Bradley County, Tennessee

History

Red Clay State Park, the site of the last Cherokee council before the tribe's removal via Trail of Tears, is located in Bradley County.

Like many East Tennessee counties, Bradley County was largely opposed to secession on the eve of the Civil War. In Tennessee's Ordinance of Secession referendum on June 8, 1861, the county's residents voted against secession by a margin of 1,382 to 507. The bridge over the Hiwassee River was burned on November 8, 1861, by members of the East Tennessee bridge-burning conspiracy led by Alfred Cate.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 331 square miles (860 km²), of which 329 square miles (850 km²) is land and 2.7 square miles (7.0 km²) (0.8%) is water.

Adjacent counties

State protected areas

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 87,965 people, 34,281 households, and 24,648 families residing in the county. The population density was 268 people per square mile (103/km²). There were 36,820 housing units at an average density of 112 per square mile (43/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 92.98% White, 3.99% Black or African American, 0.28% Native American, 0.57% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.89% from other races, and 1.27% from two or more races. 2.07% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 34,281 households out of which 32.00% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.30% were married couples living together, 10.90% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.10% were non-families. 23.40% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.20% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.50 and the average family size was 2.94.

In the county, the population was spread out with 23.70% under the age of 18, 11.30% from 18 to 24, 29.80% from 25 to 44, 23.50% from 45 to 64, and 11.70% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 95.10 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.20 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $35,034, and the median income for a family was $41,779. Males had a median income of $30,654 versus $21,407 for females. The per capita income for the county was $18,108. About 9.00% of families and 12.20% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.40% of those under age 18 and 11.60% of those age 65 or over.

Government

Bradley County has a 14-member county commission, with two commissioners from each of seven districts. The county executive (or "County Mayor"), separately elected, is Republican D. Gary Davis.

Bradley County is considered one of the most heavily Republican counties in traditionally Republican East Tennessee. Virtually all local and state office holders in and from Bradley County are Republicans. On the federal level Bradley County has not voted for a Democratic President since Franklin Delano Roosevelt in the landslide 1936 Presidential election.

Health care

Tennova Medical Center, formed from the buyout of Skyridge that was formed from the buyout of Bradley Memorial Hospital and Cleveland Community Hospital, has two hospitals in Bradley County.

Education

Cleveland State Community College and Lee University are located in Bradley County. Public schools in the county are managed by the Bradley County Schools school district or the Cleveland City Schools school district. The county district has four public high schools: Bradley Central High School, Walker Valley High School, GOAL Academy,REACH Adult High school . Cleveland High School is operated by the city school district. There is one State-accredited private Christian college preparatory school: Tennessee Christian Preparatory School.

Bradley County Schools

High schools

Middle schools

Elementary schools

Cleveland City Schools

High schools

Middle school

Elementary schools

Private schools

Higher education

Transportation

Interstate 75 traverses the county from the southwest to the north, passing through the western edge of Cleveland. There are four exits on I-75 in Bradley County: three in Cleveland and one in Charleston. U.S. Route 11 and U.S. Route 64 intersect in downtown Cleveland. U.S. 11 connects to Chattanooga to the southwest and Athens to the north. U.S. 64 connects to Murphy, North Carolina to the east. S.R. 60 connects Cleveland to Dayton to the northwest and Dalton, Georgia to the south. APD-40, made up of the U.S. 64 Bypass and a section of S.R. 60 forms a beltway and bypass route around the business district of Cleveland. The U.S. 11 Bypass bypasses downtown Cleveland to the west.

Principal highways

Other major roadways

Cities

Census-designated places

Unincorporated communities