Carter County, Tennessee

Carter County
Carter County
County
	Carter County Courthouse in Elizabethton
	Flag Seal
	Location within the U.S. state of Tennessee
	Tennessee's location within the U.S.
	Coordinates: 36°18′N 82°07′W / 36.3°N 82.12°W
Country	United States
State	Tennessee
Founded	1796
Named for	Landon Carter
Seat	Elizabethton
Largest city	Elizabethton
Area
• Total	348 sq mi (900 km2)
• Land	341 sq mi (880 km2)
• Water	6.4 sq mi (17 km2) 1.8%
Population (2020)
• Total	56,356
• Estimate (2022)	56,410
• Density	160/sq mi (63/km2)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district	1st
Website	www.cartercountytn.gov

Carter County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of the 2020 census, the population was 56,356.^[2] Its county seat is Elizabethton.^[3] The county is named in honor of Landon Carter (1760–1800), an early settler active in the "Lost State of Franklin" 1784-1788 secession from the State of North Carolina. Carter County is part of the Johnson City, TN Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is a component of the Johnson City–Kingsport–Bristol, TN-VA Combined Statistical Area, located in northeastern Tennessee.

History

The area was originally claimed by Britain as part of the Clarendon settlements of the Province of Carolina, although actually populated at the time by the Cherokee.

The area was part of (though seldom actually administered by) the following jurisdictions in its early history:

Watauga Association

The county is named for General Landon Carter,^[4] the son of John Carter of Virginia, who was "chairman of the court" of the first majority-rule system of American democracy, known as the Watauga Association of 1772. The association was the first permanent settlement established outside the original thirteen American colonies and included the area that is today's Carter County. In 1775, the Association was absorbed into North Carolina by petition, becoming known thereafter as the Washington District.

As Wayne County in the State of Franklin

J. G. M. Ramsey records within his 1853 Annals of Tennessee that the State of Franklin established Wayne County from sections of both Washington County and a part of Wilkes County "lying west of the extreme heights of the Apalachian or Alleghany Mountains, into a separate and distinct county by the name of Wayne... This new county covered the same territory now embraced in the limits of Carter and Johnson counties."^[5]

The county seat, Elizabethton, is named for Carter's wife, Elizabeth MacLin Carter.^[6]

Civil War

Like most East Tennessee counties, Carter Countians opposed secession on the eve of the Civil War. In Tennessee's Ordinance of Secession referendum on June 8, 1861, Carter Countians rejected secession by a vote of 1,343 to 86.^[7] A railroad bridge at Carter's Depot (modern Watauga) was among those targeted by the East Tennessee bridge-burning conspiracy in November 1861.^[8]

Early railroad

Carter County was served by the narrow gauge East Tennessee and Western North Carolina Railroad (The ET&WNC, nicknamed "Tweetsie") until the line ceased operations in 1950.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 348 square miles (900 km²), of which 341 square miles (880 km²) is land and 6.4 square miles (17 km²) (1.8%) is water.^[9]

Carter County is situated entirely within the Blue Ridge Mountains, specifically the Unaka Range and the Iron Mountains.^[10] Roan Mountain, which at 6,285 feet (1,916 m) is the highest point in Tennessee outside the Great Smoky Mountains, straddles the county's eastern border with North Carolina. The county's boundary with Sullivan County is defined as the ridgeline of Holston Mountain.

Lakes

Watauga Lake
Wilbur Reservoir (immediately below the TVA Watauga Dam Lat: 36.3408 Lon: -82.1203]
Ripshin Lake (6 km southwest of Roan Mountain Lat: 36.1838646 Lon: -82.1356583)^[11]

Rivers

Waterfalls

The main waterfall at Blue Hole Falls, located northeast of Elizabethton on Holston Mountain.

