Bolivar, Tennessee

Bolivar, officially the City of Bolivar, is a city in and the county seat of Hardeman County, Tennessee, United States.^[5] As of the 2010 census, the city population was 5,417.^[6]

Bolivar, Tennessee
City
City of Bolivar
Downtown Bolivar
Location of Bolivar in Hardeman County, Tennessee.
Bolivar Location in the United States
Coordinates: 35°16′N 89°0′W
Country	United States
State	Tennessee
County	Hardeman
Chartered	October 18, 1825 (1825-10-18)
Government
• Mayor	Julian A. McTizic Sr.
Area [1]
• Total	8.12 sq mi (21.04 km2)
• Land	8.11 sq mi (21.01 km2)
• Water	0.01 sq mi (0.03 km2)
Elevation	446 ft (136 m)
Population  (2020)[2]
• Total	5,205
• Density	641.48/sq mi (247.69/km2)
Time zone	UTC-6 (Central (CST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP codes	38008, 38074
Area code	731
FIPS code	47-07180[3]
GNIS feature ID	1269372[4]
Website	www.cityofbolivar.com

History

Bolivar was named for South American revolutionary leader Simón Bolívar.^[7] The area is home to several historic properties and historic districts among the National Register of Historic Places listings in Hardeman County, Tennessee including Bolivar Court Square Historic District, Western State Hospital Historic District, North Main Street Historic District, and the Bills-McNeal Historic District.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 8.5 square miles (22 km²), of which 8.5 square miles (22 km²) is land and 0.12% is water.

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1850	626		—
1860	1,213		93.8%
1870	889		−26.7%
1880	1,043		17.3%
1890	1,100		5.5%
1900	1,035		−5.9%
1910	1,076		4.0%
1920	1,031		−4.2%
1930	1,217		18.0%
1940	1,314		8.0%
1950	2,429		84.9%
1960	3,338		37.4%
1970	6,674		99.9%
1980	6,597		−1.2%
1990	5,969		−9.5%
2000	5,802		−2.8%
2010	5,417		−6.6%
2020	5,205		−3.9%
Sources:[8][9][2]

2020

Bolivar city, Tennessee – Racial and ethnic composition
Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.

Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)	Pop 2000[10]	Pop 2010[11]	Pop 2020[12]	% 2000	% 2010	% 2020
White alone (NH)	2,439	1,907	1,606	42.04%	35.20%	30.85%
Black or African American alone (NH)	3,264	3,315	3,303	56.26%	61.20%	63.46%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)	4	10	5	0.07%	0.18%	0.10%
Asian alone (NH)	25	55	40	0.43%	1.02%	0.77%
Pacific Islander alone (NH)	1	0	3	0.02%	0.00%	0.06%
Some Other Race alone (NH)	1	9	15	0.02%	0.17%	0.29%
Mixed Race or Multi-Racial (NH)	33	48	138	0.57%	0.89%	2.65%
Hispanic or Latino (any race)	35	73	95	0.60%	1.35%	1.83%
Total	5,802	5,417	5,205	100.00%	100.00%	100.00%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 5,205 people, 2,224 households, and 1,183 families residing in the city.

2000 census

As of the census^[3] of 2000, there were 5,802 people, 2,161 households, and 1,462 families residing in the city. The population density was 684.4 inhabitants per square mile (264.2/km²). There were 2,352 housing units at an average density of 277.4 per square mile (107.1/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 56.39% African American, 42.33% White, 0.50% Asian, 0.07% Native American, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.62% from two or more races, and 0.07% from other races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.60% of the population.

There were 2,161 households, out of which 31.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.0% were married couples living together, 24.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.3% were non-families. 30.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 3.03.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 26.7% under the age of 18, 9.0% from 18 to 24, 25.6% from 25 to 44, 21.5% from 45 to 64, and 17.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 83.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 75.1 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $28,651, and the median income for a family was $35,298. Males had a median income of $30,442 versus $21,544 for females. The per capita income for the city was $14,973. About 19.5% of families and 23.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 28.7% of those under age 18 and 28.6% of those age 65 or over.

