Decatur, Mississippi

Decatur, Mississippi
Town
Mural in downtown Decatur
Flag
Nickname:  Greater Decatur
Motto(s):  Faith, Family, Education
Location of Decatur, Mississippi
Decatur, Mississippi Location in the United States
Coordinates: 32°26′22″N89°6′43″W / 32.43944°N 89.11194°W / 32.43944; -89.11194
Country	United States
State	Mississippi
County	Newton
Government
• Mayor	Max Anderson (I)
Area [1]
• Total	5.56 sq mi (14.40 km2)
• Land	5.51 sq mi (14.28 km2)
• Water	0.04 sq mi (0.11 km2)
Elevation	430 ft (131 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	1,945
• Density	352.74/sq mi (136.19/km2)
Time zone	UTC-6 (Central (CST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code	39327
Area code	601
FIPS code	28-18180
GNIS feature ID	0669185
Website	http://www.decaturms.org/index.php

Newton County, Mississippi Court House

Decatur is a town in and the county seat of Newton County, Mississippi. ^[2] The population was 1,945 in the 2020 census. This town is named after war hero Stephen Decatur Jr. ^[3]

History

Newton County was created and Decatur established as the county seat in 1836. The Newton County Courthouse was built in Decatur in 1972. It was built by Tatum Concrete Company. ^[4]

Geography

Decatur is located at 32°26′22″N89°6′43″W / 32.43944°N 89.11194°W / 32.43944; -89.11194 (32.439557, -89.112047). ^[5]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 1.0 square mile (2.6 km²), all land.

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1880	47		—
1910	283		—
1920	319		12.7%
1930	654		105.0%
1940	773		18.2%
1950	1,225		58.5%
1960	1,340		9.4%
1970	1,311		−2.2%
1980	1,148		−12.4%
1990	1,248		8.7%
2000	1,426		14.3%
2010	1,841		29.1%
2020	1,945		5.6%
U.S. Decennial Census [6]

2020 census

Decatur Racial Composition ^[7]

Race	Num.	Perc.
White	1,073	55.17%
Black or African American	740	38.05%
Native American	27	1.39%
Asian	11	0.57%
Other/Mixed	54	2.78%
Hispanic or Latino	40	2.06%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 1,945 people, 614 households, and 385 families residing in the town.

2000 census

As of the census ^[8] of 2000, there were 1,426 people, 407 households, and 269 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,379.9 inhabitants per square mile (532.8/km²). There were 463 housing units at an average density of 448.0 per square mile (173.0/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 66.41% White, 32.54% African American, 0.56% Native American, 0.14% Asian, and 0.35% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.05% of the population.

There were 407 households, out of which 31.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.5% were married couples living together, 18.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.9% were non-families. 30.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.30 and the average family size was 2.85.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 16.5% under the age of 18, 41.8% from 18 to 24, 16.4% from 25 to 44, 14.9% from 45 to 64, and 10.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 21 years. For every 100 females, there were 100.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.3 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $28,333, and the median income for a family was $37,115. Males had a median income of $28,875 versus $20,000 for females. The per capita income for the town was $10,839. About 14.8% of families and 19.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 28.7% of those under age 18 and 10.3% of those age 65 or over.

Notable people

• Kemp Alderman, Major League Baseball player ^[9]
• Lamar Blount, former end in the National Football League ^[10]
• Charles Evers, first post-Reconstruction African American mayor in Mississippi
• Medgar Evers, civil rights activist
• Betsy Harris, basketball coach ^[11]
• W. H. Johnson Jr., state legislator
• Randy Rushing, member of the Mississippi House of Representatives ^[12]

See also

• American Legion Hut (Decatur, Mississippi)

References

1. "2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 24, 2022.
2. "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
3. Gannett, Henry (1905). The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States. Govt. Print. Off. pp.  102.
4. "Newton County | US Courthouses".
5. "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. February 12, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
6. "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
7. "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved December 8, 2021.
8. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved January 31, 2008.
9. Mitchell, J. T. "Kemp Alderman named Mississippi's top college baseball player". supertalk.fm. Retrieved December 3, 2023.
10. Kenneth R. Crippen (November 10, 2009). The Original Buffalo Bills: A History of the All-America Football Conference Team, 1946-1949. McFarland. p. 224. ISBN   978-0-7864-4619-3.
11. Hayes, Elton (March 12, 2019). "Decatur alumna Betsy Harris coaches team to conference title on anniversary of state title". The Meridian Star. Retrieved December 3, 2023.
12. "Randy Rushing's Biography". Project Vote Smart. Retrieved December 3, 2023.