Editing Bells, Tennessee

{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2024}}
{{Infobox settlement
|official_name            = Bells, Tennessee
|settlement_type          = [[City]]
|nickname                 = 
|motto                    =

<!-- Images -->
|image_skyline            = Bells-Main-St-tn.jpg
|imagesize                = 250px
|image_caption            = Main Street in Bells
|image_flag               = 
|image_seal               =

<!-- Maps -->
|image_map                = File:Crockett County Tennessee Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Bells Highlighted 4704720.svg
|mapsize                  = 250px
|map_caption              = Location of Bells in Crockett County, Tennessee.
|image_map1               = 
|mapsize1                 = 
|map_caption1             =

<!-- Location -->
|subdivision_type         = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
|subdivision_name         = United States
|subdivision_type1        = [[U.S. state|State]]
|subdivision_name1        = [[Tennessee]]
|subdivision_type2        = [[List of counties in Tennessee|County]]
|subdivision_name2        = [[Crockett County, Tennessee|Crockett]]

<!-- Government -->
|government_footnotes     = 
|government_type          = 
|leader_title             = 
|leader_name              = 
|leader_title1            = 
|leader_name1             = 
|established_title        = 
|established_date         =

<!-- Area -->
|unit_pref  = Imperial
|area_footnotes           = <ref name="TigerWebMapServer">{{cite web|title=ArcGIS REST Services Directory|url=https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer/5/query?where=STATE='47'&outFields=NAME,STATE,PLACE,AREALAND,AREAWATER,LSADC,CENTLAT,CENTLON&orderByFields=PLACE&returnGeometry=false&returnTrueCurves=false&f=json|publisher=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=October 15, 2022}}</ref>
|area_magnitude           = 
|area_total_km2           = 6.16
|area_land_km2            = 6.14
|area_water_km2           = 0.02
|area_total_sq_mi         = 2.38
|area_land_sq_mi          = 2.37
|area_water_sq_mi         = 0.01

<!-- Population -->
|population_as_of         = [[2020 United States Census|2020]]
|population_footnotes     = <ref name="USCensusDecennial2020CenPopScriptOnly"/>
|population_total         = 2463
|population_density_km2   = 401.09
|population_density_sq_mi = 1038.80

<!-- General information -->
|timezone                 = [[North American Central Time Zone|Central (CST)]]
|utc_offset               = -6
|timezone_DST             = CDT
|utc_offset_DST           = -5
|elevation_footnotes      = 
|elevation_m              = 99
|elevation_ft             = 325
|coordinates              = {{coord|35|43|6|N|89|5|7|W|region:US-TN|display=inline}}
|postal_code_type         = [[ZIP code]]
|postal_code              = 38006
|area_code                = [[Area code 731|731]]
|blank_name               = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
|blank_info               = 47-04720<ref name="GR2">{{cite web |url=https://www.census.gov |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |accessdate=January 31, 2008 |title=U.S. Census website }}</ref>
|blank1_name              = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
|blank1_info              = 1305093<ref name="GR3">{{cite web|url=http://geonames.usgs.gov|accessdate=January 31, 2008|title=US Board on Geographic Names|publisher=[[United States Geological Survey]]|date=October 25, 2007}}</ref>
|website                  = {{URL|http://cityofbellstn.com/}}
|footnotes                = 
|pop_est_as_of = 
|pop_est_footnotes = 
|population_est = 
}}
'''Bells''' is a city in [[Crockett County, Tennessee]]. The population was 2,437 at the 2010 census.<ref>Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development, [https://www.tn.gov/ecd/pdf/StateProfile/2011certpop.pdf Certified Population of Tennessee Incorporated Municipalities and Counties] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140630192652/https://www.tn.gov/ecd/pdf/StateProfile/2011certpop.pdf |date=June 30, 2014 }}, State of Tennessee official website, July 14, 2011. Retrieved: December 6, 2013.</ref>

==History==

Bells was established in the late 1820s on land acquired by brothers John and William Bell. When a city was founded on this land in 1855, it was given the name "Bells Depot."  The city was incorporated in 1868, and the "Depot" was dropped from the name in 1880.<ref>[http://cityofbellstn.com/history/ City of Bells History], official site.  Accessed August 10, 2018.</ref>

Bells was the home of the now-defunct [[West Tennessee Okra Festival]]. The festival included a horse show, beauty pageant, street carnival and other activities and shows. The Festival was always held during August, the peak of the okra season.

