Yazoo County, Mississippi
Yazoo County | |
|---|---|
 Postcard. Ricks Memorial Library in Yazoo City. | |
 Location within the U.S. state of Mississippi | |
 Mississippi's location within the U.S. | |
| Coordinates: 32°45′56.43″N 90°23′16.54″W / 32.7656750°N 90.3879278°W | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Mississippi |
| Founded | January 21, 1823 |
| Named after | Yazoo River |
| Seat | Yazoo City |
| Largest city | Yazoo City |
| Area | |
• Total | 934.159 sq mi (2,419.46 km2) |
| • Land | 922.339 sq mi (2,388.85 km2) |
| • Water | 11.820 sq mi (30.61 km2) 1.3% |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 26,743 |
• Estimate (2024) | 23,024  |
| • Density | 27.971/sq mi (10.800/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| Congressional district | 2nd |
| Website | yazoocounty.net |
Yazoo County is a county located in the U.S. state of Mississippi. As of the 2020 census, the population was 26,743,[1] and was estimated to be 23,024 in 2024.[2] The county seat is Yazoo City.[3] It is named for the Yazoo River, which forms its western border. Its name is said to come from a Choctaw language word meaning "River of Death".[4][5]
History
[edit]The area which is now Yazoo County was acquired by the State of Mississippi from the Choctaw Indians in 1820. Yazoo County was established on January 21, 1823. It was the 19th county established in the State of Mississippi and remains the largest in area. It was developed for cotton plantations, which lined the major river to have transportation access.
The first county seat was at Beatties Bluff. As population increased, In 1829 the county seat was moved to Benton. In 1849 the county seat was moved again, to Yazoo City, where it remains.
Yazoo County was a battlefield in 1863 and 1864 during the American Civil War. After the war, whites committed violence against freedmen to assert their dominance. Such violence continued after Reconstruction. In the period from 1877 to 1950, Yazoo County had 18 documented lynchings of African Americans.[6] Most occurred around the turn of the 20th century, as part of white imposition of Jim Crow conditions and suppression of black voting.
In 1900 a railroad disaster killed engineer Casey Jones; it took place in Yazoo County just north of Vaughan. The Great Mississippi Flood of 1927 did much damage in Yazoo County.
It experienced two accidents relating to carbon dioxide pipelines owned by Denbury Resources. In 2011, a pipeline had a "blowout" in Tinsley, Mississippi, causing the sickening of one worker and killing deer, fish and birds.[7] In 2020, a pipeline ruptured less than half a mile from Satartia. More than 300 people were evacuated and 46 hospitalized with carbon dioxide poisoning.[8][9][7]
Geography
[edit]According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 934.159 square miles (2,419.46 km2), of which 922.339 square miles (2,388.85 km2) is land and 11.820 square miles (30.61 km2) (1.3%) is water.[10] It is the 1st largest county in Mississippi by total area and the 1st largest by total area.
Adjacent counties
[edit]- Humphreys County (north)
- Holmes County (northeast)
- Madison County (east)
- Hinds County (south)
- Warren County (southwest)
- Issaquena County (west)
- Sharkey County (northwest)
National protected area
[edit]Demographics
[edit]| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1830 | 6,550 | — | |
| 1840 | 10,480 | 60.0% | |
| 1850 | 14,418 | 37.6% | |
| 1860 | 22,373 | 55.2% | |
| 1870 | 17,279 | −22.8% | |
| 1880 | 33,845 | 95.9% | |
| 1890 | 36,394 | 7.5% | |
| 1900 | 43,948 | 20.8% | |
| 1910 | 46,672 | 6.2% | |
| 1920 | 37,149 | −20.4% | |
| 1930 | 37,262 | 0.3% | |
| 1940 | 40,091 | 7.6% | |
| 1950 | 35,712 | −10.9% | |
| 1960 | 31,653 | −11.4% | |
| 1970 | 27,304 | −13.7% | |
| 1980 | 27,349 | 0.2% | |
| 1990 | 25,506 | −6.7% | |
| 2000 | 28,149 | 10.4% | |
| 2010 | 28,065 | −0.3% | |
| 2020 | 26,743 | −4.7% | |
| 2024 (est.) | 23,024 | [11] | −13.9% |
| U.S. Decennial Census[12] 1790–1960[13] 1900–1990[14] 1990–2000[15] 2010–2020[2] | |||
As of the third quarter of 2024, the median home value in Yazoo County was $138,610.[16]
As of the 2023 American Community Survey, there are 8,892 estimated households in Yazoo County with an average of 2.45 persons per household. The county has a median household income of $40,974. Approximately 30.9% of the county's population lives at or below the poverty line. Yazoo County has an estimated 43.2% employment rate, with 13.3% of the population holding a bachelor's degree or higher and 74.7% holding a high school diploma.[2]
The top five reported ancestries (people were allowed to report up to two ancestries, thus the figures will generally add to more than 100%) were English (94.0%), Spanish (5.7%), Indo-European (0.1%), Asian and Pacific Islander (0.0%), and Other (0.2%).
