Overton County, Tennessee | |
|---|---|
 Overton County Courthouse in Livingston | |
 Location within the U.S. state ofTennessee | |
| Coordinates:36°20′N85°17′W / 36.34°N 85.29°W /36.34; -85.29 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Tennessee |
| Founded | September 1806 |
| Named after | John Overton[1] |
| Seat | Livingston |
| Largest town | Livingston |
| Area | |
• Total | 435 sq mi (1,130 km2) |
| • Land | 433 sq mi (1,120 km2) |
| • Water | 1.4 sq mi (3.6 km2) 0.3% |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 22,511 |
| • Density | 51/sq mi (20/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| Congressional district | 6th |
| Website | www |
Overton County is acounty located in theU.S. state ofTennessee. As of the2020 census, the population was 22,511.[2] Itscounty seat isLivingston.[3] Overton County is part of theCookeville, TNMicropolitan Statistical Area.
On May 10, 1933, a half-mile wide F4tornado struck the small community of Beatty Swamps (also referred to as Bethsadia). The tornado destroyed every structure in the town and either killed or injured nearly every inhabitant, with 33 of the 35 deaths occurring in the area. Much of the area was swept clean of debris, areaper-binder was thrown 500 yards (460 m), and cars were moved hundreds of feet.[4][5][6]
According to theU.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 435 square miles (1,130 km2), of which 433 square miles (1,120 km2) is land and 1.4 square miles (3.6 km2) (0.3%) is water.[7]
Overton County straddles the EasternHighland Rim, and generally consists of low, rolling hills divided by narrow creek valleys. The backwaters ofDale Hollow Lake, namely the Mitchell Creek and Big Eagle Creek sections, spill over into the northern part of the county. The county is located on theCumberland Plateau.
Unlike most of Tennessee, a small part of northern Overton County is outside of theSun Belt due to a past error surveying the northern border ofMiddle andEast Tennessee. Overton County, neighboring Jackson County to the west and neighboring Fentress County to the east are the only three Tennessee counties to have areas north of the Sun Belt without borderingKentucky norVirginia.[8] The Sun Belt is defined by the Kinder Institute as being south of36°30'N latitude, which was intended to be the northern border of Tennessee and is the actual northern border ofWest Tennessee.[9]
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1810 | 5,643 | — | |
| 1820 | 7,128 | 26.3% | |
| 1830 | 8,242 | 15.6% | |
| 1840 | 9,279 | 12.6% | |
| 1850 | 11,211 | 20.8% | |
| 1860 | 12,637 | 12.7% | |
| 1870 | 11,297 | −10.6% | |
| 1880 | 12,153 | 7.6% | |
| 1890 | 12,039 | −0.9% | |
| 1900 | 13,353 | 10.9% | |
| 1910 | 15,854 | 18.7% | |
| 1920 | 17,617 | 11.1% | |
| 1930 | 18,079 | 2.6% | |
| 1940 | 18,883 | 4.4% | |
| 1950 | 17,566 | −7.0% | |
| 1960 | 14,661 | −16.5% | |
| 1970 | 14,866 | 1.4% | |
| 1980 | 17,575 | 18.2% | |
| 1990 | 17,636 | 0.3% | |
| 2000 | 20,118 | 14.1% | |
| 2010 | 22,083 | 9.8% | |
| 2020 | 22,511 | 1.9% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[10] 1790-1960[11] 1900-1990[12] 1990-2000[13] 2010-2014[2] | |||
| Race | Number | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 21,223 | 94.28% |
| Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 86 | 0.38% |
| Native American | 60 | 0.27% |
| Asian | 61 | 0.27% |
| Other/Mixed | 737 | 3.27% |
| Hispanic orLatino | 344 | 1.53% |
As of the2020 United States census, there were 22,511 people, 9,140 households, and 6,220 families residing in the county.
As of thecensus[17] of 2000, there were 20,118 people, 8,110 households, and 5,920 families residing in the county. Thepopulation density was 46 people per square mile (18 people/km2). There were 9,168 housing units at an average density of 21 units per square mile (8.1/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 94.59%White, 0.28%Black orAfrican American, 2.28%Native American, 0.09%Asian, 0.05%Pacific Islander, 0.22% fromother races, and 0.49% from two or more races. 2.69% of the population wereHispanic orLatino of any race.
