White House is a city in Robertson and Sumner counties in the U.S. state of Tennessee. The population was listed as 12,982 in the 2020 census and has an estimated population of 16,463 as of 2024. It is approximately north of downtown Nashville.
History
Settlers
The area that is now White House was purchased around 1828 by Richard Stone Wilks, a settler from Virginia. A trail running from Kentucky to Nashville, originally created by Native Americans, cut through the area. This trail was originally known as the Louisville & Nashville Turnpike during the mid-19th century. In 1928, the trail was renamed US Highway 31W.
Naming the town
In the mid-19th century, the Carter, Thomas, and Hough Stagecoach Company traveled the L&N Turnpike carrying passengers. A typical stop along the way was a white, two-story house built by Wilks in 1829. The house was a popular stop for lodging, food, and changing out horses. President Andrew Jackson was even heard to have stayed here during his travels between his home and the White House. During this time, houses were rarely painted white, particularly in this underdeveloped area. The stage coach drivers began to call this stop and the surrounding area White House.
Original White House torn down, building replaced
The monument for which the town was named was torn down in 1951 to make way for new development. However, in 1986, the community erected a replica of the original building. The reproduction, called the White House Inn Library and Museum, currently sits in the center of town next to the Fire Department. It contains the library, a museum with artifacts from the area's early years, and the city's Chamber of Commerce. In 2015, the replica White House Inn Library and Museum was turned solely into a museum and Chamber of Commerce after the city built a new library.
Growth and development
White House was incorporated in 1971. Currently, the young town is experiencing population growth, economic progress, and community development, with many apartment projects and subdivisions planned for the area. There are over 800 homes planned for the area, and at least 5 apartment subdivisions are planned for the city. The city is located north of Nashville within the greater Nashville region, and is anticipated to grow rapidly in the future as a suburb of Nashville.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all land.
White House is located along Interstate 65 at the intersection of State Highway 76 and US Highway 31W. The town, as of 2007, covers eleven square miles and is situated about north of downtown Nashville, lying in both Robertson and Sumner Counties.
Climate
Demographics
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, White House had a population of 12,982. The median age was 37.0 years. 25.6% of residents were under the age of 18 and 13.1% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 93.0 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 90.4 males age 18 and over.
There were 4,820 households in White House, of which 39.1% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 57.7% were married-couple households, 13.2% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 23.8% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 21.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
! Race !! Number !! Percent
|-
| White || 11,378 || 87.6%
|-
| Black or African American || 296 || 2.3%
|-
| American Indian and Alaska Native || 36 || 0.3%
|-
| Asian || 152 || 1.2%
|-
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander || 2 || 0.0%
|-
| Some other race || 241 || 1.9%
|-
| Two or more races || 877 || 6.8%
|-
| Hispanic or Latino (of any race) || 614 || 4.7%
|}
2000 census
As of the census