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Fayette County
Fayette County
County
	Fayette County Courthouse in Somerville
	Seal
	Location within the U.S. state of Tennessee
	Tennessee's location within the U.S.
	Coordinates: 35°11′N 89°25′W / 35.19°N 89.41°W
Country	United States
State	Tennessee
Founded	September 29, 1824
Named for	Marquis de Lafayette
Seat	Somerville
Largest town	Oakland
Area
• Total	706 sq mi (1,830 km2)
• Land	705 sq mi (1,830 km2)
• Water	1.5 sq mi (4 km2) 0.2%
Population (2020)
• Total	41,990
• Density	56.8/sq mi (21.9/km2)
Time zone	UTC−6 (Central)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district	8th
Website	fayettetn.us

Fayette County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of the 2020 census, the population was 41,990.^[2] Its county seat is Somerville.^[3] The county was named after the Marquis de la Fayette, French hero of the American Revolution.^[4] A part of the Memphis, TN-MS-AR Metropolitan Statistical Area, Fayette County is culturally alike to the Mississippi Delta and was a major area of cotton plantations dependent on slave labor in the nineteenth century.

History

Fayette County was established by Tennessee General Assembly in 1824 from the neighboring counties of Shelby and Hardeman.^[5] The same year, Somerville was selected as its county seat. The first churches in the county were the First Presbyterian Church in Somerville, established in 1829, and Immanuel Parish, established in 1832.

Herb Parsons 1908–1959) of Somerville, Tennessee, was Winchester's "Showman Shooter" for 30 years.

Following the emancipation of slaves on plantations, many of Fayette County's African-American residents worked as sharecroppers. In the 1960s and 1970s, civil rights activists fought for school integration and voting rights; and created tent cities to house displaced tenant farmers who had tried to register to vote.

In recent years, Fayette County has been transitioning from a rural area to accommodate the suburban sprawl from Memphis.^[6]

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 706 square miles (1,830 km²), of which 705 square miles (1,830 km²) is land and 1.5 square miles (3.9 km²) (0.2%) is water.^[7] It is the third-largest county in Tennessee by area. The county is, roughly, the same size as Marshall County, Mississippi.

Adjacent counties

State protected areas

William B. Clark Conservation Area
Ghost River State Natural Area
Piperton Wetland Complex Wildlife Management Area (part)
Wolf River Wildlife Management Area
WMA Briggs Tract
Herb Parsons Lake

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1830	8,652	—
1840	21,501	148.5%
1850	26,719	24.3%
1860	24,327	−9.0%
1870	26,145	7.5%
1880	31,871	21.9%
1890	28,878	−9.4%
1900	29,701	2.8%
1910	30,257	1.9%
1920	31,499	4.1%
1930	28,891	−8.3%
1940	30,322	5.0%
1950	27,535	−9.2%
1960	24,577	−10.7%
1970	22,692	−7.7%
1980	25,305	11.5%
1990	25,559	1.0%
2000	28,806	12.7%
2010	38,413	33.4%
2020	41,990	9.3%
U.S. Decennial Census^[8] 1790–1960^[9] 1900–1990^[10] 1990–2000^[11] 2010–2014^[2] 2017^[12]

Since the four-lane expansion of Highway 64 in the early 1990s, western Fayette County has had a population explosion. Although the county seat is still in Somerville, the population of Oakland has far surpassed it because of the influx of people working in Shelby County and seeking more affordable housing.

Although Fayette County is growing on its western side, the county's economy is still based on agriculture. Historically it was a site of cotton plantations as part of the Mississippi Delta. Several of the county's largest farmers control the vast majority of the county's wealth. Some of these families have been farming for generations dating back to plantations before the Civil War. Others are younger farmers who have used their skill, business savvy, and work ethic to develop large farming operations.^{[citation needed]}

Fayette County has become a destination for people of the Memphis metro area. The total value for building permits in June 2007 was close to that of the much larger Memphis suburban area of DeSoto County, Mississippi.^{[citation needed]}

2020 census

Fayette County racial composition^[15]
Race	Num.	Perc.
White (non-Hispanic)	27,558	65.63%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic)	11,038	26.29%
Native American	59	0.14%
Asian	269	0.64%
Pacific Islander	18	0.04%
Other/Mixed	1,618	3.85%
Hispanic or Latino	1,430	3.41%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 41,990 people, 15,596 households, and 11,567 families residing in the county.

