Unicoi County, Tennessee

Unicoi County, Tennessee
Unicoi County Courthouse in Erwin
Location in the state of Tennessee
Tennessee's location in the U.S.
Founded	March 23, 1875
Named for	Cherokee word for "fog-draped" or "hazy"
Seat	Erwin
Area  - Total  - Land  - Water	186 sq mi (482 km²) 186 sq mi (482 km²) 0 sq mi (0 km²), 0.19%
PopulationEst.  - (2011)  - Density	18,280 96/sq mi (37/km²)
Time zone	Eastern: UTC-5/-4
Website	www.unicoicountytn.gov

Unicoi County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of the 2010 census, the population was 18,313. Its county seat is Erwin. Unicoi is a Cherokee word meaning "white," "hazy," "fog-like," or "fog draped."

Unicoi County is part of the Johnson City Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is a component of the Johnson City–Kingsport–Bristol, TN-VA Combined Statistical Area – commonly known as the "Tri-Cities" region.

Pronunciation

Hear it spoken (Voice of Unicoi County Mayor Greg Lynch, 2010)

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 186 square miles (480 km²), of which 186 square miles (480 km²) is land and 0 square miles (0 km²) (0.19%) is water.

Adjacent counties

• Washington County (north)
• Carter County (northeast)
• Mitchell County, North Carolina (east)
• Yancey County, North Carolina (south)
• Madison County, North Carolina (southwest)
• Greene County (west)

National protected area

• Cherokee National Forest (part)

Demographics

Historical populations
Census	Pop.		%±
1880	3,645		—
1890	4,619		26.7%
1900	5,851		26.7%
1910	7,201		23.1%
1920	10,120		40.5%
1930	12,678		25.3%
1940	14,128		11.4%
1950	15,886		12.4%
1960	15,082		−5.1%
1970	15,254		1.1%
1980	16,362		7.3%
1990	16,549		1.1%
2000	17,667		6.8%
2010	18,313		3.7%
Est. 2011	18,280		−0.2%
U.S. Decennial Census 2011 estimate

As of the census of 2000, there were 17,667 people, 7,516 households, and 5,223 families residing in the county. The population density was 95 people per square mile (37/km²). There were 8,214 housing units at an average density of 44 per square mile (17/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 97.96% White, 0.07% Black or African American, 0.25% Native American, 0.08% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.95% from other races, and 0.66% from two or more races. 1.94% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

Age pyramid Unicoi County

There were 7,516 households out of which 26.60% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.40% were married couples living together, 9.50% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.50% were non-families. 27.50% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.40% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.31 and the average family size was 2.80.

In the county, the population was spread out with 20.50% under the age of 18, 7.50% from 18 to 24, 27.50% from 25 to 44, 26.50% from 45 to 64, and 18.10% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 95.10 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.60 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $29,863, and the median income for a family was $36,871. Males had a median income of $30,206 versus $20,379 for females. The per capita income for the county was $15,612. About 8.70% of families and 13.10% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.70% of those under age 18 and 13.50% of those age 65 or over.

Populated places

• Banner Hill (unincorporated)
• Erwin
• Flag Pond (unincorporated)
• Unicoi

See also

• National Register of Historic Places listings in Unicoi County, Tennessee

External links

• Official site
• Unicoi County Chamber of Commerce
• Unicoi County Schools
• TNGenWeb
• Unicoi County at the Open Directory Project