Cocke County, Tennessee
Selected Statistical Information
I.  Geography & Demographics Tennessee Cocke County County Rank Percent of State
Total Land Area (sq. mi.)                 41,217                434 49th  1.1%
Farmland (2007)          
Acres of Farmland            10,969,798           64,163  67th   0.6%
Number of Farms                 79,280                705  48th   0.9%
Average Size of Farms (Acres)                     138                 91  78th   65.9%
Population            
2008 Estimate 6,214,888 35,688 42nd  0.6%
2000 Census 5,689,283 33,565 42nd  0.6%
1990 Census 4,877,203 29,141 42nd  0.6%
Gain (1990 to 2000) 812,080 4,424 41st  0.5%
Growth Rate (1990 to 2000) 16.7% 15.2% 52nd  91.2%
Population Density (per sq. mi.)         Comparison to State Figure
2008 Estimate                   150.8               82.2 42nd  54.5%
2000 Census                   138.0               77.3 39th  56.0%
1990 Census                   118.3               67.1 38th  56.7%
Urban Population         Percent of State
2000 Census            3,618,968           10,918 40th  0.3%
1990 Census            2,969,948             7,123 45th  0.2%
Growth Rate (1990 to 2000) 21.9% 53.3% 18th  243.8%
Percent of Population in Urban Areas
2000 Census 63.6% 32.5% 41st  51.1%
1990 Census 60.9% 24.4% 53rd  40.1%
Median Age            
2000 Census 36 39 29th  107.5%
1990 Census 34 35 41st  105.1%
Population Percentages by Age Bracket        
2000 Census
under 18 24.6% 22.8% 72nd 
18-24 9.6% 8.3% 54th 
25-44 30.2% 28.8% 44th 
45-64 23.2% 26.4% 10th 
65 & over 12.4% 13.6% 53rd 
1990 Census
under 18 25.1% 24.1% 64th 
18-24 10.9% 10.2% 28th 
25-44 31.8% 30.6% 29th 
45-64 19.6% 22.2% 23rd 
65 & over 12.6% 12.8% 72nd 
Population Growth by Age Bracket, 1990 to 2000  
Population Percentages by Race/Ethnicity (2000 Census)  
Tennessee Cocke County County Rank* Comparison to State Figure
Males per 100 Females (2007) 95.4 94.2 66th  98.8%
Marriages Recorded per 1,000 Population in 2006 10.7 9.8 16th  91.6%
Divorces Recorded per 1,000 Population in 2006 4.7 3.9 24th  83.0%
*A rank of 1 indicates the best condition.
II.  Income & Poverty Tennessee Cocke County County Rank* Comparison to State Figure
Per Capita Personal Income          
2006 $32,172 $20,629 89th  64.1%
2000 $26,097 $17,955 79th  68.8%
Compound Annual Growth Rate 3.55% 2.34% 86th  65.95%
Median Household Income          
2007 $42,389 $29,637 90th  69.9%
2000 $35,760 $26,574 86th  74.3%
Compound Annual Growth Rate 2.46% 1.57% 76th  63.87%
2007 Poverty Rate          
All Ages  15.8% 26.6% 91st  168.35%
Related Children Under 18 Years  22.5% 39.9% 92nd  177.33%
2000 Census            
All Ages  13.1% 16.9% 74th  128.42%
Related Children Under 18 Years 15.9% 19.5% 64th  122.24%
2007 Food Stamp Recipients (Monthly Average )          
Percent of Households 15.8% 25.7% 86th  162.52%
Percent of Individuals 14.1% 23.6% 89th  167.28%
2007 Families First           
Percent of Households 2.5% 2.2% 69th  87.79%
Percent of Individuals 2.5% 2.1% 64th  82.08%
*A rank of 1 indicates the best condition.
III.  Health & Healthcare Tennessee Cocke County County Rank* Comparison to State Figure
2007 Pregnancy & Birth Rates           
Live births per 1,000 Population                    14.2               12.7 44th  89.4%
Percent of Live Births to Unmarried Parents 42.8% 49.7% 89th  116.1%
Percent Low Birth Weight 9.4% 12.0% 86th  127.7%
Pregnancies per 1,000 Females Aged 15-44                    80.7               71.9 38th  89.1%
Pregnancies per 1,000 Females Aged 10-17                    13.9               12.6 54th  90.6%
Pregnancies per 1,000 Females Aged 10-14                      1.3                1.8 77th  138.5%
* A rank of 1 indicates the best condition.
