Tunica County, Mississippi facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Tunica County
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Tunica County Courthouse in Tunica
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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 | 1836 |
| Named for | Tunica-Biloxi tribe |
| Seat | Tunica |
| Largest town | Tunica Resorts |
| Area | |
| • Total | 481 sq mi (1,250 km2) |
| • Land | 455 sq mi (1,180 km2) |
| • Water | 26 sq mi (70 km2) 5.4% |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 9,782 |
| • Density | 20.337/sq mi (7.852/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| Congressional district | 2nd |
Tunica County is a county located in the U.S. state of Mississippi. As of the 2020 census, the population was 9,782. Its county seat is Tunica. The county is named for the Tunica Native Americans. Most migrated to central Louisiana during the colonial period.
Tunica County is part of the Memphis, TN-MS-AR Metropolitan Statistical Area. It is located in the Mississippi Delta region.
Since the late 20th century, it is known for Tunica Resorts (formerly Robinsonville), an unincorporated community that is the site of six casino resorts. It is one of the top six destinations in the country in terms of gambling revenues.
Contents
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 481 square miles (1,250 km2), of which 455 square miles (1,180 km2) is land and 26 square miles (67 km2) (5.4%) is water.
Major highways
Interstate 69
U.S. Route 61
Mississippi Highway 3
Mississippi Highway 4
Adjacent counties
- Crittenden County, Arkansas (north)
- DeSoto County (northeast)
- Tate County (east)
- Panola County (southeast)
- Quitman County (south)
- Coahoma County (southwest)
- Phillips County, Arkansas (southwest)
- Lee County, Arkansas (west)
Demographics
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1840 | 821 | — | |
| 1850 | 1,314 | 60.0% | |
| 1860 | 4,366 | 232.3% | |
| 1870 | 5,358 | 22.7% | |
| 1880 | 8,461 | 57.9% | |
| 1890 | 12,158 | 43.7% | |
| 1900 | 16,479 | 35.5% | |
| 1910 | 18,646 | 13.2% | |
| 1920 | 20,386 | 9.3% | |
| 1930 | 21,233 | 4.2% | |
| 1940 | 22,610 | 6.5% | |
| 1950 | 21,664 | −4.2% | |
| 1960 | 16,826 | −22.3% | |
| 1970 | 11,854 | −29.5% | |
| 1980 | 9,652 | −18.6% | |
| 1990 | 8,164 | −15.4% | |
| 2000 | 9,227 | 13.0% | |
| 2010 | 10,778 | 16.8% | |
| 2020 | 9,782 | −9.2% | |
| 2023 (est.) | 9,234 | −14.3% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census 1790-1960 1900-1990 1990-2000 2010-2013 |
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2020 census
| Race | Num. | Perc. |
|---|---|---|
| Black or African American | 7,316 | 76.35% |
| White | 1,853 | 19.34% |
| Native American | 13 | 0.14% |
| Asian | 27 | 0.28% |
| Other/Mixed | 182 | 1.9% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 191 | 1.99% |
As of the 2020 United States Census, there were 9,782 people, 3,930 households, and 2,347 families residing in the county.
2010 census
As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 10,778 people living in the county. 73.5% were Black or African American, 23.7% White, 0.6% Asian, 0.1% Native American, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 1.2% of some other race and 0.9% of two or more races. 2.3% were Hispanic or Latino (of any race).
Economy
GreenTech Automotive received $6 million of incentive financing from the state of Mississippi and Tunica County to build an automotive plant in the county. The facility was shut down in January 2017. GreenTech had promised to invest $60 million in the manufacturing plant, but it produced few cars if any. A Mississippi state auditor's review begun in 2016 found documentation reflecting only $3 million spent by GreenTech on automotive assembly equipment and parts. While the company had promised to create 350 full-time jobs, it was found to never have created more than 94 active, full-time jobs in Mississippi at any time.
In July 2017, the Mississippi state auditor demanded that GreenTech and its CEO Charlie Wang pay Mississippi $6 million because Greentech had not lived up to its promises to invest $60 million and create 350 jobs in Tunica County. The auditor said: "I would venture that there isn’t really much of an operation in Tunica at all. This appears to have been a game of smoke and mirrors, and a corporate entity that never had any intention to deliver on the promises it made." In November 2017, Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood sued the company for $3 million, plus forfeiture of land used for the Tunica factory.
GreenTech declared bankruptcy in February 2018. In a 2020 final settlement, it paid Mississippi and Tunica County only $575,000.
Education
- Public School Districts
- Tunica County School District (the school district for the entire county)
- Private Schools
- Tunica Academy is located in an unincorporated area, near Tunica
Notable people
- Brandon Bryant, National Football League (NFL) safety
- James Cotton, blues harmonica player
- Parker Hall, 1939 Most Valuable Player of the NFL
- Charlaine Harris, New York Times bestselling author
- Donald Hawkins, NFL tackle
- Benardrick McKinney, NFL linebacker for the New York Giants
Communities
Town
- Tunica (county seat)
Census-designated places
- Austin
- Dundee
- North Tunica
- Tunica Resorts (formerly known as Robinsonville)
- White Oak
Unincorporated communities
- Banks
- Bowdre
- Clack
- Clayton
- Dubbs
- Evansville
- Hollywood
- Lost Lake
- Maud
- Mhoon Landing
- Prichard
Ghost towns
See also
In Spanish: Condado de Tunica para niños
