Simpson County, Mississippi
Simpson County, Mississippi | |
|---|---|
Simpson County Courthouse in Mendenhall | |
Location within the U.S. state of Mississippi | |
| Coordinates: 31°55′N 89°55′W / 31.92°N 89.92°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Mississippi |
| Founded | 1824 |
| Named after | 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 (3.4 km2) 0.2% |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 25,949 |
• Estimate (2024) | 25,597 |
| • Density | 44.1/sq mi (17.0/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| Congressional district | 3rd |
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 is part of the Jackson, Mississippi metropolitan area.
Geography
According 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
- U.S. Highway 49
- Mississippi Highway 13
- Mississippi Highway 28
- Mississippi Highway 43
- Mississippi Highway 149
Adjacent counties
- Rankin County (north)
- Smith County (east)
- Covington County (southeast)
- Jefferson Davis County (south)
- Lawrence County (southwest)
- Copiah County (west)
Demographics
| 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% | |
| 2024 (est.) | 25,597 | [6] | −1.4% |
| U.S. Decennial Census[7] 1790-1960[8] 1900-1990[9] 1990-2000[10] 2010-2013[11] | |||
2020 census
| 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 census, the county had a population of 25,949. The median age was 40.4 years. 24.0% of residents were under the age of 18 and 18.1% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 94.9 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 90.6 males age 18 and over.[13][14]
The racial makeup of the county was 61.6% White, 34.1% Black or African American, 0.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% Asian, <0.1% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 0.9% from some other race, and 2.9% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 1.5% of the population.[14]
<0.1% of residents lived in urban areas, while 100.0% lived in rural areas.[15]
There were 10,014 households in the county, of which 31.9% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 45.1% were married-couple households, 18.8% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 30.6% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 27.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[13]
There were 11,559 housing units, of which 13.4% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 75.8% were owner-occupied and 24.2% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.2% and the rental vacancy rate was 10.1%.[13]
Communities
Cities
Town
Village
Unincorporated communities
Ghost town
Politics
A nearly unanimously Democratic county in the days of the Solid South, Simpson County has since swung decisively into the Republican column. It has not supported a Democratic presidential candidate since 1956, nor any third-party candidates since 1968.
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 1912 | 19 | 2.79% | 606 | 88.86% | 57 | 8.36% |
| 1916 | 34 | 3.38% | 966 | 96.02% | 6 | 0.60% |
| 1920 | 109 | 10.63% | 902 | 88.00% | 14 | 1.37% |
| 1924 | 100 | 6.15% | 1,518 | 93.42% | 7 | 0.43% |
| 1928 | 231 | 10.88% | 1,893 | 89.12% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1932 | 47 | 2.36% | 1,941 | 97.59% | 1 | 0.05% |
| 1936 | 48 | 1.92% | 2,445 | 98.04% | 1 | 0.04% |
| 1940 | 40 | 1.70% | 2,316 | 98.26% | 1 | 0.04% |
| 1944 | 78 | 3.06% | 2,470 | 96.94% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1948 | 59 | 2.29% | 171 | 6.65% | 2,342 | 91.06% |
| 1952 | 878 | 24.09% | 2,767 | 75.91% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1956 | 467 | 14.64% | 2,140 | 67.11% | 582 | 18.25% |
| 1960 | 606 | 18.89% | 1,034 | 32.23% | 1,568 | 48.88% |
| 1964 | 4,949 | 94.81% | 271 | 5.19% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1968 | 875 | 12.47% | 1,079 | 15.37% | 5,064 | 72.16% |
| 1972 | 5,669 | 85.87% | 871 | 13.19% | 62 | 0.94% |
| 1976 | 4,291 | 53.91% | 3,600 | 45.23% | 69 | 0.87% |
| 1980 | 5,190 | 55.60% | 4,015 | 43.01% | 129 | 1.38% |
| 1984 | 5,983 | 67.04% | 2,894 | 32.43% | 47 | 0.53% |
| 1988 | 6,151 | 66.69% | 3,016 | 32.70% | 56 | 0.61% |
| 1992 | 5,358 | 57.45% | 3,213 | 34.45% | 755 | 8.10% |
| 1996 | 4,455 | 56.56% | 2,851 | 36.19% | 571 | 7.25% |
| 2000 | 6,254 | 65.32% | 3,227 | 33.71% | 93 | 0.97% |
| 2004 | 7,138 | 68.15% | 3,272 | 31.24% | 64 | 0.61% |
| 2008 | 7,641 | 60.59% | 4,817 | 38.20% | 152 | 1.21% |
| 2012 | 7,424 | 60.61% | 4,723 | 38.56% | 102 | 0.83% |
| 2016 | 7,393 | 64.74% | 3,874 | 33.93% | 152 | 1.33% |
| 2020 | 7,635 | 64.62% | 4,037 | 34.17% | 143 | 1.21% |
| 2024 | 7,552 | 68.07% | 3,479 | 31.36% | 63 | 0.57% |
Education
Simpson County School District is the local school district.[17]
It is in the district of Copiah–Lincoln Community College, and has been since 1934.[18] The district maintains the Simpson County Center.[19]
See also
References
- ^ "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.
- ^ "County Population Totals and Components of Change: 2020-2024". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved September 3, 2025.
- ^ "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.
- ^ a b c "2020 Decennial Census Demographic Profile (DP1)". United States Census Bureau. 2021. Retrieved December 24, 2025.
- ^ a b "2020 Decennial Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171)". United States Census Bureau. 2021. Retrieved December 24, 2025.
- ^ "2020 Decennial Census Demographic and Housing Characteristics (DHC)". United States Census Bureau. 2023. Retrieved December 24, 2025.
- ^ 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
- Media related to Simpson County, Mississippi at Wikimedia Commons
- Mississippi Courthouses – Simpson County