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Unicoi County
Unicoi County
County
	Unicoi County Courthouse in Erwin
	Seal Logo
	Location within the U.S. state of Tennessee
	Tennessee's location within the U.S.
	Coordinates: 36°06′N 82°26′W / 36.1°N 82.43°W
Country	United States
State	Tennessee
Founded	March 23, 1875
Named for	Cherokee word for "fog-draped" or "hazy"
Seat	Erwin
Largest town	Erwin
Area
• Total	186 sq mi (480 km2)
• Land	186 sq mi (480 km2)
• Water	0.3 sq mi (0.8 km2) 0.2%
Population (2020)
• Total	17,928
• Density	98/sq mi (38/km2)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district	1st
Website	www.unicoicountytn.gov

Unicoi County (/ˈjuːnɪˌkɔɪ/) is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of the 2020 census, the population was 17,928.^[2] Its county seat is Erwin.^[3] Unicoi is a Cherokee word meaning "white," "hazy," "fog-like," or "fog draped," and refers to the mist often seen in the foothills and mountains of this far northeast county.^[1] Unicoi County is part of the Johnson City Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is a component of the Johnson City–Kingsport–Bristol, TN-VA Combined Statistical Area, commonly known as the "Tri-Cities" region.

History

This area was long inhabited by indigenous peoples, including the historic Cherokee who encountered European and English traders and settlers. The mountainous terrain made it less attractive to subsistence farmers.

Unicoi County was created in 1875 from portions of Washington and Carter counties. Its first European-American settlers had arrived more than a century earlier but the population had been small.^[1] The county remained predominantly agrarian until the railroads were constructed in the area in the 1880s.^[1]

During the 1910s, the Clinchfield Railroad established a pottery in Erwin, which eventually incorporated under the name, "Southern Potteries." This company produced a popular brand of dishware, commonly called Blue Ridge China, which featured hand-painted underglaze designs. While the company folded in the 1950s, Blue Ridge dishes remain popular with antique collectors.^[1]

On September 13, 1916, a circus elephant, Mary, was hanged in Erwin for killing her trainer in nearby Kingsport. The elephant was hanged by the neck from a railcar-mounted industrial derrick between four o'clock and five o'clock that afternoon. The first attempt resulted in a snapped chain, causing Mary to fall and break her hip as dozens of children fled in terror. The severely wounded elephant died during a second attempt and was buried beside the tracks. The hanging was the subject of a book, The Day They Hung the Elephant (1992), by Charles Edwin Price.

Pronunciation

Hear it spoken (Voice of Unicoi County Mayor Greg Lynch, 2010)

Geography

The Appalachian Trail approaching the summit of Big Bald

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 186 square miles (480 km²), of which 186 square miles (480 km²) is land and 0.3 square miles (0.78 km²) (0.2%) is water.^[4] It is the fifth-smallest county in Tennessee by total area. The Nolichucky River, which enters Unicoi County from North Carolina, is the county's primary drainage.

Unicoi County is situated entirely within the Blue Ridge Mountains,^[5] specifically the Bald Mountains (south of the Nolichucky) and the Unaka Range (north of the Nolichucky). Big Bald, which at 5,516 feet (1,681 m) is the highest mountain in the Balds, is also Unicoi County's high point.^[6] Traversed by the Appalachian Trail, the mountain is topped by a grassy bald, allowing a 360-degree view of the surrounding mountains.

Major highways

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1880	3,645	—
1890	4,619	26.7%
1900	5,851	26.7%
1910	7,201	23.1%
1920	10,120	40.5%
1930	12,678	25.3%
1940	14,128	11.4%
1950	15,886	12.4%
1960	15,082	−5.1%
1970	15,254	1.1%
1980	16,362	7.3%
1990	16,549	1.1%
2000	17,667	6.8%
2010	18,313	3.7%
2020	17,928	−2.1%
U.S. Decennial Census^[7] 1790-1960^[8] 1900-1990^[9] 1990-2000^[10] 2010-2014^[11]

2020 census

Unicoi County racial composition^[13]
Race	Number	Percentage
White (non-Hispanic)	16,175	90.22%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic)	44	0.25%
Native American	38	0.21%
Asian	37	0.21%
Other/Mixed	527	2.94%
Hispanic or Latino	1,107	6.17%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 17,928 people, 7,658 households, and 4,953 families residing in the county.

