Rutherford County, Tennessee
Encyclopedia
Rutherford County is a county located in the U.S. state
of Tennessee
. As of the 2010 census, it is the state's fifth-largest county by population with 262,604 people, an increase of 44.3 percent over the 2000 population of 182,023. Its county seat
is Murfreesboro
, which is also the geographic center of Tennessee, as well as the center of population
of Tennessee. The county is included in the Nashville-Davidson
–Murfreesboro
–Franklin
Metropolitan Statistical Area.
, the county has a total area of 624 square miles (1,616.2 km²), of which 619 square miles (1,603.2 km²) is land and 5 square miles (12.9 km²) (0.81%) is water.
of 2000, there were 182,023 people, 66,443 households, and 47,440 families residing in the county. The population density
was 294 people per square mile (114/km²). There were 70,616 housing units at an average density of 114 per square mile (44/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 85.73% White
, 9.51% Black
or African American
, 1.90% Asian
, 0.29% Native American
, 0.04% Pacific Islander
, 1.32% from other races
, and 1.20% from two or more races. 2.78% of the population were Hispanic
or Latino
of any race.
In 2000 there were 66,443 households out of which 37.80% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.30% were married couples
living together, 11.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.60% were non-families. 20.80% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.10% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.65 and the average family size was 3.09.
In the county, the population was spread out with 26.40% under the age of 18, 13.20% from 18 to 24, 33.50% from 25 to 44, 19.40% from 45 to 64, and 7.50% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females there were 99.10 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.20 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $46,312, and the median income for a family was $53,553. Males had a median income of $36,788 versus $26,555 for females. The per capita income
for the county was $19,938. About 5.80% of families and 9.00% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.50% of those under age 18 and 9.40% of those age 65 or over.
The 2010 census put the population of Rutherford County at 262,604. This represents a greater than 40% population growth since the 2000 U.S. Census. As of 2009, it was estimated that the minority fraction of the population had grown to almost 20% of the total, with Hispanic population at 5.58%, African American population at 12.09%, and Asian population at 2.66% of the total.
(1721–1805). Rutherford was a North Carolina
colonial legislator and a Revolutionary War general who settled in Middle Tennessee
after the Revolution and served as President of the Council of the Territory of Tennessee before Tennessee attained statehood.
Rutherford County is an outlying part of metropolitan Nashville
. Since 1970 its population has been increasing rapidly as Nashville becomes a true metropolis. The rate of growth accelerated in the 1990s and continued at a brisk pace into the first decade of the 21st century. From 2005-2006 the county population grew by over 10,000 people.
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
. As of the 2010 census, it is the state's fifth-largest county by population with 262,604 people, an increase of 44.3 percent over the 2000 population of 182,023. Its county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
is Murfreesboro
Murfreesboro, Tennessee
Murfreesboro is a city in and the county seat of Rutherford County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 108,755 according to the United States Census Bureau's 2010 U.S. Census, up from 68,816 residents certified during the 2000 census. The center of population of Tennessee is located in...
, which is also the geographic center of Tennessee, as well as the center of population
Center of population
In demographics, the center of population of a region is a geographical point that describes a centerpoint of the region's population...
of Tennessee. The county is included in the Nashville-Davidson
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
–Murfreesboro
Murfreesboro, Tennessee
Murfreesboro is a city in and the county seat of Rutherford County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 108,755 according to the United States Census Bureau's 2010 U.S. Census, up from 68,816 residents certified during the 2000 census. The center of population of Tennessee is located in...
–Franklin
Franklin, Tennessee
Franklin is a city within and the county seat of Williamson County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 62,487 as of the 2010 census Franklin is located approximately south of downtown Nashville.-History:...
Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census BureauUnited States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the county has a total area of 624 square miles (1,616.2 km²), of which 619 square miles (1,603.2 km²) is land and 5 square miles (12.9 km²) (0.81%) is water.
Cities and towns
- EaglevilleEagleville, TennesseeEagleville is a city in Rutherford County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 464 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Eagleville is located at ....
- La VergneLa Vergne, TennesseeLa Vergne is a city in Rutherford County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 18,687 at the 2000 census. La Vergne lies within the Nashville Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
- MurfreesboroMurfreesboro, TennesseeMurfreesboro is a city in and the county seat of Rutherford County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 108,755 according to the United States Census Bureau's 2010 U.S. Census, up from 68,816 residents certified during the 2000 census. The center of population of Tennessee is located in...
- SmyrnaSmyrna, TennesseeSmyrna is a town in Rutherford County, Tennessee, United States. Smyrna's population was 25,569 people at the 2000 census. The Census estimate of the 2009 population is 39,142.-Geography:Smyrna is located at ....
