Choctaw County, Mississippi

Choctaw County, Mississippi
Location in the state of Mississippi
Mississippi's location in the U.S.
Founded	1833
Seat	Ackerman
Largest Town	Ackerman
Area  - Total  - Land  - Water	419.81 sq mi (1,087 km²) 419.10 sq mi (1,085 km²) 0.71 sq mi (2 km²), 0.17%
Population  - (2010)  - Density	8,547 10/sq mi (4/km²)

Choctaw County is a county located in the U.S. state of Mississippi. As of 2010, the population was 8,547. Its county seat is Ackerman.^[1] Choctaw County is named after the Choctaw Native Americans.

Geography

According to the 2000 census, the county has a total area of 419.81 square miles (1,087.3 km²), of which 419.10 square miles (1,085.5 km²) (or 99.83%) is land and 0.71 square miles (1.8 km²) (or 0.17%) is water.^[2]

Adjacent counties

• Webster County, Mississippi - north
• Oktibbeha County, Mississippi - east
• Winston County, Mississippi - southeast
• Attala County, Mississippi - southwest
• Montgomery County, Mississippi - west

National protected areas

• Natchez Trace Parkway (part)
• Tombigbee National Forest (part)

Demographics

As of the census^[3] of 2000, there were 9,758 people, 3,686 households, and 2,668 families residing in the county. The population density was 23 people per square mile (9/km²). There were 4,249 housing units at an average density of 10 per square mile (4/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 68.03% White, 30.68% Black or African American, 0.31% Native American, 0.13% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.42% from other races, and 0.42% from two or more races. 0.81% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

Historical populations
Census	Pop.		%±
1840	6,010		—
1850	11,402		89.7%
1860	15,722		37.9%
1870	16,988		8.1%
1880	9,036		−46.8%
1890	10,847		20.0%
1900	13,036		20.2%
1910	14,357		10.1%
1920	12,491		−13.0%
1930	12,339		−1.2%
1940	13,548		9.8%
1950	11,009		−18.7%
1960	8,423		−23.5%
1970	8,440		0.2%
1980	8,996		6.6%
1990	9,071		0.8%
2000	9,758		7.6%
2010	8,547		−12.4%
MS Counties 1900-1990 GeoHive - 2000 & 2010 statistics

There were 3,686 households out of which 32.60% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.30% were married couples living together, 14.60% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.60% were non-families. 25.00% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.20% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.56 and the average family size was 3.06.

In the county the population was spread out with 27.80% under the age of 18, 8.80% from 18 to 24, 24.90% from 25 to 44, 23.50% from 45 to 64, and 15.00% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 91.90 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.40 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $27,020, and the median income for a family was $31,095. Males had a median income of $26,966 versus $17,798 for females. The per capita income for the county was $13,474. About 17.70% of families and 24.70% of the population were below the poverty line, including 33.80% of those under age 18 and 21.30% of those age 65 or over.

Communities

• Towns
  • Ackerman
  • French Camp
  • Mathiston (mostly in Webster County)
  • Weir

• Unincorporated places
  • Chester
  • Reform

• Ghost towns
  • Bankston

Education

Primary and secondary schools

Choctaw County School District operates public schools. Ackerman High School and the Weir Attendance Center provide secondary school education.^[4]

French Camp Academy, which provides in-house private education in grades 9 through 12, is located in French Camp.^[4]

Colleges and universities

Colleges and universities within a 60-mile (97 km) radius of the center of the county include:^[4]

• East Mississippi Community College (campuses in Columbus, Mayhew, and Scooba)
• Holmes Community College (campuses in Goodman and Grenada)
• Mississippi State University (Starkville)
• Mississippi University for Women (Columbus)

See also

• National Register of Historic Places listings in Choctaw County, Mississippi

References

1. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx. Retrieved 2011-06-07. 
2. ^ "Census 2000 U.S. Gazetteer Files: Counties". United States Census. http://www.census.gov/tiger/tms/gazetteer/county2k.txt. Retrieved 2011-02-13. 
3. ^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31. 
4. ^ ^{a b c} "Education." Choctaw County Economic Development Foundation. Retrieved on March 1, 2011.

External links

• Choctaw County Courthouse Pictures

Coordinates: 33°21′N 89°15′W / 33.35°N 89.25°W / 33.35; -89.25