Decatur County, Tennessee
Selected Statistical Information
I.  Geography & Demographics Tennessee Decatur County County Rank Percent of State
Total Land Area (sq. mi.)                 41,217                334 66th  0.8%
Farmland (2007)          
Acres of Farmland            10,969,798           76,378  62nd   0.7%
Number of Farms                 79,280                455  76th   0.6%
Average Size of Farms (Acres)                     138                168  21st   121.7%
Population            
2008 Estimate 6,214,888 11,288 85th  0.2%
2000 Census 5,689,283 11,731 82nd  0.2%
1990 Census 4,877,203 10,472 79th  0.2%
Gain (1990 to 2000) 812,080 1,259 82nd  0.2%
Growth Rate (1990 to 2000) 16.7% 12.0% 72nd  72.2%
Population Density (per sq. mi.)         Comparison to State Figure
2008 Estimate                   150.8               33.8 85th  22.4%
2000 Census                   138.0               35.1 85th  25.5%
1990 Census                   118.3               31.4 82nd  26.5%
Urban Population         Percent of State
2000 Census            3,618,968                  -   71st  0.0%
1990 Census            2,969,948                  -   72nd  0.0%
Growth Rate (1990 to 2000) 21.9% n/a n/a n/a
Percent of Population in Urban Areas
2000 Census 63.6% 0.0% 71st  0.0%
1990 Census 60.9% 0.0% 72nd  0.0%
Median Age            
2000 Census 36 41 5th  114.8%
1990 Census 34 39 3rd  114.9%
Population Percentages by Age Bracket        
2000 Census
under 18 24.6% 21.7% 85th 
18-24 9.6% 7.9% 77th 
25-44 30.2% 25.9% 92nd 
45-64 23.2% 26.3% 14th 
65 & over 12.4% 18.2% 2nd 
1990 Census
under 18 25.1% 22.9% 84th 
18-24 10.9% 8.8% 82nd 
25-44 31.8% 27.1% 88th 
45-64 19.6% 22.4% 19th 
65 & over 12.6% 18.8% 3rd 
Population Growth by Age Bracket, 1990 to 2000  
Population Percentages by Race/Ethnicity (2000 Census)  
Tennessee Decatur County County Rank* Comparison to State Figure
Males per 100 Females (2007) 95.4 95.0 57th  99.6%
Marriages Recorded per 1,000 Population in 2006 10.7 8.0 55th  74.8%
Divorces Recorded per 1,000 Population in 2006 4.7 4.3 35th  91.5%
*A rank of 1 indicates the best condition.
II.  Income & Poverty Tennessee Decatur County County Rank* Comparison to State Figure
Per Capita Personal Income          
2006 $32,172 $27,195 34th  84.5%
2000 $26,097 $20,184 60th  77.3%
Compound Annual Growth Rate 3.55% 5.09% 4th  143.53%
Median Household Income          
2007 $42,389 $32,029 81st  75.6%
2000 $35,760 $29,300 72nd  81.9%
Compound Annual Growth Rate 2.46% 1.28% 86th  52.06%
2007 Poverty Rate          
All Ages  15.8% 18.7% 61st  118.35%
Related Children Under 18 Years  22.5% 27.2% 66th  120.89%
2000 Census            
All Ages  13.1% 10.2% 14th  77.63%
Related Children Under 18 Years 15.9% 12.9% 16th  80.92%
2007 Food Stamp Recipients (Monthly Average )          
Percent of Households 15.8% 19.3% 64th  121.93%
Percent of Individuals 14.1% 18.7% 68th  132.66%
2007 Families First           
Percent of Households 2.5% 2.2% 71st  90.15%
Percent of Individuals 2.5% 2.5% 75th  98.53%
*A rank of 1 indicates the best condition.
III.  Health & Healthcare Tennessee Decatur County County Rank* Comparison to State Figure
2007 Pregnancy & Birth Rates           
Live births per 1,000 Population                    14.2               13.3 32nd  93.7%
Percent of Live Births to Unmarried Parents 42.8% 35.5% 29th  82.9%
Percent Low Birth Weight 9.4% 6.6% 6th  70.2%
Pregnancies per 1,000 Females Aged 15-44                    80.7               76.1 22nd  94.3%
Pregnancies per 1,000 Females Aged 10-17                    13.9               14.6 76th  105.0%
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               14.5 92nd  155.9%
Number of Deaths per 100,000 Population by Cause of Death
Diseases of the Heart                   233.2             446.2 90th  191.3%
Cancer (Malignant Neoplasm)                   215.3             245.0 51st  113.8%
* A rank of 1 indicates the best condition.
