Editing Merigold, Mississippi

{{About|a town in Mississippi|marigold, a flower|Tagetes}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2024}}
{{Infobox settlement
|official_name            = Merigold, Mississippi
|settlement_type          = [[Town]]
|motto                    =
|image_skyline            = Merigold_Welcome_Sign.jpg
|imagesize                = 
|image_caption            = 
|image_map                = Bolivar_County_Mississippi_Incorporated_and_Unincorporated_areas_Merigold_Highlighted.svg
|mapsize                  = 250px
|map_caption              = Location of Merigold, Mississippi
|pushpin_map              = USA
|pushpin_map_caption      = Location in the United States
<!-- Location -->
|subdivision_type         = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
|subdivision_name         = United States
|subdivision_type1        = [[U.S. state|State]]
|subdivision_name1        = [[Mississippi]]
|subdivision_type2        = [[List of counties in Mississippi|County]]
|subdivision_name2        = [[Bolivar County, Mississippi|Bolivar]]
<!-- Government -->
|government_footnotes     = 
|government_type          = 
|leader_title             = 
|leader_name              = 
|established_title        = 
|established_date         =
<!-- Area -->
|unit_pref                = Imperial
|area_footnotes           = <ref name="CenPopGazetteer2020">{{cite web|title=2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2020_Gazetteer/2020_gaz_place_28.txt|publisher=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=July 24, 2022}}</ref>
|area_total_km2           = 2.51
|area_land_km2            = 2.51
|area_water_km2           = 0.00
|area_total_sq_mi         = 0.97
|area_land_sq_mi          = 0.97
|area_water_sq_mi         = 0.00
<!-- Population -->
|population_as_of         = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
|population_footnotes     = 
|population_total         = 379
|population_density_km2   = 151.05
|population_density_sq_mi = 391.12
<!-- General information -->
|timezone                 = [[North American Central Time Zone|Central (CST)]]
|utc_offset               = -6
|timezone_DST             = CDT
|utc_offset_DST           = -5
|elevation_footnotes      = <ref name=gnis/>
|elevation_ft             = 144
|coordinates              = {{coord|33|50|21|N|90|43|35|W|region:US-MS|display=inline,title}}
|postal_code_type         = [[ZIP code]]
|postal_code              = 38759
|area_code                = [[Area code 662|662]]
|blank_name               = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
|blank_info               = 28-46720
|blank1_name              = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
|blank1_info              = 2406148<ref name=gnis>{{GNIS|2406148}}</ref>
|website                  = 
|footnotes                = 
}}

'''Merigold''' (sometimes misspelled as Marigold or Merrigold) is a town in [[Bolivar County, Mississippi|Bolivar County]], [[Mississippi]], United States. Per the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]], the population was 379.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Merigold town, Mississippi|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/profile?g=1600000US2846720|website=[[United States Census Bureau]]|accessdate=April 15, 2022}}</ref>

==Geography==
According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the town has a total area of {{convert|1.0|sqmi|km2}}, all land.

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1910= 241
|1920= 606
|1930= 804
|1940= 704
|1950= 682
|1960= 602
|1970= 772
|1980= 574
|1990= 572
|2000= 664
|2010= 439
|2020= 379
|align-fn=center
|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census<ref name="DecennialCensus">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census/decade.html|title=Decennial Census of Population and Housing by Decades|publisher=[[US Census Bureau]]|access-date=}}</ref><br> 2010<ref name=2010CensusP2/> 2020<ref name=2020CensusP2/>
}}

===2020 census===
{| class="wikitable"
|+'''Merigold town, Mississippi – Racial and ethnic composition'''<br><small>{{nobold|''Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.''}}</small>
!Race / Ethnicity <small>(''NH = Non-Hispanic'')</small>
!Pop 2010<ref name=2010CensusP2>{{Cite web|title=P2 HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Merigold town, Mississippi|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=p2&g=1600000US2846720&tid=DECENNIALPL2010.P2|website=[[United States Census Bureau]]}}</ref>
!Pop 2020<ref name=2020CensusP2>{{Cite web|title=P2 HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Merigold town, Mississippi|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=p2&g=1600000US2846720&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P2|website=[[United States Census Bureau]]}}</ref>
!% 2010
!% 2020
|-
|[[Non-Hispanic or Latino whites|White]] alone (NH)
|182
|159
|41.46%
|41.95%
|-
|[[Non-Hispanic or Latino African Americans|Black or African American]] alone (NH)
|221
|201
|50.34%
|53.03%
|-
|[[Native Americans in the United States|Native American]] or [[Alaska Native]] alone (NH)
|0
|0
|0.00%
|0.00%
|-
|[[Asian Americans|Asian]] alone (NH)
|11
|4
|2.51%
|1.06%
|-
|[[Pacific Islander Americans|Pacific Islander]] alone (NH)
|0
|0
|0.00%
|0.00%
|-
|[[Race and ethnicity in the United States census|Some Other Race]] alone (NH)
|0
|2
|0.00%
|0.53%
|-
|[[Multiracial Americans|Mixed Race or Multi-Racial]] (NH)
|8
|8
|1.82%
|2.11%
|-
|[[Hispanic and Latino Americans|Hispanic or Latino]] (any race)
|17
|5
|3.87%
|1.32%
|-
|'''Total'''
|'''439'''
|'''379'''
|'''100.00%'''
|'''100.00%'''
|}

