Blount County, Tennessee
Selected Statistical Information
I.  Geography & Demographics Tennessee Blount County County Rank Percent of State
Total Land Area (sq. mi.)                 41,217                559 23rd  1.4%
Farmland (2007)          
Acres of Farmland            10,969,798           98,403  49th   0.9%
Number of Farms                 79,280             1,154  21st   1.5%
Average Size of Farms (Acres)                     138                 85  82nd   61.6%
Population            
2008 Estimate 6,214,888 121,511 10th  2.0%
2000 Census 5,689,283 105,823 11th  1.9%
1990 Census 4,877,203 85,962 10th  1.8%
Gain (1990 to 2000) 812,080 19,861 11th  2.4%
Growth Rate (1990 to 2000) 16.7% 23.1% 26th  138.8%
Population Density (per sq. mi.)         Comparison to State Figure
2008 Estimate                   150.8             217.5 10th  144.3%
2000 Census                   138.0             189.5 14th  137.3%
1990 Census                   118.3             153.9 13th  130.1%
Urban Population         Percent of State
2000 Census            3,618,968           67,114 11th  1.9%
1990 Census            2,969,948           44,394 11th  1.5%
Growth Rate (1990 to 2000) 21.9% 51.2% 20th  234.2%
Percent of Population in Urban Areas
2000 Census 63.6% 63.4% 14th  99.7%
1990 Census 60.9% 51.6% 16th  84.8%
Median Age            
2000 Census 36 38 32nd  107.0%
1990 Census 34 36 30th  107.5%
Population Percentages by Age Bracket        
2000 Census
under 18 24.6% 22.8% 73rd 
18-24 9.6% 8.3% 55th 
25-44 30.2% 29.4% 34th 
45-64 23.2% 25.4% 38th 
65 & over 12.4% 14.1% 42nd 
1990 Census
under 18 25.1% 23.0% 80th 
18-24 10.9% 9.7% 44th 
25-44 31.8% 31.6% 17th 
45-64 19.6% 21.0% 47th 
65 & over 12.6% 14.7% 43rd 
Population Growth by Age Bracket, 1990 to 2000  
Population Percentages by Race/Ethnicity (2000 Census)  
Tennessee Blount County County Rank* Comparison to State Figure
Males per 100 Females (2007) 95.4 94.7 65th  99.4%
Marriages Recorded per 1,000 Population in 2006 10.7 9.9 14th  92.5%
Divorces Recorded per 1,000 Population in 2006 4.7 5.9 82nd  125.5%
*A rank of 1 indicates the best condition.
II.  Income & Poverty Tennessee Blount County County Rank* Comparison to State Figure
Per Capita Personal Income          
2006 $32,172 $28,385 23rd  88.2%
2000 $26,097 $23,947 20th  91.8%
Compound Annual Growth Rate 3.55% 2.87% 72nd  80.97%
Median Household Income          
2007 $42,389 $47,466 11th  112.0%
2000 $35,760 $38,899 18th  108.8%
Compound Annual Growth Rate 2.46% 2.88% 10th  117.29%
2007 Poverty Rate          
All Ages  15.8% 12.0% 10th  75.95%
Related Children Under 18 Years  22.5% 16.5% 8th  73.33%
2000 Census            
All Ages  13.1% 22.8% 91st  173.81%
Related Children Under 18 Years 15.9% 32.0% 93rd  200.72%
2007 Food Stamp Recipients (Monthly Average )          
Percent of Households 15.8% 11.8% 13th  74.71%
Percent of Individuals 14.1% 10.5% 11th  74.36%
2007 Families First           
Percent of Households 2.5% 1.2% 16th  48.10%
Percent of Individuals 2.5% 1.1% 19th  42.04%
*A rank of 1 indicates the best condition.
III.  Health & Healthcare Tennessee Blount County County Rank* Comparison to State Figure
2007 Pregnancy & Birth Rates           
Live births per 1,000 Population                    14.2               11.4 71st  80.3%
Percent of Live Births to Unmarried Parents 42.8% 37.0% 37th  86.4%
Percent Low Birth Weight 9.4% 8.4% 32nd  89.4%
Pregnancies per 1,000 Females Aged 15-44                    80.7               63.4 70th  78.6%
Pregnancies per 1,000 Females Aged 10-17                    13.9                9.4 25th  67.6%
Pregnancies per 1,000 Females Aged 10-14                      1.3                  -   1st  0.0%
* A rank of 1 indicates the best condition.