80th 
1st 
80th 
Tennessee Decatur County County Rank Comparison to State Figure
Access to Healthcare          
Medical Doctors per 1,000 (2007)                      1.8                0.8 34th  44.3%
Hospital Beds per 1,000 Population (2006)                      4.2                3.5 33rd  83.5%
Nursing Home Beds per 1,000 Pop. 65 & older (2006)                    49.2             108.0 16th  219.7%
2006 Charity Care--Percent of All Hospital Care  8.5% 0.1% 76th  0.9%
IV.  Employment
Unemployment Rate   Tennessee Decatur County County Rank* Comparison to State Figure
2009 (February) 9.5% 11.8% 46th  123.8%
2000 4.0% 5.4% 75th  134.7%
2007 Youth Unemployment Rate  15.7% 15.8% 45th  100.8%
* A rank of 1 indicates the best condition.
2007 Employment Percentages by Major Industry   Tennessee Decatur County County Rank Comparison to State Figure
Total Employment All Industries 2,745,397 3,926 68 0.1%
Natural Resources and Mining 0.4% 1.8% 40 464.8%
Construction 4.9% 4.8% 57 99.7%
Manufacturing 13.8% 19.6% 71 141.3%
Trade, Transportation and Utilities 22.1% 15.7% 70 71.2%
Information 1.8% 2.0% 45 112.6%
Financial Activities 5.2% 8.2% 42 157.0%
Professional and Business Services 11.8% 3.7% 66 31.4%
Education and Health Services 12.4% 19.8% 50 159.9%
Leisure and Hospitality 10.1% 5.6% 75 55.4%
Other Services 2.6% 0.9% 80 33.7%
Government 14.9% 18.1% 63 121.4%
Federal 1.8% 0.8% 79 45.9%
State 3.3% 0.4% 56 13.3%
Local 9.9% 16.9% 60 170.6%
2007 Average Annual Wage by Major Industry         County Rank
37th 
13th 
56th 
70th 
33rd 
54th 
8th 
68th 
10th 
49th 
55th 
90th 
94th 
38th 
53rd 
V.  Value of Farmland and Agricultural Products Sold
Tennessee Decatur County Rank
Estimated Market Value of Farmland & Buildings   $           467,420  $      353,247 84th 
(Average Per Farm)
Estimated Market Value of Farmland & Buildings   $               3,378  $         2,104 95th 
(Average Per Acre)
Total Market Value of Agicultural Products Sold   $  2,617,394,000  $   5,923,000 79th 
VI.  County Government Finance (municipalities' revenue data not available)
2001-2002 Revenue by Source (in thousands)   Tennessee Percent of Total Decatur County Percent of State Total
Grand Total  $         8,062,012 100.0%  $    15,991 100.00%
Total State Revenue  $         2,504,883 31.1%  $      8,549 53.5%
Public Schools            1,949,045 24.2%         5,717 35.8%
All Other               555,838 6.9%         2,832 17.7%
Federal Revenue  $           511,055 6.3%  $      1,358 8.5%
Total Local Revenue  $         5,046,074 62.6%  $      6,084 38.0%
Property Tax            2,720,971 33.8%         1,857 11.6%
Local Sales Tax            1,123,100 13.9%         2,057 12.9%
Other Local             1,202,003 14.9%         2,171 13.6%
 Tax Base (in thousands)   Tennessee Decatur County County Rank Percent of State
2007 Equalized Assessed Property Value  $     131,625,598  $      183,721
Tax Base Per Capita $21,179 $16,276 82nd  76.8%
2007 County Property Tax Rate (per $100) $1.56 90th 
2008 Total Taxable Sales   $       69,005,974  $       67,923
Tax Base Per Capita $11,103 $6,017 59th  54.2%
2008 County Sales Tax Rate 2.50% 31st 
VII.  Public Infrastructure Needs Inventory
Estimated Costs, 2007 - 2012 (in thousands)   Tennessee Decatur County County Rank Percent of State
Project  Type
Transportation  $       17,106,712  $       36,508 76th 0.2%
Law Enforcement            1,826,201             7,450 40th 0.4%
Water & Wastewater            3,855,355             5,452 79th 0.1%
Industrial Sites & Parks               241,362             1,400 47th 0.6%
Stormwater               371,227                750 24th 0.2%
Recreation            1,118,527                445 84th 0.0%
