Heidelberg, Mississippi

Heidelberg, Mississippi
Town
Downtown Heidelberg
Flag
Location of Heidelberg, Mississippi
Heidelberg, Mississippi Location in the United States
Coordinates: 31°53′28″N88°59′27″W / 31.89111°N 88.99083°W / 31.89111; -88.99083
Country	United States
State	Mississippi
County	Jasper
Area [1]
• Total	5.13 sq mi (13.29 km2)
• Land	5.11 sq mi (13.24 km2)
• Water	0.02 sq mi (0.05 km2)
Elevation	344 ft (105 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	637
• Density	124.58/sq mi (48.10/km2)
Time zone	UTC-6 (Central (CST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code	39439
Area code	601
FIPS code	28-31420
GNIS feature ID	0671086
Website	townofheidelberg.net

Heidelberg is a town in Jasper County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 718 at the 2010 census, ^[2] down from 840 at the 2000 census.

Geography

Heidelberg is located in southeastern Jasper County at 31°53′28″N88°59′27″W / 31.89111°N 88.99083°W / 31.89111; -88.99083 (31.891249, -88.990952). ^[3] The town limits extend northwest to encompass Exit 113 on Interstate 59. U.S. Route 11, running parallel to I-59, crosses the southeastern corner of the town. Both highways lead northeast 40 miles (64 km) to Meridian and southwest 16 miles (26 km) to Laurel.

According to the United States Census Bureau, Heidelberg has a total area of 5.1 square miles (13.3 km²), of which 0.02 square miles (0.05 km²), or 0.38%, are water. ^[2] Beaver Creek, a tributary of Bogue Homo, runs through the town. Via Bogue Homo, the town is part of the Leaf River and thence the Pascagoula River watershed.

The area around Heidelberg has abundant natural resources, including nearby oil and gas reserves. Jasper County is the highest producer of oil in Mississippi. ^[4]

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1890	216		—
1900	228		5.6%
1910	477		109.2%
1920	489		2.5%
1930	653		33.5%
1940	615		−5.8%
1950	863		40.3%
1960	1,049		21.6%
1970	1,112		6.0%
1980	1,098		−1.3%
1990	981		−10.7%
2000	840		−14.4%
2010	718		−14.5%
2020	637		−11.3%
U.S. Decennial Census [5]

2020 census

Heidelberg racial composition ^[6]

Race	Num.	Perc.
White (non-Hispanic)	76	11.93%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic)	544	85.4%
Other/Mixed	14	2.2%
Hispanic or Latino	3	0.47%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 637 people, 269 households, and 220 families residing in the town.

2000 census

As of the census ^[7] of 2000, there were 840 people, 320 households, and 224 families residing in the town. The population density was 164.3 inhabitants per square mile (63.4/km²). There were 359 housing units at an average density of 70.2 per square mile (27.1/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 73.33% African American, 26.31% White and 0.36% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.36% of the population.

There were 320 households, out of which 29.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.6% were married couples living together, 25.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.7% were non-families. 27.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.63 and the average family size was 3.19.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 26.5% under the age of 18, 9.5% from 18 to 24, 22.5% from 25 to 44, 22.5% from 45 to 64, and 18.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 81.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 75.8 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $21,063, and the median income for a family was $27,768. Males had a median income of $25,982 versus $16,667 for females. The per capita income for the town was $13,555. About 23.0% of families and 25.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 29.9% of those under age 18 and 25.5% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Heidelberg is served by the East Jasper School District.

• Heidelberg High School
• Heidelberg Junior High School
• The New William J. Berry Elementary School

Defunct school

• Heidelberg Academy (1971–2016). It closed its doors after the 2015-2016 year due to financial difficulties. Former students' school records are stored at Sylva-Bay Academy, 24 miles (39 km) to the west in Bay Springs.

Notable people

• Hamp King, State Auditor of Mississippi from 1964 to 1984 ^[8]
• E. Wilson Lyon, sixth president of Pomona College ^[9]
• Freddie Parker, former running back in the National Football League ^[10]
• Dennis Thomas, inductee of the College Football Hall of Fame, former college football head coach (South Carolina State), and former MEAC commissioner ^[11]

References

1. "2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 24, 2022.
2. "Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Census Summary File 1 (G001): Heidelberg town, Mississippi". American Factfinder. U.S. Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved August 13, 2018.
3. "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. February 12, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
4. "Jasper County, MS Oil and Gas Data Summary". www.shalexp.com. Retrieved April 15, 2022.
5. "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
6. "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved December 17, 2021.
7. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved January 31, 2008.
8. Busbee, Westley (2015). Mississippi: A History. Malden, Massachusetts: Wiley Blackwell. p. 344. ISBN   978-1-118-75590-7.
9. "Finding Aid for the E. Wilson Lyon Collection". University of Mississippi Special Collections. Retrieved September 23, 2021.
10. "Freddie Parker Stats". ProFootball Archives. Retrieved September 23, 2021.
11. "Dennis Thomas". footballfoundation.org. Retrieved October 9, 2023.

External links

• Official website