Carroll County, Mississippi facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Carroll County
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Carroll County Courthouse
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Location within the U.S. state of Mississippi
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 Mississippi's location within the U.S. |
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| Country |  United States |
| State |  Mississippi |
| Founded | 1833 |
| Named for | Charles Carroll of Carrollton |
| Seat | Carrollton (Northern District) Vaiden (Southern District) |
| Largest town | Vaiden |
| Area | |
| • Total | 635 sq mi (1,640 km2) |
| • Land | 628 sq mi (1,630 km2) |
| • Water | 6.3 sq mi (16 km2) 1.0% |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 9,998 |
| • Estimate
(2022)
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9,731 |
| • Density | 15.745/sq mi (6.079/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| Congressional district | 2nd |
Carroll County is a county in the U.S. state of Mississippi. As of the 2020 census, the population was 9,998. Its county seats are Carrollton and Vaiden. The county is named for Charles Carroll of Carrollton, the last surviving signatory of the Declaration of Independence.
Carroll County is part of the Greenwood, Micropolitan Statistical Area. Bordered by the Yazoo River on the west and the Big Black River to the east, it is considered to lie within the Mississippi Delta region. Most of its land, however, is in the hill country.
The Porter Wagoner song "The Carroll County Accident" was set here. The county is referred to in the third verse of Bobbie Gentry's 1967 hit song, "Ode to Billie Joe".
Contents
History
This area was developed by European Americans for cotton plantations near the rivers. After the American Civil War, many freedmen worked as sharecroppers or tenant farmers on the plantations. Other areas were used for timber. In 1890 the state legislature disenfranchised most blacks, who were a majority in the state, by creating barriers to voter registration; it also passed Jim Crow laws, treating freedmen and their descendants as second-class citizens.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 635 square miles (1,640 km2), of which 628 square miles (1,630 km2) is land and 6.3 square miles (16 km2) (1.0%) is water.
Major highways
Interstate 55
U.S. Route 51
U.S. Route 82
Mississippi Highway 17
Mississippi Highway 35
Adjacent counties
- Grenada County (north)
- Montgomery County (east)
- Attala County (southeast)
- Holmes County (south)
- Leflore County (west)
Demographics
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1840 | 10,481 | — | |
| 1850 | 18,491 | 76.4% | |
| 1860 | 22,035 | 19.2% | |
| 1870 | 21,047 | −4.5% | |
| 1880 | 17,795 | −15.5% | |
| 1890 | 18,773 | 5.5% | |
| 1900 | 22,116 | 17.8% | |
| 1910 | 23,139 | 4.6% | |
| 1920 | 20,324 | −12.2% | |
| 1930 | 19,765 | −2.8% | |
| 1940 | 20,651 | 4.5% | |
| 1950 | 15,499 | −24.9% | |
| 1960 | 11,177 | −27.9% | |
| 1970 | 9,397 | −15.9% | |
| 1980 | 9,776 | 4.0% | |
| 1990 | 9,237 | −5.5% | |
| 2000 | 10,769 | 16.6% | |
| 2010 | 10,597 | −1.6% | |
| 2020 | 9,998 | −5.7% | |
| 2023 (est.) | 9,535 | −10.0% | |
| US Decennial Census 1790-1960 1900-1990 1990-2000 2010-2013 |
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From 1940 to 1970, the county population declined markedly, as many African Americans left in the Great Migration to West Coast cities that had a growing defense industry. Others went North to Chicago and other industrial cities. Rural whites also moved to cities to find work.
2020 census
| Race | Num. | Perc. |
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| White (non-Hispanic) | 6,529 | 65.3% |
| Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 3,030 | 30.31% |
| Native American | 15 | 0.15% |
| Asian | 29 | 0.29% |
| Other/Mixed | 241 | 2.41% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 154 | 1.54% |
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 9,998 people, 3,827 households, and 2,685 families residing in the county.
Education
Carroll County School District is the area public school district. It operates one high school, J. Z. George High School, and formerly operated Vaiden High School.
Carroll Academy is an area private school that is financially supported by the Council of Conservative Citizens, a white supremacist group.
Pillow Academy in unincorporated Leflore County, near Greenwood, enrolls some students from Carroll County. It originally was a segregation academy.
Communities
Towns
- Carrollton (county seat)
- North Carrollton
- Vaiden (county seat)
Unincorporated places
Notable people
- Henry Pinckney McCain - born in Carroll County, 1861
- John S. McCain, Sr. - born in Carroll County, 1894; became admiral in US Navy, served during World War II
- Mississippi John Hurt - born in Carroll County, ca. 1893, blues musician
Notable people
- Henry Pinckney McCain - US Army General, born in Carroll County 1861
- Lafayette Joseph Lott – Democratic politician, born in Carroll County 1863
- John S. McCain, Sr. - (US Navy Admiral), born in Carroll County 1884
- Mississippi John Hurt - Musician, born in Carroll County 1893
See also
In Spanish: Condado de Carroll (Misisipi) para niños
