Chester County, Tennessee

Chester County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of the 2010 census, the population was 17,131.[2] Its county seat is Henderson.[3] The county was created in 1879 and organized in 1882.[1][4]

Chester County
U.S. county
Chester County Courthouse in Henderson, 2003
Location within the U.S. state of Tennessee
Tennessee's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 35°26′N 88°37′W
Country United States
State Tennessee
Founded1882
Named forRobert Chester[1]
SeatHenderson
Largest cityHenderson
Area
 • Total286 sq mi (740 km2)
 • Land286 sq mi (740 km2)
 • Water0.2 sq mi (0.5 km2)  0.08%%
Population
 • Estimate 
(2018)
17,276
 • Density60/sq mi (20/km2)
Time zoneUTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district7th
Websitechestercountytn.org

Chester County is included in the Jackson, TN Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History

Chester County was the last county formed in Tennessee, created by the General Assembly in 1875 from adjacent parts of neighboring Hardeman, Henderson, McNairy, and Madison counties. This land was used to create a county named Wisdom County, but "Wisdom County" was never organized, and in March 1879 the Assembly repealed this and created Chester County out of the same land. Lawsuits by opponents of the creation of the new county delayed actual organization until 1882.[1] Chester County was named for Colonel Robert I. Chester, a quartermaster in the War of 1812, an early postmaster in Jackson, and a federal marshal.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 286 square miles (740 km2), of which 286 square miles (740 km2) is land and 0.2 square miles (0.52 km2) (0.08%) is water.[5]

Adjacent Counties

State protected areas

Demographics
Historical population
CensusPop.%±
18909,069—
19009,8698.8%
19109,090−7.9%
19209,6696.4%
193010,6039.7%
194011,1244.9%
195011,1490.2%
19609,569−14.2%
19709,9273.7%
198012,72728.2%
199012,8190.7%
200015,54021.2%
201017,13110.2%
2018 (est.)17,276[6]0.8%
U.S. Decennial Census[7]
1790-1960[8] 1900-1990[9]
1990-2000[10] 2010-2014[2]
Age pyramid Chester County[11]

As of the census[12] of 2000, there were 15,540 people, 5,660 households, and 4,199 families residing in the county. The population density was 54 people per square mile (21 per km2). There were 6,178 housing units at an average density of 21 per square mile (8 per km2). The racial makeup of the county was 88.13% White (non-Hispanic), 10.03% Black or African American, 0.23% Native American, 0.23% Asian, 0.31% from other races, and 1.07% from two or more races. 0.97% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

As of 2000 there were 5,660 households, out of which 33.60% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.00% were married couples living together, 11.50% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.80% were non-families. 22.60% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.80% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.55 and the average family size was 2.97.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 24.20% under the age of 18, 14.40% from 18 to 24, 26.40% from 25 to 44, 21.40% from 45 to 64, and 13.60% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.50 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.20 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $34,349, and the median income for a family was $41,127. Males had a median income of $31,378 versus $21,615 for females. The per capita income for the county was $15,756. About 11.10% of families and 14.40% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.50% of those under age 18 and 15.30% of those age 65 or over.

Education

There are six schools in the Chester County School District. Chester County High School serves the whole county and holds grades 9-12. Chester County Junior High School holds grades 6 through 8 for the entire county. Chester County Middle School serves the whole county's students in grades 4 and 5. East Chester County Elementary School, West Chester County Elementary School, and Jacks Creek Elementary School all hold kindergarten through 3rd grade. [13]

Henderson is the home of Freed-Hardeman University.

Communities

City

Town

Unincorporated communities
  • Country musician Eddy Arnold, a native of Henderson, titled his 1969 autobiography It's A Long Way From Chester County.
  • The 1973 movie Walking Tall was filmed in Henderson and elsewhere in Chester County, including important scenes filmed in the county courthouse; many local residents served as extras or played bit parts.

Politics

Chester County is a Republican stronghold. The last Democrat to carry the county was Jimmy Carter in 1976.

Presidential election results
Presidential Elections Results[14]
Year Republican Democratic Third Parties
2020 78.5% 5,951 18.6% 1,411 2.8% 216
2016 78.1% 5,081 19.1% 1,243 2.8% 183
2012 73.1% 4,684 25.3% 1,624 1.6% 102
2008 71.0% 4,587 27.8% 1,797 1.2% 75
2004 64.3% 4,086 35.3% 2,242 0.5% 29
2000 60.9% 3,487 38.3% 2,192 0.9% 49
1996 56.0% 2,746 39.2% 1,922 4.8% 233
1992 50.6% 2,834 41.4% 2,317 8.0% 445
1988 61.1% 2,781 38.6% 1,757 0.4% 17
1984 59.7% 2,793 39.6% 1,854 0.7% 33
1980 55.7% 2,751 43.0% 2,123 1.3% 66
1976 43.2% 1,949 56.1% 2,532 0.8% 36
1972 71.7% 2,787 24.7% 961 3.6% 139
1968 32.8% 1,408 19.8% 849 47.4% 2,037
1964 50.1% 1,767 49.9% 1,763
1960 59.1% 1,807 39.0% 1,192 2.0% 61
1956 48.9% 1,460 50.0% 1,495 1.1% 34
1952 53.0% 1,674 47.0% 1,484
1948 39.5% 766 50.5% 980 10.0% 194
1944 44.5% 931 55.3% 1,156 0.2% 4
1940 39.8% 1,015 60.2% 1,537
1936 32.4% 565 67.2% 1,172 0.4% 7
1932 26.2% 356 72.6% 985 1.2% 16
1928 44.2% 582 55.8% 735
1924 38.5% 484 60.3% 758 1.3% 16
1920 48.8% 1,088 49.6% 1,105 1.6% 36
1916 41.6% 645 55.7% 862 2.7% 42
1912 22.7% 312 46.3% 636 31.0% 426

See also

References
  1. Tara Mitchell Mielnik, "Chester County," Tennessee Encyclopedia of History and Culture. Retrieved: 23 June 2013.
  2. "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on July 8, 2011. Retrieved November 29, 2013.
  3. "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on 2015-05-09. Retrieved 2011-06-07.
  4. "Tennessee: Individual County Chronologies". Tennessee Atlas of Historical County Boundaries. The Newberry Library. 2007. Retrieved April 15, 2015.
  5. "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Retrieved April 2, 2015.
  6. "Population and Housing Unit Estimates". Retrieved July 20, 2018.
  7. "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved April 2, 2015.
  8. "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved April 2, 2015.
  9. Forstall, Richard L., ed. (March 27, 1995). "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved April 2, 2015.
  10. "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. April 2, 2001. Retrieved April 2, 2015.
  11. Based on 2000 census data
  12. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2011-05-14.
  13. School Tree. "Schools in Chester County, Tennessee". Retrieved 2008-05-29.
  14. Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved 2018-03-10.

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