Yazoo County, Mississippi

Yazoo County
County
Postcard. Ricks Memorial Library in Yazoo City.
Location within the U.S. state of Mississippi
Mississippi's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 32°47′N90°24′W / 32.78°N 90.4°W / 32.78; -90.4
Country	United States
State	Mississippi
Founded	January 21, 1823
Named for	Yazoo River
Seat	Yazoo City
Largest city	Yazoo City
Area
• Total	934 sq mi (2,420 km2)
• Land	923 sq mi (2,390 km2)
• Water	11 sq mi (30 km2)  1.2%
Population  (2020)
• Total	26,743
• Density	29/sq mi (11/km2)
Time zone	UTC−6 (Central)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
ZIP Codes	39039, 39040, 39088, 39095, 39146, 39162, 39179, 39194
Area code	662
Congressional district	2nd
Website	yazoocounty.net

Yazoo County is a county located in the U.S. state of Mississippi. As of the 2020 census, the population was 26,743. ^[1] The county seat is Yazoo City. ^[2] It is named for the Yazoo River, which forms its western border. Its name is said to come from a Choctaw language word meaning "River of Death". ^{[3] [4]}

History

The area which is now Yazoo County was acquired by the State of Mississippi from the Choctaw Indians in 1820. Yazoo County was established on January 21, 1823. It was the 19th county established in the State of Mississippi, and remains the largest in area. It was developed for cotton plantations, which lined the major river to have transportation access.

The first county seat was at Beatties Bluff. As population increased, In 1829 the county seat was moved to Benton. In 1849 the county seat was moved again, to Yazoo City, where it remains.

Yazoo County was a battlefield in 1863 and 1864 during the American Civil War. After the war, whites committed violence against freedmen to assert their dominance. Such violence continued after Reconstruction. In the period from 1877 to 1950, Yazoo County had 18 documented lynchings of African Americans. ^[5] Most occurred around the turn of the 20th century, as part of white imposition of Jim Crow conditions and suppression of black voting.

In 1900 a railroad disaster killed engineer Casey Jones; it took place in Yazoo County just north of Vaughan. The Great Mississippi Flood of 1927 did much damage in Yazoo County.

It experienced two accidents relating to carbon dioxide pipelines owned by Denbury Resources. In 2011, a pipeline had a "blowout" in Tinsley, Mississippi, causing the sickening of one worker and killing deer, fish and birds. ^[6] In 2020, a pipeline ruptured less than half a mile from Satartia. More than 300 people were evacuated and 46 hospitalized with carbon dioxide poisoning. ^{[7] [8] [9]}

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 934 square miles (2,420 km²), of which 923 square miles (2,390 km²) is land and 11 square miles (28 km²) (1.2%) is water. ^[10] It is the largest county in Mississippi by land area and third-largest by total area.

Adjacent counties

• Humphreys County (north)
• Holmes County (northeast)
• Madison County (east)
• Hinds County (south)
• Warren County (southwest)
• Issaquena County (west)
• Sharkey County (northwest)

National protected area

• Hillside National Wildlife Refuge (part)
• Panther Swamp National Wildlife Refuge

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1830	6,550		—
1840	10,480		60.0%
1850	14,418		37.6%
1860	22,373		55.2%
1870	17,279		−22.8%
1880	33,845		95.9%
1890	36,394		7.5%
1900	43,948		20.8%
1910	46,672		6.2%
1920	37,149		−20.4%
1930	37,262		0.3%
1940	40,091		7.6%
1950	35,712		−10.9%
1960	31,653		−11.4%
1970	27,304		−13.7%
1980	27,349		0.2%
1990	25,506		−6.7%
2000	28,149		10.4%
2010	28,065		−0.3%
2020	26,743		−4.7%
2023 (est.)	25,796	[11]	−3.5%
U.S. Decennial Census [12] 1790–1960 [13] 1900–1990 [14] 1990–2000 [15] 2010-2013 [16]

Age pyramid Yazoo County

2020 census

Yazoo County Racial Composition ^[18]

Race	Num.	Perc.
White	9,184	34.34%
Black or African American	15,812	59.13%
Native American	50	0.19%
Asian	115	0.43%
Pacific Islander	6	0.02%
Other/Mixed	500	1.87%
Hispanic or Latino	1,076	4.02%

As of the 2020 United States Census, there were 26,743 people, 8,542 households, and 5,203 families residing in the county.

2010 census

As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 28,065 people living in the county. 57.1% were Black or African American, 40.0% White, 0.4% Asian, 0.3% Native American, 0.7% of some other race and 1.5% of two or more races. 4.6% were Hispanic or Latino (of any race).

