Cheatham County, Tennessee

Cheatham County was created by the Tennessee General Assembly act in 1856, from lands formerly of Davidson, Dickson, Montgomery, and Robertson counties. Cheatham County was named for Edward Saunders Cheatham, a state legislator. ==Geography==

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (1.5%) is water. The county is bisected from northwest to southeast by the Cumberland River, with Ashland City on its northern bank. The southern portion of the county is bisected from southeast to northwest by the Harpeth River, which meanders through generally hilly country, and along whose course are located the communities of Kingston Springs, largely to the north of I-40, and Pegram, along U.S. Route 70 (US 70). The western border of the central portion of the county is defined by the course of the Harpeth. The hills east of the Harpeth and south of the Cumberland are partly set aside by the state as the Cheatham State Wildlife Management Area. North of Ashland City the hills subside into more level highlands, where the community of Pleasant View is located just south of I-24, which generally delineates the county's northern border. Adjacent counties • Robertson County (northeast) • Davidson County (east) • Williamson County (south) • Dickson County (west) • Montgomery County (northwest) State protected areas • Cheatham Wildlife Management Area • Cheatham Lake Wildlife Management Area (part) • Harpeth River State Park Major highways • Interstate 24 • Interstate 40 • U.S. Highway 70 • U.S. Highway 41A • State Route 12 • State Route 49 • State Route 249 • State Route 251 • State Route 455 ==Demographics==

2020 census As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 41,072 and 11,022 families, with a median age of 42.0 years. 21.5% of residents were under the age of 18 and 16.6% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 97.5 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 97.1 males age 18 and over. The racial makeup of the county was 89.6% White, 2.0% Black or African American, 0.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% Asian, 0.1% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 1.9% from some other race, and 5.7% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 4.5% of the population. <0.1% of residents lived in urban areas, while 100.0% lived in rural areas. There were 15,706 households in the county, of which 31.2% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 54.3% were married-couple households, 16.6% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 22.0% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 22.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. were Hispanic or Latino of any race. In 2005 The racial makeup of the county was 94.8% non-Hispanic whites, 2.1% African-Americans and 1.7% Latinos. In 2000 Of the 12,878 households 39.60% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 64.90% were married couples living together, 9.60% had a female householder with no husband present, and 21.10% were non-families. 16.90% of households were one person and 5.30% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.76 and the average family size was 3.08. The age distribution was 27.70% under the age of 18, 7.30% from 18 to 24, 33.50% from 25 to 44, 23.00% from 45 to 64, and 8.60% 65 or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 100.30 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.40 males. The median household income was $45,836 and the median family income was $49,143. Males had a median income of $34,476 versus $25,191 for females. The per capita income for the county was $18,882. About 5.30% of families and 7.40% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.60% of those under age 18 and 9.40% of those age 65 or over. ==Communities==

City • Pleasant View Towns • Ashland City (county seat) • Kingston Springs • Pegram Unincorporated communities • Bell Town • Chapmansboro • Cheap Hill • Craggie Hope • Shacklett ==Government and politics==

County Government The county mayor serves as the chief executive officer of Cheatham County and is elected at-large. The position oversees county administration and finances. The current mayor is Republican Kerry McCarver. The Board of County Commissioners is the county's legislative body. It is composed of twelve members elected from six districts, with two commissioners representing each district. The commission is responsible for adopting the county budget, setting the property tax rate, and overseeing county departments and services. It meets regularly at 6:00 p.m. on the third Monday of each month. Countywide elected officials State elected offices Both members that represent Cheatham County in the Tennessee General Assembly are held by Republicans. Political history Cheatham County was historically a "Solid South" Democratic stronghold, like much of Middle Tennessee, consistently supporting Democratic presidential candidates through much of the 20th century and even supporting segregationist George Wallace in 1968. Republican candidates began gaining traction near the final quarter of the century, with Richard Nixon carrying the county in 1972 for the first time in recent memory. After 1972, Democrats carried the county through the later 1970s and into the 1990s, although it supported Republicans Ronald Reagan in 1984 and George H. W. Bush in 1988. In 2000, Cheatham County began solidifying as a Republican stronghold, when George W. Bush carried it over native Tennessean Al Gore. Since then, the county has voted reliably Republican in every presidential election, with Donald Trump surpassing 70% of the vote in 2016, and Democrats have not approached one-third of the county's vote share since. The last time Cheatham County voted for a Democratic candidate in a statewide race was for Phil Bredesen in 2006, and the last time it voted for a Democratic candidate on a presidential level, was for Bill Clinton in 1996. ==Notable people==

• Gene Allison, R&B singer • Mark Green, politician, physician, and retired U.S. Army major, former Republican U.S. representative for Tennessee's 7th congressional district • Hickok45, firearm content YouTuber • Horace McCoy, writer • Caleb Plant, professional boxer • Ryan Stack, former professional basketball player • Pat Summitt, women's college basketball head coach • Upchurch, rapper, singer-songwriter, and comedian • Clive Westlake, British songwriter ==See also==