2010 census

As of the census of 2010^[16] there were 38,413 people, 14,505 households, and 11,029 families residing in the county. The population density was 54.49 persons per square mile and the housing unit density was 20.57 units per square mile. The racial makeup of the county was 69.19% White, 28.07% Black or African American, 0.48% Asian, 0.28% Native American, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 1.08% from other races, and 0.89% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origins were 2.23% of the population.

Of the 14,505 households, 32.58% had children under the age of 18 living in them, 58.24% were married couples living together, 4.64% had a male householder with no wife present, 13.15% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.96% were non-families. 20.77% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.71% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.62 and the average family size was 3.02

Of the 38,413 residents, 23.11% were under the age of 18, 62.01% were between the ages of 18 and 64, and 14.88% were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41.9 years. 50.42% of the residents were female, and 49.58% were male.

The median household income in the county was $57,919 and the median family income was $68,159. Males had a median income of $50,560 versus $40,412 for females. The per capita income for the county was $30,471. About 9.9% of families and 14.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 22.1% of those under the age of 18 and 9.8% of those age 65 and over.

2000 census

As of the census^[17] of 2000, there were 28,806 people, 10,467 households, and 8,017 families residing in the county. The population density was 41 inhabitants per square mile (16/km²). There were 11,214 housing units at an average density of 16 units per square mile (6.2/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 62.48% White, 35.95% Black or African American, 0.19% Native American, 0.22% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.39% from other races, and 0.76% from two or more races. 1.03% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

According to the census of 2000, the largest ancestry groups in Fayette County were English 51.66%, African 35.95%, Scots-Irish 7.1%, and Scottish 1.2%.

In 2000 there were 10,467 households, out of which 31.00% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.50% were married couples living together, 14.00% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.40% were non-families. 20.50% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.60% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.71 and the average family size was 3.14.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 25.70% under the age of 18, 8.20% from 18 to 24, 27.40% from 25 to 44, 25.60% from 45 to 64, and 13.00% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 96.50 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.20 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $40,279, and the median income for a family was $46,283. Males had a median income of $33,603 versus $24,690 for females. The per capita income for the county was $17,969. About 10.90% of families and 14.30% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.40% of those under age 18 and 18.00% of those age 65 or over.

Education

"Fayette County Schools". Retrieved May 5, 2013.
Fayette Ware Comprehensive High
Fayette Academy (PK-12 Independent School)
Fayette Christian School
Rossville Christian Academy
West Jr High
East Jr High
Buckley-Carpenter Elementary School
Southwest Elementary
Oakland Elementary
LaGrange-Moscow Elementary
University of Tennessee at Martin (Somerville Campus)

Communities

Cities

Gallaway
Grand Junction (mostly in Hardeman County)
Moscow
Piperton
Williston

Towns

Unincorporated communities

Politics

Fayette County has a 19-seat legislative body referred to as the Board of County Commissioners representing 8 districts. All positions are elected every four years.

* District 1 (Somerville)

- Matt Rhea
- Win Moore

* District 2 (Laconia)

- Ray Seals
- Tommy Perkins

* District 3 (Gallaway/Braden/Garnett)

- Elizabeth Rice
- Jim Norton

* District 4 (North Oakland)

- David Webb
- Tim A. Goodroe

* District 5 (Piperton/Rossville)

- Terrye Canady
- Betty Knox Morrison Salmon
- David Crislip

* District 6 (Moscow/Williston)

- Mike Reeves
- Steve Reeves

* District 7 (Moscow)

- Claude Oglesby

* District 8 (Hickory Withe/Eads)

- Robert Sills
- Terry Leggett

* District 9 (South Oakland

- Adrian Wiggins
- Steve Laskoski

* District 10 (Lagrange)

- Larry Watkins

^[18]

The County Mayor is currently Rhea "Skip" Taylor.^[19]

