Jefferson County, Mississippi Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Jefferson County
U.S. county
Historic Christ Church, Church Hill, Mississippi.
Location within the U.S. state of Mississippi
Mississippi's location within the U.S.
Country	United States
State	Mississippi
Founded	1799
Named for	Thomas Jefferson
Seat	Fayette
Largest city	Fayette
Area
• Total	527 sq mi (1,360 km²)
• Land	520 sq mi (1,300 km²)
• Water	7.3 sq mi (19 km²) 1.4%
Population (2020)
• Total	7,260
• Density	13.776/sq mi (5.319/km²)
Time zone	UTC−6 (Central)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district	2nd

Jefferson County is a county located in the U.S. state of Mississippi; its western border is formed by the Mississippi River. As of the 2020 census, the population was 7,260, making it the fourth-least populous county in Mississippi. Its first county seat was located at Old Greenville until 1825, which no longer exists, before moving to Fayette. The county is named for U.S. President Thomas Jefferson.

One of the first of two counties organized in the Mississippi Territory in 1798 along with Adams County, it was first named Pickering County and included what would become Claiborne County. Originally developed as cotton plantations in the antebellum era, the rural county has struggled with a declining economy and reduced population since the mechanization of agriculture and urbanization of other areas. In 2020, its population of 7,260 was roughly one-third of the population peak in 1900. Within the United States, in 2009 rural Jefferson County had the highest percentage of African-Americans of any county. It was the fourth-poorest county in the nation.

Geography
Demographics
Education
Communities
Notable people
See also

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 527 square miles (1,360 km²), of which 520 square miles (1,300 km²) is land and 7.3 square miles (19 km²) (1.4%) is water.

Major highways

U.S. Highway 61
Mississippi Highway 28
Mississippi Highway 33

Adjacent counties

Claiborne County (north)
Copiah County (northeast)
Lincoln County (southeast)
Franklin County (south)
Adams County (southwest)
Tensas Parish, Louisiana (west)

National protected areas

Homochitto National Forest (part)
Natchez Trace Parkway (part)

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1800	2,940	—
1810	4,001	36.1%
1820	6,822	70.5%
1830	9,755	43.0%
1840	11,650	19.4%
1850	13,193	13.2%
1860	15,349	16.3%
1870	13,848	−9.8%
1880	17,314	25.0%
1890	18,947	9.4%
1900	21,292	12.4%
1910	18,221	−14.4%
1920	15,946	−12.5%
1930	14,291	−10.4%
1940	13,969	−2.3%
1950	11,306	−19.1%
1960	10,142	−10.3%
1970	9,295	−8.4%
1980	9,181	−1.2%
1990	8,653	−5.8%
2000	9,740	12.6%
2010	7,726	−20.7%
2020	7,260	−6.0%
2023 (est.)	6,941	−10.2%
U.S. Decennial Census 1790-1960 1900-1990 1990-2000 2010-2013

Jefferson County by race as of 2020
Race	Num.	Perc.
White	891	12.27%
Black or African American	6,138	84.55%
Native American	10	0.14%
Asian	14	0.19%
Pacific Islander	5	0.07%
Other/Mixed	128	1.76%
Hispanic or Latino	74	1.02%

As of the 2020 United States Census, there were 7,260 people, 2,448 households, and 1,488 families residing in the county.

Education

Jefferson County School District operates public schools in all of the county.

Communities

City

Fayette (county seat)

Unincorporated communities

Cannonsburg
Church Hill
Coon Box
Harriston
Lorman
McBride
Red Lick
Union Church

Ghost towns or defunct

Notable people

Abijah Hunt, merchant who lived in Old Greenville during the Territorial Period, and owned a chain of stores and public cotton gins along the Natchez Trace
David Hunt, Antebellum planter who lived on Woodlawn Plantation in Jefferson County, and became one of 12 planter millionaires in the Natchez District before the American Civil War.
Zachary Taylor, U.S. president, planter, and soldier who often stayed on his plantation, Cypress Grove in Jefferson County, between 1840 and 1848.

Jefferson County, Mississippi facts for kids

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