Rhea County, Tennessee
Rhea County (pronounced "ray") is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of 2000, the population was 28,400. Its county seat is Dayton6.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 871 km² (336 mi²). 818 km² (316 mi²) of it is land and 53 km² (20 mi²) of it (6.08%) is water.
Adjacent Counties
- Cumberland County (north)
- Roane County (northeast)
- Meigs County (east)
- Hamilton County (south)
- Bledsoe County (west)
Demographics
As of the census² of 2000, there were 28,400 people, 11,184 households, and 8,108 families residing in the county. The population density was 35/km² (90/mi²). There were 12,565 housing units at an average density of 15/km² (40/mi²). The racial makeup of the county was 95.41% White, 2.04% Black or African American, 0.39% Native American, 0.29% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.75% from other races, and 1.08% from two or more races. 1.67% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 11,184 households out of which 31.20% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.40% were married couples living together, 11.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.50% were non-families. 23.80% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.90% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was 2.90.
In the county, the population was spread out with 23.70% under the age of 18, 10.00% from 18 to 24, 27.50% from 25 to 44, 25.00% from 45 to 64, and 13.80% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 94.30 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.70 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $30,418, and the median income for a family was $35,580. Males had a median income of $30,066 versus $21,063 for females. The per capita income for the county was $15,672. About 11.40% of families and 14.70% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.00% of those under age 18 and 15.20% of those age 65 or over.
Cities and towns
History
The county is named for Tennessee politician and Revolutionary War veteran John Rhea.
The Scopes Monkey Trial, which resulted from the teaching of evolution being banned in Tennessee public schools under the Butler Act, took place in Rhea County in 1925. In 1954 the laws were changed to allow teaching of evolution alongside Bible studies in school. On June 8, 2004, a federal appeals court upheld a ruling preventing further Bible lessons as being violative of the First Amendment principle of "Separation of church and state".
On March 16, 2004, Rhea County commissioners voted 8-0 to ask that state law allow a ban on homosexuals, and allow the county to charge them with "crimes against nature". The resolution was withdrawn on March 18. In protest, a "Gay Day in Rhea" was held on May 8, 2004 with about 300 participants.
Politics
| Year | GOP | Dems |
|---|---|---|
| 2004 | 66.0% 7,301 | 33.1% 3,665 |
| 2000 | 60.4% 5,900 | 38.1% 3,722 |
| 1996 | 48.7% 4,476 | 43.2% 3,969 |
| 1992 | 47.0% 4,860 | 41.4% 4,860 |
| 1988 | 66.2% 5,144 | 33.4% 2,595 |
Rhea County is considered to be a Republican leaning county in Presidential elections and in congressional elections. The county voted for George W. Bush in both 2000 and 2004. The last Democrat to win a majority in the county was Jimmy Carter in 1976. Bill Clinton kept his Republican opponents to less than fifty percent in both 1992 and in 1996. Ross Perot drew 11.2% and 7.6% of the vote in 1992 and 1996 respectively.
Rhea is part of the 3rd Congressional District of Tennessee, a seat currently held by Representative Zach Wamp, a Republican. In the US Senate the county, like the rest of Tennessee, is represented by Senators Bill Frist and former governor Lamar Alexander.
At the state level, Rhea County is part of the 31st district of the Tennessee House of Representatives, a seat held by Republican Bo Watson. The 31st is made up of Rhea County and the northern portion of Hamilton County. Watson is currently running for the open senate seat in the 11th senate district, of which Rhea County is not a part. With Watson's depature, the election for the state House seat in November 2006 will be an open race, although whoever wins the Republican primary in August 2006 will be considered the heavy favorite to win the seat. The county is part of the 12th district in the Tennessee Senate, a seat held by Democrat Tommy Kilby, who is considered to be a rather conservative Democrat.
The local level of politics has several offices, such as the county mayor and county commission, which are elected on a non-partisan basis. Historically, Democrats have enjoyed an advantage in county offices elected on a partisan basis. In most local races, name recognition and reputation tend to be more important to voters than party identification.
