Lincoln County, Tennessee

Lincoln County
Lincoln County
County
	Lincoln County Courthouse in Fayetteville
	Seal
	Location within the U.S. state of Tennessee
	Tennessee's location within the U.S.
	Coordinates: 35°08′N 86°35′W / 35.14°N 86.59°W
Country	United States
State	Tennessee
Founded	1809
Named for	Benjamin Lincoln
Seat	Fayetteville
Largest city	Fayetteville
Area
• Total	571 sq mi (1,480 km2)
• Land	570 sq mi (1,500 km2)
• Water	0.4 sq mi (1 km2) 0.07%
Population (2020)
• Total	35,319
• Density	58/sq mi (22/km2)
Time zone	UTC−6 (Central)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district	4th
Website	www.lincolncountytn.gov

Lincoln County is a county located in the south central part of the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of the 2020 census, the population was 35,319.^[2] Its county seat and largest city is Fayetteville.^[3] The county is named for Major General Benjamin Lincoln, an officer in the American Revolutionary War.^[4]

History

Lincoln County was created in 1809 from parts of Bedford County. The land occupied by the county was part of a land cession obtained from the Cherokee and Chickasaw in 1806.^[1]

The Lincoln County Process, used in the distillation of Tennessee whiskey, is named for this county, as the Jack Daniel Distillery was originally located there. However, a subsequent redrawing of county lines resulted in the establishment of adjacent Moore County, which includes the location of the distillery. Another distillery opened in Lincoln County in 1997 – the Benjamin Pritchard's Distillery. However, it does not use the Lincoln County Process for making its Tennessee whiskey. When a law was established in 2013 to require the Lincoln County Process to be used for making all Tennessee whiskey, the Benjamin Pritchard's Distillery was exempted by a grandfather clause. Southern Pride Distillery is the only Lincoln County distillery still using the Lincoln County Process for whiskey making.

On March 5, 2017, a poultry farm that distributes products to Tyson Foods was confirmed to have a reported a case of Influenza A virus subtype H7N9 detected in birds resulting in the slaughter of 74,000 chickens.^[5]

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 571 square miles (1,480 km²), of which 570 square miles (1,500 km²) are land and 0.4 square miles (1.0 km²) (0.07%) are water.^[6]

Adjacent counties

Bedford County (north)
Moore County (northeast)
Franklin County (east)
Madison County, Alabama (south)
Limestone County, Alabama (southwest)
Giles County (west)
Marshall County (northwest)

State protected areas

Flintville Hatchery Wildlife Management Area

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1810	6,104	—
1820	14,761	141.8%
1830	22,075	49.5%
1840	21,493	−2.6%
1850	23,492	9.3%
1860	22,828	−2.8%
1870	28,050	22.9%
1880	26,960	−3.9%
1890	27,382	1.6%
1900	26,304	−3.9%
1910	25,908	−1.5%
1920	25,786	−0.5%
1930	25,422	−1.4%
1940	27,214	7.0%
1950	25,624	−5.8%
1960	23,829	−7.0%
1970	24,318	2.1%
1980	26,483	8.9%
1990	28,157	6.3%
2000	31,340	11.3%
2010	33,361	6.4%
2020	35,319	5.9%
U.S. Decennial Census^[7] 1790-1960^[8] 1900-1990^[9] 1990-2000^[10] 2010-2014^[2]

2020 census

Lincoln County racial composition^[13]
Race	Number	Percentage
White (non-Hispanic)	29,803	84.38%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic)	2,198	6.22%
Native American	116	0.33%
Asian	178	0.5%
Pacific Islander	16	0.05%
Other/Mixed	1,740	4.93%
Hispanic or Latino	1,268	3.59%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 35,319 people, 13,548 households, and 9,264 families residing in the county.

2010 census

As of the 2010 census,^[14] there were 33,361 people, 15,241 households, and 4,239 families residing in the county. The population density was 55 people per square mile (21 people/km²). There were 13,999 housing units at an average density of 24 units per square mile (9.3/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 89.45% White, 6.80% Black or African American, 0.45% Native American, 0.36% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 1.10% from other races, and 1.78% from two or more races. 2.65% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 15,241 households, out of which 28% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58% were married couples living together, 11% had a female head of household with no husband present, and 27% were non-families. 25% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 2.93.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 24% under the age of 18, 8% from 18 to 24, 28% from 25 to 44, 25% from 45 to 64, and 16% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 93.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.8 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $33,434, and the median income for a family was $41,454. Males had a median income of $30,917 versus $21,722 for females. The per capita income for the county was $18,837. About 10% of families and 14% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17% of those under age 18 and 20% of those age 65 or over.