The median age in the county was 38.4 years.
Yazoo County, Mississippi – 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. 1980[17] | Pop. 1990[18] | Pop. 2000[19] | Pop. 2010[20] | Pop. 2020[21] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White alone (NH) | 13,131 (48.01%) |
11,923 (46.75%) |
11,558 (41.06%) |
10,477 (37.33%) |
9,184 (34.34%) |
| Black or African American alone (NH) | 13,755 (50.29%) |
13,401 (52.54%) |
15,074 (53.55%) |
15,893 (56.63.%) |
15,812 (59.13%) |
| Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) | 17 (0.06%) |
30 (0.12%) |
53 (0.19%) |
59 (0.21%) |
50 (0.19%) |
| Asian alone (NH) | 28 (0.10%) |
49 (0.19%) |
97 (0.34%) |
124 (0.44%) |
115 (0.43%) |
| Pacific Islander alone (NH) | — | — | 1 (0.00%) |
4 (0.01%) |
6 (0.02%) |
| Other race alone (NH) | 23 (0.08%) |
0 (0.00%) |
1 (0.00%) |
5 (0.02%) |
36 (0.13%) |
| Mixed race or multiracial (NH) | — | — | 132 (0.47%) |
202 (0.72%) |
464 (1.74.%) |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 395 (1.44%) |
103 (0.40%) |
1,233 (4.38%) |
1,301 (4.64%) |
1,076 (4.02%) |
| Total | 27,349 (100.00%) |
25,506 (100.00%) |
28,149 (100.00%) |
28,065 (100.00%) |
26,743 (100.00%) |
2020 census
[edit]As of the 2020 census, there were 26,743 people, 9,012 households, and 5,781 families residing in the county.[22] The population density was 29.0 inhabitants per square mile (11.2/km2). There were 10,432 housing units at an average density of 11.3 per square mile (4.4/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 37.43% White, 59.57% African American, 0.19% Native American, 0.43% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.38% from some other races and 1.97% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 4.02% of the population.[23]
2010 census
[edit]As of the 2010 census, there were 28,065 people, 8,860 households, and 6,280 families residing in the county. The population density was 30.4 inhabitants per square mile (11.7/km2). There were 10,074 housing units at an average density of 10.9 per square mile (4.2/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 39.95% White, 57.06% African American, 0.29% Native American, 0.45% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.71% from some other races and 1.54% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 4.64% of the population.
2000 census
[edit]
As of the 2000 census, there were 28,149 people, 9,178 households, and 6,644 families residing in the county. The population density was 31 inhabitants per square mile (12.0/km2). There were 10,015 housing units at an average density of 11.0 per square mile (4.2/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 44.74% White, 53.96% African American, 0.28% Native American, 0.36% Asian, 0.00% Pacific Islander, 0.22% from some other races and 0.52% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 4.38% of the population.
35.60% of the 9,178 households had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.20% were married couples living together, 23.70% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.60% were non-families. 24.50% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.70% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.81 and the average family size was 3.35.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 28.50% under the age of 18, 9.80% from 18 to 24, 29.20% from 25 to 44, 20.10% from 45 to 64, and 12.40% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 103.60 males (boys). For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 103.60 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $24,795, and the median income for a family was $29,395. Males had a median income of $28,553 versus $19,797 for females. The per capita income for the county was $12,062. About 25.40% of families and 31.90% of the population were below the poverty line, including 42.90% of those under age 18 and 22.50% of those age 65 or over.
