'Anderson County' is a
U.S. county located in the
U.S. state of
Tennessee. Its population was 71,330 at the
United States Census, 2000. The 2005 Census Estimate placed the population at 72,430
[1]. Its
county seat is at
Clinton6.
It is included in the
Knoxville, Tennessee Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Geography
According to the
U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 893
km² (345
mi²). 874 km² (338 mi²) of it is land and 19 km² (7 mi²) of it (2.12%) is water.
Adjacent Counties
★
Campbell County (north)
★
Union County (northeast)
★
Knox County (southeast)
★
Roane County (southwest)
★
Morgan County (west)
★
Scott County (northwest)
History
Anderson County was formed in 1801 from parts of Knox and
Grainger counties. It was named in honor of
Joseph Anderson (1757-1847) who was judge of the Superior Court of the Territory South of the
River Ohio, a
U.S. senator from Tennessee, and
Comptroller of the
U.S. Treasury.
The construction of
Norris Dam, the first dam built by the
Tennessee Valley Authority, brought major changes to the county in the
1930s. Approximately 2900 families were relocated from reservoir lands in Anderson and nearby counties during the construction, which began in 1933 and was completed in 1936. The town of Norris was initially built as a planned community to house the workers involved in the construction of this dam.
During
World War II, the federal government's
Manhattan Project brought more change to the county, including the displacement of more families and the founding of
Oak Ridge.
The
Museum of Appalachia in Norris commemorates pioneer and rural life of past decades in Anderson County and the surrounding region.
Demographics

Age pyramid Anderson County
[1]
As of the
census² of 2000, there were 71,330 people, 29,780 households, and 20,518 families residing in the county. The
population density was 82/km² (211/mi²). There were 32,451 housing units at an average density of 37/km² (96/mi²). The racial makeup of the county was 93.36%
White, 3.88%
Black or
African American, 0.32%
Native American, 0.83%
Asian, 0.01%
Pacific Islander, 0.38% from
other races, and 1.22% from two or more races. 1.10% of the population were
Hispanic or
Latino of any race.
There were 29,780 households out of which 29.60% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.80% were
married couples living together, 11.50% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.10% were non-families. 27.70% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.10% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.37 and the average family size was 2.88.
In the county, the population was spread out with 23.20% under the age of 18, 7.50% from 18 to 24, 27.30% from 25 to 44, 25.50% from 45 to 64, and 16.60% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 91.10 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.40 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $35,483, and the median income for a family was $42,584. Males had a median income of $33,710 versus $23,467 for females. The
per capita income for the county was $19,009. About 10.20% of families and 13.10% of the population were below the
poverty line, including 18.40% of those under age 18 and 8.80% of those age 65 or over.
Cities and towns
★
Andersonville (unincorporated)
★
Briceville (unincorporated)
★
Claxton (unincorporated)
★
Clinton
★
Fraterville (unincorporated)
★
Lake City
★
Norris
★
Oak Ridge
★
Oliver Springs
References
1. Based on 2000 census data
External links