Plainview is a city in
Union County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 2,125 at the 2010 census, up from 1,866 at the 2000 census. It is included in the
Knoxville, Tennessee
Knoxville is a city in and the county seat of Knox County in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of the 2020 United States census, Knoxville's population was 190,740, making it the largest city in the East Tennessee Grand Division and the state ...
Metropolitan Statistical Area
In the United States, a metropolitan statistical area (MSA) is a geographical region with a relatively high population density at its core and close economic ties throughout the area. Such regions are neither legally Incorporated town, incorporate ...
. Plainview is located in the southern part of the county, south of
Maynardville
Maynardville (originally named Liberty) is a city in and the county seat of Union County, Tennessee, United States. The city was named to honor Horace Maynard, who successfully defended the creation of Union County from a challenge from Knox ...
, the county seat.
History
Plainview would emerge into a thriving community following volunteer efforts towards the community's school, which was built in the 1920s. The school would close in the mid-20th century, prompting residents to convert the building into a community center following the donation of the structure by the Union County Board of Education to the Plainview Community Club.
In 1981, the nearby city of
Luttrell would establish proposed plans to
annex the Plainview community, prompting community members to form a activist group and file a lawsuit against Luttrell in the Union County Chancery Court. The court would side in favor of Plainview, halting Luttrell from annexing the community, but would require the community to
incorporate into a city in order to avoid the annexation into Luttrell.
Plainview would
incorporate into a city in 1992. The city government has subsequently
paved many local streets, installed
street light
A street light, light pole, lamp pole, lamppost, street lamp, light standard, or lamp standard is a raised source of light on the edge of a road or path. Similar lights may be found on a railway platform. When urban electric power distributio ...
ing, enacted
zoning
Zoning is a method of urban planning in which a municipality or other tier of government divides land into areas called zones, each of which has a set of regulations for new development that differs from other zones. Zones may be defined for a s ...
, provided a mass recycling location and developed a walking trail.
Geography
According to the
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy
An economy is an area of th ...
, Plainview has a total area of , all land. The city is situated along the southern base of Copper Ridge, an elongate ridge characteristic of the
Appalachian Ridge-and-Valley range. The
Knox County line lies just to the south, and
Luttrell borders the city to the northeast.
House Mountain rises prominently to the south, and
Clinch Mountain rises prominently to the east.
Tennessee State Routes 131 (Tazewell Pike) and
144 (Corryton Road) intersect in Plainview.
Plainview's City Hall is on Tazewell Pike.
Demographics
2020 census
As of the
2020 United States census, there were 2,060 people, 756 households, and 547 families residing in the city.
2000 census
As of the
census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses in ...
of 2000, there were 1,866 people, 658 households, and 532 families residing in the city. The
population density
Population density (in agriculture: Stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical ...
was 289.2 people per square mile (111.7/km
2). There were 724 housing units at an average density of 112.2 per square mile (43.3/km
2). The racial makeup of the city was 98.23%
White
White is the lightness, lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully diffuse reflection, reflect and scattering, scatter all the ...
, 0.05%
African American
African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American ...
, 0.21%
Native American, 0.59%
Asian, 0.05% from
other races, and 0.86% from two or more races.
Hispanic
The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad.
The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties for ...
or
Latino of any race were 0.32% of the population. The three most common countries of origin are
Mexico
Mexico ( Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guate ...
,
El Salvador
El Salvador (; , meaning " The Saviour"), officially the Republic of El Salvador ( es, República de El Salvador), is a country in Central America. It is bordered on the northeast by Honduras, on the northwest by Guatemala, and on the south by ...
, and
Germany
Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG),, is a country in Central Europe. It is the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany lies between the Baltic and North Sea to the north and the Alps to the sou ...
. Ninety-nine percent of people living in the town are citizens.

There were 658 households, out of which 43.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 66.3% were
married couples
Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...
living together, 9.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 19.0% were non-families. 15.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 3.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.82 and the average family size was 3.11.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 29.0% under the age of 18, 10.0% from 18 to 24, 31.7% from 25 to 44, 22.1% from 45 to 64, and 7.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.1 males. The average age for people living in this city is higher than the
Tennessee
Tennessee ( , ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked state in the Southeastern region of the United States. Tennessee is the 36th-largest by area and the 15th-most populous of the 50 states. It is bordered by Kentucky to ...
average, at 43.5 years. That compared to the state average of 38.7 years.
The median income for a household in the city was $39,659, and the median income for a family was $39,444. Males had a median income of $26,505 versus $19,375 for females. The
per capita income
Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population.
Per capita i ...
for the city was $13,384. About 9.1% of families and 11.8% 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 15.3% of those under age 18 and 11.5% of those age 65 or over.
Economy
The average income for someone living in Plainview is $39,659. The unemployment rate is 5.5%. The three most common occupations are administrative, production, and sales.
Education
There are no schools in Plainview. K-5 students attend Luttrell Elementary School in
Luttrell. 6-8 grade students attend Horace Maynard Middle School and 9-12 grade students attend Union County High School both in
Maynardville
Maynardville (originally named Liberty) is a city in and the county seat of Union County, Tennessee, United States. The city was named to honor Horace Maynard, who successfully defended the creation of Union County from a challenge from Knox ...
.
Postal service
Plainview does not have its own post office or
zip code, so locations in the city are divided between
Corryton
Corryton, also known as Corryton Village, is an unincorporated bedroom community in northeastern Knox County, Tennessee, United States, about 15 miles northeast of Knoxville. The United States Geographic Names System classifies Corryton as a popu ...
and
Luttrell mailing addresses.
References
External links
*
Municipal Technical Advisory Service entry for Plainview— information on local government, elections, and link to charter
{{authority control
Cities in Union County, Tennessee
Cities in Tennessee
Knoxville metropolitan area
1992 establishments in Tennessee