Unincorporated communities
- AllisonaAllisona, TennesseeAllisona is an unincorporated community in Rutherford and Williamson counties in the U.S. state of Tennessee.Tennessee State Route 11 runs through the community, which is the location of the James Wilhoite House, which is listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places.Allisona formerly had...
(partial) - BlackmanBlackman, TennesseeBlackman is an unincorporated community in Rutherford County, Tennessee, United States, near the city of Murfreesboro. It is almost large enough to be designated a CDP even though the area does not have a government in place other than the Rutherford County government. Approximately 5,000 to 15,000...
- LascassasLascassas, TennesseeLascassas is an unincorporated community in Rutherford County, Tennessee, near the city of Murfreesboro...
- RockvaleRockvale, TennesseeRockvale is an unincorporated community in Rutherford County, Tennessee, United States.The latitude of Rockvale is 35.757N. The longitude is -86.531W....
- WalterhillWalterhill, TennesseeWalterhill, also known as Walter Hill, is a census-designated place in Rutherford County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 1,523 at the 2000 census....
- Christiana
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 182,023 people, 66,443 households, and 47,440 families residing in the county. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 294 people per square mile (114/km²). There were 70,616 housing units at an average density of 114 per square mile (44/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 85.73% White
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 9.51% Black
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
or African American
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 1.90% Asian
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.29% Native American
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.04% Pacific Islander
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 1.32% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 1.20% from two or more races. 2.78% of the population were Hispanic
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
or Latino
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
of any race.
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 11.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.60% were non-families. 20.80% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.10% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.65 and the average family size was 3.09.
In the county, the population was spread out with 26.40% under the age of 18, 13.20% from 18 to 24, 33.50% from 25 to 44, 19.40% from 45 to 64, and 7.50% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females there were 99.10 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.20 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $46,312, and the median income for a family was $53,553. Males had a median income of $36,788 versus $26,555 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the county was $19,938. About 5.80% of families and 9.00% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.50% of those under age 18 and 9.40% of those age 65 or over.
The 2010 census put the population of Rutherford County at 262,604. This represents a greater than 40% population growth since the 2000 U.S. Census. As of 2009, it was estimated that the minority fraction of the population had grown to almost 20% of the total, with Hispanic population at 5.58%, African American population at 12.09%, and Asian population at 2.66% of the total.
History
Rutherford County was formed in 1803 from parts of Davidson, Williamson and Wilson counties, and named in honor of Griffith RutherfordGriffith Rutherford
Griffith Rutherford was an officer in the American Revolutionary War, a political leader in North Carolina, and an important figure in the early history of the Southwest Territory and the state of Tennessee....
(1721–1805). Rutherford was a North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
colonial legislator and a Revolutionary War general who settled in Middle Tennessee
Middle Tennessee
Middle Tennessee is a distinct portion of the state of Tennessee, delineated according to state law as the 41 counties in the Middle Grand Division of Tennessee....
after the Revolution and served as President of the Council of the Territory of Tennessee before Tennessee attained statehood.
Rutherford County is an outlying part of metropolitan Nashville
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
. Since 1970 its population has been increasing rapidly as Nashville becomes a true metropolis. The rate of growth accelerated in the 1990s and continued at a brisk pace into the first decade of the 21st century. From 2005-2006 the county population grew by over 10,000 people.
Adjacent counties
- Wilson County (north)
- Cannon County (east)
- Coffee CountyCoffee County, TennesseeCoffee County is a county located in south-central portion of the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is one of the counties of Middle Tennessee. As of 2010, the population was 52,796. Its county seat is Manchester....
(southeast) - Bedford County (south)
- Marshall County (southwest)
- Williamson CountyWilliamson County, TennesseeWilliamson County is a county in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of 2010 US Census, the population was 183,182. The County's seat is Franklin, and it is part of the Nashville-Davidson–Murfreesboro–Franklin Metropolitan Statistical Area. The county is named after Hugh Williamson, a...
(west) - Davidson CountyDavidson County, TennesseeDavidson County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of 2010, the population was 626,681. Its county seat is Nashville.In 1963, the City of Nashville and the Davidson County government merged, so the county government is now known as the "Metropolitan Government of Nashville and...
(northwest)
External links
- RutherfordCountyTN.gov
- Rutherford County Chamber of CommerceChamber of commerceA chamber of commerce is a form of business network, e.g., a local organization of businesses whose goal is to further the interests of businesses. Business owners in towns and cities form these local societies to advocate on behalf of the business community...