CTF015 Big Laurel Br. Falls 50'
lake
CTF001 Blue Hole Falls (4) 45'
Cherokee National Forest
CTF018 Hardcore Cascades 12'
Cherokee National Forest
CTF002 Coon Den Falls 50'
Cherokee National Forest
CTF003 Dennis Cove Falls 25'
wilderness
CTF005 Firescald Branch Falls
wilderness
CTF016 Five Eights
lake
CTF006 Jones Falls 100'
Cherokee National Forest
CTF007 Laurel Falls 55'
wilderness
CTF010 Laurel Falls (m) 25'
wilderness
CTF011 Laurel Falls (u) 25'
wilderness
CTF014 Mountaineer Falls 20'
Cherokee National Forest
CTF012 North Fork Stony Creek Falls 30'
Cherokee National Forest
CTF008 Sally Cove Creek Falls 25'
CTF009 Twisting Falls 30'
Cherokee National Forest
CTF013 Splash Dam Falls 25'
Cherokee National Forest
CTF017 Hays Branch Falls 18'
Cherokee National Forest

Major highways

Law enforcement

Carter County is served by the Carter County Sheriff's Office, located in Elizabethton. During the Local General Election on August 4, 2022, Mike Fraley overcame the Independent candidate to become Sheriff of Carter County. Sheriff Fraley took over Official Duties as Sheriff on September 1.^[12] Sheriff Fraley's term will run September 1, 2022, to August 31, 2026. Its duties include patrol of the county and all jail and prisoner matters.^[13]

The Elizabethton Police Department services the City of Elizabethton inside Carter County. As of 2018, the Chief of Police is Jason Shaw.^[14]

Climate

Climate data for Carter County, Tennessee (Bristol-Johnson City)
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Mean daily maximum °F (°C)	43.7 (6.5)	48.0 (8.9)	58.9 (14.9)	67.4 (19.7)	75.2 (24.0)	82.2 (27.9)	84.6 (29.2)	84.1 (28.9)	79.1 (26.2)	69.1 (20.6)	58.2 (14.6)	48.1 (8.9)	66.6 (19.2)
Daily mean °F (°C)	34.0 (1.1)	37.4 (3.0)	47.2 (8.4)	55.2 (12.9)	63.4 (17.4)	71.1 (21.7)	74.4 (23.6)	73.6 (23.1)	67.9 (19.9)	56.7 (13.7)	47.0 (8.3)	38.2 (3.4)	55.5 (13.1)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C)	24.3 (−4.3)	26.8 (−2.9)	35.4 (1.9)	43.0 (6.1)	51.6 (10.9)	59.9 (15.5)	64.1 (17.8)	63.1 (17.3)	56.6 (13.7)	44.2 (6.8)	35.9 (2.2)	28.2 (−2.1)	44.4 (6.9)
Average rainfall inches (mm)	3.2 (81)	3.4 (86)	3.7 (94)	3.3 (84)	3.8 (97)	3.5 (89)	4.3 (110)	3.2 (81)	3.3 (84)	2.6 (66)	2.9 (74)	3.4 (86)	40.7 (1,030)
Average snowfall inches (cm)	5.2 (13)	4.2 (11)	2.3 (5.8)	0.4 (1.0)	0.0 (0.0)	0.0 (0.0)	0.0 (0.0)	0.0 (0.0)	0.0 (0.0)	0.0 (0.0)	0.9 (2.3)	2.6 (6.6)	15.6 (40)
Average relative humidity (%)	59.0	71.5	69.0	67.0	69.5	73.0	75.0	76.5	76.5	74.0	68.5	69.5	74.0
Source: Climate-zone.com^[15]

