Somerville is a town in
Fayette County,
Tennessee
Tennessee (, ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Kentucky to the north, Virginia to the northeast, North Carolina t ...
, United States. It is part of the
Memphis metropolitan area. The population was 3,415 at the 2020 census,
up from 3,094 at the 2010 census. It is the
county seat
A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...
of Fayette County.
History
The town was named to honor Lieutenant Robert Somerville, who was killed in 1814 during the
Battle of Horseshoe Bend in central Alabama while serving under General
Andrew Jackson
Andrew Jackson (March 15, 1767 – June 8, 1845) was the seventh president of the United States from 1829 to 1837. Before Presidency of Andrew Jackson, his presidency, he rose to fame as a general in the U.S. Army and served in both houses ...
. Somerville was incorporated in 1836.
Geography
Somerville is located slightly northeast of the center of Fayette County at (35.237623, -89.358400).
runs through the center of town as Fayette Street, leading northeast to
Whiteville and west to
Oakland
Oakland is a city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area in the U.S. state of California. It is the county seat and most populous city in Alameda County, with a population of 440,646 in 2020. A major West Coast port, Oakland is ...
. Downtown
Memphis is to the west.
Tennessee State Route 76 crosses US 64 at the center of town. North of US 64, it is the town's Main Street and leads to
Brownsville. To the south it is South Street, leading to
Moscow
Moscow is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Russia by population, largest city of Russia, standing on the Moskva (river), Moskva River in Central Russia. It has a population estimated at over 13 million residents with ...
.
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 , of which is land and (1.58%) is water. The
Loosahatchie River, a west-flowing tributary of the
Mississippi
Mississippi ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Alabama to the east, the Gulf of Mexico to the south, Louisiana to the s ...
, runs past the northern end of the town.
Demographics
2020 census
As of the
2020 United States census, there were 3,415 people, 1,187 households, and 734 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 2,519 people, 1,006 households, and 618 families residing in the town. The population density was . There were 1,070 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 59.94%
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 ...
, 39.38%
African American
African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...
, 0.08%
Native American, 0.08%
Asian, 0.04% from
other races, and 0.48% 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 0.24% of the population.
There were 1,006 households, out of which 27.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.3% 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, 19.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.5% were non-families. 36.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 19.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.33 and the average family size was 3.08.
In the town, the population was spread out, with 24.3% under the age of 18, 10.0% from 18 to 24, 24.9% from 25 to 44, 20.0% from 45 to 64, and 20.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 84.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 76.6 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $21,225, and the median income for a family was $29,750. Males had a median income of $26,094 versus $22,768 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 $15,636. About 18.3% of families and 25.4% 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 29.0% of those under age 18 and 25.0% of those age 65 or over.
Education
It is in the
Fayette County School District.
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Text list
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Notable people
* Chester R. Allen (1905–1972), Major general in the Marine Corps and former Quartermaster General
* Elizabeth Bolden (1890–2006), supercentenarian
A supercentenarian, sometimes hyphenated as super-centenarian, is a person who is 110 or older. This age is achieved by about one in 1,000 centenarians. Supercentenarians typically live a life free of significant age-related diseases until short ...
, world's oldest living person in 2006, died in Memphis
* William Herbert Brewster, Sr. (1897–1987), influential African American Baptist minister, composer, dramatist, singer, poet and community leader; he is considered to be one of the fathers of gospel music
Gospel music is a traditional genre of Christian music and a cornerstone of Christian media. The creation, performance, significance, and even the definition of gospel music vary according to culture and social context. Gospel music is compo ...
* Pearl Dickson (1903–1977), Memphis and country blues singer and songwriterElvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977) was an American singer and actor. Referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one of the most significant cultural figures of the ...
(1935–1977), his father and he owned a farm here.
References
External links
Town of Somerville official website
Gallery
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Towns in Tennessee
Towns in Fayette County, Tennessee
County seats in Tennessee
Memphis metropolitan area