Smith County, Tennessee
Selected Statistical Information
I.  Geography & Demographics Tennessee Smith County County Rank Percent of State
Total Land Area (sq. mi.)                 41,217                314 70th  0.8%
Farmland (2007)          
Acres of Farmland            10,969,798         127,108  35th   1.2%
Number of Farms                 79,280                981  33rd   1.2%
Average Size of Farms (Acres)                     138                130  48th   94.2%
Population            
2008 Estimate 6,214,888 19,107 65th  0.3%
2000 Census 5,689,283 17,712 68th  0.3%
1990 Census 4,877,203 14,143 71st  0.3%
Gain (1990 to 2000) 812,080 3,569 50th  0.4%
Growth Rate (1990 to 2000) 16.7% 25.2% 22nd  151.6%
Population Density (per sq. mi.)         Comparison to State Figure
2008 Estimate                   150.8               60.8 65th  40.3%
2000 Census                   138.0               56.3 57th  40.8%
1990 Census                   118.3               45.0 61st  38.0%
Urban Population         Percent of State
2000 Census            3,618,968             3,633 64th  0.1%
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% 20.5% 61st  32.2%
1990 Census 60.9% 0.0% 72nd  0.0%
Median Age            
2000 Census 36 37 56th  102.5%
1990 Census 34 35 41st  105.1%
Population Percentages by Age Bracket        
2000 Census
under 18 24.6% 25.5% 23rd 
18-24 9.6% 8.0% 73rd 
25-44 30.2% 30.0% 24th 
45-64 23.2% 23.1% 75th 
65 & over 12.4% 13.4% 58th 
1990 Census
under 18 25.1% 25.0% 47th 
18-24 10.9% 9.1% 76th 
25-44 31.8% 29.8% 41st 
45-64 19.6% 20.2% 65th 
65 & over 12.6% 15.9% 21st 
Population Growth by Age Bracket, 1990 to 2000  
Population Percentages by Race/Ethnicity (2000 Census)  
Tennessee Smith County County Rank* Comparison to State Figure
Males per 100 Females (2007) 95.4 96.2 11th  100.9%
Marriages Recorded per 1,000 Population in 2006 10.7 8.2 50th  76.6%
Divorces Recorded per 1,000 Population in 2006 4.7 5.0 53rd  106.4%
*A rank of 1 indicates the best condition.
II.  Income & Poverty Tennessee Smith County County Rank* Comparison to State Figure
Per Capita Personal Income          
2006 $32,172 $27,202 33rd  84.6%
2000 $26,097 $22,478 32nd  86.1%
Compound Annual Growth Rate 3.55% 3.23% 53rd  91.01%
Median Household Income          
2007 $42,389 $43,701 20th  103.1%
2000 $35,760 $36,412 23rd  101.8%
Compound Annual Growth Rate 2.46% 2.64% 18th  107.40%
2007 Poverty Rate          
All Ages  15.8% 13.5% 17th  85.44%
Related Children Under 18 Years  22.5% 21.1% 24th  93.78%
2000 Census            
All Ages  13.1% 12.9% 28th  98.41%
Related Children Under 18 Years 15.9% 17.1% 43rd  107.47%
2007 Food Stamp Recipients (Monthly Average )          
Percent of Households 15.8% 14.9% 27th  94.00%
Percent of Individuals 14.1% 13.4% 26th  94.61%
2007 Families First           
Percent of Households 2.5% 1.1% 13th  46.31%
Percent of Individuals 2.5% 0.9% 12th  37.67%
*A rank of 1 indicates the best condition.
III.  Health & Healthcare Tennessee Smith County County Rank* Comparison to State Figure
2007 Pregnancy & Birth Rates           
Live births per 1,000 Population                    14.2               12.2 58th  85.9%
Percent of Live Births to Unmarried Parents 42.8% 34.9% 22nd  81.5%
Percent Low Birth Weight 9.4% 12.5% 91st  133.0%
Pregnancies per 1,000 Females Aged 15-44                    80.7               62.3 74th  77.2%
Pregnancies per 1,000 Females Aged 10-17                    13.9                9.0 18th  64.7%
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               10.1 34th  108.6%
Number of Deaths per 100,000 Population by Cause of Death
Diseases of the Heart                   233.2             184.3 13th  79.0%
Cancer (Malignant Neoplasm)                   215.3             247.5 52nd  115.0%
* A rank of 1 indicates the best condition.
79th 
87th 
79th 
Tennessee Smith County County Rank Comparison to State Figure
Access to Healthcare          
Medical Doctors per 1,000 (2007)                      1.8                0.7 44th  37.8%
Hospital Beds per 1,000 Population (2006)                      4.2                4.7 18th  111.7%
Nursing Home Beds per 1,000 Pop. 65 & older (2006)                    49.2               90.8 18th  184.5%
2006 Charity Care--Percent of All Hospital Care  8.5% 3.6% 36th  42.5%
IV.  Employment
Unemployment Rate   Tennessee Smith County County Rank* Comparison to State Figure
2009 (February) 9.5% 14.3% 81st  150.0%
2000 4.0% 4.4% 38th  109.8%
2007 Youth Unemployment Rate  15.7% 17.2% 53rd  110.1%
* A rank of 1 indicates the best condition.
