Cocke County, Tennessee

Cocke County is a located in the  of. The county forms the  which is, as of December 2005, considered a component of the --, TN . As of 2000, the population was 33,565. The 2005 Census Estimate placed the population at 34,929. Its is.

Geography
According to the, the county has a total area of 1,148 (443 ). 1,125 km² (434 sq mi) of it is land and 23 km² (9 sq mi) of it (1.97%) is water. Part of the county is within the boundaries of the. The county's highest point is at 1,942 meters (6,370 feet).

Adjacent Counties

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 * (northeast)
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 * (southwest)
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Demographics
As of the of 2000, there were 33,565 people, 13,762 households, and 9,715 families residing in the county. The was 30/km² (77/sq mi). There were 15,844 housing units at an average density of 14/km² (36/sq mi). The racial makeup of the county was 96.16%, 1.99% or , 0.40% , 0.15% , 0.01% , 0.32% from , and 0.96% from two or more races. 1.05% of the population were or  of any race.

There were 13,762 households out of which 29.50% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.10% were living together, 13.00% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.40% were non-families. 25.70% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.10% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.41 and the average family size was 2.87.

In the county, the population was spread out with 22.80% under the age of 18, 8.30% from 18 to 24, 28.80% from 25 to 44, 26.40% from 45 to 64, and 13.60% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 94.60 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.80 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $25,553, and the median income for a family was $30,418. Males had a median income of $26,062 versus $18,826 for females. The for the county was $13,881. About 18.70% of families and 22.50% of the population were below the, including 31.80% of those under age 18 and 18.70% of those age 65 or over.

History
Before the arrival of European settlers, the area that is now Cocke County probably was inhabited by. The first recorded European settlement in the county was in when land near the fork of the  and  rivers was cleared and cultivated. The earliest European settlers were primarily Scots-Irish, Dutch, and Germans who came to the area over the from the Carolinas or through  from  and other northern states.

The county was established by an Act of the on October 9,, from a part of. It was named for, one of the state's first.

In popular culture
The novel ''Christy", and the television series "Christy", are based on historical events, actual people, and localities of Cocke County. The fictional  small town of El Pano, where the novel begins, is based on the existing  village of Del Rio, Tennessee.  Cutter Gap, where most of the plot unfolds, represents the locale now known as Chapel Hollow.  Several area landmarks associated with the story are marked for visitors, including the site of the Ebenezer Mission in Chapel Hollow, which is located off the Old Fifteenth Rd., about 5 miles from Del Rio.