2007 Mortality Rates           
Number of Deaths per 1,000 Population                      9.3               10.8 50th  116.1%
Number of Deaths per 100,000 Population by Cause of Death
Diseases of the Heart                   233.2             352.4 82nd  151.1%
Cancer (Malignant Neoplasm)                   215.3             231.1 39th  107.3%
* A rank of 1 indicates the best condition.
57th 
80th 
57th 
Tennessee Cocke County County Rank Comparison to State Figure
Access to Healthcare          
Medical Doctors per 1,000 (2007)                      1.8                0.5 67th  26.5%
Hospital Beds per 1,000 Population (2006)                      4.2                2.1 51st  50.1%
Nursing Home Beds per 1,000 Pop. 65 & older (2006)                    49.2               39.7 76th  80.7%
2006 Charity Care--Percent of All Hospital Care  8.5% 10.8% 9th  126.6%
IV.  Employment
Unemployment Rate   Tennessee Cocke County County Rank* Comparison to State Figure
2009 (February) 9.5% 14.4% 84th  151.0%
2000 4.0% 6.5% 87th  162.2%
2007 Youth Unemployment Rate  15.7% 15.9% 47th  101.8%
* A rank of 1 indicates the best condition.
2007 Employment Percentages by Major Industry   Tennessee Cocke County County Rank Comparison to State Figure
Total Employment All Industries 2,745,397 8,021 50 0.3%
Natural Resources and Mining 0.4% 1.4% 28 360.2%
Construction 4.9% 2.6% 56 53.9%
Manufacturing 13.8% 24.0% 54 173.4%
Trade, Transportation and Utilities 22.1% 20.9% 43 94.5%
Information 1.8% 0.7% 53 39.8%
Financial Activities 5.2% 3.1% 55 58.5%
Professional and Business Services 11.8% 2.5% 62 21.1%
Education and Health Services 12.4% 11.0% 45 89.1%
Leisure and Hospitality 10.1% 11.5% 34 114.5%
Other Services 2.6% 1.3% 56 51.4%
Government 14.9% 20.9% 38 140.2%
Federal 1.8% 0.9% 55 50.6%
State 3.3% 0.7% 28 20.7%
Local 9.9% 19.3% 35 195.6%
2007 Average Annual Wage by Major Industry         County Rank
75th 
72nd 
68th 
60th 
78th 
55th 
82nd 
66th 
31st 
27th 
59th 
78th 
76th 
27th 
42nd 
V.  Value of Farmland and Agricultural Products Sold
Tennessee Cocke County Rank
Estimated Market Value of Farmland & Buildings   $           467,420  $      343,441 87th 
(Average Per Farm)
Estimated Market Value of Farmland & Buildings   $               3,378  $         3,774 31st 
(Average Per Acre)
Total Market Value of Agicultural Products Sold   $  2,617,394,000  $ 22,237,000 46th 
VI.  County Government Finance (municipalities' revenue data not available)
2001-2002 Revenue by Source (in thousands)   Tennessee Percent of Total Cocke County Percent of State Total
Grand Total  $         8,062,012 100.0%  $    42,172 100.00%
Total State Revenue  $         2,504,883 31.1%  $    17,752 42.1%
Public Schools            1,949,045 24.2%        14,820 35.1%
All Other               555,838 6.9%         2,933 7.0%
Federal Revenue  $           511,055 6.3%  $      4,766 11.3%
Total Local Revenue  $         5,046,074 62.6%  $    19,653 46.6%
Property Tax            2,720,971 33.8%         9,142 21.7%
Local Sales Tax            1,123,100 13.9%         6,368 15.1%
Other Local             1,202,003 14.9%         4,144 9.8%
 Tax Base (in thousands)   Tennessee Cocke County County Rank Percent of State
2007 Equalized Assessed Property Value  $     131,625,598  $      561,312
Tax Base Per Capita $21,179 $15,728 42nd  74.3%
2007 County Property Tax Rate (per $100) $2.48 34th 
2008 Total Taxable Sales   $       69,005,974  $      265,406
Tax Base Per Capita $11,103 $7,437 34th  67.0%
2008 County Sales Tax Rate 2.75% 1st 
VII.  Public Infrastructure Needs Inventory
Estimated Costs, 2007 - 2012 (in thousands)   Tennessee Cocke County County Rank Percent of State
Project  Type
Transportation  $       17,106,712  $      246,752 16th 1.4%
Water & Wastewater            3,855,355           15,600 52nd 0.4%
