Obion County originally came from the expansion of railroads. The county has since moved towards many agricultural and manufacturing productions.[9]
In 2013,Discovery Park of America opened in Union City. Discovery Park is a 50-acre encyclopedic museum and heritage park with exhibits pertaining to local and national history, military history, art, science, and technology.
According to theU.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 556 square miles (1,440 km2), of which 545 square miles (1,410 km2) is land and 11 square miles (28 km2) (1.9%) is water.[10] It is located in the "rolling hills ofnorthwest Tennessee".[1]
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1830 | 2,099 | — | |
| 1840 | 4,814 | 129.3% | |
| 1850 | 7,633 | 58.6% | |
| 1860 | 12,817 | 67.9% | |
| 1870 | 15,584 | 21.6% | |
| 1880 | 22,912 | 47.0% | |
| 1890 | 27,273 | 19.0% | |
| 1900 | 28,286 | 3.7% | |
| 1910 | 29,946 | 5.9% | |
| 1920 | 28,393 | −5.2% | |
| 1930 | 29,086 | 2.4% | |
| 1940 | 30,978 | 6.5% | |
| 1950 | 29,056 | −6.2% | |
| 1960 | 26,957 | −7.2% | |
| 1970 | 29,936 | 11.1% | |
| 1980 | 32,781 | 9.5% | |
| 1990 | 31,717 | −3.2% | |
| 2000 | 32,450 | 2.3% | |
| 2010 | 31,807 | −2.0% | |
| 2020 | 30,787 | −3.2% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[11] 1790-1960[12] 1900-1990[13] 1990-2000[14] 2010-2014[15] | |||
| Race | Num. | Perc. |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 24,736 | 80.35% |
| Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 3,137 | 10.19% |
| Native American | 50 | 0.16% |
| Asian | 103 | 0.33% |
| Other/Mixed | 1,187 | 3.86% |
| Hispanic orLatino | 1,574 | 5.11% |
As of the2020 census, there were 30,787 people, 12,928 households, and 8,389 families residing in the county.[17]
The median age was 43.6 years, with 21.7% of residents under the age of 18 and 21.3% aged 65 years or older. For every 100 females there were 93.5 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 91.8 males age 18 and over.[17]
The racial makeup of the county was 81.2%White, 10.3%Black or African American, 0.2%American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%Asian, <0.1%Native Hawaiian andPacific Islander, 2.8% from some other race, and 5.1% fromtwo or more races.Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 5.1% of the population.[16]
40.7% of residents lived in urban areas, while 59.3% lived in rural areas.[18]
Of the 12,928 households, 28.4% had children under the age of 18 living in them, 46.6% were married-couple households, 17.9% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 29.3% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 29.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older; there were 14,314 housing units, of which 9.7% were vacant, 66.5% of occupied units were owner-occupied, and 33.5% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.3% and the rental vacancy rate was 7.4%.[17]
As of thecensus[19] of 2000, there were 32,450 people, 13,182 households, and 9,398 families residing in the county. The population density was 60 inhabitants per square mile (23/km2). There were 14,489 housing units at an average density of 27 units per square mile (10/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 88.16%White, 9.85%Black orAfrican American, 0.19%Asian, 0.14%Native American, 0.05%Pacific Islander, 0.91% fromother races, and 0.71% from two or more races. 1.90% of the population wereHispanic orLatino of any race.
There were 13,182 households, out of which 31.00% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.40% weremarried couples living together, 11.10% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.70% were non-families. 25.70% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.10% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.42 and the average family size was 2.89.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 23.40% under the age of 18, 8.40% from 18 to 24, 27.70% from 25 to 44, 25.40% from 45 to 64, and 15.20% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.40 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.90 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $32,764, and the median income for a family was $40,533. Males had a median income of $32,963 versus $20,032 for females. Theper capita income for the county was $17,409. About 10.10% of families and 13.30% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 18.60% of those under age 18 and 15.10% of those age 65 or over.