2007 Mortality Rates           
Number of Deaths per 1,000 Population                      9.3                9.7 25th  104.3%
Number of Deaths per 100,000 Population by Cause of Death
Diseases of the Heart                   233.2             174.9 7th  75.0%
Cancer (Malignant Neoplasm)                   215.3             202.5 14th  94.1%
* A rank of 1 indicates the best condition.
55th 
42nd 
55th 
Tennessee Blount County County Rank Comparison to State Figure
Access to Healthcare          
Medical Doctors per 1,000 (2007)                      1.8                1.3 19th  71.8%
Hospital Beds per 1,000 Population (2006)                      4.2                5.1 13th  121.8%
Nursing Home Beds per 1,000 Pop. 65 & older (2006)                    49.2               44.9 65th  91.2%
2006 Charity Care--Percent of All Hospital Care  8.5% 10.6% 10th  123.8%
IV.  Employment
Unemployment Rate   Tennessee Blount County County Rank* Comparison to State Figure
2009 (February) 9.5% 9.6% 22nd  100.7%
2000 4.0% 3.6% 11th  89.8%
2007 Youth Unemployment Rate  15.7% 12.6% 24th  80.5%
* A rank of 1 indicates the best condition.
2007 Employment Percentages by Major Industry   Tennessee Blount County County Rank Comparison to State Figure
Total Employment All Industries 2,745,397 43,758 11 1.6%
Natural Resources and Mining 0.4% 0.2% 39 44.0%
Construction 4.9% 8.1% 8 165.8%
Manufacturing 13.8% 17.9% 11 129.6%
Trade, Transportation and Utilities 22.1% 21.9% 10 99.1%
Information 1.8% 0.9% 17 48.8%
Financial Activities 5.2% 5.6% 8 107.6%
Professional and Business Services 11.8% 8.5% 15 72.4%
Education and Health Services 12.4% 8.7% 14 70.1%
Leisure and Hospitality 10.1% 9.8% 12 97.4%
Other Services 2.6% 2.3% 13 90.5%
Government 14.9% 15.9% 7 106.4%
Federal 1.8% 0.6% 20 34.4%
State 3.3% 0.1% 23 4.5%
Local 9.9% 15.1% 7 152.9%
2007 Average Annual Wage by Major Industry         County Rank
10th 
27th 
12th 
6th 
6th 
24th 
20th 
24th 
14th 
6th 
5th 
48th 
32nd 
54th 
12th 
V.  Value of Farmland and Agricultural Products Sold
Tennessee Blount County Rank
Estimated Market Value of Farmland & Buildings   $           467,420  $      474,105 33rd 
(Average Per Farm)
Estimated Market Value of Farmland & Buildings   $               3,378  $         5,560 4th 
(Average Per Acre)
Total Market Value of Agicultural Products Sold   $  2,617,394,000  $ 17,370,000 53rd 
VI.  County Government Finance (municipalities' revenue data not available)
2001-2002 Revenue by Source (in thousands)   Tennessee Percent of Total Blount County Percent of State Total
Grand Total  $         8,062,012 100.0%  $  134,230 100.00%
Total State Revenue  $         2,504,883 31.1%  $    36,584 27.3%
Public Schools            1,949,045 24.2%        30,370 22.6%
All Other               555,838 6.9%         6,214 4.6%
Federal Revenue  $           511,055 6.3%  $      9,213 6.9%
Total Local Revenue  $         5,046,074 62.6%  $    88,432 65.9%
Property Tax            2,720,971 33.8%        39,646 29.5%
Local Sales Tax            1,123,100 13.9%        25,712 19.2%
Other Local             1,202,003 14.9%        23,075 17.2%
 Tax Base (in thousands)   Tennessee Blount County County Rank Percent of State
2007 Equalized Assessed Property Value  $     131,625,598  $   2,764,057
Tax Base Per Capita $21,179 $22,747 10th  107.4%
2007 County Property Tax Rate (per $100) $2.23 57th 
2008 Total Taxable Sales   $       69,005,974  $   1,279,390
Tax Base Per Capita $11,103 $10,529 12th  94.8%
2008 County Sales Tax Rate 2.25% 53rd 
VII.  Public Infrastructure Needs Inventory
Estimated Costs, 2007 - 2012 (in thousands)   Tennessee Blount County County Rank Percent of State
Project  Type
Transportation  $       17,106,712  $      235,410 17th 1.4%
K-12 New School Construction            1,798,581           62,000 8th 3.4%
Non K-12 Education            3,015,869           30,500 13th 1.0%
Water & Wastewater            3,855,355           17,910 48th 0.5%
Existing School Improvements            1,899,735             8,220 35th 0.4%
Law Enforcement            1,826,201             7,260 42nd 0.4%