==Geography==
Bells is located at {{coord|35|43|6|N|89|5|7|W|type:city}} (35.718423, -89.085385).<ref name="GR1">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/geographies/reference-files/time-series/geo/gazetteer-files.html|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|accessdate=April 23, 2011|date=February 12, 2011|title=US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990}}</ref> The city is concentrated around the intersection of a congruent stretch of [[U.S. Route 70A]] and [[U.S. Route 79]], which approaches from [[Brownsville, Tennessee|Brownsville]] to the southwest and continues northeastwardly to [[Humboldt, Tennessee|Humboldt]], and [[Tennessee State Route 88|State Route 88]], which connects the city to [[Alamo, Tennessee|Alamo]] to the northwest and [[Jackson, Tennessee|Jackson]] to the southeast.  The [[South Fork of the Forked Deer River]] passes just south of Bells.

According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the city has a total area of {{convert|2.3|sqmi|km2}}, of which {{convert|2.3|sqmi|km2}} is land and 0.44% is water.

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1880= 540
|1890= 690
|1900= 758
|1910= 753
|1920= 920
|1930= 919
|1940= 1054
|1950= 1225
|1960= 1232
|1970= 1474
|1980= 1571
|1990= 1643
|2000= 2171
|2010= 2437
|2020= 2463
|footnote=Sources:<ref name="GR9">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|accessdate=March 4, 2012|title=Census of Population and Housing: Decennial Censuses}}</ref><ref name=CensusPopEst>{{cite web|title=Incorporated Places and Minor Civil Divisions Datasets: Subcounty Resident Population Estimates: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2012|url=https://www.census.gov/popest/data/cities/totals/2012/SUB-EST2012.html|work=Population Estimates|publisher=U.S. Census Bureau|accessdate=December 11, 2013|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130611010502/http://www.census.gov/popest/data/cities/totals/2012/SUB-EST2012.html|archivedate=June 11, 2013}}</ref><ref name="USCensusDecennial2020CenPopScriptOnly">{{cite web|url=https://api.census.gov/data/2020/dec/pl?get=P1_001N,NAME&for=place:*&in=state:47&key=5ccd0821c15d9f4520e2dcc0f8d92b2ec9336108|title=Census Population API|publisher=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=October 15, 2022}}</ref>
}}

===2020 census===
{| class="wikitable"
|+Bells racial composition<ref>{{Cite web|title=Explore Census Data|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?g=1600000US4704720&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P2|access-date=December 8, 2021|website=data.census.gov}}</ref>
!Race
!Num.
!Perc.
|-
|[[White (U.S. Census)|White]] (non-Hispanic)
|1,290
|52.38%
|-
|[[African American (U.S. Census)|Black or African American]] (non-Hispanic)
|588
|23.87%
|-
|[[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]]
|1
|0.04%
|-
|[[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]]
|14
|0.57%
|-
|[[Race (United States Census)|Other/Mixed]]
|109
|4.43%
|-
|[[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]]
|461
|18.72%
|}
As of the [[2020 United States census]], there were 2,463 people, 917 households, and 640 families residing in the city.

===2000 census===
As of the [[census]]<ref name="GR2" /> of 2000, there were 2,171 people, 806 households, and 559 families residing in the city. The population density was {{convert|955.6|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. There were 878 housing units at an average density of {{convert|386.5|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. The racial makeup of the city was 67.11% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 21.19% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 0.46% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 10.78% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 0.46% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 22.80% of the population.

There were 806 households, out of which 36.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.5% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 14.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.6% were non-families. 27.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.69 and the average family size was 3.28.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 29.6% under the age of 18, 10.9% from 18 to 24, 29.4% from 25 to 44, 18.1% from 45 to 64, and 12.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.8 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $29,238, and the median income for a family was $31,827. Males had a median income of $26,184 versus $19,602 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the city was $12,455. About 14.9% of families and 22.9% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 28.6% of those under age 18 and 15.3% of those age 65 or over.

== Economy ==
Bells is home to the [[PictSweet Farms]] headquarters. The Pictsweet Company is currently owned and managed by three generations of the Tankersley family and sells frozen vegetables through both retail and food service outlets across the United States. They are a major employer in the Bells area.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Tennessee’s popular PictSweet vegetable brand has its roots in Knoxville |url=http://www.knoxnews.com/business/tennessees-popular-pictsweet-vegetable-brand-has-its-roots-in-knoxville-316503b8-9d86-5c48-e053-0100-378014681.html |access-date=February 28, 2022 |website=www.knoxnews.com |language=en}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* {{Commons category-inline|Bells, Tennessee}}

{{Coord|display=title|35.718423|-89.085385}}
{{Crockett County, Tennessee}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Cities in Tennessee]]
[[Category:Cities in Crockett County, Tennessee]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1855]]
[[Category:1855 establishments in Tennessee]]