United States presidential election results for Fayette County, Tennessee^[20]
Year	Republican		Democratic		Third party(ies)
Year	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
2020	15,690	68.26%	7,027	30.57%	267	1.16%
2016	13,055	67.31%	5,874	30.29%	465	2.40%
2012	12,689	64.83%	6,688	34.17%	197	1.01%
2008	12,173	63.22%	6,892	35.80%	189	0.98%
2004	8,962	60.81%	5,696	38.65%	79	0.54%
2000	6,402	55.53%	5,037	43.69%	90	0.78%
1996	4,406	46.29%	4,655	48.90%	458	4.81%
1992	3,713	43.13%	4,211	48.91%	685	7.96%
1988	3,573	51.63%	3,292	47.57%	56	0.81%
1984	3,733	50.44%	3,634	49.10%	34	0.46%
1980	2,944	40.92%	4,141	57.55%	110	1.53%
1976	2,133	35.31%	3,853	63.79%	54	0.89%
1972	3,264	59.75%	2,067	37.84%	132	2.42%
1968	740	13.34%	2,236	40.32%	2,570	46.34%
1964	2,922	52.57%	2,636	47.43%	0	0.00%
1960	1,370	48.95%	892	31.87%	537	19.19%
1956	358	18.19%	639	32.47%	971	49.34%
1952	1,029	46.73%	1,173	53.27%	0	0.00%
1948	66	3.70%	226	12.66%	1,493	83.64%
1944	172	10.81%	1,417	89.06%	2	0.13%
1940	78	4.09%	1,826	95.80%	2	0.10%
1936	29	1.62%	1,764	98.38%	0	0.00%
1932	42	3.12%	1,287	95.62%	17	1.26%
1928	121	9.91%	1,100	90.09%	0	0.00%
1924	65	5.11%	1,181	92.77%	27	2.12%
1920	346	13.11%	2,294	86.89%	0	0.00%
1916	116	6.01%	1,812	93.89%	2	0.10%
1912	59	6.01%	830	84.52%	93	9.47%

Historically, Fayette County was part of the "Solid South" whereby the county's black majority was entirely disenfranchised. From the end of Reconstruction until Harry S. Truman's civil rights proposals during the 1940s, Democrats won over 85 percent of Fayette County's vote even in 1920 and 1928 when Warren G. Harding and Herbert Hoover carried the state's electoral votes. During the Civil Rights era, Fayette County's politics resembled that of Mississippi more than that of the rest of Tennessee, with Strom Thurmond winning over 83 percent of the county's limited electorate in 1948 and T. Coleman Andrews carrying the county as a "States' Rights" candidate in 1956. Once the county's blacks were enfranchised during the 1960s, Democrats would carry the county or only lose narrowly between 1976 and 1996, but in the twenty-first century as the county becomes increasingly white and suburban, its strongly conservative social views have made it strongly Republican. The first county Republican Primary was held in 2018.^[21]

References

^ Dorothy R. Morton, "Fayette County," Tennessee Encyclopedia of History and Culture. Retrieved: June 27, 2013.
^ ^a ^b "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on June 7, 2011. Retrieved November 29, 2013.
^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 3, 2015. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
^ Gannett, Henry (1905). The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States. Govt. Print. Off. pp. 124.
^ Summerlin, Cathy; Summerlin, Vernon (1999). Traveling Tennessee. Thomas Nelson. ISBN 1418559687.
^ Morton, Dorothy R. (October 8, 2017). "Fayette County". Tennessee Encyclopedia. Archived from the original on November 16, 2018. Retrieved June 29, 2019.
^ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Retrieved April 4, 2015.
^ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved April 4, 2015.
^ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Archived from the original on August 11, 2012. Retrieved April 4, 2015.
^ Forstall, Richard L., ed. (March 27, 1995). "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved April 4, 2015.
^ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. April 2, 2001. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 9, 2022. Retrieved April 4, 2015.
^ "QuickFacts. Fayette County, Tennessee". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 2, 2019. Retrieved October 3, 2018.
^ "Population and Housing Unit Estimates". Retrieved July 20, 2018.
^ Based on 2000 census data
^ "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved December 8, 2021.
^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 14, 2020.
^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 14, 2011.
^ "Members of Board of Commissioners".
^ "County Directory". Fayettetn.us. Archived from the original on July 25, 2013. Retrieved May 5, 2013.
^ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved March 10, 2018.
^ Cohn, Nate; 'Demographic Shift: Southern Whites' Loyalty to G.O.P. Nearing That of Blacks to Democrats', The New York Times, April 24, 2014