Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County | |
|---|---|
_2.JPG) Davidson County Courthouse | |
 Seal | |
 Location within the U.S. state ofTennessee | |
 Tennessee's location within theU.S. | |
| Coordinates:36°10′N86°47′W / 36.17°N 86.78°W /36.17; -86.78 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Tennessee |
| Founded | October 6, 1783 |
| Named after | William Lee Davidson[1] |
| Seat | Nashville |
| Largest city | Nashville |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Freddie O'Connell (D) |
| Area | |
• Total | 526 sq mi (1,360 km2) |
| • Land | 504 sq mi (1,310 km2) |
| • Water | 22 sq mi (57 km2) 4.2% |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 715,884 |
• Estimate (2023) | 712,334 |
| • Density | 1,420/sq mi (548/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| Congressional districts | 5th,6th,7th |
| Website | www |
Davidson County is acounty in theU.S. state ofTennessee. It is located in the heart ofMiddle Tennessee. As of the2020 census, the population was 715,884,[2] making it the 2nd most populous county in Tennessee. Itscounty seat isNashville,[3] thestate capital andmost populous city.
Since 1963, the city of Nashville and Davidson County have had aconsolidated government called the "Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County", commonly referred to as "Metro Nashville" or "Metro". This is distinct from the larger metropolitan area.
Davidson County has the largest population in the 13-county Nashville-Davidson–Murfreesboro–FranklinMetropolitan Statistical Area, the state's most populousmetropolitan area. Nashville has always been one of the region's centers of commerce, industry, transportation, and culture, but it did not become the capital of Tennessee until 1827 and did not gain permanent capital status until 1843.[1]
Davidson County is the oldest county in the 41-county region ofMiddle Tennessee. It dates to 1783, shortly after the end of theAmerican Revolution, when theNorth Carolina legislature created the county and named it in honor ofWilliam Lee Davidson,[4] a North Carolina general who was killed opposing the crossing of theCatawba River by GeneralCornwallis's British forces on February 1, 1781. The county seat, Nashville, is the oldest permanent European settlement in Middle Tennessee, founded byJames Robertson andJohn Donelson during the winter of 1779–80 and the waning days of the Revolutionary War.
The first white settlers established theCumberland Compact to establish a basic rule of law and to protect their land titles. Through much of the early 1780s, the settlers also faced a hostile response fromNative American tribes such as theCherokee,Muscogee (Creek), andShawnee who used the area as a hunting ground; they resented the newcomers moving into the area in violation of treaties and competing for its resources. As the county's many known archaeological sites attest, Native American cultures had occupied areas of Davidson County for thousands of years. The first white Americans to enter the area werefur traders. Long hunters came next, having heard about a largesalt lick, known as French Lick, where they hunted game and traded with the Native Americans.[1]
In 1765,Timothy Demonbreun, a hunter, trapper, and formerGovernor of Illinois under theFrench, and his wife lived in a small cave (now known as Demonbreun's Cave) on the south side of the Cumberland River near present-day downtown Nashville. They were the parents of the first white child to be born in Middle Tennessee.[5] A number of the settlers came from Kentucky and the Upper South. Since the land was fertile, they cultivatedhemp andtobacco, using the labor of enslaved African Americans, and also raised blooded livestock of high quality, including horses. Generally holding less land than the plantations ofWestern Tennessee, many Middle Tennessee planters nevertheless became wealthy during this period.
Davidson County was much larger when it was created in 1783. Its initial boundaries were defined as follows: -
"[A]ll that part of this State lying west of the Cumberland mountain and south of the Virginia line, beginning on the top of Cumberland mountain where the Virginia line crosses, extending westward along the said line to Tennessee River, thence up said river to the mouth of Duck River, then up Duck River to where the line of marked trees run by the commissioners for laying off land granted the Continental line of this State intersects said river (which said line is supposed to be in thirty-five degrees fifty minutes north latitude) thence east along said line to the top of Cumberland mountain, thence northwardly along said mountain to the beginning".[6]
However, four more counties were carved out of Davidson County's territory between 1786 and 1856.[7][8]
Following the outbreak of theAmerican Civil War in 1861, the voters of Davidson County voted narrowly in favor ofseceding from the United States: 5,635 in favor, 5,572 against.[9] However, the Union Army occupied the county in February 1862, which caused widespread social disruption as the state's governing institutions broke down.
