Dyer County, Tennessee

Dyer County is a county located in the westernmost part of the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of the 2010 census, the population was 38,335.[2] The county seat is Dyersburg.[3]

Not to be confused with Dyer, Tennessee.
Dyer County
U.S. county
Dyer County Courthouse in Dyersburg
Location within the U.S. state of Tennessee
Tennessee's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 36°04′N 89°25′W
Country United States
State Tennessee
Founded1823
Named forRobert Henry Dyer, state legislator[1]
SeatDyersburg
Largest cityDyersburg
Area
 • Total527 sq mi (1,360 km2)
 • Land512 sq mi (1,330 km2)
 • Water14 sq mi (40 km2)  2.7%%
Population
 • Estimate 
(2018)
37,320
 • Density75/sq mi (29/km2)
Time zoneUTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district8th
Websitedyercounty.com

Dyer County comprises the Dyersburg, TN Micropolitan Statistical Area.

History

Dyer County was founded by a Private Act of Tennessee, passed on October 16, 1823.[4] The area was part of the territory in Tennessee that was previously legally recognized as belonging to the Chickasaw Native Americans as "Indian Lands".[5]

The county was named for Robert Henry Dyer[6] (circa 1774—1826). Dyer had been an army officer in the Creek War and War of 1812, and a cavalry colonel in the First Seminole War of 1818 before becoming a state senator. He was instrumental in the formation of the counties of Dyer and Madison County, Tennessee.[7]

Around 1823, Louis Philippe I stopped briefly near the mouth of the Obion River and killed a bald eagle.[8]

On April 2, 2006 a severe weather system passed through Dyer County, producing tornadoes that killed 16 in the county and 24 in Tennessee.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 527 square miles (1,360 km2), of which 512 square miles (1,330 km2) is land and 14 square miles (36 km2) (2.7%) is water.[9]

The county is drained by the Mississippi River, which forms its western boundary. It is in the part of Tennessee called the "Mississippi bottomland".

Dyer County is bisected by U.S. Route 51, the older major highway connecting Memphis with Chicago from south to north. When upgraded to interstate standards, this road will become Interstate 69. To the west, Dyer County is connected to Missouri by Interstate 155 over the Mississippi River, providing the only highway connection, other than those at Memphis, between Tennessee and the states to the west of the river.

Adjacent counties

Major highways

Demographics
Historical population
CensusPop.%±
18301,904—
18404,484135.5%
18506,36141.9%
186010,53665.6%
187013,70630.1%
188015,11810.3%
189019,87831.5%
190023,77619.6%
191027,72116.6%
192029,9838.2%
193031,4054.7%
194034,92011.2%
195033,473−4.1%
196029,537−11.8%
197030,4273.0%
198034,66313.9%
199034,8540.6%
200037,2797.0%
201038,3352.8%
2018 (est.)37,320[10]−2.6%
U.S. Decennial Census[11]
1790–1960[12] 1900–1990[13]
1990–2000[14] 2010–2014[2]
Age pyramid Dyer County[15]

As of the census[16] of 2000, there were 37,279 people, 14,751 households, and 10,458 families residing in the county. The population density was 73 people per square mile (28/km2). There were 16,123 housing units at an average density of 32 per square mile (12/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 85.40% White, 12.86% Black or African American, 0.22% Native American, 0.33% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.43% from other races, and 0.73% from two or more races. 1.16% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 14,751 households, out of which 32.90% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.20% were married couples living together, 13.60% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.10% were non-families. 25.30% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.70% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.49 and the average family size was 2.97.

In the county, the age distribution of the population shows 25.70% under the age of 18, 8.70% from 18 to 24, 28.60% from 25 to 44, 23.50% from 45 to 64, and 13.40% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 92.00 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.80 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $32,788, and the median income for a family was $39,848. Males had a median income of $31,182 versus $21,605 for females. The per capita income for the county was $16,451. About 13.00% of families and 15.90% of the population were below the poverty line, including 21.00% of those under age 18 and 17.60% of those age 65 or over.

Media

Newspapers

State Gazette – 3 days/week (Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday); general news. The paper has served Dyersburg and Northwest Tennessee since 1865.

