Loretto is a city in Lawrence County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 1,714 at the 2010 census, and 1,739 at the 2020 census.
History
Loretto began as a stagecoach station known as "Glen Rock" in the early 19th century. In 1870, a number of German Catholic immigrants settled in the Loretto area, and a new city was established shortly afterward. Some sources suggest the name "Loretto" was inspired by the Loreto region in Italy, while others say the city was named for a sainted nun.
Other historic buildings include the Bank of Loretto building, which was built in the 1920s. The Bank of Loretto building was renovated in 2013. Next door to the old Loretto bank building was Weathers Store and Myers Store. They sold general merchandise to generations of families. Steps down the street lies the Loretto Milling Company, established in 1895 and still open for business, making it one of the oldest family-run businesses in the city. Other businesses located in this district included a doctor's office, cobbler's shop, cafes, hotels, and a funeral home. There was also a stage coach stop, and then later on a bus depot. The historic downtown area began to decline following the construction of U.S. Route 43 to the east of the district in the 1940s, when its commercial activity shifted to the new highway. Like many Southern towns, Loretto is applying for grants to help revive the older historic district.
Loretto is the home of the Loretto High School Mustangs.
Geography
Loretto is situated on a relatively broad ridgetop between the Shoal Creek Valley to the west and Bluewater Creek to the east. U.S. Route 43 connects Loretto with Lawrenceburg to the northeast and the Muscle Shoals area in Alabama to the southwest. Tennessee State Route 227 connects Loretto with rural Lawrence County and Lexington, Alabama, to the southeast (the road becomes Alabama State Route 101 at the state line).
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which is land and 0.27% is water.
Demographics
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, Loretto had a population of 1,739 and 455 families residing in the city. The median age was 44.0 years, with 20.6% of residents under the age of 18 and 23.7% of residents 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 95.8 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 90.1 males age 18 and over.
0.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 100.0% lived in rural areas.
There were 735 households in Loretto, of which 27.3% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 49.1% were married-couple households, 16.7% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 29.7% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 32.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 20.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
! Race !! Number !! Percent
|-
| White || 1,649 || 94.8%
|-
| Black or African American || 5 || 0.3%
|-
| American Indian and Alaska Native || 3 || 0.2%
|-
| Asian || 4 || 0.2%
|-
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander || 0 || 0.0%
|-
| Some other race || 27 || 1.6%
|-
| Two or more races || 51 || 2.9%
|-
| Hispanic or Latino (of any race) || 33 || 1.9%
|}
2000 census
As of the census