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Newton County, Mississippi facts for kids

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Newton County
U.S. county
Alabama and Vicksburg Railroad Depot
Alabama and Vicksburg Railroad Depot
Map of Mississippi highlighting Newton County
Location within the U.S. state of Mississippi
Map of the United States highlighting Mississippi
Mississippi's location within the U.S.
Country  United States
State  Mississippi
Founded 1836
Seat Decatur
Largest city Newton
Area
 • Total 580 sq mi (1,500 km2)
 • Land 578 sq mi (1,500 km2)
 • Water 1.5 sq mi (4 km2)  0.3%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 21,291
 • Density 36.7/sq mi (14.17/km2)
Time zone UTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST) UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district 3rd

Newton County is a place in the state of Mississippi, USA. It's like a smaller region within the state, with its own local government. In 2020, about 21,291 people lived here. The main town, or county seat, where the county government offices are, is Decatur.

History

Newton County was created in 1836. It was named to honor Sir Isaac Newton, a famous scientist.

Newton County is next to Jasper County. Jasper County was named after Sergeant William Jasper. He was a hero in the American Revolutionary War during the Siege of Savannah in 1779. Sergeant John Newton had a very similar story.

In the early 1800s, many places were named after these two heroes. For example, four other states (Georgia, Indiana, Missouri, and Texas) also have Jasper and Newton Counties right next to each other. In some states like Illinois and Iowa, Newton is even the main town of Jasper County. In Arkansas, Jasper is the main town of Newton County. This shows that the stories of Sergeants Jasper and Newton were very well known and often linked together when these counties were named.

Geography

Newton County covers about 580 square miles. Most of this area, about 578 square miles, is land. Only a small part, about 1.5 square miles, is water.

Major Roads and Highways

Neighboring Counties

Protected Natural Areas

  • Part of the Bienville National Forest is located in Newton County.

Population Information

Historical population
Census Pop. %±
1840 2,527 —
1850 4,465 76.7%
1860 9,661 116.4%
1870 10,067 4.2%
1880 13,436 33.5%
1890 16,625 23.7%
1900 19,708 18.5%
1910 23,085 17.1%
1920 20,727 −10.2%
1930 22,910 10.5%
1940 24,249 5.8%
1950 22,681 −6.5%
1960 19,517 −14.0%
1970 18,983 −2.7%
1980 19,944 5.1%
1990 20,291 1.7%
2000 21,838 7.6%
2010 21,720 −0.5%
2020 21,291 −2.0%
2023 (est.) 21,019 −3.2%
U.S. Decennial Census
1790-1960 1900-1990
1990-2000 2010-2013

2020 Census Details

In 2020, the United States Census counted 21,291 people living in Newton County. There were 8,037 households and 5,697 families.

The population of Newton County in 2020 was made up of different groups:

Newton County Racial Composition
Race Number of People Percentage
White 12,796 60.1%
Black or African American 6,447 30.28%
Native American 1,169 5.49%
Asian 77 0.36%
Other/Mixed 473 2.22%
Hispanic or Latino 329 1.55%

Communities

Newton County has several towns and communities.

City

Towns

Census-Designated Place

Smaller Communities (Unincorporated)

These are places that are not officially cities or towns.

Education

Students in Newton County attend schools in these districts:

  • Newton County School District
  • Newton Municipal School District
  • Union Public School District

Conehatta Elementary School, which is part of the Choctaw Tribal School System, is located in the community of Conehatta.

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Condado de Newton (Misisipi) para niños

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