Hamilton County, Tennessee
Selected Statistical Information
I.  Geography & Demographics Tennessee Hamilton County County Rank Percent of State
Total Land Area (sq. mi.)                 41,217                542 27th  1.3%
Farmland (2007)          
Acres of Farmland            10,969,798           54,599  73rd   0.5%
Number of Farms                 79,280                669  50th   0.8%
Average Size of Farms (Acres)                     138                 82  86th   59.4%
Population            
2008 Estimate 6,214,888 332,848 4th  5.4%
2000 Census 5,689,283 307,896 4th  5.4%
1990 Census 4,877,203 285,536 4th  5.9%
Gain (1990 to 2000) 812,080 22,360 8th  2.8%
Growth Rate (1990 to 2000) 16.7% 7.8% 85th  47.0%
Population Density (per sq. mi.)         Comparison to State Figure
2008 Estimate                   150.8             613.6 4th  406.9%
2000 Census                   138.0             567.6 4th  411.2%
1990 Census                   118.3             526.4 4th  444.9%
Urban Population         Percent of State
2000 Census            3,618,968         277,882 4th  7.7%
1990 Census            2,969,948         250,761 4th  8.4%
Growth Rate (1990 to 2000) 21.9% 10.8% 39th  49.5%
Percent of Population in Urban Areas
2000 Census 63.6% 90.3% 3rd  141.9%
1990 Census 60.9% 87.8% 3rd  144.2%
Median Age            
2000 Census 36 37 46th  104.2%
1990 Census 34 35 54th  103.6%
Population Percentages by Age Bracket        
2000 Census
under 18 24.6% 23.2% 59th 
18-24 9.6% 9.6% 21st 
25-44 30.2% 29.0% 40th 
45-64 23.2% 24.3% 57th 
65 & over 12.4% 13.8% 47th 
1990 Census
under 18 25.1% 24.3% 58th 
18-24 10.9% 10.3% 25th 
25-44 31.8% 31.6% 15th 
45-64 19.6% 20.4% 61st 
65 & over 12.6% 13.4% 63rd 
Population Growth by Age Bracket, 1990 to 2000  
Population Percentages by Race/Ethnicity (2000 Census)  
Tennessee Hamilton County County Rank* Comparison to State Figure
Males per 100 Females (2007) 95.4 92.6 62nd  97.1%
Marriages Recorded per 1,000 Population in 2006 10.7 7.9 62nd  73.8%
Divorces Recorded per 1,000 Population in 2006 4.7 4.7 43rd  100.0%
*A rank of 1 indicates the best condition.
II.  Income & Poverty Tennessee Hamilton County County Rank* Comparison to State Figure
Per Capita Personal Income          
2006 $32,172 $35,027 6th  108.9%
2000 $26,097 $29,822 5th  114.3%
Compound Annual Growth Rate 3.55% 2.72% 75th  76.56%
Median Household Income          
2007 $42,389 $45,511 16th  107.4%
2000 $35,760 $39,048 17th  109.2%
Compound Annual Growth Rate 2.46% 2.21% 37th  89.96%
2007 Poverty Rate          
All Ages  15.8% 13.5% 17th  85.44%
Related Children Under 18 Years  22.5% 20.0% 18th  88.89%
2000 Census            
All Ages  13.1% 19.7% 86th  149.88%
Related Children Under 18 Years 15.9% 24.4% 84th  153.17%
2007 Food Stamp Recipients (Monthly Average )          
Percent of Households 15.8% 14.1% 20th  89.37%
Percent of Individuals 14.1% 11.6% 15th  81.97%
2007 Families First           
Percent of Households 2.5% 2.7% 82nd  108.00%
Percent of Individuals 2.5% 2.8% 81st  110.06%
*A rank of 1 indicates the best condition.
III.  Health & Healthcare Tennessee Hamilton County County Rank* Comparison to State Figure
2007 Pregnancy & Birth Rates           
Live births per 1,000 Population                    14.2               13.8 26th  97.2%
Percent of Live Births to Unmarried Parents 42.8% 46.2% 82nd  107.9%
Percent Low Birth Weight 9.4% 12.0% 86th  127.7%
Pregnancies per 1,000 Females Aged 15-44                    80.7               75.2 25th  93.2%
Pregnancies per 1,000 Females Aged 10-17                    13.9               13.2 60th  95.0%
Pregnancies per 1,000 Females Aged 10-14                      1.3                1.4 69th  107.7%
* 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             240.0 32nd  102.9%
Cancer (Malignant Neoplasm)                   215.3             211.6 22nd  98.3%
* A rank of 1 indicates the best condition.
