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| Rutherford County, Tennessee | ||
 Rutherford County Courthouse, Murfreesboro, Tennessee
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 Location in the state of Tennessee | ||
 Tennessee's location in the U.S. | ||
| Founded | 1803 | |
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| Named for | Griffith Rutherford | |
| Seat | Murfreesboro | |
| Largest city | Murfreesboro | |
| Area - Total - Land - Water |
624 sq mi (1,616 km²) 618 sq mi (1,600 km²) 5 sq mi (13 km²), 0.81% | |
| Population - (2020) - Density |
341,486 420.8/sq mi (162/km²) | |
| Time zone | Central: UTC-6/-5 | |
| Website | www.RutherfordCountyTN.gov | |
Rutherford County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of the 2020 census, it is the state's fifth-largest county by population with 341,486 people which is also the geographic center of Tennessee, as well as the center of population of Tennessee.[1] The county is included in the Nashville-Davidson–Murfreesboro–Franklin Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Geography[]
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 624 square miles (1,616 km²), of which 619 square miles (1,603 km²) is land and 5 square miles (13 km²) (0.81%) is water.
Cities and towns[]
- Eagleville
- La Vergne
- Murfreesboro
- Smyrna
Unincorporated communities[]
- Allisona (partial)
- Blackman
- Lascassas
- Rockvale
- Walterhill
- Christiana
National protected area[]
- Stones River National Battlefield
Demographics[]
As of the census[2] of 2000, there were 182,023 people, 66,443 households, and 47,440 families residing in the county. The population density was 294 people per square mile (114/km²). There were 70,616 housing units at an average density of 114 per square mile (44/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 85.73% White, 9.51% Black or African American, 1.90% Asian, 0.29% Native American, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 1.32% from other races, and 1.20% from two or more races. 2.78% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
Age pyramid, Rutherford County.[3]
In 2000 there were 66,443 households out of which 37.80% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.30% were married couples living together, 11.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.60% were non-families. 20.80% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.10% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.65 and the average family size was 3.09.
In the county, the population was spread out with 26.40% under the age of 18, 13.20% from 18 to 24, 33.50% from 25 to 44, 19.40% from 45 to 64, and 7.50% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females there were 99.10 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.20 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $46,312, and the median income for a family was $53,553. Males had a median income of $36,788 versus $26,555 for females. The per capita income for the county was $19,938. About 5.80% of families and 9.00% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.50% of those under age 18 and 9.40% of those age 65 or over.
| Historical populations | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1900 | 33,543 | ||
| 1910 | 33,199 | −1.0% | |
| 1920 | 33,059 | −0.4% | |
| 1930 | 32,286 | −2.3% | |
| 1940 | 33,604 | 4.1% | |
| 1950 | 40,696 | 21.1% | |
| 1960 | 52,368 | 28.7% | |
| 1970 | 59,428 | 13.5% | |
| 1980 | 84,058 | 41.4% | |
| 1990 | 118,570 | 41.1% | |
| 2000 | 182,023 | 53.5% | |
| 2010 | 262,604 | 44.3% | |
The 2010 census put the population of Rutherford County at 262,604. This represents a greater than 40% population growth since the 2000 U.S. Census. As of 2009, it was estimated that the minority fraction of the population had grown to almost 20% of the total, with Hispanic population at 5.58%, African American population at 12.09%, and Asian population at 2.66% of the total.[4]
Government and politics[]
Presidential politics[]
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 2020 | 81,480 | 56.63% | 59,341 | 41.24% | 3,057 | 2.12% |
| 2016 | 64,515 | 60.05% | 36,706 | 34.17% | 6,215 | 5.78% |
| 2012 | 60,846 | 61.56% | 36,414 | 36.84% | 1,588 | 1.61% |
| 2008 | 59,892 | 58.78% | 40,460 | 39.71% | 1,547 | 1.52% |
| 2004 | 52,200 | 61.84% | 31,647 | 37.49% | 562 | 0.67% |
| 2000 | 33,445 | 53.79% | 27,360 | 44.00% | 1,377 | 2.21% |
| 1996 | 24,565 | 47.61% | 22,815 | 44.22% | 4,214 | 8.17% |
| 1992 | 18,877 | 40.04% | 21,084 | 44.73% | 7,179 | 15.23% |
| 1988 | 20,397 | 62.18% | 12,245 | 37.33% | 159 | 0.48% |
| 1984 | 19,503 | 61.98% | 11,618 | 36.92% | 348 | 1.11% |
| 1980 | 11,208 | 40.98% | 15,213 | 55.62% | 929 | 3.40% |
| 1976 | 7,921 | 34.32% | 14,854 | 64.35% | 307 | 1.33% |
| 1972 | 11,256 | 64.12% | 5,811 | 33.10% | 487 | 2.77% |
| 1968 | 4,168 | 24.72% | 4,921 | 29.18% | 7,773 | 46.10% |
