Chickasaw County, Mississippi facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Chickasaw County
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East façade of the Chickasaw County Courthouse in Houston
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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 | 1836 |
| Named for | Chickasaw people |
| Seat | Houston and Okolona |
| Largest city | Houston |
| Area | |
| • Total | 504 sq mi (1,310 km2) |
| • Land | 502 sq mi (1,300 km2) |
| • Water | 2.5 sq mi (6 km2) 0.5% |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 17,106 |
| • Density | 33.94/sq mi (13.104/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| Congressional district | 1st |
Chickasaw County is a county located in the U.S. state of Mississippi. As of the 2020 census, the population was 17,106. Its county seats are Houston and Okolona. The county is named for the Chickasaw people, who lived in this area for hundreds of years. Most were forcibly removed to Indian Territory in the 1830s, but some remained and became citizens of the state and the United States.
Contents
History
The Mississippi state legislature created Chickasaw County in 1836, following the cession of the land by the Chickasaw Indians. It was quickly settled by Americans from the east, mainly from the Southern states. By the time of the Civil War, riverfront landings had been developed by the many large cotton plantations worked by slaves, who outnumbered the white residents of the county.
The American Civil War devastated the local economy, completely destroying the plantation-based infrastructure of Chickasaw County. The newly freed slaves had to adapt to the new labor system, in which the white landowners still retained partial control over their lives through the practice of sharecropping. The economy declined again in the late 19th century, when falling cotton prices reduced both black and white residents to poverty. Farmers eventually began diversifying their crops, and the economy slowly began to improve.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 504 square miles (1,310 km2), of which 502 square miles (1,300 km2) is land and 2.5 square miles (6.5 km2) (0.5%) is water.
Major highways
U.S. Route 45 Alternate (Mississippi)
Mississippi Highway 8
Mississippi Highway 15
Mississippi Highway 32
Mississippi Highway 41
Mississippi Highway 47- Natchez Trace Parkway
Adjacent counties
- Pontotoc County (north)
- Lee County (northeast)
- Monroe County (east)
- Clay County (southeast)
- Webster County (southwest)
- Calhoun County (west)
National protected areas
- Natchez Trace Parkway (part)
- Tombigbee National Forest (part)
Demographics
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1840 | 2,955 | — | |
| 1850 | 16,369 | 453.9% | |
| 1860 | 16,426 | 0.3% | |
| 1870 | 19,899 | 21.1% | |
| 1880 | 17,905 | −10.0% | |
| 1890 | 19,891 | 11.1% | |
| 1900 | 19,892 | 0.0% | |
| 1910 | 22,846 | 14.9% | |
| 1920 | 22,212 | −2.8% | |
| 1930 | 20,835 | −6.2% | |
| 1940 | 21,427 | 2.8% | |
| 1950 | 18,951 | −11.6% | |
| 1960 | 16,891 | −10.9% | |
| 1970 | 16,805 | −0.5% | |
| 1980 | 17,853 | 6.2% | |
| 1990 | 18,085 | 1.3% | |
| 2000 | 19,440 | 7.5% | |
| 2010 | 17,392 | −10.5% | |
| 2020 | 17,106 | −1.6% | |
| 2023 (est.) | 16,866 | −3.0% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census 1790-1960 1900-1990 1990-2000 2010-2013 |
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2020 census
| Race | Num. | Perc. |
|---|---|---|
| White | 8,584 | 50.18% |
| Black or African American | 7,407 | 43.3% |
| Native American | 13 | 0.08% |
| Asian | 41 | 0.24% |
| Pacific Islander | 4 | 0.04% |
| Other/Mixed | 419 | 2.45% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 642 | 3.75% |
As of the 2020 United States Census, there were 17,106 people, 6,476 households, and 4,278 families residing in the county.
2010 census
As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 17,392 people living in the county. 54.0% were White, 42.1% Black or African American, 0.3% Asian, 0.1% Native American, 2.5% of some other race and 1.0% of two or more races. 3.7% were Hispanic or Latino (of any race).
Communities
Cities
Towns
Villages
Census-designated place
Unincorporated communities
Notable locals
- Singer-songwriter Bobbie Gentry, a Mississippi Musicians Hall of Fame inductee
- Bukka White, early blues performer
- William Raspberry, journalist
- Milan Williams, founding member of The Commodores
- Jim Hood, politician and former Mississippi Attorney General
- Jeff Busby, United States Representative who spearheaded the Natchez Trace Parkway
- Shaquille Vance, 2012 U.S. Paralympic National Championship, gold medal (100m), silver medal (200m)
- Ida Mae Brandon Gladney, central character in the Pulitzer Prize-winning nonfiction book The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson
Fictional locals
- Titus Andromedon, aka Ronald Ephen Wilkerson, one of the main characters from the comedy series Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, was originally from Chickasaw County
See also
In Spanish: Condado de Chickasaw (Misisipi) para niños
