Founded 1824 Largest city Union City Time zone Central: UTC-6/-5 Population 31,131 (2013) Unemployment rate 8.3% (Apr 2015) | Named for Obion River Congressional district 8th Area 1,440 km² County seat Union City | |
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Cities Union City, Hornbeak, South Fulton, Troy, Obion, Samburg, Rives, Woodland Mills Rivers Obion River, Cane Creek, Grass Creek, Owens Slough Points of interest Discovery Park of America, Reelfoot National Wildlife R, Lake Isom, White Squirrel Winery, Three Rivers Wildlife M | ||
Obion County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of the 2010 census, the population was 31,807. The county seat is Union City. The county was formed in 1823 and organized in 1824. It was named after the Obion River.
Contents
- Map of Obion County TN USA
- History
- Geography
- Adjacent counties
- National protected area
- State protected areas
- Major Highways
- Demographics
- Politics
- Media
- Other services
- Cities
- Unincorporated communities
- References
Map of Obion County, TN, USA
Obion County is part of the Union City, TN–KY Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is also included in the Martin-Union City, TN-KY Combined Statistical Area.
From 1877-1950, there were 18 lynchings of blacks in the county, the second-highest number in the state. Neighboring Lake County had 13 lynchings. These two counties have had small overall populations compared to Shelby County, where there were 20 lynchings in that period. Most of the extrajudicial murders occurred around the turn of the century, part of racial terrorism and suppression targeted at blacks.
History
Obion was established in 1823 and organized the following year. It was named for the Obion River, which flows through the county and is a tributary of the nearby Mississippi River. The word "Obion" is believed to be derived from a Native American word meaning "many forks."
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 556 square miles (1,440 km2), of which 545 square miles (1,410 km2) is land and 11 square miles (28 km2) (1.9%) is water. It is located in the "rolling hills of northwest Tennessee",
Adjacent counties
National protected area
State protected areas
Major Highways
Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 32,450 people, 13,182 households, and 9,398 families residing in the county. The population density was 60 people per square mile (23/km²). There were 14,489 housing units at an average density of 27 per square mile (10/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 88.16% White, 9.85% Black or African American, 0.19% Asian, 0.14% Native American, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 0.91% from other races, and 0.71% from two or more races. 1.90% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 13,182 households out of which 31.00% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.40% were married couples living together, 11.10% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.70% were non-families. 25.70% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.10% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.42 and the average family size was 2.89.
In the county, the population was spread out with 23.40% under the age of 18, 8.40% from 18 to 24, 27.70% from 25 to 44, 25.40% from 45 to 64, and 15.20% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 93.40 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.90 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $32,764, and the median income for a family was $40,533. Males had a median income of $32,963 versus $20,032 for females. The per capita income for the county was $17,409. About 10.10% of families and 13.30% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.60% of those under age 18 and 15.10% of those age 65 or over.
Politics
The county is part of District 77 of the Tennessee House of Representatives, currently represented by Republican Bill Sanderson, and District 76, currently represented by Republican Andy Holt. The county is part of District 24 of the Tennessee Senate, currently represented by Republican John Stevens. At the federal level, it is part of the state's 8th congressional district, currently represented by Republican David Kustoff.
Media
Other services
Obion County has a public library, with a 30,000-square-foot (2,800 m2) building and a catalog of over 70,000 books, video and audio materials.
Residents of the county's unincorporated communities have the option of paying $75 per year if they want firefighting services from the city of South Fulton.