| 1964 | 4,088 | 29.91% | 9,580 | 70.09% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1960 | 4,526 | 40.95% | 6,410 | 58.00% | 116 | 1.05% |
| 1956 | 2,713 | 29.15% | 6,494 | 69.78% | 99 | 1.06% |
| 1952 | 3,196 | 31.77% | 6,793 | 67.52% | 72 | 0.72% |
| 1948 | 854 | 14.05% | 4,151 | 68.30% | 1,073 | 17.65% |
| 1944 | 879 | 15.59% | 4,730 | 83.89% | 29 | 0.51% |
| 1940 | 782 | 15.61% | 4,207 | 83.99% | 20 | 0.40% |
| 1936 | 580 | 12.31% | 4,101 | 87.07% | 29 | 0.62% |
| 1932 | 606 | 13.32% | 3,924 | 86.24% | 20 | 0.44% |
| 1928 | 1,429 | 40.32% | 2,115 | 59.68% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1924 | 680 | 23.87% | 2,137 | 75.01% | 32 | 1.12% |
| 1920 | 1,881 | 35.58% | 3,406 | 64.42% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1916 | 1,116 | 27.51% | 2,941 | 72.49% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1912 | 1,217 | 24.50% | 3,406 | 68.57% | 344 | 6.93% |
| 1908 | 1,226 | 30.73% | 2,764 | 69.27% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1904 | 1,348 | 34.66% | 2,504 | 64.39% | 37 | 0.95% |
| 1900 | 1,429 | 35.36% | 2,517 | 62.29% | 95 | 2.35% |
| 1896 | 2,203 | 39.08% | 3,352 | 59.46% | 82 | 1.45% |
| 1892 | 1,210 | 29.83% | 2,211 | 54.51% | 635 | 15.66% |
| 1888 | 2,479 | 41.34% | 3,302 | 55.07% | 215 | 3.59% |
| 1884 | 2,040 | 41.60% | 2,828 | 57.67% | 36 | 0.73% |
| 1880 | 2,482 | 38.70% | 3,855 | 60.10% | 77 | 1.20% |
This area of the state was predominately Democratic following the American Civil War, but the significant minority of African Americans joined the Republican Party. The white-dominated state legislature in the 1880s passed four laws that effectively disenfranchised most blacks and many poor whites, particularly due to the requirement of payment of a poll tax in order to register to vote, which reduced the competitiveness of the Republican Party in this part of the state.[5]
Since the late 20th century, the majority of white conservatives in Rutherford County shifted toward the Republican Party. Since this time, the changing demographics of the county has shown a significant increase in minorities; however, this change has resulted in no significant impact to party alignment. In recent years the county has favored Republican candidates for local, state, and national elections, although Democrats have improved their performance in elections.[6][7]
History[]
Rutherford County was formed in 1803 from parts of Davidson, Williamson and Wilson counties, and named in honor of Griffith Rutherford (1721–1805). Rutherford was a North Carolina colonial legislator and a Revolutionary War general who settled in Middle Tennessee after the Revolution and served as President of the Council of the Territory of Tennessee before Tennessee attained statehood.
Rutherford County is an outlying part of metropolitan Nashville. Since 1970 its population has been increasing rapidly as Nashville becomes a true metropolis. The rate of growth accelerated in the 1990s and continued at a brisk pace into the first decade of the 21st century. From 2005-2006 the county population grew by over 10,000 people.
In 2007, SafeHarbor Holding LLC announced a proposal to build a 100-acre (0.40 km2) biblically-themed park in the Blackman Community, with the proposed name "Bible Park USA".[8] There has been significant resistance to such a development from the local residents.[9] In May 2008 the Rutherford County Board of Commissioners denied the request to rezone a 282-acre (114.1 ha) tract for the bible park.[10]
Adjacent counties[]
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See also[]
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Rutherford County, Tennessee
References[]
- ^ Population and Population Centers by State: 2000 from the U.S. Census website
- ^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^ Based on 2000 census data
- ^ Rutherford County Pop-Facts: Demographic Snapshot Report from the Rutherford Chamber of Commerce
- ^ a b Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS.
- ^ Broden, Scott (November 12, 2018). "Democrats in Rutherford County promise to raise their voices after GOP dominates elections". The Daily News Journal (Murfreesboro, Tennessee). https://www.dnj.com/story/news/2018/11/12/democrats-raise-voices-despite-gop-success-rutherford-county-tennessee-elections-president-trump/1941241002/.
- ^ Broden, Scott (August 9, 2014). "Republican Party controls Rutherford County offices". The Tennessean (Nashville). https://www.tennessean.com/story/news/politics/2014/08/09/republican-party-controls-rutherford-county-offices/13851487/.
- ^ Bible Park U.S.A., By Lisa Marchesoni, The Murfreesboro Post, April 15, 2007
- ^ Reception for Bible Park in Bible Belt, by Theo Emery, The New York Times, June 10, 2007
- ^ Michelle Willard, Bible Park USA schedules Murfreesboro job fair in 2009, Murfreesboro Post, July 21, 2008
External links[]
- RutherfordCountyTN.gov
- Rutherford County Chamber of Commerce
- Rutherford County at the Open Directory Project
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