63rd 
53rd 
63rd 
Tennessee Hamilton County County Rank Comparison to State Figure
Access to Healthcare          
Medical Doctors per 1,000 (2007)                      1.8                2.7 7th  148.7%
Hospital Beds per 1,000 Population (2006)                      4.2                6.9 6th  164.9%
Nursing Home Beds per 1,000 Pop. 65 & older (2006)                    49.2               40.8 71st  82.9%
2006 Charity Care--Percent of All Hospital Care  8.5% 5.1% 23rd  59.4%
IV.  Employment
Unemployment Rate   Tennessee Hamilton County County Rank* Comparison to State Figure
2009 (February) 9.5% 7.9% 7th  82.9%
2000 4.0% 3.4% 9th  84.8%
2007 Youth Unemployment Rate  15.7% 14.0% 35th  89.3%
* A rank of 1 indicates the best condition.
2007 Employment Percentages by Major Industry   Tennessee Hamilton County County Rank Comparison to State Figure
Total Employment All Industries 2,745,397 193,663 4 7.1%
Natural Resources and Mining 0.4% 0.1% 27 15.3%
Construction 4.9% 4.7% 4 97.4%
Manufacturing 13.8% 12.6% 3 91.2%
Trade, Transportation and Utilities 22.1% 23.3% 4 105.3%
Information 1.8% 1.9% 4 103.7%
Financial Activities 5.2% 8.1% 3 154.4%
Professional and Business Services 11.8% 11.7% 4 99.2%
Education and Health Services 12.4% 11.9% 4 96.1%
Leisure and Hospitality 10.1% 10.0% 4 99.3%
Other Services 2.6% 2.8% 4 107.8%
Government 14.9% 13.0% 4 87.0%
Federal 1.8% 3.2% 3 179.1%
State 3.3% 1.8% 4 54.8%
Local 9.9% 8.0% 4 81.1%
2007 Average Annual Wage by Major Industry         County Rank
11th 
7th 
6th 
16th 
11th 
20th 
6th 
30th 
7th 
9th 
12th 
14th 
4th 
18th 
3rd 
V.  Value of Farmland and Agricultural Products Sold
Tennessee Hamilton County Rank
Estimated Market Value of Farmland & Buildings   $           467,420  $      443,871 45th 
(Average Per Farm)
Estimated Market Value of Farmland & Buildings   $               3,378  $         5,439 7th 
(Average Per Acre)
Total Market Value of Agicultural Products Sold   $  2,617,394,000  $   9,249,000 72nd 
VI.  County Government Finance (municipalities' revenue data not available)
2001-2002 Revenue by Source (in thousands)   Tennessee Percent of Total Hamilton County Percent of State Total
Grand Total  $         8,062,012 100.0%  $  397,653 100.00%
Total State Revenue  $         2,504,883 31.1%  $    98,827 24.9%
Public Schools            1,949,045 24.2%        86,453 21.7%
All Other               555,838 6.9%        12,373 3.1%
Federal Revenue  $           511,055 6.3%  $    34,496 8.7%
Total Local Revenue  $         5,046,074 62.6%  $  264,330 66.5%
Property Tax            2,720,971 33.8%      171,843 43.2%
Local Sales Tax            1,123,100 13.9%        56,979 14.3%
Other Local             1,202,003 14.9%        35,508 8.9%
 Tax Base (in thousands)   Tennessee Hamilton County County Rank Percent of State
2007 Equalized Assessed Property Value  $     131,625,598  $   7,552,346
Tax Base Per Capita $21,179 $22,690 4th  107.1%
2007 County Property Tax Rate (per $100) $3.15 3rd 
2008 Total Taxable Sales   $       69,005,974  $   4,444,147
Tax Base Per Capita $11,103 $13,352 3rd  120.3%
2008 County Sales Tax Rate 2.25% 36th 
VII.  Public Infrastructure Needs Inventory
Estimated Costs, 2007 - 2012 (in thousands)   Tennessee Hamilton County County Rank Percent of State
Project  Type
Transportation  $       17,106,712  $      694,071 5th 4.1%
Non K-12 Education            3,015,869         271,555 4th 9.0%
Water & Wastewater            3,855,355           39,300 24th 1.0%
Existing School Improvements            1,899,735           35,893 14th 1.9%
Law Enforcement            1,826,201           31,314 12th 1.7%
Recreation            1,118,527           16,546 16th 1.5%
Stormwater               371,227           15,510 6th 4.2%
Industrial Sites & Parks               241,362           12,850 3rd 5.3%
K-12 New School Construction            1,798,581           12,000 33rd 0.7%
Public Health Facilities               323,093             5,305 9th 1.6%
