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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
 (2020)
 • Total 27,990
 • Estimate 
(2023)
27,507 Decrease
 • Density 45.9/sq mi (17.72/km2)
Time zone UTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST) UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district 3rd

Scott County is a county located in the state of Mississippi in the United States. In 2020, about 27,990 people lived there. The main city and county seat (where the county government is) is Forest. The county is named after Abram M. Scott, who was the Governor of Mississippi from 1832 to 1833.

Exploring Scott County's Geography

Scott County covers a total area of about 610 square miles. Most of this area, 609 square miles, is land. Only a small part, about 1.2 square miles, is water.

The county is located about a 45-minute drive from Jackson, a larger city in Mississippi.

Main Roads in Scott County

These are the important highways that run through Scott County:

  • 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

Neighboring Counties

Scott County shares borders with several other counties:

Protected Natural Areas

Part of the Bienville National Forest is located within Scott County. This is a large area of protected forest land.

Scott County's Past: A Look at History

The area that is now Scott County was first developed by European Americans. They created large farms called cotton plantations. After the American Civil War, many formerly enslaved people, known as freedmen, worked on these farms. They often shared crops or rented land.

In 1890, the state government made new laws. These laws made it very hard for most Black people to vote. Black people were the majority in Mississippi at that time. The state also passed Jim Crow laws, which treated Black people as second-class citizens.

During the late 1800s and early 1900s, there were sad and unfair events in Scott County. These included acts of violence against Black people. One difficult event happened in October 1898 in Harperville. There was a conflict when Black residents resisted an arrest. This led to violence and the deaths of several Black men. Newspapers across the country reported on these events.

Understanding Scott County's Population

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%
2020 27,990 −1.0%
2023 (est.) 27,507 −2.7%
U.S. Decennial Census
1790-1960 1900-1990
1990-2000 2010-2013

Population in 2020

In 2020, there were 27,990 people living in Scott County. These people lived in 10,180 households, and 7,015 of these were families.

Here's a look at the different groups of people in Scott County in 2020:

Scott County Racial Composition
Race Number of People Percentage
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%

Population in 2010

In 2010, Scott County had 28,264 people. There were 10,248 households and 7,264 families. The county had about 46 people living per square mile.

About 36% of households had children under 18 living with them. About 50% were married couples. About 26% were not families.

The average age of people in the county was 34 years old. About 28.6% of the population was under 18. About 12.4% were 65 years or older.

The average income for a household was $26,686. For families, it was $31,487. About 20.7% of all people in the county lived below the poverty line. This included 26.8% of those under 18.

Local News and Media

The Scott County Times is a local newspaper that has served Scott County since 1939. It is published once a week and is owned by Emmerich Newspapers, Inc.

Communities in Scott County

Scott County has several towns and cities:

Cities

Towns

Census-Designated Places

These are areas that are like towns but are not officially incorporated as cities or towns:

Other Small Communities

Education in Scott County

Children in Scott County attend schools in these districts:

  • Forest Municipal School District
  • Scott County School District

Images for kids

See also

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

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