Pike County, Mississippi
County in Mississippi, United States
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Pike County is a county located on the southwestern border of the U.S. state of Mississippi. As of the 2020 census, the population was 40,324.[1] The county seat is Magnolia.[2] Pike County is named for explorer Zebulon Pike. Pike County is part of the McComb, MS Micropolitan Statistical Area.
Pike County, Mississippi | |
|---|---|
| |
 Location within the U.S. state of Mississippi | |
| Coordinates: 31°11′N 90°24′W | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Mississippi |
| Founded | 1815 |
| Named for | Zebulon Pike |
| Seat | Magnolia |
| Largest city | McComb |
| Area | |
• Total | 411 sq mi (1,060 km2) |
| • Land | 409 sq mi (1,060 km2) |
| • Water | 1.7 sq mi (4.4 km2) 0.4% |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 40,324 |
• Estimate (2025) | 38,712  |
| • Density | 98.6/sq mi (38.1/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| Congressional district | 3rd |
| Website | www |
History
Pike County was formed from Marion County by an act of the Territorial General Assembly on December 9, 1815. Holmesville was selected as the county seat on December 11, 1816; it was named in honor of Major Andrew Hunter Holmes, an army officer killed in the War of 1812. In 1873 Magnolia was voted in as the new county seat.[3] The county was devoted to agriculture and is still mostly rural.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 411 square miles (1,060 km2), of which 409 square miles (1,060 km2) is land and 1.7 square miles (4.4 km2) (0.4%) is water.[4]
Major highways
Adjacent counties
- Lincoln County (north)
- Walthall County (east)
- Washington Parish, Louisiana (southeast)
- Tangipahoa Parish, Louisiana (south)
- Amite County (west)
Demographics
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1820 | 4,438 | — | |
| 1830 | 5,402 | 21.7% | |
| 1840 | 6,151 | 13.9% | |
| 1850 | 7,360 | 19.7% | |
| 1860 | 11,135 | 51.3% | |
| 1870 | 11,303 | 1.5% | |
| 1880 | 16,688 | 47.6% | |
| 1890 | 21,203 | 27.1% | |
| 1900 | 27,545 | 29.9% | |
| 1910 | 37,272 | 35.3% | |
| 1920 | 28,725 | −22.9% | |
| 1930 | 32,201 | 12.1% | |
| 1940 | 35,002 | 8.7% | |
| 1950 | 35,137 | 0.4% | |
| 1960 | 35,789 | 1.9% | |
| 1970 | 36,345 | 1.6% | |
| 1980 | 36,173 | −0.5% | |
| 1990 | 36,882 | 2.0% | |
| 2000 | 38,940 | 5.6% | |
| 2010 | 40,404 | 3.8% | |
| 2020 | 40,324 | −0.2% | |
| 2025 (est.) | 38,712 | [5] | −4.0% |
| U.S. Decennial Census[6] 1790–1960[7] 1900–1990[8] 1990–2000[9] 2010–2013[10] | |||
Racial and ethnic composition
| Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic) | Pop 1980[11] | Pop 1990[12] | Pop 2000[13] | Pop 2010[14] | Pop 2020[15] | % 1980 | % 1990 | % 2000 | % 2010 | % 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White alone (NH) | 20,303 | 19,826 | 19,841 | 18,564 | 16,769 | 56.13% | 53.76% | 50.95% | 45.95% | 41.59% |
| Black or African American alone (NH) | 15,415 | 16,810 | 18,433 | 20,740 | 21,457 | 42.61% | 45.58% | 47.34% | 51.33% | 53.21% |
| Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) | 21 | 26 | 74 | 111 | 113 | 0.06% | 0.07% | 0.19% | 0.27% | 0.28% |
| Asian alone (NH) | 40 | 44 | 127 | 229 | 254 | 0.11% | 0.12% | 0.33% | 0.57% | 0.63% |
| Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH) | x [16] | x [17] | 3 | 2 | 7 | x | x | 0.01% | 0.00% | 0.02% |
| Other race alone (NH) | 14 | 3 | 13 | 8 | 109 | 0.04% | 0.01% | 0.03% | 0.02% | 0.27% |
| Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) | x [18] | x [19] | 165 | 261 | 988 | x | x | 0.42% | 0.65% | 2.45% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 380 | 173 | 284 | 489 | 627 | 1.05% | 0.47% | 0.73% | 1.21% | 1.55% |
| Total | 36,173 | 36,882 | 38,940 | 40,404 | 40,324 | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% |
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 40,324. The median age was 39.9 years. 23.9% of residents were under the age of 18 and 18.7% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 91.7 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 88.0 males age 18 and over.[20][21]
The racial makeup of the county was 41.9% White, 53.5% Black or African American, 0.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% Asian, <0.1% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 0.8% from some other race, and 2.8% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 1.6% of the population.[21]
38.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 62.0% lived in rural areas.[22]
There were 16,232 households in the county, of which 30.9% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 36.2% were married-couple households, 21.1% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 37.1% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 32.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[20]
There were 19,017 housing units, of which 14.6% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 67.1% were owner-occupied and 32.9% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.9% and the rental vacancy rate was 9.8%.[20]
Communities
Politics
Pike County is a swing county in presidential elections; since 2000 it has voted Democratic four times and Republican three times.