2000 census

As of the census^[14] of 2000, there were 17,667 people, 7,516 households, and 5,223 families residing in the county. The population density was 95 people per square mile (37 people/km²). There were 8,214 housing units at an average density of 44 units per square mile (17/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 97.96% White, 0.07% Black or African American, 0.25% Native American, 0.08% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.95% from other races, and 0.66% from two or more races. 1.94% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 7,516 households, out of which 26.60% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.40% were married couples living together, 9.50% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.50% were non-families. 27.50% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.40% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.31 and the average family size was 2.80.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 20.50% under the age of 18, 7.50% from 18 to 24, 27.50% from 25 to 44, 26.50% from 45 to 64, and 18.10% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.10 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.60 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $29,863, and the median income for a family was $36,871. Males had a median income of $30,206 versus $20,379 for females. The per capita income for the county was $15,612. About 8.70% of families and 13.10% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.70% of those under age 18 and 13.50% of those age 65 or over.

Communities

Towns

Erwin (county seat)
Unicoi

Census-designated place

Banner Hill

Unincorporated communities

Politics

Voters of Unicoi County, like most of eastern Tennessee, have been strongly affiliated with the Republican Party since before the Civil War, when it was a Unionist enclave. Since its founding, it has supported the Republican presidential candidate in all but one election (1912, when it backed Theodore Roosevelt's Progressive Party campaign).

At the state level, Unicoi County has historically been slightly more receptive to Democratic candidates, generally when they win by landslides. It often supported Democratic candidates for governor in the Solid South era, when white conservatives largely were affiliated as Democrats. More recently, it backed Democrat Ned McWherter in the 1986 and 1990 gubernatorial elections and Phil Bredesen in 2006, when he won every county in the state.

United States presidential election results for Unicoi County, Tennessee^[15]
Year	Republican		Democratic		Third party(ies)
Year	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
2024	6,876	80.51%	1,578	18.48%	87	1.02%
2020	6,599	79.44%	1,615	19.44%	93	1.12%
2016	5,671	78.82%	1,262	17.54%	262	3.64%
2012	5,032	71.01%	1,913	27.00%	141	1.99%
2008	5,011	69.38%	2,107	29.17%	105	1.45%
2004	5,030	67.40%	2,374	31.81%	59	0.79%
2000	3,780	58.80%	2,566	39.91%	83	1.29%
1996	3,122	54.25%	2,131	37.03%	502	8.72%
1992	3,344	51.87%	2,375	36.84%	728	11.29%
1988	3,664	66.79%	1,794	32.70%	28	0.51%
1984	4,249	71.07%	1,696	28.37%	34	0.57%
1980	3,828	65.50%	1,880	32.17%	136	2.33%
1976	3,211	55.53%	2,526	43.69%	45	0.78%
1972	3,877	81.35%	822	17.25%	67	1.41%
1968	3,327	65.49%	910	17.91%	843	16.59%
1964	2,731	57.73%	2,000	42.27%	0	0.00%
1960	4,004	75.04%	1,322	24.78%	10	0.19%
1956	3,978	77.71%	1,111	21.70%	30	0.59%
1952	3,453	74.81%	1,163	25.19%	0	0.00%
1948	1,927	67.35%	844	29.50%	90	3.15%
1944	1,992	71.89%	779	28.11%	0	0.00%
1940	1,863	64.67%	985	34.19%	33	1.15%
1936	1,850	67.13%	879	31.89%	27	0.98%
1932	1,716	66.87%	850	33.13%	0	0.00%
1928	2,043	84.25%	375	15.46%	7	0.29%
1924	1,381	72.68%	381	20.05%	138	7.26%
1920	2,584	82.42%	547	17.45%	4	0.13%
1916	961	80.96%	226	19.04%	0	0.00%
1912	280	22.84%	170	13.87%	776	63.30%

Education

All Unicoi County residents are in the Unicoi County School District.^[16]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Hilda Britt Padgett, "Unicoi County," Tennessee Encyclopedia of History and Culture. Retrieved: April 19, 2013.
^ "Census - Geography Profile: Unicoi County, Tennessee". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 7, 2023.
^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
^ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Retrieved April 14, 2015.
^ Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, et al., "Ambient Air Monitoring Plan," Environmental Protection Agency website, July 1, 2010. Accessed: March 18, 2015.
^ Tom Dunigan, Tennessee County High Points, Tennessee Landforms. Retrieved: November 7, 2013.
^ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved April 14, 2015.
^ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved April 14, 2015.
^ Forstall, Richard L., ed. (March 27, 1995). "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved April 14, 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 14, 2015.
^ "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved December 7, 2013.
^ Based on 2000 census data
^ "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved December 26, 2021.
^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 14, 2011.
^ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved March 12, 2018.
^ "2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Unicoi County, TN" (PDF). U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved June 24, 2024.