Sevierville, Tennessee
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Template:US City infobox Sevierville is a city in the United States of America and is the county seatTemplate:GR of Sevier County , Tennessee. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 11,757.
The town is situated along the confluence of the Little Pigeon River, and is the eighth oldest city in the state. Sevierville (pronounced severe-ville, not sev-E-R-ville) is also the birthplace of singer Dolly Parton, of whom a statue can be found in downtown, on the lawn of the historic courthouse.
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Geography
Sevierville is located at 35°52'39" North, 83°34'12" West (35.877560, -83.569927)Template:GR.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 51.8 km² (20.0 mi²). 51.5 km² (19.9 mi²) of it is land and 0.3 km² (0.1 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 0.50% water.
History
Issac Thomas, a Virginian trader, was the first European to explore and settle in the area of the present town, sometime around 1780, which until his arrival was in the general territory of the Cherokee Indian tribe. Sevierville was officially established shortly thereafter, in 1795, named in honor of the first governor of the state of Tennessee, John Sevier. Although officially designated as Sevierville from its founding, the community was often referred to as "Forks of the Little Pigeon" for many years thereafter, due to the town's location at the junction of the East and West prongs of the Little Pigeon River, a designation which lives today as one of the city's primary thoroughfares.
Economy
Image:Sevierville City Hall.JPG Like it's neighboring cities in Sevier County (Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg), in recent years Sevierville has reaped the benefits of the burgeoning tourism industry brought on by the development of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. As of 2004, nearly fifty percent of businesses based in Sevierville were linked to tourism. For example, there are over 2,000 hotel and motel rooms in the city today, generating greater than $500,000(USD) in hotel-motel tax revenues each year.
For all of its new tourism flavor, however, Sevierville is still the most traditional community in the county. With almost twice the population of Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg combined, local industry accounts for twenty percent of the city's economy, and most of the practical services of daily life, such as hospitals, car dealerships, and movie theatres, are found no where else in the county.
Demographics
As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there were 11,757 people, 5,002 households, and 3,206 families residing in the city. The population density was 228.2/km² (591.1/mi²). There were 5,787 housing units at an average density of 112.3/km² (291.0/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 95.64% White, 1.17% African American, 0.37% Native American, 0.93% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.73% from other races, and 1.16% from two or more races. 1.62% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 5,002 households out of which 28.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.3% were married couples living together, 13.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.9% were non-families. 30.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.27 and the average family size was 2.82.
In the city the population was spread out with 22.1% under the age of 18, 9.8% from 18 to 24, 28.9% from 25 to 44, 23.2% from 45 to 64, and 16.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 89.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.2 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $30,623, and the median income for a family was $37,972. Males had a median income of $27,247 versus $19,401 for females. The per capita income for the city was $18,576. 16.9% of the population and 14.5% of families were below the poverty line. 24.1% of those under the age of 18 and 17.2% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.