===2000 Census===
As of the [[census]]<ref name="GR2">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|accessdate=January 31, 2008|title=U.S. Census website}}</ref> of 2000, there were 664 people, 268 households, and 191 families residing in the town. The population density was {{convert|686.1|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. There were 280 housing units at an average density of {{convert|289.3|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. The racial makeup of the town was 42.62% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 56.93% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 0.15% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 0.15% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 0.15% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 0.75% of the population.

There were 268 households, out of which 28.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.9% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 23.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.7% were non-families. 24.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 2.96.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 23.8% under the age of 18, 9.3% from 18 to 24, 25.8% from 25 to 44, 24.2% from 45 to 64, and 16.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 82.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 78.8 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $24,375, and the median income for a family was $27,500. Males had a median income of $26,250 versus $21,250 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the town was $16,185. About 21.4% of families and 23.7% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 35.6% of those under age 18 and 18.4% of those age 65 or over.

==Education==
Merigold is served by the [[Cleveland School District]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/dc10map/sch_dist/st28_ms/c28011_bolivar/DC10SD_C28011_001.pdf|title=SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP (2010 CENSUS): Bolivar County, MS|publisher=[[U.S. Census Bureau]]|accessdate=August 1, 2017}}</ref> The district operates the Hayes Cooper Center for Math and Science, located on old [[U.S. Route 61|Highway 61]].<ref>[http://www.cleveland.k12.ms.us/Domain/13 Home page]. Hayes Cooper Center. Retrieved on May 21, 2016. "500 Martin Luther King, Jr., Blvd. Merigold, MS 38759"</ref> Secondary students are zoned to Cleveland Central Middle School and [[Cleveland Central High School]].

As of 2002 some children in Merigold attended the [[North Sunflower Academy]] in [[unincorporated area|unincorporated]] [[Sunflower County, Mississippi|Sunflower County]].<ref name="Workforce">"[http://goliath.ecnext.com/coms2/gi_0199-1755958/No-simple-solutions-to-education.html No simple solutions to education, workforce training problems. (Focus Delta & River Cities).]" ''[[Mississippi Business Journal]]''. May 27, 2002. Retrieved on August 10, 2010.</ref>

==Entertainment==
[[Po' Monkey's]] is a [[juke joint]] located approximately {{convert|1|mi|km}} west of Merigold. The Mississippi Blues Commission placed a historic marker at the Po Monkey's Lounge in 2009 designating it as a site on the [[Mississippi Blues Trail]] for its contribution to the development of the blues (and one of the few authentic juke joints that is still operating today).<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.msbluestrail.org/_webapp_2726471/Po'_Monkey's |title= "Po' Monkey's" : Mississippi Blues Trail|date=June 22, 2009 |accessdate=January 7, 2011}}</ref>

==Notable people==
*[[Charlie Capps (politician)|Charlie Capps]], member of the [[Mississippi House of Representatives]] from 1972 to 2005<ref name="Congress2010">{{cite book|author=United States. Congress|title=Congressional Record: Proceedings and Debates of the ... Congress|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=d0wpckIzj2kC&pg=PA7913|year=2010|publisher=U.S. Government Printing Office|pages=7913}}</ref>
*[[Esther Golar]], Illinois state representative, was born in Merigold.<ref>[http://www.thegatenewspaper.com/2015/09/state-rep-esther-golar-laid-to-rest/ State Rep. Esther Golar laid to rest]</ref>
*[[Walter B. Parks]], member of the [[Mississippi Legislature]] from 1912 to 1920<ref>{{Cite book |last=Rowland |first=Dunbar |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=b8sGAQAAIAAJ |title=The Official and Statistical Register of the State of Mississippi |date=1917 |publisher=Department of Archives and History |pages=792 |language=en}}</ref>
*[[Larry Speakes]], acting press secretary in the [[Ronald Reagan]] administration, grew up in Merigold.<ref>'Larry Speakes, Public Face of Reagan Era, Dies at 74,' ''[[The New York Times]],'' Michael D. Shear, January 10, 2014</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}
{{Portal|Mississippi}}

{{Bolivar County, Mississippi}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Towns in Bolivar County, Mississippi]]
[[Category:Towns in Mississippi]]
[[Category:Mississippi Blues Trail]]