Communities

Unincorporated communities

Politics

Like all of the rural white South, Dyer County is presently overwhelmingly Republican. The last Democrat to carry this county was Bill Clinton in 1996. Being overwhelmingly secessionist during the Civil War due to the strong power of the slave economy in West Tennessee, Dyer County was overwhelmingly Democratic for a century after its blacks were disfranchised. Anti-Catholicism allowed Richard Nixon to carry the county narrowly in 1960, then after the massive revolt against the Civil Rights Act and race riots segregationist Alabama Governor George Wallace carried the county in 1968 and Nixon defeated George McGovern three-to-one in 1972. Since then the county has become increasingly Republican except when Southerners Jimmy Carter and Clinton headed the presidential ticket.

Presidential election results
Presidential Elections Results[17]
Year Republican Democratic Third Parties
2020 78.1% 11,768 20.9% 3,158 1.0% 151
2016 76.3% 10,180 21.1% 2,816 2.6% 340
2012 71.8% 9,921 27.2% 3,757 1.0% 138
2008 68.2% 9,859 30.5% 4,411 1.3% 180
2004 61.2% 8,447 38.3% 5,287 0.5% 75
2000 53.1% 6,282 45.8% 5,425 1.1% 134
1996 44.5% 5,059 49.3% 5,602 6.3% 713
1992 44.3% 5,668 45.7% 5,845 10.0% 1,274
1988 63.5% 6,508 36.0% 3,690 0.4% 45
1984 62.1% 6,610 37.5% 3,991 0.4% 41
1980 48.0% 5,475 50.1% 5,713 1.9% 219
1976 41.9% 4,391 56.7% 5,937 1.4% 150
1972 75.9% 6,066 20.0% 1,600 4.0% 322
1968 26.4% 2,826 19.0% 2,033 54.6% 5,842
1964 48.9% 4,517 51.1% 4,717
1960 50.0% 4,097 47.2% 3,868 2.9% 238
1956 36.2% 2,682 61.1% 4,524 2.7% 201
1952 41.3% 3,231 57.9% 4,531 0.8% 61
1948 18.4% 989 65.3% 3,503 16.3% 872
1944 26.0% 1,190 73.6% 3,368 0.4% 18
1940 21.9% 961 77.0% 3,374 1.0% 45
1936 13.9% 557 83.9% 3,355 2.2% 87
1932 9.2% 389 90.1% 3,805 0.7% 28
1928 24.0% 842 76.0% 2,661
1924 16.9% 478 82.7% 2,336 0.4% 10
1920 26.8% 1,166 73.0% 3,181 0.2% 10
1916 18.4% 459 80.1% 1,997 1.4% 36
1912 14.3% 318 66.3% 1,469 19.4% 430

See also

References
  1. Carroll Van West, "Dyer County", Tennessee Encyclopedia of History and Culture. Retrieved: 27 June 2013.
  2. "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on June 7, 2011. Retrieved November 29, 2013.
  3. "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on 2012-07-12. Retrieved 2011-06-07.
  4. "Tennessee State Archives — formation of Dyer county". Archived from the original on 2011-01-11. Retrieved 2010-12-01.
  5. Bergeron, Paul H.; Ash, Stephen V.; Keith, Jeanette.Tennesseans and their history. Univ. of Tennessee Press, 1999, p. 78.
  6. Gannett, Henry (1905). The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States. Govt. Print. Off. pp. 112.
  7. "Tennessee Blue Book — Dyer county" (PDF). Retrieved 2010-12-01.
  8. Willoughby Jr., Earl (March 19, 2003). "John James Audubon and the 'Citizen King'". Dyersburg State Gazette. Retrieved September 28, 2019.
  9. "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Retrieved April 4, 2015.
  10. "Population and Housing Unit Estimates". Retrieved July 20, 2019.
  11. "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved April 4, 2015.
  12. "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved April 4, 2015.
  13. Forstall, Richard L., ed. (March 27, 1995). "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved April 4, 2015.
  14. "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. April 2, 2001. Retrieved April 4, 2015.
  15. Based on 2000 census data
  16. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2011-05-14.
  17. Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved 2018-03-10.

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