Solid Waste                 54,314             4,700 3rd 8.7%
Fire Protection               220,725             4,600 12th 2.1%
Public Buildings               526,288             2,681 28th 0.5%
Libraries, Museums, & Historic Sites               285,785             2,100 17th 0.7%
Community Development               367,547             1,200 22nd 0.3%
Other Utilities               598,698                    - 32nd 0.0%
Business District Development               375,758                    - 23rd 0.0%
Housing               100,189                    - 14th 0.0%
School System-wide Need                 63,021                    - 16th 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  $   1,149,625 6th 3.4%
VIII.  Adult & Post-secondary Education
Adult Educational Attainment     Tennessee Hamilton County County Rank
2000 Census
Percent w/ HS diploma (or equivalent) or better 75.9% 80.7% 8th 
Percent w/ Bachelors Degree or better 19.6% 23.9% 5th 
2008 Estimate
1990 Census
Percent w/ HS diploma (or equivalent) or better 67.1% 72.5% 7th 
Percent w/ Bachelors Degree or better 16.0% 19.7% 5th 
 Number of Post-secondary Institutions (2008)      
Four-year Colleges and Universities 77 8
Public 14 1
Private 63 7
Other Public Institutions 93 3
Community Colleges 13 1
Technology Centers 27 1
Two-Year Private Institutions 20 2
Off-campus Sites 33 1
2007 - 2008 Enrollment (full-time equivalent) at Post-secondary Institutions    
Four-year Colleges and Universities*          214,260              14,508
Public 134,696 9,845
Private 79,564 4,663
Other Public Institutions* 134,278 10,350
Community Colleges 80,454 8,485
Technology Centers 13,939 593
Two-Year Private Insitutions 11,049 789
Off-campus Sites 28,836 483
* Note: By location of instiution, not county of residence of students
IX.  Public School Systems  (Total number of school systems is 136)
Statewide Hamilton County    
Number of Students
2007-2008                 944,738                   39,852               
Percent of Statewide 4.2%          
1997-1998                 834,318                   39,920               
Percent of Statewide 4.8%          
Increase/(Decrease)                 110,420 -68          
Percent Change 13.2% -0.2%          
2007-2008
Free or Reduced-price Meals 54.5% 56.1%
Federal Title 1 39.7% 39.4%
Special Education 14.7% 15.4%
English Language Learners 3.2% 2.5%
Statewide Hamilton County    
2007-2008 Accreditation by Southern Association of Colleges and Schools 
Elementary Schools 71.5% 14.8%
Secondary Schools 90.8% 64.7%
Students per Classroom Teacher*
2007-2008                      14.9                      14.2               
1997-1998                      15.8                      16.5               
Increase/(Decrease)                       (0.9)                       (2.3)                    
Progress Through School
Promotion Rate
2007-2008 98.0% 99.1%          
1997-1998 96.6% 95.4%
Dropout Rate
2007-2008 10.1% 4.4%
1997-1998 4.5% 4.8%
*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 Hamilton County    
Expenditures per Student
2007-2008 $7,742 $8,331
Percent of Statewide 107.6%          
1997-1998 $5,123 $5,277
Percent of Statewide 103.0%          
Increase/Decrease $2,618 $3,055          
Percent Change 51.1% 57.9%          
Classroom Teachers' Average Salary*
2007-2008 $44,820 $45,180
Percent of Statewide 100.8%
1997-1998 $34,584 $37,625
Percent of Statewide 108.8%
Gain $10,236 $7,555
Percent Change 29.6% 20.1%          
Revenue by Source (percent of total)
2007-2008
State 47.6% 33.6%
Federal 10.8% 12.0%
Local 41.6% 54.4%
System Rank for Percent Local 8th 
2006-2007
State 45.5% 31.4%
Federal 11.0% 12.6%
Local 43.5% 56.0%
System Rank for Percent Local 6th 
Statewide Hamilton County County Rank
2008-2009 County Area Fiscal Capacity        
Estimated Local Revenue per Student $2,782 $3,979 4th 
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