There were 8,110 households, out of which 29.20% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.20% weremarried couples living together, 9.90% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.00% were non-families. 24.10% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.00% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was 2.90.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 23.00% under the age of 18, 8.40% from 18 to 24, 27.70% from 25 to 44, 25.90% from 45 to 64, and 15.00% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.20 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.10 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $26,915, and the median income for a family was $32,156. Males had a median income of $25,287 versus $19,674 for females. Theper capita income for the county was $13,910. About 12.30% of families and 16.00% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 20.40% of those under age 18 and 20.50% of those age 65 or over.
Overton County was once a Democratic stronghold. Starting in 2008, the county has consistently voted Republican by increasing margins. In 2024, RepublicanDonald Trump won over 80% of the county's vote, the best-ever performance by a Republican.
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| № | % | № | % | № | % | |
| 1912 | 743 | 29.47% | 1,531 | 60.73% | 247 | 9.80% |
| 1916 | 1,030 | 39.78% | 1,512 | 58.40% | 47 | 1.82% |
| 1920 | 1,939 | 51.91% | 1,779 | 47.63% | 17 | 0.46% |
| 1924 | 900 | 36.33% | 1,532 | 61.85% | 45 | 1.82% |
| 1928 | 1,195 | 51.80% | 1,105 | 47.90% | 7 | 0.30% |
| 1932 | 661 | 22.75% | 2,231 | 76.80% | 13 | 0.45% |
| 1936 | 942 | 36.85% | 1,608 | 62.91% | 6 | 0.23% |
| 1940 | 988 | 36.15% | 1,718 | 62.86% | 27 | 0.99% |
| 1944 | 935 | 39.14% | 1,449 | 60.65% | 5 | 0.21% |
| 1948 | 917 | 31.57% | 1,835 | 63.17% | 153 | 5.27% |
| 1952 | 1,453 | 39.47% | 2,209 | 60.01% | 19 | 0.52% |
| 1956 | 1,508 | 38.44% | 2,385 | 60.80% | 30 | 0.76% |
| 1960 | 1,831 | 43.06% | 2,389 | 56.19% | 32 | 0.75% |
| 1964 | 1,155 | 26.17% | 3,258 | 73.83% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1968 | 1,258 | 31.25% | 1,592 | 39.54% | 1,176 | 29.21% |
| 1972 | 1,947 | 54.17% | 1,573 | 43.77% | 74 | 2.06% |
| 1976 | 1,115 | 22.09% | 3,897 | 77.21% | 35 | 0.69% |
| 1980 | 1,869 | 35.49% | 3,343 | 63.47% | 55 | 1.04% |
| 1984 | 2,054 | 42.53% | 2,749 | 56.92% | 27 | 0.56% |
| 1988 | 1,873 | 42.60% | 2,511 | 57.11% | 13 | 0.30% |
| 1992 | 1,657 | 24.91% | 4,489 | 67.49% | 505 | 7.59% |
| 1996 | 1,756 | 29.11% | 3,800 | 63.00% | 476 | 7.89% |
| 2000 | 2,875 | 38.35% | 4,507 | 60.13% | 114 | 1.52% |
| 2004 | 3,941 | 46.31% | 4,518 | 53.09% | 51 | 0.60% |
| 2008 | 4,497 | 55.57% | 3,419 | 42.25% | 176 | 2.17% |
| 2012 | 4,775 | 62.30% | 2,805 | 36.60% | 84 | 1.10% |
| 2016 | 6,059 | 73.63% | 1,945 | 23.64% | 225 | 2.73% |
| 2020 | 7,918 | 78.89% | 2,033 | 20.26% | 86 | 0.86% |
| 2024 | 9,042 | 81.69% | 1,931 | 17.45% | 96 | 0.87% |
Media related toOverton County, Tennessee at Wikimedia CommonsPlaces adjacent to Overton County, Tennessee | ||||||||||||||||
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Municipalities and communities ofOverton County, Tennessee,United States | ||
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36°20′N85°17′W / 36.34°N 85.29°W /36.34; -85.29
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