Government

Prior to 1968, Lincoln County was a Democratic Party stronghold in presidential elections similar to most other counties in the Solid South. The county backed segregationist George Wallace in 1968, but despite voting Republican for the first time in Richard Nixon’s 49-state 1972 landslide, remained Democratic-leaning up to 1992. Since then, it has become a Republican Party stronghold, with its candidates winning the county by increasing margins with each succeeding presidential election starting with 1996.

United States presidential election results for Lincoln County, Tennessee^[15]
Year	Republican		Democratic		Third party
Year	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
2020	12,281	78.68%	2,919	18.70%	408	2.61%
2016	10,398	77.90%	2,554	19.13%	396	2.97%
2012	9,803	73.88%	3,290	24.80%	175	1.32%
2008	9,231	70.30%	3,695	28.14%	204	1.55%
2004	7,829	62.85%	4,546	36.49%	82	0.66%
2000	5,435	50.99%	5,060	47.47%	164	1.54%
1996	4,551	46.69%	4,361	44.74%	835	8.57%
1992	3,814	37.02%	5,063	49.15%	1,425	13.83%
1988	4,288	53.49%	3,672	45.80%	57	0.71%
1984	3,982	49.08%	4,103	50.57%	29	0.36%
1980	2,856	33.96%	5,387	64.06%	166	1.97%
1976	1,724	22.93%	5,732	76.24%	62	0.82%
1972	3,266	61.84%	1,867	35.35%	148	2.80%
1968	1,167	16.14%	1,848	25.56%	4,214	58.29%
1964	1,728	26.23%	4,861	73.77%	0	0.00%
1960	1,428	22.53%	4,862	76.71%	48	0.76%
1956	1,207	21.21%	4,434	77.90%	51	0.90%
1952	1,654	26.78%	4,510	73.01%	13	0.21%
1948	361	8.83%	2,969	72.63%	758	18.54%
1944	573	13.28%	3,735	86.54%	8	0.19%
1940	521	12.07%	3,781	87.62%	13	0.30%
1936	430	11.06%	3,451	88.76%	7	0.18%
1932	288	8.40%	3,095	90.26%	46	1.34%
1928	743	23.76%	2,377	76.02%	7	0.22%
1924	357	13.01%	2,356	85.86%	31	1.13%
1920	1,091	30.65%	2,463	69.19%	6	0.17%
1916	552	16.44%	2,791	83.14%	14	0.42%
1912	672	19.59%	2,651	77.27%	108	3.15%

The governing body of Lincoln County is the Lincoln County Commission, which is divided into eight districts and 24 commissioners, three from each district. The body is chaired by the County Mayor. The government center of Lincoln County is the Lincoln County Courthouse in Fayetteville.

Communities

Cities

Ardmore, Tennessee (partial)
Fayetteville (county seat)

Town

Petersburg (partial)

Census-designated places

Other unincorporated communities

Education

Education in Lincoln County is mostly led by the Lincoln County Department of Education (LCDOE).

Schools in the Lincoln County District

High schools (9 - 12)

Lincoln County High School (Tennessee)

Elementary schools/Middle schools (K - 8)

Highland Rim Elementary/Middle School
South Lincoln Elementary/Middle School
Flintville Elementary/Middle School
Unity Elementary/Middle School
Blanche Elementary/Middle School

Schools in the Fayetteville City District

Ralph Askins School (Pre-K - 5)
Fayetteville Middle School (6 - 8)
Fayetteville High School (9 - 12)

References

^ ^a ^b Jack Towry and June Towry, "Lincoln County," Tennessee Encyclopedia of History and Culture. Retrieved: October 21, 2013.
^ ^a ^b "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on June 7, 2011. Retrieved December 3, 2013.
^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
^ Gannett, Henry (1905). The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States. U.S. Government Printing Office. p. 187.
^ Flynn, Dan (March 8, 2017). "74,000 Tyson-owned birds depopulated in Lincoln County, Tennessee Avian Flu outbreak". Food Safety News.
^ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Retrieved April 7, 2015.
^ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved April 7, 2015.
^ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved April 7, 2015.
^ Forstall, Richard L., ed. (March 27, 1995). "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved April 7, 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 7, 2015.
^ "Population and Housing Unit Estimates". Retrieved July 20, 2019.
^ Based on 2000 census data
^ "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved December 24, 2021.
^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 14, 2011.
^ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved March 11, 2018.