Simpson County is a county located in the U.S. state of Mississippi. Its western border is formed by the Pearl River, an important transportation route in the 19th century. As of the 2020 census, the population was 25,949.[1] The county seat is Mendenhall.[2] The county is named for Josiah Simpson (1787-1817),[3] a territorial judge who also served as a delegate to Mississippi's Constitutional Convention.[4]
Simpson County | |
|---|---|
 Simpson County courthouse in Mendenhall | |
 Location within the U.S. state of Mississippi | |
 Mississippi's location within the U.S. | |
| Coordinates: 31°55′N 89°55′W / 31.92°N 89.92°W | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Mississippi |
| Founded | 1824 |
| Named for | Josiah Simpson |
| Seat | Mendenhall |
| Largest city | Magee |
| Area | |
| • Total | 590 sq mi (1,500 km2) |
| • Land | 589 sq mi (1,530 km2) |
| • Water | 1.3 sq mi (3 km2) 0.2% |
| Population (2020) | |
| • Total | 25,949 |
| • Density | 44/sq mi (17/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| Congressional district | 3rd |
Simpson County is part of the Jackson, MS Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Geography
editAccording to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 590 square miles (1,500 km2), of which 589 square miles (1,530 km2) is land and 1.3 square miles (3.4 km2) (0.2%) is water.[5]
Major highways
edit
U.S. Highway 49
Mississippi Highway 13
Mississippi Highway 28
Mississippi Highway 43
Mississippi Highway 149
Adjacent counties
edit- Rankin County (north)
- Smith County (east)
- Covington County (southeast)
- Jefferson Davis County (south)
- Lawrence County (southwest)
- Copiah County (west)
Demographics
edit| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1830 | 2,680 | — | |
| 1840 | 3,380 | 26.1% | |
| 1850 | 4,734 | 40.1% | |
| 1860 | 6,080 | 28.4% | |
| 1870 | 5,718 | −6.0% | |
| 1880 | 8,008 | 40.0% | |
| 1890 | 10,138 | 26.6% | |
| 1900 | 12,800 | 26.3% | |
| 1910 | 17,201 | 34.4% | |
| 1920 | 18,109 | 5.3% | |
| 1930 | 20,897 | 15.4% | |
| 1940 | 22,024 | 5.4% | |
| 1950 | 21,819 | −0.9% | |
| 1960 | 20,454 | −6.3% | |
| 1970 | 19,947 | −2.5% | |
| 1980 | 23,441 | 17.5% | |
| 1990 | 23,953 | 2.2% | |
| 2000 | 27,639 | 15.4% | |
| 2010 | 27,503 | −0.5% | |
| 2020 | 25,949 | −5.7% | |
| 2023 (est.) | 25,715 | [6] | −0.9% |
| U.S. Decennial Census[7] 1790-1960[8] 1900-1990[9] 1990-2000[10] 2010-2013[11] | |||
| Race | Num. | Perc. |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 15,928 | 61.38% |
| Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 8,803 | 33.92% |
| Native American | 36 | 0.14% |
| Asian | 84 | 0.32% |
| Pacific Islander | 2 | 0.01% |
| Other/Mixed | 710 | 2.74% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 386 | 1.49% |
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 25,949 people, 9,486 households, and 6,617 families residing in the county.
Communities
editCities
editTown
editVillage
editUnincorporated communities
editGhost town
editPolitics
edit| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 2020 | 7,635 | 64.62% | 4,037 | 34.17% | 143 | 1.21% |
| 2016 | 7,393 | 64.74% | 3,874 | 33.93% | 152 | 1.33% |
| 2012 | 7,424 | 60.61% | 4,723 | 38.56% | 102 | 0.83% |
| 2008 | 7,641 | 60.59% | 4,817 | 38.20% | 152 | 1.21% |
| 2004 | 7,138 | 68.15% | 3,272 | 31.24% | 64 | 0.61% |
| 2000 | 6,254 | 65.32% | 3,227 | 33.71% | 93 | 0.97% |
| 1996 | 4,455 | 56.56% | 2,851 | 36.19% | 571 | 7.25% |
| 1992 | 5,358 | 57.45% | 3,213 | 34.45% | 755 | 8.10% |
| 1988 | 6,151 | 66.69% | 3,016 | 32.70% | 56 | 0.61% |
| 1984 | 5,983 | 67.04% | 2,894 | 32.43% | 47 | 0.53% |
| 1980 | 5,190 | 55.60% | 4,015 | 43.01% | 129 | 1.38% |
| 1976 | 4,291 | 53.91% | 3,600 | 45.23% | 69 | 0.87% |
| 1972 | 5,669 | 85.87% | 871 | 13.19% | 62 | 0.94% |
| 1968 | 875 | 12.47% | 1,079 | 15.37% | 5,064 | 72.16% |
| 1964 | 4,949 | 94.81% | 271 | 5.19% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1960 | 606 | 18.89% | 1,034 | 32.23% | 1,568 | 48.88% |
| 1956 | 467 | 14.64% | 2,140 | 67.11% | 582 | 18.25% |
| 1952 | 878 | 24.09% | 2,767 | 75.91% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1948 | 59 | 2.29% | 171 | 6.65% | 2,342 | 91.06% |
| 1944 | 78 | 3.06% | 2,470 | 96.94% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1940 | 40 | 1.70% | 2,316 | 98.26% | 1 | 0.04% |
| 1936 | 48 | 1.92% | 2,445 | 98.04% | 1 | 0.04% |
| 1932 | 47 | 2.36% | 1,941 | 97.59% | 1 | 0.05% |
| 1928 | 231 | 10.88% | 1,893 | 89.12% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1924 | 100 | 6.15% | 1,518 | 93.42% | 7 | 0.43% |
| 1920 | 109 | 10.63% | 902 | 88.00% | 14 | 1.37% |
| 1916 | 34 | 3.38% | 966 | 96.02% | 6 | 0.60% |
| 1912 | 19 | 2.79% | 606 | 88.86% | 57 | 8.36% |
Education
editSimpson County School District is the local school district.[14]
It is in the district of Copiah–Lincoln Community College, and has been since 1934.[15] The district maintains the Simpson County Center.[16]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Census - Geography Profile: Simpson County, Mississippi". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 15, 2023.
- ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
- ^ "The Political Graveyard: Index to Politicians: Simpson". politicalgraveyard.com. Retrieved December 11, 2022.
- ^ Blakeney, Amanda. 2022. 1/82: Simpson County. Mississippi Landmarks (Mississippi State University), Vol. 18, No. 2, Page 27, October 2022.
- ^ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Archived from the original on September 28, 2013. Retrieved November 7, 2014.
- ^ "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2023". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved April 5, 2024.
- ^ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved November 7, 2014.
- ^ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved November 7, 2014.
- ^ "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved November 7, 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 November 7, 2014.
- ^ "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on June 7, 2011. Retrieved September 5, 2013.
- ^ "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved December 17, 2021.
- ^ Presidential Elections Results, uselectionatlas.org; accessed December 6, 2017.
- ^ "2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Simpson County, MS" (PDF). U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved May 5, 2023. - Text list
- ^ "History". Copiah–Lincoln Community College. Retrieved September 27, 2024.
- ^ "Campuses and Maps". Copiah–Lincoln Community College. Retrieved September 27, 2024.
External links
edit
Media related to Simpson County, Mississippi at Wikimedia Commons- Mississippi Courthouses – Simpson County