2000 census

As of the census ^[19] of 2000, there were 28,149 people, 9,178 households, and 6,644 families living in the county. The population density was 31 people per square mile (12 people/km²). There were 10,015 housing units at an average density of 11 units per square mile (4.2 units/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 53.96% Black or African American, 44.74% White, 0.20% Native American, 0.36% Asian, 0.22% from other races, and 0.52% from two or more races. 4.38% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

35.60% of the 9,178 households had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.20% were married couples living together, 23.70% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.60% were non-families. 24.50% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.70% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.81 and the average family size was 3.35.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 28.50% under the age of 18, 9.80% from 18 to 24, 29.20% from 25 to 44, 20.10% from 45 to 64, and 12.40% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 103.60 males (boys). For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 103.60 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $24,795, and the median income for a family was $29,395. Males had a median income of $28,553 versus $19,797 for females. The per capita income for the county was $12,062. About 25.40% of families and 31.90% of the population were below the poverty line, including 42.90% of those under age 18 and 22.50% of those age 65 or over.

Transportation

Major highways

• Interstate 55
• U.S. Highway 49
• U.S. Highway 49W
• U.S. Highway 49E
• Mississippi Highway 3
• Mississippi Highway 16
• Mississippi Highway 149
• Mississippi Highway 433

Airport

Yazoo County Airport is located in an unincorporated area in Yazoo County, ^[20] 2 miles (3.2 km) west of central Yazoo City. ^[21]

Education

• Public School Districts
  • Yazoo City Municipal School District serves areas in the Yazoo City limits; ^[22] its high school is Yazoo City High School
  • Yazoo County School District serves areas outside of the Yazoo City limits; ^[22] its high school is Yazoo County High School
• Private Schools
  • Benton Academy (Benton)
  • Manchester Academy (Yazoo City)
  • Covenant Christian School (Yazoo City)
  • Thomas Christian Academy (Yazoo City)

Politics

United States presidential election results for Yazoo County, Mississippi ^[23]

Year	Republican		Democratic		Third party
	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
2020	4,832	46.30%	5,496	52.66%	108	1.03%
2016	4,598	45.66%	5,369	53.32%	103	1.02%
2012	4,941	42.52%	6,603	56.82%	76	0.65%
2008	5,290	46.09%	6,116	53.29%	71	0.62%
2004	5,672	51.62%	5,013	45.63%	302	2.75%
2000	5,254	49.96%	4,997	47.52%	265	2.52%
1996	4,152	44.49%	4,754	50.94%	427	4.58%
1992	5,113	47.58%	4,880	45.42%	752	7.00%
1988	5,538	48.03%	4,989	43.27%	1,003	8.70%
1984	6,275	54.99%	5,037	44.14%	100	0.88%
1980	4,819	45.90%	5,468	52.09%	211	2.01%
1976	4,255	50.23%	4,053	47.85%	163	1.92%
1972	5,555	72.58%	2,008	26.23%	91	1.19%
1968	958	11.89%	2,163	26.84%	4,939	61.28%
1964	4,801	95.92%	204	4.08%	0	0.00%
1960	778	23.29%	715	21.41%	1,847	55.30%
1956	370	11.98%	911	29.50%	1,807	58.52%
1952	1,683	49.72%	1,702	50.28%	0	0.00%
1948	26	1.09%	70	2.93%	2,297	95.99%
1944	78	3.28%	2,301	96.72%	0	0.00%
1940	45	1.85%	2,390	98.15%	0	0.00%
1936	17	0.79%	2,141	99.07%	3	0.14%
1932	24	1.19%	1,995	98.57%	5	0.25%
1928	112	5.23%	2,029	94.77%	0	0.00%
1924	57	4.06%	1,348	95.94%	0	0.00%
1920	46	4.57%	948	94.14%	13	1.29%
1916	25	2.12%	1,146	97.28%	7	0.59%
1912	7	0.75%	887	94.97%	40	4.28%

Communities

Cities

• Yazoo City (county seat)

Town

• Bentonia

Villages

• Eden
• Satartia

Census-designated place

• Benton

Unincorporated communities

• Anding
• Carter
• Holly Bluff
• Hopewell Landing
• Little Yazoo
• Midway
• Oil City
• Scotland
• Tinsley
• Vaughan

Ghost towns

• Claibornesville
• Hilton
• Liverpool
• Pearce
• Plumville

Popular culture

Yazoo County, Mississippi has been featured in an Independent Lens series documenting bullying. ^[24]