Recreation            1,118,527             5,754 37th 0.5%
Public Buildings               526,288             1,850 35th 0.4%
Other Utilities               598,698             1,250 17th 0.2%
Libraries, Museums, & Historic Sites               285,785             1,138 22nd 0.4%
Fire Protection               220,725                267 45th 0.1%
Business District Development               375,758                    - 23rd 0.0%
Stormwater               371,227                    - 39th 0.0%
Community Development               367,547                    - 50th 0.0%
Public Health Facilities               323,093                    - 30th 0.0%
Industrial Sites & Parks               241,362                    - 68th 0.0%
Housing               100,189                    - 14th 0.0%
School System-wide Need                 63,021                    - 16th 0.0%
Solid Waste                 54,314                    - 30th 0.0%
Other Facilities                 32,755                    - 9th 0.0%
Telecommunications                 17,009                    - 5th 0.0%
Property Acquisition                   3,956                    - 8th 0.0%
Grand Total  $       34,202,707  $      371,559 19th 1.1%
VIII.  Adult & Post-secondary Education
Adult Educational Attainment     Tennessee Blount County County Rank
2000 Census
Percent w/ HS diploma (or equivalent) or better 75.9% 78.4% 12th 
Percent w/ Bachelors Degree or better 19.6% 17.9% 15th 
2008 Estimate
1990 Census
Percent w/ HS diploma (or equivalent) or better 67.1% 68.5% 11th 
Percent w/ Bachelors Degree or better 16.0% 14.3% 16th 
 Number of Post-secondary Institutions (2008)      
Four-year Colleges and Universities 77 1
Public 14 0
Private 63 1
Other Public Institutions 93 0
Community Colleges 13 0
Technology Centers 27 0
Two-Year Private Institutions 20 0
Off-campus Sites 33 0
2007 - 2008 Enrollment (full-time equivalent) at Post-secondary Institutions    
Four-year Colleges and Universities*          214,260                1,114
Public 134,696 0
Private 79,564 1,114
Other Public Institutions* 134,278 0
Community Colleges 80,454 0
Technology Centers 13,939 0
Two-Year Private Insitutions 11,049 0
Off-campus Sites 28,836 0
* Note: By location of instiution, not county of residence of students
IX.  Public School Systems  (Total number of school systems is 136)
Statewide Blount County Alcoa City Maryville City
Number of Students
2007-2008                 944,738                   11,599             1,610                4,997         
Percent of Statewide 1.2% 0.2% 0.5%      
1997-1998                 834,318                    9,916             1,279                3,949         
Percent of Statewide 1.2% 0.2% 0.5%      
Increase/(Decrease)                 110,420 1,682 331 1,048      
Percent Change 13.2% 17.0% 25.9% 26.5%      
2007-2008
Free or Reduced-price Meals 54.5% 47.3% 48.7% 26.2%
Federal Title 1 39.7% 10.4% 3.4% 15.0%
Special Education 14.7% 14.7% 13.4% 12.7%
English Language Learners 3.2% 1.0% 4.1% 2.3%
Statewide Blount County Alcoa City Maryville City
2007-2008 Accreditation by Southern Association of Colleges and Schools 
Elementary Schools 71.5% 100.0% 100.0% 25.0%
Secondary Schools 90.8% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0%
Students per Classroom Teacher*
2007-2008                      14.9                      16.5               15.3                  15.9         
1997-1998                      15.8                      18.2               14.4                  16.1         
Increase/(Decrease)                       (0.9)                       (1.8)                 1.0                   (0.2)            
Progress Through School
Promotion Rate
2007-2008 98.0% 98.6% 95.1% 99.1%      
1997-1998 96.6% 97.2% 98.0% 98.4%
Dropout Rate
2007-2008 10.1% 14.0% 8.1% 3.1%
1997-1998 4.5% 2.1% 0.4% 1.1%
*Classroom teachers include art, music and physical education teachers.  Because these auxiliary teachers are
included, ratios of students to classroom teachers do not represent and tend to be lower than actual class sizes.