According to theU.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 526 square miles (1,360 km2), of which 504 square miles (1,310 km2) is land and 22 square miles (57 km2) (4.2%) is water.[11]
TheCumberland River flows from east to west through the middle of the county. Two dams within the county areOld Hickory Lock and Dam andJ. Percy Priest Dam, operated by theUnited States Army Corps of Engineers. Important tributaries of the Cumberland in Davidson County include Whites Creek, Manskers Creek,Stones River, Mill Creek, and theHarpeth River.[12]
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1790 | 3,459 | — | |
| 1800 | 9,965 | 188.1% | |
| 1810 | 15,608 | 56.6% | |
| 1820 | 20,154 | 29.1% | |
| 1830 | 28,122 | 39.5% | |
| 1840 | 30,509 | 8.5% | |
| 1850 | 38,882 | 27.4% | |
| 1860 | 47,055 | 21.0% | |
| 1870 | 62,897 | 33.7% | |
| 1880 | 79,026 | 25.6% | |
| 1890 | 108,174 | 36.9% | |
| 1900 | 122,815 | 13.5% | |
| 1910 | 149,478 | 21.7% | |
| 1920 | 167,815 | 12.3% | |
| 1930 | 222,854 | 32.8% | |
| 1940 | 257,267 | 15.4% | |
| 1950 | 321,758 | 25.1% | |
| 1960 | 399,743 | 24.2% | |
| 1970 | 448,003 | 12.1% | |
| 1980 | 477,811 | 6.7% | |
| 1990 | 510,784 | 6.9% | |
| 2000 | 569,891 | 11.6% | |
| 2010 | 626,681 | 10.0% | |
| 2020 | 715,884 | 14.2% | |
| 2023 (est.) | 712,334 | [13] | −0.5% |
| U.S. Decennial Census[14] 1790–1960[15] 1900–1990[16] 1990–2000[17] 2010–2020[2] | |||
| Race | Number | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 386,835 | 54.04% |
| Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 171,489 | 23.95% |
| Native American | 1,309 | 0.18% |
| Asian | 27,660 | 3.86% |
| Pacific Islander | 303 | 0.04% |
| Other/Mixed | 30,169 | 4.21% |
| Hispanic orLatino | 98,119 | 13.71% |
As of the2020 United States census, there were 715,884 people, 289,427 households, and 152,833 families residing in the county.
As of the census[20] of 2000, there were 569,891 people, 237,405 households, and 138,169 families residing in the county. Thepopulation density was 1,135 people per square mile (438 people/km2). There were 252,977 housing units at an average density of 504 units per square mile (195/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 67.0%White, 26.0%Black orAfrican American, 0.3%Native American, 2.3%Asian, 0.1%Pacific Islander, 2.4% fromother races, and 2.0% from two or more races. 4.6% of the population wereHispanic orLatino of any race.
In 2005 the racial makeup of the county was 61.7% non-Hispanic white, 27.5% African-American, 6.6% Latino and 2.8% Asian.
In 2000 there were 237,405 households, out of which 26.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.9% were married couples living together, 14.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 41.8% were non-families. 33.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.30 and the average family size was 2.96.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 22.2% under the age of 18, 11.6% from 18 to 24, 34.0% from 25 to 44, 21.1% from 45 to 64, and 11.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.80 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.80 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $39,797, and the median income for a family was $49,317. Males had a median income of $33,844 versus $27,770 for females. Theper capita income for the county was $23,069. About 10.0% of families and 13.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.1% of those under age 18 and 10.5% of those age 65 or over.
Davidson County is aDemocratic stronghold, due to it comprising the liberal bastion of Nashville.[21][22] It last went Republican whenGeorge H. W. Bush won the county in1988, and Democratic presidential candidates have handily won the county by double-digit margins since. However, Davidson County has trended even more Democratic in recent years while most of the state has shifted Republican, mainly due to its changing demographics and rapid growth. In 2020,Joe Biden won Davidson county overDonald Trump with 64.5% of the vote and a 32.1% margin of victory, the best Democratic performance in the county sinceFranklin D. Roosevelt's landslide victories.[23] This election was also the first time since 1980 that Davison County gave a Democrat a higher percentage than majority-Black and longtime Democratic strongholdShelby County, a trend that continued in 2024 even as Trump regained a large amount of suburban support nationwide.
In local elections, the county is equally Democratic. Since the end of theCivil War, Nashville has mostly been in the 5th district, however, between 1875 and 1933, and 1943 and 1953, it was located in the6th district. Before 2023 no Republican had represented Nashville in the US House of Representatives sinceHorace Harrison left office in 1875.[24] No Republican has ever served as the mayor of unified Davidson County.