Notable people

• Haley Barbour, Governor of Mississippi
• Willie Brown, football player
• Jerry Clower, comedian
• Henry Espy, Mayor of Clarksdale, Mississippi
• Mike Espy, former U.S. Secretary of Agriculture
• Lawrence Gordon, motion picture producer
• Lynn Hamilton, actress
• Jesse E. Holmes, minister, community leader
• Duck Holmes, blues musician
• T. J. Huddleston, entrepreneur
• Skip James, blues musician
• Tommy McClennan, blues musician
• Willie Morris, writer
• Stella Stevens, actress
• Zig Ziglar, writer and motivational speaker

See also

• Mississippi portal

• List of counties in Mississippi
• National Register of Historic Places listings in Yazoo County, Mississippi

References

1. "Census - Geography Profile: Yazoo County, Mississippi". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved January 15, 2023.
2. "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
3. Seale, Lea Leslie (1939). Indian Place-Names in Mississippi (Thesis). Louisiana State University. p. 211. Retrieved November 28, 2018.
4. Johnson's (revised) Universal Cyclopaedia. 1886.
5. Lynching in America, 3rd edition Archived 2017-10-23 at the Wayback Machine , Supplement by County, p. 6
6. Zegart, Dan (August 26, 2021). "Gassing Satartia: How A CO2 Pipeline Explosion Affected This Mississippi Town". HuffPost. Retrieved February 12, 2024.
7. China Lee (February 23, 2020). "Evacuated families allowed back home after large gas leak in Yazoo Co". WLBT.
8. Sanya Mansour (February 23, 2020). "Hundreds Evacuated, Dozens Hospitalized After Gas Pipe Rupture in Mississippi". Time .
9. Zegart, Dan (August 26, 2021). "Gassing Satartia: How A CO2 Pipeline Explosion Affected This Mississippi Town". HuffPost. Retrieved February 12, 2024.
10. "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Archived from the original on September 28, 2013. Retrieved November 8, 2014.
11. "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2023". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved April 5, 2024.
12. "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved November 8, 2014.
13. "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved November 8, 2014.
14. "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved November 8, 2014.
15. "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 8, 2014.
16. "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on June 7, 2011. Retrieved September 7, 2013.
17. Based on 2000 census data
18. "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved December 8, 2021.
19. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved January 31, 2008.
20. FAA Airport Form 5010 for 87I PDF - Retrieved on September 23, 2010.
21. Jeter, Lynne W. "Airports an advantage when it comes to site selection." Mississippi Business Journal . March 26, 2001. Retrieved on September 21, 2010.
22. "2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Yazoo County, MS" (PDF). U.S. Census Bureau. Archived (PDF) from the original on August 1, 2022. Retrieved July 31, 2022. - Text list - 2010 Map, 2010 text list
23. Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". Uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved August 12, 2017.
24. "INDEPENDENT LENS: Bully". Public Broadcasting System. October 9, 2014. Retrieved September 12, 2015.

Further reading

• James L. Cox, The Mississippi Almanac. 2001.
• Harriet DeCell and JoAnne Prichard, Yazoo: Its Legends and Legacies. n.c.: Yazoo Delta Press, 1976.
• A.T. Morgan, Yazoo; or, On the Picket Line of Freedom in the South: A Personal Narrative. New York: Russell and Russell, 1968.
• Willie Morris, A Pictorial History of Yazoo County. n.c.: Heritage House Publishing, 1996.
• Nicholas Russell Murray, Yazoo County, Mississippi, 1845-1900. Hammond, LA: Hunting for Bears, c. 1982.
• New Orleans Exposition Committee, Official Information Respecting Yazoo County, Mississippi. Yazoo City, MS: n.p., 1884.
• Roster and Sketches of the Several Military Companies Which Were in Regular Service of the Confederate States During the Civil War from Yazoo County, Mississippi. Leland, Mississippi: Mrs. C. Q. Hollowell. March 1, 1960 [1st pub. Yazoo Camp, 176, of Confederate Veterans – via Waller Printing Co.:1905].
• Yazoo Historical Association, Yazoo County Story: A Pictorial History of Yazoo County, Mississippi, Covering Both the Old and the New. Fort Worth, TX: University Supply and Equipment Co., 1958.

External links

• Official website
• Yazoo County Mississippi on RootsWeb.com
• Yazoo County Convention and Visitors Bureau

32°47′N90°24′W / 32.78°N 90.40°W / 32.78; -90.40