Climate

The climate in this area is characterized by relatively high temperatures and evenly distributed precipitation throughout the year. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Bolivar has a Humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.^[13]

Climate data for Bolivar Water Works, Tennessee (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1894–present)
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Record high °F (°C)	80 (27)	85 (29)	91 (33)	92 (33)	99 (37)	106 (41)	109 (43)	109 (43)	103 (39)	97 (36)	87 (31)	81 (27)	109 (43)
Mean maximum °F (°C)	69.7 (20.9)	72.9 (22.7)	80.2 (26.8)	85.3 (29.6)	88.7 (31.5)	93.6 (34.2)	96.1 (35.6)	96.4 (35.8)	92.9 (33.8)	86.5 (30.3)	78.3 (25.7)	70.2 (21.2)	97.6 (36.4)
Mean daily maximum °F (°C)	49.0 (9.4)	53.5 (11.9)	62.3 (16.8)	71.9 (22.2)	79.1 (26.2)	86.4 (30.2)	89.5 (31.9)	89.1 (31.7)	83.6 (28.7)	73.3 (22.9)	61.3 (16.3)	51.7 (10.9)	70.9 (21.6)
Daily mean °F (°C)	38.5 (3.6)	42.3 (5.7)	50.5 (10.3)	59.7 (15.4)	68.1 (20.1)	75.8 (24.3)	79.3 (26.3)	78.2 (25.7)	71.6 (22.0)	60.4 (15.8)	49.1 (9.5)	41.4 (5.2)	59.6 (15.3)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C)	28.1 (−2.2)	31.1 (−0.5)	38.7 (3.7)	47.6 (8.7)	57.1 (13.9)	65.3 (18.5)	69.0 (20.6)	67.2 (19.6)	59.6 (15.3)	47.5 (8.6)	37.0 (2.8)	31.1 (−0.5)	48.3 (9.1)
Mean minimum °F (°C)	11.7 (−11.3)	16.5 (−8.6)	22.8 (−5.1)	32.1 (0.1)	42.6 (5.9)	54.2 (12.3)	60.3 (15.7)	58.0 (14.4)	45.3 (7.4)	32.6 (0.3)	22.5 (−5.3)	17.1 (−8.3)	9.6 (−12.4)
Record low °F (°C)	−14 (−26)	−18 (−28)	6 (−14)	24 (−4)	29 (−2)	40 (4)	49 (9)	42 (6)	28 (−2)	20 (−7)	2 (−17)	−7 (−22)	−18 (−28)
Average precipitation inches (mm)	4.26 (108)	4.95 (126)	5.86 (149)	5.61 (142)	5.33 (135)	4.71 (120)	4.39 (112)	3.46 (88)	3.90 (99)	3.95 (100)	4.25 (108)	5.47 (139)	56.14 (1,426)
Average snowfall inches (cm)	0.5 (1.3)	0.6 (1.5)	0.4 (1.0)	0.1 (0.25)	0.0 (0.0)	0.0 (0.0)	0.0 (0.0)	0.0 (0.0)	0.0 (0.0)	0.0 (0.0)	0.0 (0.0)	0.1 (0.25)	1.7 (4.3)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in)	10.8	9.9	11.6	10.1	11.2	8.9	9.7	8.5	7.0	7.7	9.0	11.3	115.7
Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in)	0.5	0.6	0.1	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.1	1.3
Source: NOAA[14][15]

Transportation

Bolivar is served by the county-owned William L. Whitehurst Field airport.

Notable people

• Wayne Chism, former basketball player for the University of Tennessee Volunteers, lived in Bolivar and played high school basketball at Bolivar Central High School.
• Wayne Farris, known as Pro Wrestler The Honky Tonk Man, lived in Bolivar.
• Campbell Gray, Episcopal Bishop of Northern Indiana
• Odell Horton, United States district judge for the district of Western Tennessee
• Wayne Haddix, former National Football League defensive back, born in Bolivar and played high school football at nearby Middleton High School.
• Willie Kemp, former basketball player for the University of Memphis, lived in Bolivar and played high school basketball at Bolivar Central High School.
• Elizabeth Avery Meriwether, suffragist and writer
• Lynn Norment, journalist, editor and writer for Ebony magazine
• Joe Reaves, former basketball player for the Phoenix Suns, lived in Bolivar and played high school basketball at Bolivar Central High School.
• William E. Troutt, 19th president of Rhodes College

See also

• Bolivar Female Academy