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1800	4,813	—
1810	4,190	−12.9%
1820	4,835	15.4%
1830	6,414	32.7%
1840	5,372	−16.2%
1850	6,296	17.2%
1860	7,124	13.2%
1870	7,909	11.0%
1880	10,019	26.7%
1890	13,389	33.6%
1900	16,688	24.6%
1910	19,838	18.9%
1920	21,488	8.3%
1930	29,223	36.0%
1940	35,127	20.2%
1950	42,432	20.8%
1960	41,578	−2.0%
1970	42,575	2.4%
1980	50,205	17.9%
1990	51,505	2.6%
2000	56,742	10.2%
2010	57,424	1.2%
2020	56,356	−1.9%
2022 (est.)	56,410	0.1%
U.S. Decennial Census^[16] 1790-1960^[17] 1900-1990^[18] 1990-2000^[19] 2010-2014^[20]

2020 census

Carter County racial composition^[22]
Race	Number	Percentage
White (non-Hispanic)	51,790	91.9%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic)	702	1.25%
Native American	153	0.27%
Asian	231	0.41%
Pacific Islander	7	0.01%
Other/Mixed	2,292	4.07%
Hispanic or Latino	1,181	2.1%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 56,356 people, 23,784 households, and 15,256 families residing in the county.

2000 census

As of the census^[23] of 2000, there were 56,742 people, 23,486 households, and 16,346 families residing in the county.^[24] The population density was 166 people per square mile (64 people/km²). There were 25,920 housing units at an average density of 76 units per square mile (29/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 97.49% White, 1.00% Black or African American, 0.20% Native American, 0.26% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.27% from other races, and 0.78% from two or more races. 0.89% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 23,486 households, out of which 28.50% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.90% were married couples living together, 11.00% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.40% were non-families. 26.50% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.00% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.35 and the average family size was 2.83.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 21.40% under the age of 18, 9.20% from 18 to 24, 29.00% from 25 to 44, 25.40% from 45 to 64, and 15.00% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.50 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.60 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $27,371, and the median income for a family was $33,825. Males had a median income of $26,394 versus $19,687 for females. The per capita income for the county was $14,678. About 12.80% of families and 16.90% of the population were below the poverty line, including 23.00% of those under age 18 and 16.00% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Central Elementary School
Cloudland Elementary School
Cloudland High School
East Side Elementary School (city)
Elizabethton High School (city)
Hampton Elementary School
Hampton High School
Happy Valley Elementary School
Happy Valley Middle School
Happy Valley High School
Harold McCormick Elementary School (city)
Hunter Elementary School
Keenburg Elementary School
Little Milligan Elementary School
T.A. Dugger Junior High School (city)
Unaka Elementary School
Unaka High School
Valley Forge Elementary
West Side Elementary School (city)

Colleges

Northeast State Community College and the Tennessee Colleges of Applied Technology have satellite campuses in Elizabethton.
Milligan College's main campus and Emmanuel Christian Seminary are located in the community of Milligan College, part of Elizabethton.

Communities

Cities

Elizabethton (county seat)
Johnson City (mostly in Washington County and a small portion in Sullivan County)
Watauga (small part in Washington County)

Census-designated places

Other unincorporated communities

Politics

Carter County is a Republican stronghold, and, like most of East Tennessee, has voted consistently Republican since the Civil War. Carter County is even more heavily Republican than many other counties in East Tennessee and has not been won by a Democratic presidential candidate since before the Civil War. Since then, only one Democrat, southerner Jimmy Carter in 1976 (who also won several traditionally Republican counties in East Tennessee), has received over 40% of the popular vote.

Most recent Carter County Mayor Rusty Barnett died on September 21, 2020.^[25]