Fire Protection               220,725                120 51st 0.1%
Public Buildings               526,288                100 73rd 0.0%
Existing School Improvements            1,899,735                 50 90th 0.0%
Non K-12 Education            3,015,869                    - 43rd 0.0%
K-12 New School Construction            1,798,581                    - 45th 0.0%
Other Utilities               598,698                    - 32nd 0.0%
Business District Development               375,758                    - 23rd 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%
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  $       52,275 86th 0.2%
VIII.  Adult & Post-secondary Education
Adult Educational Attainment     Tennessee Decatur County County Rank
2000 Census
Percent w/ HS diploma (or equivalent) or better 75.9% 63.6% 73rd 
Percent w/ Bachelors Degree or better 19.6% 7.3% 81st 
2008 Estimate
1990 Census
Percent w/ HS diploma (or equivalent) or better 67.1% 52.9% 65th 
Percent w/ Bachelors Degree or better 16.0% 4.8% 91st 
 Number of Post-secondary Institutions (2008)      
Four-year Colleges and Universities 77 0
Public 14 0
Private 63 0
Other Public Institutions 93 1
Community Colleges 13 0
Technology Centers 27 0
Two-Year Private Institutions 20 0
Off-campus Sites 33 1
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* 134,278 221
Community Colleges 80,454 0
Technology Centers 13,939 0
Two-Year Private Insitutions 11,049 0
Off-campus Sites 28,836 221
* Note: By location of instiution, not county of residence of students
IX.  Public School Systems  (Total number of school systems is 136)
Statewide Decatur County    
Number of Students
2007-2008                 944,738                    1,601               
Percent of Statewide 0.2%          
1997-1998                 834,318                    1,736               
Percent of Statewide 0.2%          
Increase/(Decrease)                 110,420 -135          
Percent Change 13.2% -7.8%          
2007-2008
Free or Reduced-price Meals 54.5% 58.4%
Federal Title 1 39.7% 69.3%
Special Education 14.7% 24.5%
English Language Learners 3.2% 1.0%
Statewide Decatur County    
2007-2008 Accreditation by Southern Association of Colleges and Schools 
Elementary Schools 71.5% 100.0%
Secondary Schools 90.8% 100.0%
Students per Classroom Teacher*
2007-2008                      14.9                      13.6               
1997-1998                      15.8                      14.6               
Increase/(Decrease)                       (0.9)                       (1.0)                    
Progress Through School
Promotion Rate
2007-2008 98.0% 98.2%          
1997-1998 96.6% 97.7%
Dropout Rate
2007-2008 10.1% 15.1%
1997-1998 4.5% 1.2%
*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 Decatur County    
Expenditures per Student
2007-2008 $7,742 $7,048
Percent of Statewide 91.0%          
1997-1998 $5,123 $4,503
Percent of Statewide 87.9%          
Increase/Decrease $2,618 $2,545          
Percent Change 51.1% 56.5%          
Classroom Teachers' Average Salary*
2007-2008 $44,820 $40,995
Percent of Statewide 91.5%
1997-1998 $34,584 $30,548
Percent of Statewide 88.3%
Gain $10,236 $10,447
Percent Change 29.6% 34.2%          
Revenue by Source (percent of total)
2007-2008
State 47.6% 65.1%
Federal 10.8% 12.3%
Local 41.6% 22.6%
System Rank for Percent Local 94th 
2006-2007
State 45.5% 62.3%
Federal 11.0% 13.9%
Local 43.5% 23.9%
System Rank for Percent Local 93rd 
Statewide Decatur County County Rank
2008-2009 County Area Fiscal Capacity        
Estimated Local Revenue per Student $2,782 $1,768 40th 
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