Erin is a city in and the county seat of Houston County, Tennessee. The population was 1,224 at the time of the 2020 census and 1,324 at the time of the 2010 census.
History
The city was perhaps named for Erin, a poetic name for Ireland.
Each year in March, beginning in 1962 the town has held a weeklong Irish festival, one of the top ten celebrations in the U.S., with a parade, banquets, pageants, arts and crafts, and other events celebrating Erin's Irish heritage and honoring the sacrifice of Irish railroad workers who helped link Erin to the rest of the world.
An F3 tornado struck Erin on May 27, 2000, tearing roofs and walls from many homes, destroying a pavilion, and leaving 50 people in need of overnight shelter.
Geography
Erin is located at (36.316998, -87.697946). The elevation is 480 feet above sea level.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all land.
Major roads and highways
- State Route 13
- State Route 49 (Main Street)
- State Route 149
ZIP code
The ZIP code used in the Erin area is 37061.
Area code
Erin uses the area code 931.
Government
- Board of Aldermen & Mayor meets first Tuesday of the month at 6:00 p.m. at Erin City Hall.
- Planning Commission meets on the fourth Monday of the month at 6:00 p.m. at Erin City Hall.
Elected officials
- City Mayor: Paul Bailey
- City Recorder: Angela Neilson
- City Bookkeeper: Cheryl Hollis
- City Clerks: Betty Beard and Farrah Dennis
Aldermen
- Ward 1: Lou Anne Pollard and Wanda Lockhart
- Ward 2: Betsy Ligon (Vice Mayor) and Cecil Baggett
- Ward 3: Linda Owens and Nethla Shires
- Ward 4: Loraine Beechum and Paul J. Gooden
Demographics
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 1,224, and the median age was 47.3 years. Children under the age of 18 made up 20.4% of residents, while those 65 and older comprised 27.7% of the population. For every 100 females there were 87.2 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 81.4 males age 18 and over.
0.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 100.0% lived in rural areas.
There were 475 households in the city, of which 27.4% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 37.5% were married-couple households, 20.8% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 36.2% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 39.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 18.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
! Race !! Number !! Percent
|-
| White || 1,063 || 86.8%
|-
| Black or African American || 86 || 7.0%
|-
| American Indian and Alaska Native || 4 || 0.3%
|-
| Asian || 3 || 0.2%
|-
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander || 5 || 0.4%
|-
| Some other race || 13 || 1.1%
|-
| Two or more races || 50 || 4.1%
|-
| Hispanic or Latino (of any race) || 31 || 2.5%
|}
2000 census
As of the census