Transportation
[edit]Major highways
[edit]
Interstate 55
U.S. Highway 49
U.S. Highway 49W
U.S. Highway 49E
Mississippi Highway 3
Mississippi Highway 16
Mississippi Highway 149
Mississippi Highway 433
Airport
[edit]Yazoo County Airport is located in an unincorporated area in Yazoo County,[25] 2 miles (3.2 km) west of central Yazoo City.[26]
Education
[edit]- Public School Districts
- Yazoo City Municipal School District serves areas in the Yazoo City limits;[27] its high school is Yazoo City High School
- Yazoo County School District serves areas outside of the Yazoo City limits;[27] its high school is Yazoo County High School
- Private Schools
- Benton Academy (Benton)
- Manchester Academy (Yazoo City)
- Covenant Christian School (Yazoo City)
- Thomas Christian Academy (Yazoo City)
Politics
[edit]In 2024, Yazoo County was the most Black county or equivalent to vote for Donald Trump.
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 2024 | 4,558 | 50.81% | 4,342 | 48.40% | 71 | 0.79% |
| 2020 | 4,832 | 46.30% | 5,496 | 52.66% | 108 | 1.03% |
| 2016 | 4,598 | 45.66% | 5,369 | 53.32% | 103 | 1.02% |
| 2012 | 4,941 | 42.52% | 6,603 | 56.82% | 76 | 0.65% |
| 2008 | 5,290 | 46.09% | 6,116 | 53.29% | 71 | 0.62% |
| 2004 | 5,672 | 51.62% | 5,013 | 45.63% | 302 | 2.75% |
| 2000 | 5,254 | 49.96% | 4,997 | 47.52% | 265 | 2.52% |
| 1996 | 4,152 | 44.49% | 4,754 | 50.94% | 427 | 4.58% |
| 1992 | 5,113 | 47.58% | 4,880 | 45.42% | 752 | 7.00% |
| 1988 | 5,538 | 48.03% | 4,989 | 43.27% | 1,003 | 8.70% |
| 1984 | 6,275 | 54.99% | 5,037 | 44.14% | 100 | 0.88% |
| 1980 | 4,819 | 45.90% | 5,468 | 52.09% | 211 | 2.01% |
| 1976 | 4,255 | 50.23% | 4,053 | 47.85% | 163 | 1.92% |
| 1972 | 5,555 | 72.58% | 2,008 | 26.23% | 91 | 1.19% |
| 1968 | 958 | 11.89% | 2,163 | 26.84% | 4,939 | 61.28% |
| 1964 | 4,801 | 95.92% | 204 | 4.08% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1960 | 778 | 23.29% | 715 | 21.41% | 1,847 | 55.30% |
| 1956 | 370 | 11.98% | 911 | 29.50% | 1,807 | 58.52% |
| 1952 | 1,683 | 49.72% | 1,702 | 50.28% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1948 | 26 | 1.09% | 70 | 2.93% | 2,297 | 95.99% |
| 1944 | 78 | 3.28% | 2,301 | 96.72% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1940 | 45 | 1.85% | 2,390 | 98.15% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1936 | 17 | 0.79% | 2,141 | 99.07% | 3 | 0.14% |
| 1932 | 24 | 1.19% | 1,995 | 98.57% | 5 | 0.25% |
| 1928 | 112 | 5.23% | 2,029 | 94.77% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1924 | 57 | 4.06% | 1,348 | 95.94% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1920 | 46 | 4.57% | 948 | 94.14% | 13 | 1.29% |
| 1916 | 25 | 2.12% | 1,146 | 97.28% | 7 | 0.59% |
| 1912 | 7 | 0.75% | 887 | 94.97% | 40 | 4.28% |
Communities
[edit]Cities
[edit]- Yazoo City (county seat)
Town
[edit]Villages
[edit]Census-designated place
[edit]Unincorporated communities
[edit]Ghost towns
[edit]Popular culture
[edit]Yazoo County, Mississippi has been featured in an Independent Lens series documenting bullying.[29]
Notable people
[edit]- Haley Barbour, Governor of Mississippi
- Willie Brown, football player
- Jerry Clower, comedian
- Henry Espy, Mayor of Clarksdale, Mississippi
- Mike Espy, former U.S. Secretary of Agriculture
- Lawrence Gordon, motion picture producer
- Lynn Hamilton, actress
- Jesse E. Holmes, minister, community leader
- Duck Holmes, blues musician
- T. J. Huddleston, entrepreneur
- Skip James, blues musician
- Tommy McClennan, blues musician
- Willie Morris, writer
- Stella Stevens, actress
- Zig Ziglar, writer and motivational speaker
See also
[edit]
- List of counties in Mississippi
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Yazoo County, Mississippi
References
[edit]- ^ "Explore Census Data". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 14, 2025.
