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Decatur County, Tennessee facts for kids

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Decatur County
Decatur County Courthouse in Decaturville
Decatur County Courthouse in Decaturville
Official seal of Decatur County
Seal
Map of Tennessee highlighting Decatur County
Location within the U.S. state of Tennessee
Map of the United States highlighting Tennessee
Tennessee's location within the U.S.
Country  United States
State  Tennessee
Founded November 1845
Named for Stephen Decatur
Seat Decaturville
Largest city Parsons
Area
 • Total 345 sq mi (890 km2)
 • Land 334 sq mi (870 km2)
 • Water 11 sq mi (30 km2)  3.2%%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 11,435 Decrease
 • Density 35/sq mi (14/km2)
Time zone UTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST) UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district 7th

Decatur County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of the 2020 census, the population was 11,435. Its county seat is Decaturville.

History

This county is named after naval hero Stephen Decatur, Jr., who gained national recognition in the First Barbary War,the Second Barbary War,and the War of 1812 by his leadership and achievements at sea. The county was created in November 1845 from the part of Perry County west of the Tennessee River in response to a petition by citizens on the west side of the river who lacked easy access to the county seat on the east side.

In 2015, the Decatur County clerk of court and the entire staff of that office resigned, to express conscientious objection to the United States Supreme Court's ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges, which would oblige the office to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 345 square miles (890 km2), of which 334 square miles (870 km2) is land and 11 square miles (28 km2) (3.2%) is water.

Adjacent counties

National protected area

State protected area

  • Carroll Cabin Barrens State Natural Area
  • Cypress Pond Refuge

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop.
1850 6,003
1860 6,276 4.5%
1870 7,772 23.8%
1880 8,498 9.3%
1890 8,995 5.8%
1900 10,439 16.1%
1910 10,093 −3.3%
1920 10,198 1.0%
1930 10,106 −0.9%
1940 10,261 1.5%
1950 9,442 −8.0%
1960 8,324 −11.8%
1970 9,457 13.6%
1980 10,857 14.8%
1990 10,472 −3.5%
2000 11,731 12.0%
2010 11,757 0.2%
2020 11,435 −2.7%
U.S. Decennial Census
1790-1960 1900-1990
1990-2000 2010-2014
USA Decatur County, Tennessee.csv age pyramid
Age pyramid Decatur County

2020 census

Decatur County racial composition
Race Num. Perc.
White (non-Hispanic) 10,462 91.49%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic) 270 2.36%
Native American 9 0.08%
Asian 42 0.37%
Pacific Islander 5 0.04%
Other/Mixed 289 2.53%
Hispanic or Latino 358 3.13%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 11,435 people, 4,440 households, and 3,059 families residing in the county.

Communities

City

Towns

Unincorporated communities

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Condado de Decatur (Tennessee) para niños

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