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 1912 | 24 | 1.95% | 1,068 | 86.90% | 137 | 11.15% |
| 1916 | 53 | 3.50% | 1,451 | 95.71% | 12 | 0.79% |
| 1920 | 153 | 11.66% | 1,114 | 84.91% | 45 | 3.43% |
| 1924 | 197 | 8.61% | 1,640 | 71.65% | 452 | 19.75% |
| 1928 | 920 | 27.45% | 2,431 | 72.55% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1932 | 118 | 4.67% | 2,400 | 94.94% | 10 | 0.40% |
| 1936 | 86 | 2.64% | 3,170 | 97.21% | 5 | 0.15% |
| 1940 | 185 | 5.88% | 2,956 | 93.93% | 6 | 0.19% |
| 1944 | 248 | 7.70% | 2,972 | 92.30% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1948 | 69 | 1.75% | 221 | 5.61% | 3,650 | 92.64% |
| 1952 | 2,908 | 53.82% | 2,495 | 46.18% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1956 | 1,210 | 29.47% | 1,714 | 41.74% | 1,182 | 28.79% |
| 1960 | 1,467 | 27.38% | 1,258 | 23.48% | 2,632 | 49.13% |
| 1964 | 6,418 | 92.20% | 543 | 7.80% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1968 | 1,460 | 14.38% | 2,848 | 28.05% | 5,846 | 57.57% |
| 1972 | 6,542 | 72.08% | 2,332 | 25.69% | 202 | 2.23% |
| 1976 | 5,659 | 48.16% | 5,749 | 48.92% | 343 | 2.92% |
| 1980 | 6,661 | 48.56% | 6,694 | 48.80% | 361 | 2.63% |
| 1984 | 8,254 | 57.28% | 6,137 | 42.59% | 20 | 0.14% |
| 1988 | 7,637 | 53.63% | 6,531 | 45.87% | 71 | 0.50% |
| 1992 | 6,005 | 43.90% | 6,279 | 45.90% | 1,395 | 10.20% |
| 1996 | 5,403 | 43.45% | 6,302 | 50.68% | 730 | 5.87% |
| 2000 | 7,464 | 52.69% | 6,544 | 46.20% | 158 | 1.12% |
| 2004 | 8,660 | 52.07% | 7,881 | 47.38% | 91 | 0.55% |
| 2008 | 8,651 | 47.91% | 9,276 | 51.38% | 128 | 0.71% |
| 2012 | 8,181 | 45.52% | 9,650 | 53.69% | 143 | 0.80% |
| 2016 | 8,009 | 49.10% | 8,043 | 49.31% | 258 | 1.58% |
| 2020 | 8,479 | 48.89% | 8,646 | 49.86% | 217 | 1.25% |
| 2024 | 7,943 | 51.29% | 7,402 | 47.80% | 140 | 0.90% |
Education
Pike County has three school districts:[27]
Pike County is in the district of Southwest Mississippi Community College.[28]
See also
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Pike County, Mississippi
- Fernwood Lumber Company
- History of Pike County Mississippi 1798-1876 by Luke W. Conerly 1909
- J. J. Carter, Pike County native who served in the late 19th century in the Louisiana House of Representatives and as mayor of Minden, Louisiana[29]