Other Utilities               598,698           13,750 6th 2.3%
Existing School Improvements            1,899,735             6,455 43rd 0.3%
Law Enforcement            1,826,201             3,750 52nd 0.2%
Recreation            1,118,527             1,769 61st 0.2%
Non K-12 Education            3,015,869                    - 43rd 0.0%
K-12 New School Construction            1,798,581                    - 45th 0.0%
Public Buildings               526,288                    - 77th 0.0%
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%
Libraries, Museums, & Historic Sites               285,785                    - 52nd 0.0%
Industrial Sites & Parks               241,362                    - 68th 0.0%
Fire Protection               220,725                    - 57th 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  $      288,075 23rd 0.8%
VIII.  Adult & Post-secondary Education
Adult Educational Attainment     Tennessee Cocke County County Rank
2000 Census
Percent w/ HS diploma (or equivalent) or better 75.9% 61.2% 82nd 
Percent w/ Bachelors Degree or better 19.6% 6.2% 91st 
2008 Estimate
1990 Census
Percent w/ HS diploma (or equivalent) or better 67.1% 50.4% 78th 
Percent w/ Bachelors Degree or better 16.0% 5.5% 81st 
 Number of Post-secondary Institutions (2008)      
Four-year Colleges and Universities 77 0
Public 14 0
Private 63 0
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                     -  
Public 134,696 0
Private 79,564 0
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 Cocke County Newport City  
Number of Students
2007-2008                 944,738                    4,809                752            
Percent of Statewide 0.5% 0.1%        
1997-1998                 834,318                    4,308                717            
Percent of Statewide 0.5% 0.1%        
Increase/(Decrease)                 110,420 501 35        
Percent Change 13.2% 11.6% 4.9%        
2007-2008
Free or Reduced-price Meals 54.5% 76.6% 51.2%
Federal Title 1 39.7% 62.5% 22.4%
Special Education 14.7% 17.4% 13.6%
English Language Learners 3.2% 0.6% 0.3%
Statewide Cocke County Newport City  
2007-2008 Accreditation by Southern Association of Colleges and Schools 
Elementary Schools 71.5% 100.0% 100.0%
Secondary Schools 90.8% 100.0% 0.0%
Students per Classroom Teacher*
2007-2008                      14.9                      14.8               14.3            
1997-1998                      15.8                      15.2               15.7            
Increase/(Decrease)                       (0.9)                       (0.5)                (1.4)                
Progress Through School
Promotion Rate
2007-2008 98.0% 98.2% 99.2%        
1997-1998 96.6% 96.7% 98.0%
Dropout Rate
2007-2008 10.1% 6.1% n/a
1997-1998 4.5% 4.3% n/a
*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 Cocke County Newport City  
Expenditures per Student
2007-2008 $7,742 $7,169 $7,522
Percent of Statewide 92.6% 97.2%        
1997-1998 $5,123 $4,673 $4,700
Percent of Statewide 91.2% 91.7%        
Increase/Decrease $2,618 $2,496 $2,821        
Percent Change 51.1% 53.4% 60.0%        
Classroom Teachers' Average Salary*
2007-2008 $44,820 $40,711 $43,515
Percent of Statewide 90.8% 97.1%
1997-1998 $34,584 $29,798 $34,456
Percent of Statewide 86.2% 99.6%
Gain $10,236 $10,913 $9,060
Percent Change 29.6% 36.6% 26.3%        
Revenue by Source (percent of total)
2007-2008
State 47.6% 61.3% 55.8%
Federal 10.8% 15.5% 11.6%
Local 41.6% 23.2% 32.6%
System Rank for Percent Local 93rd  50th 
2006-2007
State 45.5% 60.5% 53.0%
Federal 11.0% 15.5% 12.5%
Local 43.5% 24.1% 34.5%
System Rank for Percent Local 89th  50th 
Statewide Cocke County County Rank
2008-2009 County Area Fiscal Capacity        
Estimated Local Revenue per Student $2,782 $1,432 62nd 
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