Jackson County, Mississippi

This article is about the county in the U.S. state of Mississippi. Not to be confused with Jackson, Mississippi.

Jackson County
County
The Jackson County Courthouse in Pascagoula
Seal
Location within the U.S. state of Mississippi
Mississippi's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 30°28′N88°37′W / 30.46°N 88.62°W / 30.46; -88.62
Country	United States
State	Mississippi
Founded	1812
Named for	Andrew Jackson
Seat	Pascagoula
Largest city	Pascagoula
Area
• Total	1,043 sq mi (2,700 km2)
• Land	723 sq mi (1,870 km2)
• Water	321 sq mi (830 km2)  31%
Population  (2020)
• Total	143,252
• Estimate  (2023)	146,389
• Density	140/sq mi (53/km2)
Time zone	UTC−6 (Central)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district	4th
Website	www.co.jackson.ms.us

Jackson County is a county located in the U.S. state of Mississippi. As of the 2020 census, the population was 143,252, ^[1] making it the fifth-most populous county in Mississippi. Its county seat is Pascagoula. ^[2] The county was named for Andrew Jackson, general in the United States Army and afterward President of the United States. ^[3] Jackson County is included in the Pascagoula, MS Metropolitan Statistical Area. It is located at the southeastern tip of the state. The county has sandy soil and is in the Piney Woods area. It borders the state of Alabama on its east side. The county was severely damaged by both Hurricane Camille in August 1969 and Hurricane Katrina on August 29, 2005, which caused catastrophic effects.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,043 square miles (2,700 km²), of which 723 square miles (1,870 km²) is land and 321 square miles (830 km²) (31%) is water. ^[4] It is the largest county in Mississippi by total area.

Despite the county's name, Jackson County does not contain the City of Jackson, the latter is located in Hinds County.

Major highways

• Interstate 10
• U.S. Highway 90
• Mississippi Highway 57
• Mississippi Highway 63
• Mississippi Highway 609
• Mississippi Highway 611
• Mississippi Highway 613
• Mississippi Highway 614

Adjacent counties

• George County - north
• Mobile County, Alabama - east
• Harrison County - west
• Stone County - northwest

National protected areas

• De Soto National Forest (part)
• Grand Bay National Wildlife Refuge (part)
• Gulf Islands National Seashore (part)
• Mississippi Sandhill Crane National Wildlife Refuge

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1820	1,682		—
1830	1,792		6.5%
1840	1,965		9.7%
1850	3,196		62.6%
1860	4,122		29.0%
1870	4,362		5.8%
1880	7,607		74.4%
1890	11,251		47.9%
1900	16,513		46.8%
1910	15,451		−6.4%
1920	19,208		24.3%
1930	15,973		−16.8%
1940	20,601		29.0%
1950	31,401		52.4%
1960	55,522		76.8%
1970	87,975		58.5%
1980	118,015		34.1%
1990	115,243		−2.3%
2000	131,420		14.0%
2010	139,668		6.3%
2020	143,252		2.6%
2023 (est.)	146,389	[5]	2.2%
U.S. Decennial Census [6] 1790-1960 [7] 1900-1990 [8] 1990-2000 [9] 2010-2013 [10]

Jackson County racial composition as of 2020 ^[11]

Race	Num.	Perc.
White (non-Hispanic)	92,881	64.84%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic)	29,713	20.74%
Native American	572	0.4%
Asian	3,173	2.21%
Pacific Islander	91	0.06%
Other/Mixed	6,772	4.73%
Hispanic or Latino	10,050	7.02%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 143,252 people, 56,323 households, and 38,007 families residing in the county.

Choctaw people

Jackson County is home to the Vancleave Live Oak Choctaw, which the State of Mississippi, through House Resolution 50 (HR50), ceremonially recognized as "The Official Native American Tribe of the Choctaw People of Jackson County, Mississippi" in 2016. ^[12] This legislative action acknowledges the tribe's historical and cultural significance in the state. ^[12] While locally acknowledged, the tribe is not federally recognized as a Native American tribe. ^[13]

Public safety

The Jackson County Sheriff's Office provides law enforcement services for communities in the county that do not have their own local law enforcement. These communities are known as Census-Designated Places, or CDPs.

Education

School districts in the county include: ^[14]

The Jackson County School District serves the Hurley, Wade, Big Point, Three Rivers, Harleston, Vestry, Latimer, and Vancleave communities, along with St. Martin and a small portion of Escatawpa. The Pascagoula-Gautier School District serves Pascagoula and most of the City of Gautier. The Moss Point School District serves Moss Point and most of Escatawpa. The Ocean Springs School District serves Ocean Springs.

