Carter County, Tennessee

Carter County is a located in the  of. As of 2000, the population was 56,742. The 2005 Census Estimate placed the population at 58,865. Its is.

Carter County's boundary with Sullivan County is defined as the ridgeline of.

Geography
According to the, the county has a total area of 900 (348 ). 883 km² (341 sq mi) of it is land and 17 km² (7 sq mi) of it (1.89%) is water.

Lakes

 * Wilbur Reservoir (immediately below the TVA Watauga Dam Lat: 36.3408 Lon: -82.1203]
 * Ripshin Lake (6 km southwest of Lat: 36.1838646 Lon: -82.1356583)
 * Ripshin Lake (6 km southwest of Lat: 36.1838646 Lon: -82.1356583)

Waterfalls

 * CTF015 Big Laurel Br. Falls 50' lake
 * CTF001 Blue Hole Falls (4) 45'
 * CTF018 Boof Falls? 12' Cherokee National Forest
 * CTF002 Coon Den Falls 50' Cherokee National Forest
 * CTF003 Dennis Cove Falls 25' wilderness
 * CTF005 Firescald Branch Falls wilderness
 * CTF016 Five Eights lake
 * CTF006 Jones Falls 100' Cherokee National Forest
 * CTF007 Laurel Falls 55' wilderness
 * CTF010 Laurel Falls (m) 25' wilderness
 * CTF011 Laurel Falls (u) 25' wilderness
 * CTF014 Mountaineer Falls 20' Cherokee National Forest
 * CTF012 North Fork Stony Creek Falls 30' Cherokee National Forest
 * CTF008 Sally Cove Creek Falls 25'
 * CTF009 Twisting Falls 30' Cherokee National Forest
 * CTF013 Splash Dam Falls? 25' Cherokee National Forest
 * CTF017 Watauga Falls? 18' Cherokee National Forest

Adjacent Counties

 * (north)
 * (northeast)
 * (southeast)
 * (south)
 * (southwest)
 * (west)

Demographics
As of the of 2000, there were 56,742 people, 23,486 households, and 16,346 families residing in the county. The was 64/km² (166/sq mi). There were 25,920 housing units at an average density of 29/km² (76/sq mi). The racial makeup of the county was 97.49%, 1.00% or , 0.20% , 0.26% , 0.01% , 0.27% from , and 0.78% from two or more races. 0.89% of the population were or  of any race.

There were 23,486 households out of which 28.50% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.90% were living together, 11.00% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.40% were non-families. 26.50% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.00% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.35 and the average family size was 2.83.

In the county, the population was spread out with 21.40% under the age of 18, 9.20% from 18 to 24, 29.00% from 25 to 44, 25.40% from 45 to 64, and 15.00% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 94.50 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.60 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $27,371, and the median income for a family was $33,825. Males had a median income of $26,394 versus $19,687 for females. The for the county was $14,678. About 12.80% of families and 16.90% of the population were below the, including 23.00% of those under age 18 and 16.00% of those age 65 or over.

As part of North Carolina counties

 * Clarendum;

Watauga Association
Carter County was the first permanent settlement outside the original 13 American colonies. The site of the first majority-rule system of American democracy, known as the, it is named in honor of , son of , Chairman of the Court as defined by the articles of the Petition. The county seat, Elizabethton, is named for Landon's wife, Elizabeth MacLin Carter.

Railroad
Carter County was served by the  (The ET&WNC, nicknamed "Tweetsie") until the line ceased operations in 1950.