Harrison County, Mississippi

Last updated

Harrison County
County
Dan M Russell, Jr Federal Courthouse.jpg
Dan M. Russell Jr. United States Courthouse in Gulfport, Harrison County
Flag of Harrison County, Mississippi.png
Flag
Harrison County ms seal.gif
Seal
Map of Mississippi highlighting Harrison County.svg
Location within the U.S. state of Mississippi
Mississippi in United States.svg
Mississippi's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 30°25′N89°05′W / 30.42°N 89.09°W / 30.42; -89.09
CountryFlag of the United States.svg United States
StateFlag of Mississippi.svg  Mississippi
Founded1841
Named for William Henry Harrison
Seat Biloxi and Gulfport
Largest cityGulfport
Area
 • Total976 sq mi (2,530 km2)
 • Land574 sq mi (1,490 km2)
 • Water402 sq mi (1,040 km2)  41%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total208,621
 • Estimate 
(2022)
211,044 Increase2.svg
 • Density362/sq mi (140/km2)
Time zone UTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST) UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district 4th
Website harrisoncountyms.gov

Harrison County is a county located in the U.S. state of Mississippi. As of the 2020 census, the population was 208,621, [1] making it the second-most populous county in Mississippi. Its county seats are Biloxi and Gulfport. [2] The county is named after U.S. President William Henry Harrison. [3]

Contents

Harrison County is part of the Gulfport-Biloxi metropolitan area.

The county was severely damaged from both Hurricane Camille on August 17, 1969, and Hurricane Katrina on August 29, 2005, causing catastrophic effects.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 976 square miles (2,530 km2), of which 402 square miles (1,040 km2) (41%) are covered by water. [4] The Tchoutacabouffa River has its mouth at Biloxi Bay just north of the city of Biloxi. Gulfport, Mississippi, is the chief port in the state, with access to the Gulf of Mexico through a ship channel. This is the second-largest county in Mississippi by total area.

Wildlife

A single pond in the county contains the critically endangered dusky gopher frog. [5]

Major highways

Adjacent counties and parishes

National protected areas

Demographics

Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
1850 4,875—
1860 4,819−1.1%
1870 5,79520.3%
1880 7,89536.2%
1890 12,48158.1%
1900 21,00268.3%
1910 34,65865.0%
1920 32,855−5.2%
1930 44,14334.4%
1940 50,79915.1%
1950 84,07365.5%
1960 119,48942.1%
1970 134,58212.6%
1980 157,66517.2%
1990 165,3654.9%
2000 189,60114.7%
2010 187,105−1.3%
2020 208,62111.5%
2023 (est.)210,612 [6] 1.0%
U.S. Decennial Census [7]
1790-1960 [8] 1900-1990 [9]
1990-2000 [10] 2010-2020 [1]

2020 census

Harrison County racial composition [11]
RaceNumberPercent
White (non-Hispanic)125,09259.96%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic)51,14324.51%
Native American 7860.38%
Asian 5,9132.83%
Pacific Islander 2570.12%
Other/mixed 11,4545.49%
Hispanic or Latino 13,9766.7%

As of the 2020 United States census, 208,621 people, 74,628 households, and 50,074 families were residing in the county.

Corrections system

Harrison County has been studied by CNN and other media, which have reported on the beatings of inmates in the Harrison County Jail in Gulfport. Inmate Jessie Lee Williams Jr. died while in custody on February 4, 2006. [12] In 2006 and 2007, six Harrison County Sheriff's Department deputies pleaded guilty to crimes related to the abuse of inmates at the jail. [13] Sheriff Melvin Brisolara-R was elected in 2008, for Harrison County.

Communities

Water from the Tchoutacabouffa River is overflowing its banks near the intersection of Old Hwy 67 and MS 15 on September 29, 1998, after Hurricane Georges made landfall. TchoutacabouffaRiver1998.jpg
Water from the Tchoutacabouffa River is overflowing its banks near the intersection of Old Hwy 67 and MS 15 on September 29, 1998, after Hurricane Georges made landfall.

Cities

Census-designated places

Unincorporated communities

Politics

Since 1964, Harrison County has voted overwhelmingly Republican. The last Democrat to receive over 40% of the vote was Jimmy Carter in 1976.

United States presidential election results for Harrison County, Mississippi [14]
Year Republican Democratic Third party
No. %No. %No. %
2020 46,82261.70%27,72836.54%1,3351.76%
2016 40,35463.74%21,16933.44%1,7902.83%
2012 39,47062.33%23,11936.51%7391.17%
2008 38,75762.55%22,67336.59%5270.85%
2004 39,70362.73%23,07636.46%5090.80%
2000 32,25661.30%19,14236.38%1,2182.31%
1996 25,48652.84%18,77538.92%3,9748.24%
1992 25,04952.84%15,26832.21%7,09014.96%
1988 32,89268.88%14,43930.24%4230.89%
1984 33,99572.83%12,49526.77%1870.40%
1980 25,17558.70%16,31838.05%1,3953.25%
1976 19,20751.72%16,56944.61%1,3633.67%
1972 28,96284.02%4,76113.81%7472.17%
1968 6,54222.37%4,54915.55%18,15762.08%
1964 16,30175.14%5,39324.86%00.00%
1960 5,17730.89%8,96153.47%2,62115.64%
1956 5,74244.17%6,54950.37%7105.46%
1952 5,96045.35%7,18154.65%00.00%
1948 4155.56%6929.28%6,35185.16%
1944 6229.43%5,97690.57%00.00%
1940 63310.19%5,57789.75%40.06%
1936 49510.44%4,20888.78%370.78%
1932 4499.72%4,12489.28%461.00%
1928 1,48528.57%3,71271.43%00.00%
1924 52313.99%3,04481.41%1724.60%
1920 31419.29%1,27078.01%442.70%
1916 19711.96%1,39584.70%553.34%
1912 452.82%1,29280.95%25916.23%

Education

School districts include: [15]

See also

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References

  1. 1 2 "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved September 15, 2023.
  2. ↑ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  3. ↑ Gannett, Henry (1905). The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States. Govt. Print. Off. pp.  150.
  4. ↑ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Archived from the original on September 28, 2013. Retrieved November 4, 2014.
  5. ↑ Dusky gopher frog
  6. ↑ "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2023". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved April 5, 2024.
  7. ↑ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved November 4, 2014.
  8. ↑ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved November 4, 2014.
  9. ↑ "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved November 4, 2014.
  10. ↑ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 27, 2010. Retrieved November 4, 2014.
  11. ↑ "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved December 16, 2021.
  12. ↑ "CNN.com - Anderson Cooper 360° Blog". www.cnn.com. Retrieved March 2, 2018.
  13. ↑ "Sixth Harrison County Sheriff's Department Officer Pleads Guilty"
  14. ↑ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved October 18, 2017.
  15. ↑ "2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Harrison County, MS" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Archived (PDF) from the original on July 31, 2022. Retrieved July 31, 2022. - Text list

Further reading

30°25′N89°05′W / 30.42°N 89.09°W / 30.42; -89.09

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