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Haywood County, Tennessee facts for kids

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Haywood County
U.S. county
Haywood County Courthouse
Haywood County Courthouse
Map of Tennessee highlighting Haywood County
Location within the U.S. state of Tennessee
Map of the United States highlighting Tennessee
Tennessee's location within the U.S.
Country  United States
State  Tennessee
Founded 1823
Named for John Haywood
Seat Brownsville
Largest city Brownsville
Area
 • Total 534 sq mi (1,380 km2)
 • Land 533 sq mi (1,380 km2)
 • Water 0.9 sq mi (2 km2)  0.2%%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 17,864
 • Estimate 
(2023)
 17,328 Decrease
 • Density 33.45/sq mi (12.916/km2)
Time zone UTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST) UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district 8th
Website https://haywoodtn.gov/

Haywood County is a county in the state of Tennessee, located in West Tennessee. In 2020, about 17,864 people lived there. Its main city and county seat is Brownsville. Haywood County is one of only two counties in Tennessee where most of the people are African-American.

History of Haywood County

Haywood County was formed in 1823–1824 from a part of Madison County. It was named after John Haywood, a judge and historian from Tennessee. The state government chose Brownsville as the county seat.

Over time, Haywood County became smaller. In 1835, some land was given to help create Lauderdale County. In 1870, most of the land north of the Forked Deer River was given to the new Crockett County.

Farming and People in the Past

For a long time, farming was the main way people made a living in Haywood County. They mostly grew cotton. Before the Civil War, large farms called plantations used enslaved African-American workers to grow these crops.

After slavery ended in 1865, many farm owners hired former enslaved people as tenant farmers or sharecroppers. These workers would farm the land and share the crops with the landowner. Cotton remained a very important crop. Even today, most people in this rural county are Black.

Voting Rights and Challenges

In the past, some African-Americans in the county faced unfair treatment. After the Civil War, some people tried to stop Black citizens from voting. In 1940, Elbert Williams, an African-American man, was killed in Brownsville. He was trying to help Black people register to vote and had started a local chapter of the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People). His body was found in the Hatchie River. He was the last person recorded to be killed in this way in Tennessee because of voting rights.

Geography and Nature

Haywood County covers about 534 square miles. Most of this area, 533 square miles, is land, and a small part, 0.9 square miles, is water.

The county is located near the southeastern edge of the New Madrid Seismic Zone. This area has a higher risk of earthquakes.

Neighboring Counties

Haywood County shares borders with several other counties:

Protected Natural Areas

Population Changes

Since 1940, the number of people living in Haywood County has generally gone down. After the events involving Elbert Williams in 1940, many Black Americans left the area. Also, new machines made farming easier, so fewer farm workers were needed. Many African-Americans moved away as part of the Great Migration, seeking new opportunities.

Historical population
Census Pop. %±
1830 5,334 —
1840 13,870 160.0%
1850 17,259 24.4%
1860 19,232 11.4%
1870 25,094 30.5%
1880 26,053 3.8%
1890 23,558 −9.6%
1900 25,189 6.9%
1910 25,910 2.9%
1920 25,386 −2.0%
1930 26,063 2.7%
1940 27,699 6.3%
1950 26,212 −5.4%
1960 23,393 −10.8%
1970 19,596 −16.2%
1980 20,318 3.7%
1990 19,437 −4.3%
2000 19,797 1.9%
2010 18,787 −5.1%
2020 17,864 −4.9%
2023 (est.) 17,328 −7.8%
U.S. Decennial Census
1790–1960 1900–1990
1990–2000 2010–2014
USA Haywood County, Tennessee.csv age pyramid
Age pyramid for Haywood County

What the Census Shows

The 2020 United States census counted 17,864 people in the county. There were 7,181 households, which are groups of people living together. About 4,727 of these were families.

In 2020, about 50.34% of the people in Haywood County were Black or African American. About 42.29% were White. Other groups made up smaller percentages. About 4.69% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.

Economy and Jobs

The biggest industry in Haywood County is agriculture, which means farming. Haywood County grows more cotton than any other county in Tennessee. In 2003, they produced 189,000 bales of cotton on 103,000 acres of land. Soybeans and corn are also important crops. In 2004, farming and related businesses added over $130 million to the county's economy. By 2017, other crops like grains and tobacco also brought in a lot of money, but cotton was still the most grown crop.

In 2009, a large area of land near Stanton was set aside for a big industrial project. This "megasite" was planned for a major factory or business. In September 2021, Ford and SK Innovation announced they would build a huge complex there called "Blue Oval City". This facility will make electric vehicles and batteries. It is expected to open in 2025 and cost about $5.6 billion. It will also create around 5,700 jobs, making it the most expensive single investment in Tennessee's history.

Communities in Haywood County

Nutbush Trinity Cem Graves
Trinity Cemetery in Nutbush is where more than 50 Civil War soldiers are buried.

Cities and Towns

Smaller Communities

Many smaller communities are also part of Haywood County. These include:

Famous People from Haywood County

Haywood County has been home to several notable people.

  • Sleepy John Estes was a famous blues guitarist, songwriter, and singer. He was born around 1899 or 1900 and lived most of his life in Brownsville. He passed away in 1977.
  • Tony Delk was a professional basketball player who spent his teenage years in Brownsville. He was a first-round pick in the NBA draft.
  • Hambone Willie Newbern was another blues musician from the Brownsville area.
  • Singer Tina Turner grew up in Nutbush, Haywood County. Her famous song "Nutbush City Limits" is about the town.
  • Elbert Williams was an important activist who worked for voting rights.

Politics and Government

Haywood County has become a county where political races can be very close. The county's population has been decreasing, similar to other rural areas in the Black Belt. For many years, Haywood County mostly supported Democratic candidates in presidential elections. However, in 2024, the Democratic candidate, Kamala Harris, won by only 25 votes against Donald Trump. This was the closest presidential election in the county since 1972.

Republicans have been gaining more support in the county recently. For example, the current county mayor, David Livingston, is a Republican. He was first elected in 2018 and re-elected in 2022. He even received support from Republican U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn. Republican Governor Bill Lee also won the county in his 2022 re-election, and Marsha Blackburn won the county in her 2024 re-election for the U.S. Senate.

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Condado de Haywood (Tennessee) para niños

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