Communities

Cities

• Gautier
• Moss Point
• Ocean Springs
• Pascagoula (county seat)

Census-designated places

• Big Point
• Escatawpa
• Gulf Hills
• Gulf Park Estates
• Helena
• Hurley
• Latimer
• St. Martin
• Vancleave
• Wade

Unincorporated places

• East Moss Point
• Poticaw Landing

Ghost towns

• Brewton

Former census-designated places

• Hickory Hills, merged into city of Gautier

Politics

Like most of the Solid South, Jackson County consistently voted for the Democratic presidential candidate through 1960, except for 1948, when it was carried by Dixiecrat Strom Thurmond. For much of this time, Republicans were lucky to get even 1,000 votes. It voted overwhelmingly for Republican Barry Goldwater in 1964, voted for George Wallace in 1968 over Republican Richard Nixon, and has stuck with Republicans ever since. Jimmy Carter is the last Democrat to manage 40 percent of the vote.

United States presidential election results for Jackson County, Mississippi ^[15]

Year	Republican		Democratic		Third party(ies)
	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
2024	36,376	69.29%	15,469	29.47%	652	1.24%
2020	36,295	66.54%	17,375	31.86%	873	1.60%
2016	33,629	67.85%	14,657	29.57%	1,281	2.58%
2012	35,747	66.62%	17,299	32.24%	609	1.14%
2008	35,993	66.29%	17,781	32.75%	522	0.96%
2004	35,134	68.79%	15,572	30.49%	369	0.72%
2000	30,068	66.66%	14,193	31.47%	846	1.88%
1996	24,918	59.86%	13,598	32.67%	3,109	7.47%
1992	25,321	56.36%	13,017	28.97%	6,592	14.67%
1988	29,830	73.90%	10,328	25.59%	206	0.51%
1984	29,585	76.79%	8,821	22.89%	123	0.32%
1980	22,498	62.57%	12,226	34.00%	1,234	3.43%
1976	17,177	55.26%	12,533	40.32%	1,372	4.41%
1972	22,204	88.68%	2,534	10.12%	300	1.20%
1968	2,942	14.39%	2,236	10.94%	15,261	74.67%
1964	11,357	82.73%	2,371	17.27%	0	0.00%
1960	2,266	24.70%	5,000	54.50%	1,908	20.80%
1956	2,692	38.98%	3,882	56.21%	332	4.81%
1952	2,170	34.36%	4,146	65.64%	0	0.00%
1948	238	6.41%	783	21.09%	2,692	72.50%
1944	213	7.48%	2,636	92.52%	0	0.00%
1940	171	7.43%	2,124	92.35%	5	0.22%
1936	120	6.55%	1,704	93.06%	7	0.38%
1932	126	7.12%	1,634	92.32%	10	0.56%
1928	567	31.02%	1,261	68.98%	0	0.00%
1924	158	13.50%	1,010	86.32%	2	0.17%
1920	121	17.24%	577	82.19%	4	0.57%
1916	87	10.21%	743	87.21%	22	2.58%
1912	14	2.28%	514	83.85%	85	13.87%

See also

• Mississippi portal
• Schools portal

• National Register of Historic Places listings in Jackson County, Mississippi
• L.N. Dantzler Lumber Company

References

1. "Census - Geography Profile: Jackson County, Mississippi". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved January 9, 2023.
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. p. 167.
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. "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2023". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved April 5, 2024.
6. "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved November 4, 2014.
7. "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved November 4, 2014.
8. "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved November 4, 2014.
9. "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.
10. "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on June 7, 2011. Retrieved September 3, 2013.
11. "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved December 16, 2021.
12. "Mississippi House Resolution 50". LegiScan. Retrieved February 16, 2025.
13. "Indian Entities Recognized by and Eligible To Receive Services From the United States Bureau of Indian Affairs". Indian Affairs Bureau. Federal Register. January 22, 2022. pp. 7554–58. Retrieved January 21, 2022.
14. "2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Jackson County, MS" (PDF). U.S. Census Bureau. Archived (PDF) from the original on August 1, 2022. Retrieved July 31, 2022. - Text list
15. Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved March 2, 2018.

External links

• Official Web Site of Jackson County, Mississippi
• Media related to Jackson County, Mississippi at Wikimedia Commons

30°28′N88°37′W / 30.46°N 88.62°W / 30.46; -88.62