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Scott County, Mississippi facts for kids

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Scott County
1900 Scott County Courthouse (replaced 1924 and again in 1955)
1900 Scott County Courthouse (replaced 1924 and again in 1955)
Map of Mississippi highlighting Scott 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 1833
Named for Abram M. Scott
Seat Forest
Largest city Forest
Area
 • Total 610 sq mi (1,600 km2)
 • Land 609 sq mi (1,580 km2)
 • Water 1.2 sq mi (3 km2)  0.2%
Population
 (2010)
 • Total 28,264
 • Estimate 
(2018)
28,287
 • Density 46.3/sq mi (17.89/km2)
Time zone UTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST) UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district 3rd

Scott County is a county located in the U.S. state of Mississippi. As of the 2010 census, the population was 28,264. Its county seat is Forest. The county is named for Abram M. Scott, the Governor of Mississippi from 1832 to 1833.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 610 square miles (1,600 km2), of which 609 square miles (1,580 km2) is land and 1.2 square miles (3.1 km2) (0.2%) is water.

It is an approximately 45 minute driving distance from Jackson.

Major highways

  • I-20.svg Interstate 20
  • US 80.svg U.S. Highway 80
  • Circle sign 13.svg Mississippi Highway 13
  • Circle sign 21.svg Mississippi Highway 21
  • Circle sign 35.svg Mississippi Highway 35

Adjacent counties

National protected area

  • Bienville National Forest (part)

History

This area was developed by European Americans for cotton plantations. After the American Civil War, many freedmen worked as sharecroppers or tenant farmers on the plantations. 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.

On October 23-25, 1898, a "race war" erupted in Harperville, an unincorporated community in Scott County, after blacks resisted one of their community being arrested for an alleged conflict with his white employer. They fatally shot a white deputy and wounded three others. A mob of whites gathered that night and started hunting down and killing black suspects, killing nine to eleven black men by the end of the following day. Sources vary in the count of fatalities, and some blacks were buried before being identified or counted. The county sheriff arrested some black suspects and took them first to the county seat at Forest, and then to Meridian for their safety. Associated Press and major newspapers covered the events.

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop.
1840 1,653
1850 3,961 139.6%
1860 8,139 105.5%
1870 7,847 −3.6%
1880 10,845 38.2%
1890 11,740 8.3%
1900 14,316 21.9%
1910 16,723 16.8%
1920 16,420 −1.8%
1930 20,914 27.4%
1940 23,144 10.7%
1950 21,681 −6.3%
1960 21,187 −2.3%
1970 21,369 0.9%
1980 24,556 14.9%
1990 24,137 −1.7%
2000 28,423 17.8%
2010 28,264 −0.6%
2018 (est.) 28,287 0.1%
U.S. Decennial Census
1790-1960 1900-1990
1990-2000 2010-2013

2020 census

Scott County Racial Composition
Race Num. Perc.
White 13,145 46.96%
Black or African American 9,923 35.45%
Native American 95 0.34%
Asian 103 0.37%
Other/Mixed 576 2.06%
Hispanic or Latino 4,148 14.82%

As of the 2020 United States Census, there were 27,990 people, 10,180 households, and 7,015 families residing in the county.

2010 census

As of the 2010 census, there were 28,264 people, 10,248 households, and 7,264 families residing in the county. The population density was 46.4 people per square mile (18/km2). There were 11,470 housing units at an average density of 18 per square mile (7/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 53.3% White, 37.5% Black or African American, 0.31% Native American, 0.2% Asian, 0.2% Pacific Islander, 7.2% from other races, and 1.4% from two or more races. 10.7% of the population were Hispanic or Latino (6.3% Mexican, 1.5% Guatemalan, 0.7% Cuban).

There were 10,183 households, out of which 36.20% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.80% were married couples living together, 18.80% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.00% were non-families. 22.20% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.00% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.76 and the average family size was 3.21.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 28.60% under the age of 18, 9.60% from 18 to 24, 27.90% from 25 to 44, 21.40% from 45 to 64, and 12.40% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 94.40 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.10 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $26,686, and the median income for a family was $31,487. Males had a median income of $26,406 versus $18,459 for females. The per capita income for the county was $14,013. About 16.50% of families and 20.70% of the population were below the poverty line, including 26.80% of those under age 18 and 22.70% of those age 65 or over.

Communities

Cities

Towns

Census-designated places

Other unincorporated communities

See also

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

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