Townsend, Tennessee

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Townsend is a town in Blount County, Tennessee, United States. It's population was 244 at the 2000 U.S. census. It is included in the Knoxville, Tennessee Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Townsend is situated in Tuckaleechee Cove, and is named for the former owner of the turn-of-the-century Little River Lumber Company. It is considered a gateway community for the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, having one of the three entrances that continues as a paved road though the park. Especially compared to the extremely commercialized Gatlinburg nearby, and even to Cherokee, North Carolina on the other side, Townsend is very quiet and low-key. The town has it's share of restaurants targeting the tourists headed to the Great Smokey Mountains. Cartwright's Restaurant located in Townsend has been widely known for it's insane adulterous owner, and for not paying it's employees.

The Little River flows from the park through the length of Townsend, parallel to the newer State Route 73 (Tuckaleechee Road). The other main road nearby is U.S. 321, to Wear Valley, Tennessee, a town in Wear Cove, and then to Gatlinburg. Within the park, the road to Cades Cove is nearby. Maryville is another nearby community, and it is the county seat of Blount County.

The population of Tuckaleechee Cove is over 1500 with many part-time and full-time residents. Tuckaleechee Caverns is another tourist attraction in the area.

[edit] Geography

Townsend is located at 35°40′32″N, 83°45′18″W (35.675471, -83.755012)^GR1.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 2.4 km² (0.9 mi²), all land. As of 2004, annexation increased the size of the town considerably.

[edit] Demographics

As of the census^GR2 of 2000, there were 244 people, 124 households, and 80 families residing in the town. The population density was 102.4/km² (265.7/mi²). There were 217 housing units at an average density of 91.1/km² (236.3/mi²). The racial makeup of the town was 97.95% White, 1.23% Native American and 0.82% Asian.

There were 124 households out of which 15.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.9% were married couples living together, 3.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.7% were non-families. 33.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 23.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.97 and the average family size was 2.44.

In the town the population was spread out with 12.3% under the age of 18, 2.5% from 18 to 24, 19.3% from 25 to 44, 36.5% from 45 to 64, and 29.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 56 years. For every 100 females there were 86.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.1 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $36,250, and the median income for a family was $50,000. Males had a median income of $41,071 versus $29,375 for females. The per capita income for the city was $21,647. About 5.9% of families and 12.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.7% of those under the age of eighteen and 11.5% of those sixty five or over.