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 1912 | 455 | 15.89% | 2,152 | 75.17% | 256 | 8.94% |
| 1916 | 591 | 15.59% | 3,170 | 83.64% | 29 | 0.77% |
| 1920 | 1,307 | 22.25% | 4,547 | 77.41% | 20 | 0.34% |
| 1924 | 485 | 12.87% | 3,223 | 85.51% | 61 | 1.62% |
| 1928 | 789 | 24.05% | 2,492 | 75.95% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1932 | 334 | 9.36% | 3,183 | 89.18% | 52 | 1.46% |
| 1936 | 417 | 10.06% | 3,728 | 89.94% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1940 | 536 | 10.91% | 4,360 | 88.73% | 18 | 0.37% |
| 1944 | 615 | 14.31% | 3,670 | 85.39% | 13 | 0.30% |
| 1948 | 642 | 13.91% | 3,490 | 75.59% | 485 | 10.50% |
| 1952 | 2,682 | 36.51% | 4,623 | 62.94% | 40 | 0.54% |
| 1956 | 2,349 | 30.76% | 5,185 | 67.89% | 103 | 1.35% |
| 1960 | 3,800 | 46.36% | 4,244 | 51.78% | 152 | 1.85% |
| 1964 | 2,802 | 33.07% | 5,672 | 66.93% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1968 | 2,420 | 25.92% | 2,235 | 23.94% | 4,680 | 50.13% |
| 1972 | 5,800 | 70.36% | 2,243 | 27.21% | 200 | 2.43% |
| 1976 | 2,986 | 28.93% | 7,204 | 69.81% | 130 | 1.26% |
| 1980 | 5,397 | 47.49% | 5,766 | 50.73% | 202 | 1.78% |
| 1984 | 6,384 | 56.74% | 4,769 | 42.38% | 99 | 0.88% |
| 1988 | 6,037 | 55.60% | 4,785 | 44.07% | 36 | 0.33% |
| 1992 | 4,812 | 37.41% | 6,497 | 50.51% | 1,555 | 12.09% |
| 1996 | 4,310 | 37.36% | 6,226 | 53.97% | 1,000 | 8.67% |
| 2000 | 6,168 | 49.58% | 6,056 | 48.68% | 216 | 1.74% |
| 2004 | 7,859 | 58.06% | 5,549 | 41.00% | 127 | 0.94% |
| 2008 | 8,873 | 66.26% | 4,308 | 32.17% | 211 | 1.58% |
| 2012 | 8,814 | 71.68% | 3,321 | 27.01% | 162 | 1.32% |
| 2016 | 9,526 | 77.77% | 2,426 | 19.81% | 297 | 2.42% |
| 2020 | 10,790 | 79.80% | 2,589 | 19.15% | 142 | 1.05% |
| 2024 | 10,596 | 82.14% | 2,221 | 17.22% | 83 | 0.64% |
The county is part of District 77 of theTennessee House of Representatives, currently represented by Republican Rusty Grills, and District 76, currently represented by Republican Tandy Darby. The county is part of District 24 of theTennessee Senate, currently represented by RepublicanJohn Stevens.[21] At the federal level, it is part of the state's8th congressional district, currently represented by RepublicanDavid Kustoff.
There are two school districts: Obion County Schools and Union City Schools.[22]
| School name | Team Mascot | School Colors | School Website |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Road Elementary School | Generals | Blue/Orange | [1] |
| Hillcrest Elementary School | Cougars | Red/Navy Blue | [2] |
| Ridgemont Elementary School | Mustangs | Red/Yellow | [3] |
| Black Oak Elementary School | Eagles | Yellow/Blue | [4] |
| South Fulton Elementary School | Red Devils | Red/White | [5] |
| South Fulton Middle and High School | Red Devils | Red/White | [6] |
| Obion County Central High School | Rebels | Red/White/Blue | [7] |
| School name | Team Mascot | School Colors | School Website |
|---|---|---|---|
| Union City Elementary School | Tornadoes | Purple/Gold | 1 |
| Union City Middle School | Tornadoes | Purple/Gold | 1 |
| Union City High School | Tornadoes | Purple/Gold | 1 |
Obion County is home to many attractions and activities.
Obion County has apublic library, with a 30,000-square-foot (2,800 m2) building and a catalog of over 70,000 books, video and audio materials.[25]
Residents of the county'sunincorporated communities have the option of paying $75 per year if they wantfirefighting services from the city ofSouth Fulton.[26][27]
Places adjacent to Obion County, Tennessee | ||||||||||||||||
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Municipalities and communities ofObion County, Tennessee,United States | ||
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| Cities |  | |
| Towns | ||
| Unincorporated communities | ||
| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
36°22′N89°09′W / 36.36°N 89.15°W /36.36; -89.15
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