Yazoo County, Mississippi
Template:Short description Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox U.S. county
Yazoo County is a county located in the U.S. state of Mississippi. As of the 2020 census, the population was 26,743,<ref name="2020 Census (City)">Template:Cite web</ref> and was estimated to be 23,024 in 2024.<ref name="QF"/> The county seat is Yazoo City.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> It is named for the Yazoo River, which forms its western border. Its name is said to come from a Choctaw language word meaning "River of Death".<ref>Template:Cite thesis</ref><ref>Johnson's (revised) Universal Cyclopaedia. 1886.</ref>
History
[edit]The area which is now Yazoo County was acquired by the State of Mississippi from the Choctaw Indians in 1820. Yazoo County was established on January 21, 1823. It was the 19th county established in the State of Mississippi and remains the largest in area. It was developed for cotton plantations, which lined the major river to have transportation access.
The first county seat was at Beatties Bluff. As population increased, In 1829 the county seat was moved to Benton. In 1849 the county seat was moved again, to Yazoo City, where it remains.
Yazoo County was a battlefield in 1863 and 1864 during the American Civil War. After the war, whites committed violence against freedmen to assert their dominance. Such violence continued after Reconstruction. In the period from 1877 to 1950, Yazoo County had 18 documented lynchings of African Americans.<ref name="eji">Lynching in America, 3rd edition Template:Webarchive, Supplement by County, p. 6</ref> Most occurred around the turn of the 20th century, as part of white imposition of Jim Crow conditions and suppression of black voting.
In 1900 a railroad disaster killed engineer Casey Jones; it took place in Yazoo County just north of Vaughan. The Great Mississippi Flood of 1927 did much damage in Yazoo County.
It experienced two accidents relating to carbon dioxide pipelines owned by Denbury Resources. In 2011, a pipeline had a "blowout" in Tinsley, Mississippi, causing the sickening of one worker and killing deer, fish and birds.<ref name=":02">Template:Cite web</ref> In 2020, a pipeline ruptured less than half a mile from Satartia. More than 300 people were evacuated and 46 hospitalized with carbon dioxide poisoning.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=":02"/>
Geography
[edit]According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of Template:Convert, of which Template:Convert is land and Template:Convert (1.3%) is water.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> It is the 1st largest county in Mississippi by total area and the 1st largest by total area.
Adjacent counties
[edit]- Humphreys County (north)
- Holmes County (northeast)
- Madison County (east)
- Hinds County (south)
- Warren County (southwest)
- Issaquena County (west)
- Sharkey County (northwest)
National protected area
[edit]Demographics
[edit]As of the third quarter of 2024, the median home value in Yazoo County was $138,610.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
As of the 2023 American Community Survey, there are 8,892 estimated households in Yazoo County with an average of 2.45 persons per household. The county has a median household income of $40,974. Approximately 30.9% of the county's population lives at or below the poverty line. Yazoo County has an estimated 43.2% employment rate, with 13.3% of the population holding a bachelor's degree or higher and 74.7% holding a high school diploma.<ref name="QF">Template:Cite web</ref>
The top five reported ancestries (people were allowed to report up to two ancestries, thus the figures will generally add to more than 100%) were English (94.0%), Spanish (5.7%), Indo-European (0.1%), Asian and Pacific Islander (0.0%), and Other (0.2%).
The median age in the county was 38.4 years.
Yazoo County, Mississippi – racial and ethnic composition
Template:Nobold
| Race / ethnicity (NH = non-Hispanic) | Pop. 1980<ref name=1980CensusScope>Template:Cite web</ref> | Pop. 1990<ref name=1990CensusScope>Template:Cite web</ref> | Pop. 2000<ref name=2000CensusP004>Template:Cite web</ref> | Pop. 2010<ref name=2010CensusP2>Template:Cite web</ref> | Template:Partial<ref name=2020CensusP2>Template:Cite web</ref> |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White alone (NH) | 13,131 (48.01%) |
11,923 (46.75%) |
11,558 (41.06%) |
10,477 (37.33%) |
9,184 (34.34%) |
| Black or African American alone (NH) | 13,755 (50.29%) |
13,401 (52.54%) |
15,074 (53.55%) |
15,893 (56.63.%) |
15,812 (59.13%) |
| Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) | 17 (0.06%) |
30 (0.12%) |
53 (0.19%) |
59 (0.21%) |
50 (0.19%) |
| Asian alone (NH) | 28 (0.10%) |
49 (0.19%) |
97 (0.34%) |
124 (0.44%) |
115 (0.43%) |
| Pacific Islander alone (NH) | — | — | 1 (0.00%) |
4 (0.01%) |
6 (0.02%) |
| Other race alone (NH) | 23 (0.08%) |
0 (0.00%) |
1 (0.00%) |
5 (0.02%) |
36 (0.13%) |
| Mixed race or multiracial (NH) | — | — | 132 (0.47%) |
202 (0.72%) |
464 (1.74.%) |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 395 (1.44%) |
103 (0.40%) |
1,233 (4.38%) |
1,301 (4.64%) |
1,076 (4.02%) |
| Total | 27,349 (100.00%) |
25,506 (100.00%) |
28,149 (100.00%) |
28,065 (100.00%) |
26,743 (100.00%) |
2020 census
[edit]As of the 2020 census, there were 26,743 people, 9,012 households, and 5,781 families residing in the county.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The population density was Template:Convert. There were 10,432 housing units at an average density of Template:Convert. The racial makeup of the county was 37.43% White, 59.57% African American, 0.19% Native American, 0.43% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.38% from some other races and 1.97% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 4.02% of the population.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2010 census
[edit]As of the 2010 census, there were 28,065 people, 8,860 households, and 6,280 families residing in the county. The population density was Template:Convert. There were 10,074 housing units at an average density of Template:Convert. The racial makeup of the county was 39.95% White, 57.06% African American, 0.29% Native American, 0.45% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.71% from some other races and 1.54% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 4.64% of the population.