Statewide Blount County Alcoa City Maryville City
Expenditures per Student
2007-2008 $7,742 $7,222 $9,086 $8,599
Percent of Statewide 93.3% 117.4% 111.1%      
1997-1998 $5,123 $4,669 $6,643 $6,032
Percent of Statewide 91.1% 129.7% 117.7%      
Increase/Decrease $2,618 $2,553 $2,443 $2,568      
Percent Change 51.1% 54.7% 36.8% 42.6%      
Classroom Teachers' Average Salary*
2007-2008 $44,820 $45,778 $53,936 $54,028
Percent of Statewide 102.1% 120.3% 120.5%
1997-1998 $34,584 $36,724 $42,945 $38,920
Percent of Statewide 106.2% 124.2% 112.5%
Gain $10,236 $9,055 $10,992 $15,108
Percent Change 29.6% 24.7% 25.6% 38.8%      
Revenue by Source (percent of total)
2007-2008
State 47.6% 53.3% 40.0% 41.0%
Federal 10.8% 7.9% 5.7% 5.2%
Local 41.6% 38.7% 54.3% 53.8%
System Rank for Percent Local 30th  9th  10th 
2006-2007
State 45.5% 52.5% 38.5% 40.8%
Federal 11.0% 8.4% 6.4% 5.4%
Local 43.5% 39.1% 55.1% 53.7%
System Rank for Percent Local 33rd  9th  11th 
Statewide Blount County County Rank
2008-2009 County Area Fiscal Capacity        
Estimated Local Revenue per Student $2,782 $2,510 16th 
Sources of Information for County Profiles
I. Geography & Demographics
U.S. Bureau of the Census--all data except for marriage and divorce rates.
www.census.gov
U.S. Department of Agriculture - farmland data
http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usdahome
TN Dept. of Health - marriage and divorce rates.
http://health.state.tn.us/
II. Income & Poverty
U.S. Bureau of the Census--median household income data & poverty rates.
www.census.gov
TN Dept. of Human Services--Food Stamp data and Families First data.
http://www.tennessee.gov/humanserv/adfam/afs_fsp.htm
http://www.tennessee.gov/humanserv/adfam/afs_tanf.htm
U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis - per capita income data
www.bea.gov
III. Health & Healthcare
TN Dept.of Health, Health Statistics & Research--pregnancy, births, mortality & healthcare access data.
http://health.state.tn.us/statistics/healthdata.htm
IV. Employment
TN Dept. Of Labor and Workforce Development - unemployment data. 
http://www.state.tn.us/labor-wfd/
U.S. Department of Labor - employment data.
ww.bls.gov/lau/home.htm
V. Value of Farmland and Agricultural Product Sold
U.S. Department of Agriculture - farmland data
http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usdahome
VI. County Government Finance (municipalities' revenue data not available)
TN County Technical Advisory Service (CTAS), Resource Center--county revenue data.
www.ctas.utk.edu
TN Comptroller of the Treasury, Division of Property Assessment--equalized assessed property values.
http://www.comptroller.state.tn.us/pa/taxaggr.htm
TN Dept. of Revenue--total taxable sales.
www.state.tn.us/revenue/files.htm
VII. Public Infrastructure Needs Inventory
TN Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations--all data. 
http://tn.gov/tacir/infrastructure.html
VIII. Adult & Post-secondary Education
U.S. Bureau of the Census--educational attainment.
www.census.gov/population/www/socdemo/educ-attn.html
TN Higher Education Commission--post-secondary institution and enrollment data.
www.state.tn.us/thec
IX. Public School Systems (Total number of school systems is 136)
TN Department of Education--all data except fiscal capacity.
http://www.state.tn.us/education/mdata.shtml
TN Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations--education fiscal capacity.
http://tn.gov/tacir/fiscalcapacity.html
Prepared by TACIR