Carter County, Tennessee
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Carter County, Tennessee | |
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| Map | |
 Location in the state of Tennessee |
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| Statistics | |
| Formed | 1796 |
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| Seat | Elizabethton |
| Area - Total - Land - Water |
900 km² (348 mi²) sq mi ( km²) 17 km² (7 mi²), 1.89% |
| Population - (2000) - Density |
56,742 64/km² |
Carter County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of 2000, the population was 56,742. Its county seat is Elizabethton6. Carter County's boundary with Sullivan County is defined as the ridgeline of Holston Mountain.
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[edit] Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 900 km² (348 mi²). 883 km² (341 mi²) of it is land and 17 km² (7 mi²) of it (1.89%) is water.
[edit] Adjacent Counties
- Sullivan County (north)
- Johnson County (northeast)
- Avery County, North Carolina (southeast)
- Mitchell County, North Carolina (south)
- Unicoi County (southwest)
- Washington County (west)
[edit] Demographics
As of the census² of 2000, there were 56,742 people, 23,486 households, and 16,346 families residing in the county. The population density was 64/km² (166/mi²). There were 25,920 housing units at an average density of 29/km² (76/mi²). The racial makeup of the county was 97.49% White, 1.00% Black or African American, 0.20% Native American, 0.26% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.27% from other races, and 0.78% from two or more races. 0.89% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 23,486 households out of which 28.50% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.90% were married couples living together, 11.00% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.40% were non-families. 26.50% 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 2.35 and the average family size was 2.83.
In the county, the population was spread out with 21.40% under the age of 18, 9.20% from 18 to 24, 29.00% from 25 to 44, 25.40% from 45 to 64, and 15.00% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 94.50 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.60 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $27,371, and the median income for a family was $33,825. Males had a median income of $26,394 versus $19,687 for females. The per capita income for the county was $14,678. About 12.80% of families and 16.90% of the population were below the poverty line, including 23.00% of those under age 18 and 16.00% of those age 65 or over.
[edit] Early history
Carter County was the first permanent settlement outside the original 13 colonies. The site of the first majority-rule system of American democracy, known as the Watauga Association, it is named in honor of Landon Carter, son of John Carter, Chairman of the Court as defined by the articles of the Petition. The county seat, Elizabethton, is named for Landon's wife, Elizabeth MacLin Carter. Carter County was served by the legendary narrow gauge East Tennessee and Western North Carolina Railroad (ET&WNC) (also known as "Tweetsie Railroad") built in the 1880s.
[edit] Cities and towns
- Elizabethton (county seat)
- Roan Mountain (south)
- Johnson City (west)
- Pine Crest (west)
- Central
- Watauga (northwest)
- Hunter (northeast
[edit] References
[edit] External links
- Carter County at the Open Directory Project
- National Register of Historical Places - TENNESSEE (TN), Carter County.
- Cy Crumley ET&WNC Photo Collection
