Palmer is a town in Grundy County,

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. The population was 672 at the 2010 census.

History

Palmer was originally known as "Tate's Village". When it incorporated in 1925, it was renamed in honor of Clarence William Palmer (1850–1919), who owned much of the land upon which the town was established.Palmer
" Grundy County website. Retrieved: August 13, 2015. The town thrived during the early 20th century due in large part to mining operations conducted in the area by the Tennessee Consolidated Coal Company.

Geography

Palmer is located in southeastern Grundy County at (35.356381, -85.561987). It lies in a rugged area atop the

Cumberland Plateau The Cumberland Plateau is the southern part of the Appalachian Plateau in the Appalachian Mountains of the United States. It includes much of eastern Kentucky and Tennessee, and portions of northern Alabama and northwest Georgia. The terms " Al ...

, just west of the Plateau's Sequatchie Valley escarpment. The point where Grundy, Marion, and Sequatchie counties meet is located just south of Palmer. Tennessee State Route 108 passes through Palmer, connecting the town with Gruetli-Laager to the west and Whitwell in the Sequatchie Valley to the southeast. The source of the Collins River is located just northeast of Palmer.U.S. Geological Survey. Collins, TN. 1:24,000. According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, the town has a total area of , all of it land.

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 551 people, 233 households, and 156 families residing in the town.

2000 census

As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2000, there were 726 people, 305 households, and 207 families residing in the town. The population density was . There were 331 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 98.76%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, and 1.24% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race were 0.28% of the population. There were 305 households, out of which 22.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.5% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

living together, 13.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.1% were non-families. 28.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.38 and the average family size was 2.93. In the town, the population was spread out, with 21.3% under the age of 18, 6.5% from 18 to 24, 26.9% from 25 to 44, 27.5% from 45 to 64, and 17.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.2 males. The median income for a household in the town was $19,167, and the median income for a family was $23,929. Males had a median income of $29,167 versus $17,292 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the town was $10,251. About 23.8% of families and 27.1% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 30.1% of those under age 18 and 23.3% of those age 65 or over.

Notable people

* The artist Jon Coffelt spent a good part of his childhood with his grandparents in Palmer. His grandfather John Ervin Coffelt taught him how to paint at eight years old. * Musician Brandon Layne was raised and lived a big part of his life in Palmer. He is currently the bassist for the Horror Punk band Silent Horror.

References

External links

Municipal Technical Advisory Service entry for Palmer
— information on local government, elections, and link to charter {{authority control Towns in Grundy County, Tennessee Towns in Tennessee Coal towns in Tennessee