United States presidential election results for Carter County, Tennessee^[26]
Year	Republican		Democratic		Third party(ies)
Year	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
2020	19,584	79.96%	4,529	18.49%	379	1.55%
2016	16,898	80.15%	3,453	16.38%	733	3.48%
2012	15,503	75.20%	4,789	23.23%	325	1.58%
2008	15,852	72.82%	5,587	25.66%	330	1.52%
2004	15,768	70.67%	6,395	28.66%	150	0.67%
2000	12,111	63.40%	6,724	35.20%	267	1.40%
1996	10,540	57.65%	6,218	34.01%	1,524	8.34%
1992	10,712	55.82%	6,502	33.88%	1,976	10.30%
1988	12,036	71.74%	4,634	27.62%	108	0.64%
1984	13,153	73.35%	4,642	25.89%	138	0.77%
1980	11,648	64.44%	6,006	33.22%	423	2.34%
1976	8,934	54.11%	7,443	45.08%	133	0.81%
1972	11,102	82.15%	2,191	16.21%	221	1.64%
1968	9,467	64.68%	2,160	14.76%	3,009	20.56%
1964	8,472	61.40%	5,326	38.60%	0	0.00%
1960	12,214	77.31%	3,412	21.60%	172	1.09%
1956	11,218	78.80%	2,933	20.60%	85	0.60%
1952	9,019	76.15%	2,707	22.86%	118	1.00%
1948	4,943	70.94%	1,809	25.96%	216	3.10%
1944	4,873	74.33%	1,662	25.35%	21	0.32%
1940	4,238	65.40%	2,171	33.50%	71	1.10%
1936	4,858	72.27%	1,837	27.33%	27	0.40%
1932	5,055	76.26%	1,574	23.74%	0	0.00%
1928	4,934	90.40%	512	9.38%	12	0.22%
1924	3,657	86.33%	551	13.01%	28	0.66%
1920	6,059	89.99%	674	10.01%	0	0.00%
1916	2,961	85.60%	498	14.40%	0	0.00%
1912	1,243	34.08%	478	13.11%	1,926	52.81%

References

^ Van West, Carroll. "Carter County". Tennessee Encyclopedia of History and Culture. Retrieved June 22, 2013.
^ "Census - Geography Profile: Carter County, Tennessee". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved December 31, 2022.
^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
^ Gannett, Henry (1905). The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States. Geological Survey Bulletin, no. 258 (2nd ed.). Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office. p. 70. OCLC 1156805.
^ Ramsey, J. G. M. (1853). The Annals of Tennessee to the End of the Eighteenth Century. Charleston: John Russell. p. 295. OCLC 11827530.
^ "History of Elizabethton". Elizabethton.org. Retrieved November 5, 2015.
^ Oliver Perry Temple, East Tennessee and the Civil War (R. Clarke Company, 1899), p. 199.
^ David Madden, "Unionist Resistance to Confederate Occupation: The Bridge Burners of East Tennessee," East Tennessee Historical Society Publications, Vols. 52-53 (1980–1981), pp. 22-40.
^ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Retrieved April 2, 2015.
^ Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, et al., "Ambient Air Monitoring Plan," Environmental Protection Agency website, July 1, 2010. Accessed: March 18, 2015.
^ Aerial image from USGS via Microsoft Research Maps
^ "Carter County's next sheriff will be Mike Fraley". WJHL | Tri-Cities News & Weather. August 5, 2022. Retrieved September 28, 2022.
^ "Carter County TN Sheriff's Office – Service Before Self * Integrity * Courage * Leadership". Retrieved May 6, 2022.
^ "A Message from the Chief of Police". Elizabethton.org. Archived from the original on May 12, 2018. Retrieved May 11, 2018.
^ "Bristol - Johnson City". Climate-zone.com. Retrieved August 16, 2013.
^ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved April 2, 2015.
^ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved April 2, 2015.
^ Forstall, Richard L., ed. (March 27, 1995). "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved April 2, 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 2, 2015.
^ "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on August 6, 2011. Retrieved November 29, 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.
^ Brown, Emily; DeBarros, Anthony; DeRamus, Kristin; et al. (2011). "Census 2010: Tennessee". USA Today. Retrieved March 17, 2011.
^ Lee, Murray (September 21, 2020). "Carter County Mayor Rusty Barnett passes away Monday". WJHL. Retrieved September 21, 2020.
^ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved March 10, 2018.