- ^ a b c "U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Yazoo County, Mississippi". www.census.gov. Retrieved March 14, 2025.
- ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved March 14, 2025.
- ^ Seale, Lea Leslie (1939). Indian Place-Names in Mississippi (Thesis). Louisiana State University. p. 211. Retrieved November 28, 2018.
- ^ Johnson's (revised) Universal Cyclopaedia. 1886.
- ^ Lynching in America, 3rd edition Archived October 23, 2017, at the Wayback Machine, Supplement by County, p. 6
- ^ a b Zegart, Dan (August 26, 2021). "Gassing Satartia: How A CO2 Pipeline Explosion Affected This Mississippi Town". HuffPost. Retrieved February 12, 2024.
- ^ China Lee (February 23, 2020). "Evacuated families allowed back home after large gas leak in Yazoo Co". WLBT.
- ^ Sanya Mansour (February 23, 2020). "Hundreds Evacuated, Dozens Hospitalized After Gas Pipe Rupture in Mississippi". Time.
- ^ "2024 County Gazetteer Files – Mississippi". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 14, 2025.
- ^ "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2024". Retrieved March 14, 2025.
- ^ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 20, 2014.
- ^ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved July 20, 2014.
- ^ Forstall, Richard L. (March 27, 1995). "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 19, 1999. Retrieved July 20, 2014.
- ^ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 27, 2010. Retrieved July 20, 2014.
- ^ "County Median Home Price". National Association of Realtors. Retrieved March 14, 2025.
- ^ "Yazoo County, Mississippi — Population by Race". CensusScope. Retrieved March 14, 2025.
- ^ "Yazoo County, Mississippi — Population by Race". CensusScope. Retrieved March 14, 2025.
- ^ "P004: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2000: DEC Summary File 1 – Yazoo County, Mississippi". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 14, 2025.
- ^ "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Yazoo County, Mississippi". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 14, 2025.
- ^ "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Yazoo County, Mississippi". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 14, 2025.
- ^ "US Census Bureau, Table P16: Household Type". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 14, 2025.
- ^ "How many people live in Yazoo County, Mississippi". USA Today. Retrieved March 14, 2025.
- ^ Based on 2000 census data
- ^ FAA Airport Form 5010 for 87I PDF - Retrieved on September 23, 2010.
- ^ Jeter, Lynne W. "Airports an advantage when it comes to site selection." Mississippi Business Journal. March 26, 2001. Retrieved on September 21, 2010.
- ^ a b "2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Yazoo County, MS" (PDF). U.S. Census Bureau. Archived (PDF) from the original on August 1, 2022. Retrieved July 31, 2022. - Text list - 2010 Map, 2010 text list
- ^ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". Uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved August 12, 2017.
- ^ "INDEPENDENT LENS: Bully". Public Broadcasting System. October 9, 2014. Retrieved September 12, 2015.
Further reading
[edit]- James L. Cox, The Mississippi Almanac. 2001.
- Harriet DeCell and JoAnne Prichard, Yazoo: Its Legends and Legacies. n.c.: Yazoo Delta Press, 1976.
- A.T. Morgan, Yazoo; or, On the Picket Line of Freedom in the South: A Personal Narrative. New York: Russell and Russell, 1968.
- Willie Morris, A Pictorial History of Yazoo County. n.c.: Heritage House Publishing, 1996.
- Nicholas Russell Murray, Yazoo County, Mississippi, 1845-1900. Hammond, LA: Hunting for Bears, c. 1982.
- New Orleans Exposition Committee, Official Information Respecting Yazoo County, Mississippi. Yazoo City, MS: n.p., 1884.
- Roster and Sketches of the Several Military Companies Which Were in Regular Service of the Confederate States During the Civil War from Yazoo County, Mississippi. Leland, Mississippi: Mrs. C. Q. Hollowell. March 1, 1960 [1st pub. Yazoo Camp, 176, of Confederate Veterans – via Waller Printing Co.:1905].
- Yazoo Historical Association, Yazoo County Story: A Pictorial History of Yazoo County, Mississippi, Covering Both the Old and the New. Fort Worth, TX: University Supply and Equipment Co., 1958.
External links
[edit]- Official website
- Yazoo County Mississippi on RootsWeb.com
- Yazoo County Convention and Visitors Bureau
Places adjacent to Yazoo County, Mississippi | ||||||||||||||||
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Municipalities and communities of Yazoo County, Mississippi, United States | ||
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| CDP | ||
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| Ghost towns | ||
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