2000 census
[edit]
As of the 2000 census, there were 28,149 people, 9,178 households, and 6,644 families residing in the county. The population density was Template:Convert. There were 10,015 housing units at an average density of Template:Convert. The racial makeup of the county was 44.74% White, 53.96% African American, 0.28% Native American, 0.36% Asian, 0.00% Pacific Islander, 0.22% from some other races and 0.52% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 4.38% of the population.
35.60% of the 9,178 households had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.20% were married couples living together, 23.70% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.60% were non-families. 24.50% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.70% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.81 and the average family size was 3.35.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 28.50% under the age of 18, 9.80% from 18 to 24, 29.20% from 25 to 44, 20.10% 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 103.60 males (boys). For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 103.60 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $24,795, and the median income for a family was $29,395. Males had a median income of $28,553 versus $19,797 for females. The per capita income for the county was $12,062. About 25.40% of families and 31.90% of the population were below the poverty line, including 42.90% of those under age 18 and 22.50% of those age 65 or over.
Transportation
[edit]Major highways
[edit]- File:I-55.svg Interstate 55
- File:US 49.svg U.S. Highway 49
- File:US 49W.svg U.S. Highway 49W
- File:US 49E.svg U.S. Highway 49E
- File:Circle sign 3.svg Mississippi Highway 3
- File:Circle sign 16.svg Mississippi Highway 16
- File:Circle sign 149.svg Mississippi Highway 149
- File:Circle sign 433.svg Mississippi Highway 433
Airport
[edit]Yazoo County Airport is located in an unincorporated area in Yazoo County,<ref name=87IFAA>Template:FAA-airport - Retrieved on September 23, 2010.</ref> Template:Convert west of central Yazoo City.<ref name="Jeteradvantage">Jeter, Lynne W. "Airports an advantage when it comes to site selection." Mississippi Business Journal. March 26, 2001. Retrieved on September 21, 2010.</ref>
Education
[edit]- Public School Districts
- Yazoo City Municipal School District serves areas in the Yazoo City limits;<ref name=Censusmap>Template:Cite web - Text list - 2010 Map, 2010 text list</ref> its high school is Yazoo City High School
- Yazoo County School District serves areas outside of the Yazoo City limits;<ref name=Censusmap/> its high school is Yazoo County High School
- Private Schools
- Benton Academy (Benton)
- Manchester Academy (Yazoo City)
- Covenant Christian School (Yazoo City)
- Thomas Christian Academy (Yazoo City)
Politics
[edit]Originally a solid Democratic stronghold, Yazoo has been a swing county since the 1950s. The 2008 election, when Barack Obama carried the county with a decisive majority, began a 12-year Democratic streak there, broken in 2024 when Donald Trump narrowly flipped it Republican. In 2024, Yazoo County was the most Black county or equivalent to vote for Donald Trump. This was even more stark because the county's Black population share has been increasing in recent decades. Template:PresHead Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresFoot
Communities
[edit]Cities
[edit]- Yazoo City (county seat)
Town
[edit]Villages
[edit]Census-designated place
[edit]Unincorporated communities
[edit]- Anding
- Carter
- Holly Bluff
- Hopewell Landing
- Little Yazoo
- Midway
- Oil City
- Phoenix
- Scotland
- Tinsley
- Vaughan
Ghost towns
[edit]Popular culture
[edit]Yazoo County, Mississippi has been featured in an Independent Lens series documenting bullying.<ref name="GR4">Template:Cite web</ref>
Notable people
[edit]- Haley Barbour, Governor of Mississippi
- Willie Brown, football player
- Jerry Clower, comedian
- Henry Espy, Mayor of Clarksdale, Mississippi
- Mike Espy, former U.S. Secretary of Agriculture
- Lawrence Gordon, motion picture producer
- Lynn Hamilton, actress
- Jesse E. Holmes, minister, community leader
- Duck Holmes, blues musician
- T. J. Huddleston, entrepreneur
- Skip James, blues musician
- Tommy McClennan, blues musician
- Willie Morris, writer
- Stella Stevens, actress
- Zig Ziglar, writer and motivational speaker
See also
[edit]- List of counties in Mississippi
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Yazoo County, Mississippi
References
[edit]Further reading
[edit]- James L. Cox, The Mississippi Almanac. 2001.
- Harriet DeCell and JoAnne Prichard, Yazoo: Its Legends and Legacies. n.c.: Yazoo Delta Press, 1976.
- A.T. Morgan, Yazoo; or, On the Picket Line of Freedom in the South: A Personal Narrative. New York: Russell and Russell, 1968.
- Willie Morris, A Pictorial History of Yazoo County. n.c.: Heritage House Publishing, 1996.
- Nicholas Russell Murray, Yazoo County, Mississippi, 1845-1900. Hammond, LA: Hunting for Bears, c. 1982.
- New Orleans Exposition Committee, Official Information Respecting Yazoo County, Mississippi. Yazoo City, MS: n.p., 1884.
- Template:Cite book
- Yazoo Historical Association, Yazoo County Story: A Pictorial History of Yazoo County, Mississippi, Covering Both the Old and the New. Fort Worth, TX: University Supply and Equipment Co., 1958.
External links
[edit]- Template:Official website
- Yazoo County Mississippi on RootsWeb.com
- Yazoo County Convention and Visitors Bureau
Template:Yazoo County, Mississippi Template:Mississippi Template:Authority control Template:Coord