2007 Employment Percentages by Major Industry   Tennessee Smith County County Rank Comparison to State Figure
Total Employment All Industries 2,745,397 4,955 63 0.2%
Natural Resources and Mining 0.4% 1.9% 33 475.7%
Construction 4.9% 0.0% 83 0.0%
Manufacturing 13.8% 25.7% 64 185.6%
Trade, Transportation and Utilities 22.1% 19.0% 65 86.0%
Information 1.8% 0.4% 72 21.5%
Financial Activities 5.2% 5.2% 52 99.3%
Professional and Business Services 11.8% 6.8% 50 58.2%
Education and Health Services 12.4% 11.6% 59 93.5%
Leisure and Hospitality 10.1% 6.5% 66 64.1%
Other Services 2.6% 1.5% 68 56.5%
Government 14.9% 2.1% 77 13.8%
Federal 1.8% 2.1% 41 116.0%
State 3.3% 0.0% 68 0.0%
Local 9.9% 0.0% 68 0.0%
2007 Average Annual Wage by Major Industry         County Rank
30th 
70th 
83rd 
30th 
27th 
57th 
2nd 
87th 
27th 
74th 
30th 
11th 
34th 
68th 
68th 
V.  Value of Farmland and Agricultural Products Sold
Tennessee Smith County Rank
Estimated Market Value of Farmland & Buildings   $           467,420  $      408,529 60th 
(Average Per Farm)
Estimated Market Value of Farmland & Buildings   $               3,378  $         3,153 61st 
(Average Per Acre)
Total Market Value of Agicultural Products Sold   $  2,617,394,000  $ 14,126,000 57th 
VI.  County Government Finance (municipalities' revenue data not available)
2001-2002 Revenue by Source (in thousands)   Tennessee Percent of Total Smith County Percent of State Total
Grand Total  $         8,062,012 100.0%  $    27,047 100.00%
Total State Revenue  $         2,504,883 31.1%  $    12,089 44.7%
Public Schools            1,949,045 24.2%        10,045 37.1%
All Other               555,838 6.9%         2,044 7.6%
Federal Revenue  $           511,055 6.3%  $      2,046 7.6%
Total Local Revenue  $         5,046,074 62.6%  $    12,911 47.7%
Property Tax            2,720,971 33.8%         4,394 16.2%
Local Sales Tax            1,123,100 13.9%         2,879 10.6%
Other Local             1,202,003 14.9%         5,638 20.8%
 Tax Base (in thousands)   Tennessee Smith County County Rank Percent of State
2007 Equalized Assessed Property Value  $     131,625,598  $      290,096
Tax Base Per Capita $21,179 $15,183 69th  71.7%
2007 County Property Tax Rate (per $100) $2.19 60th 
2008 Total Taxable Sales   $       69,005,974  $      102,653
Tax Base Per Capita $11,103 $5,373 10th  48.4%
2008 County Sales Tax Rate 2.75% 1st 
VII.  Public Infrastructure Needs Inventory
Estimated Costs, 2007 - 2012 (in thousands)   Tennessee Smith County County Rank Percent of State
Project  Type
Transportation  $       17,106,712  $       40,834 74th 0.2%
Water & Wastewater            3,855,355           17,382 50th 0.5%
Law Enforcement            1,826,201           10,179 33rd 0.6%
Public Buildings               526,288             3,300 21st 0.6%
Recreation            1,118,527             2,409 52nd 0.2%
Non K-12 Education            3,015,869             2,000 28th 0.1%
Solid Waste                 54,314             2,000 12th 3.7%
Community Development               367,547                500 36th 0.1%
Existing School Improvements            1,899,735                465 77th 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%
Stormwater               371,227                    - 39th 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%
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  $       79,069 78th 0.2%
VIII.  Adult & Post-secondary Education
Adult Educational Attainment     Tennessee Smith County County Rank
2000 Census
Percent w/ HS diploma (or equivalent) or better 75.9% 67.5% 53rd 
Percent w/ Bachelors Degree or better 19.6% 9.3% 57th 
2008 Estimate
1990 Census
Percent w/ HS diploma (or equivalent) or better 67.1% 54.2% 60th 
Percent w/ Bachelors Degree or better 16.0% 6.1% 77th 
 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 Smith County    
Number of Students
2007-2008                 944,738                    3,245               
Percent of Statewide 0.3%          
1997-1998                 834,318                    2,947               
Percent of Statewide 0.4%          
Increase/(Decrease)                 110,420 299          
Percent Change 13.2% 10.1%          
2007-2008
Free or Reduced-price Meals 54.5% 49.8%
Federal Title 1 39.7% 41.4%
Special Education 14.7% 14.8%
English Language Learners 3.2% 0.5%
Statewide Smith 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                      14.6               
1997-1998                      15.8                      18.3               
Increase/(Decrease)                       (0.9)                       (3.7)                    
Progress Through School
Promotion Rate
2007-2008 98.0% 99.0%          
1997-1998 96.6% 98.8%
Dropout Rate
2007-2008 10.1% 1.7%
1997-1998 4.5% 3.4%
*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 Smith County    
Expenditures per Student
2007-2008 $7,742 $6,616
Percent of Statewide 85.5%          
1997-1998 $5,123 $3,717
Percent of Statewide 72.6%          
Increase/Decrease $2,618 $2,899          
Percent Change 51.1% 78.0%          
Classroom Teachers' Average Salary*
2007-2008 $44,820 $38,752
Percent of Statewide 86.5%
1997-1998 $34,584 $28,818
Percent of Statewide 83.3%
Gain $10,236 $9,933
Percent Change 29.6% 34.5%          
Revenue by Source (percent of total)
2007-2008
State 47.6% 67.3%
Federal 10.8% 10.7%
Local 41.6% 22.0%
System Rank for Percent Local 97th 
2006-2007
State 45.5% 65.3%
Federal 11.0% 11.3%
Local 43.5% 23.5%
System Rank for Percent Local 94th 
Statewide Smith County County Rank
2008-2009 County Area Fiscal Capacity        
Estimated Local Revenue per Student $2,782 $1,462 60th 
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