Jefferson County, Mississippi facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jefferson County
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Historic Christ Church, Church Hill, Mississippi.
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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 | 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)
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| • Total | 7,260 |
| • Estimate
(2023)
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6,941  |
| • 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. Until 1825, its first county seat was located at Old Greenville, 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.
Contents
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 |
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| Race | Num. | Perc. |
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| 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.
It is in the district of Copiah–Lincoln Community College, and has been since 1967.
Communities
City
- Fayette (county seat)
Unincorporated communities
- Cannonsburg
- Church Hill
- Harriston
- Lorman
- McBride
- Red Lick
- Union Church
Ghost towns or defunct
- Ashland (or Ashland Landing)
- Cane Ridge
- Coon Box
- Gum Ridge
- Old Greenville
- Rodney
- Shankstown
- Uniontown
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.
See also
In Spanish: Condado de Jefferson (Misisipi) para niños