In 2022,Tennessee's Legislature passed a new map forTennessee's congressional districts to account for the new2020 census data. TheRepublican Party had total control of the Tennessee government at the time, giving it full control of the redistricting process. The new map that was passedgerrymandered Davidson County into three congressional districts, resulting in Republicans winning them all in2022.[25][26]
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 1880 | 6,449 | 44.66% | 7,543 | 52.24% | 448 | 3.10% |
| 1884 | 8,111 | 49.55% | 8,165 | 49.88% | 94 | 0.57% |
| 1888 | 9,321 | 47.16% | 9,715 | 49.15% | 730 | 3.69% |
| 1892 | 2,993 | 24.40% | 8,480 | 69.14% | 792 | 6.46% |
| 1896 | 5,720 | 41.88% | 7,511 | 54.99% | 428 | 3.13% |
| 1900 | 2,501 | 25.78% | 6,869 | 70.81% | 330 | 3.40% |
| 1904 | 1,900 | 19.08% | 7,735 | 77.69% | 321 | 3.22% |
| 1908 | 2,721 | 24.23% | 8,309 | 73.98% | 202 | 1.80% |
| 1912 | 1,428 | 11.44% | 9,517 | 76.25% | 1,536 | 12.31% |
| 1916 | 3,168 | 25.71% | 8,958 | 72.71% | 194 | 1.57% |
| 1920 | 6,811 | 33.48% | 13,354 | 65.63% | 181 | 0.89% |
| 1924 | 4,516 | 26.18% | 11,363 | 65.88% | 1,370 | 7.94% |
| 1928 | 15,322 | 53.21% | 13,442 | 46.68% | 34 | 0.12% |
| 1932 | 7,004 | 24.43% | 21,233 | 74.07% | 429 | 1.50% |
| 1936 | 4,467 | 14.81% | 25,530 | 84.65% | 161 | 0.53% |
| 1940 | 8,763 | 24.11% | 27,589 | 75.89% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1944 | 10,174 | 27.68% | 26,493 | 72.07% | 93 | 0.25% |
| 1948 | 8,410 | 22.34% | 20,877 | 55.46% | 8,356 | 22.20% |
| 1952 | 35,916 | 40.99% | 51,562 | 58.84% | 152 | 0.17% |
| 1956 | 37,077 | 39.08% | 56,822 | 59.89% | 975 | 1.03% |
| 1960 | 52,077 | 46.25% | 59,649 | 52.98% | 871 | 0.77% |
| 1964 | 45,335 | 36.35% | 79,387 | 63.65% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1968 | 44,175 | 32.34% | 44,543 | 32.61% | 47,889 | 35.06% |
| 1972 | 82,636 | 61.30% | 48,869 | 36.25% | 3,292 | 2.44% |
| 1976 | 60,662 | 37.54% | 99,007 | 61.27% | 1,929 | 1.19% |
| 1980 | 65,772 | 37.45% | 103,741 | 59.08% | 6,093 | 3.47% |
| 1984 | 98,155 | 51.99% | 89,498 | 47.40% | 1,161 | 0.61% |
| 1988 | 98,599 | 52.18% | 89,270 | 47.25% | 1,077 | 0.57% |
| 1992 | 76,567 | 37.57% | 106,355 | 52.18% | 20,885 | 10.25% |
| 1996 | 78,453 | 39.15% | 110,805 | 55.30% | 11,124 | 5.55% |
| 2000 | 84,117 | 40.33% | 120,508 | 57.77% | 3,963 | 1.90% |
| 2004 | 107,839 | 44.51% | 132,737 | 54.78% | 1,726 | 0.71% |
| 2008 | 102,915 | 38.80% | 158,423 | 59.73% | 3,885 | 1.46% |
| 2012 | 97,622 | 39.76% | 143,120 | 58.29% | 4,792 | 1.95% |
| 2016 | 84,550 | 33.95% | 148,864 | 59.77% | 15,654 | 6.29% |
| 2020 | 100,218 | 32.36% | 199,703 | 64.49% | 9,737 | 3.14% |
| 2024 | 102,256 | 35.26% | 181,862 | 62.70% | 5,918 | 2.04% |
All of Davidson County is encompassed under theconsolidated Metropolitan Government ofNashville and Davidson County. However, several municipalities that wereincorporated before consolidation retain some autonomy as independent municipalities. These are:
ForU.S. Census purposes, the portions of Davidson County that lie outside the boundaries of the six independently incorporated municipalities are collectively treated as theNashville-Davidson balance.
Before consolidation occurred, there were several other communities that were previously unincorporated, while others relinquished theirmunicipal charters. Now neighborhoods of Nashville, they maintain historical identities to varying degrees. These include:
Metropolitan Nashville Public School District is the school district of the entire county.[29]
Tennessee School for the Blind is a state-operated school in Nashville.
According to a history published in 1884, when the area was first colonized in the 1770s, "Bears, deer, buffaloes and other wild animals, now extinct in this part of the country, were plentiful, and furnished food for the settlers. Wild cats, wolves and snakes were also numerous, and had their haunts where now stand stately mansions."[30]
Davidson County is referred to in theBillboardCountry Airplay number one hit of 2021,[31]Famous Friends, as it was written by nativeChris Young along with Cary Barlowe and Corey Crowder.[32]
Places adjacent to Davidson County, Tennessee | ||||||||||||||||
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Municipalities and communities ofDavidson 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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