Marion County, Mississippi | |
|---|---|
 Marion County Courthouse in Columbia | |
 Flag | |
 Location within the U.S. state ofMississippi | |
| Coordinates:31°14′N89°49′W / 31.23°N 89.82°W /31.23; -89.82 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Mississippi |
| Founded | 1811 |
| Named after | Francis Marion |
| Seat | Columbia |
| Largest city | Columbia |
| Area | |
• Total | 549 sq mi (1,420 km2) |
| • Land | 542 sq mi (1,400 km2) |
| • Water | 6.2 sq mi (16 km2) 1.1% |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 24,441 |
• Estimate (2024) | 24,008 |
| • Density | 45.1/sq mi (17.4/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| Congressional district | 3rd |
| Website | www |
Marion County is acounty located in theU.S. state ofMississippi. As of the2020 census, the population was 24,441.[1] Itscounty seat isColumbia.[2] Marion County is named forAmerican Revolutionary Warguerrilla leaderFrancis Marion also known as The Swamp Fox.[3]
According to theU.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 549 square miles (1,420 km2), of which 542 square miles (1,400 km2) is land and 6.2 square miles (16 km2) (1.1%) is water.[4]
U.S. Highway 98
Mississippi Highway 13
Mississippi Highway 35
Mississippi Highway 43
Mississippi Highway 44| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1820 | 3,116 | — | |
| 1830 | 3,691 | 18.5% | |
| 1840 | 3,830 | 3.8% | |
| 1850 | 4,410 | 15.1% | |
| 1860 | 4,686 | 6.3% | |
| 1870 | 4,211 | −10.1% | |
| 1880 | 6,901 | 63.9% | |
| 1890 | 9,532 | 38.1% | |
| 1900 | 13,501 | 41.6% | |
| 1910 | 15,599 | 15.5% | |
| 1920 | 17,144 | 9.9% | |
| 1930 | 19,923 | 16.2% | |
| 1940 | 24,085 | 20.9% | |
| 1950 | 23,967 | −0.5% | |
| 1960 | 23,293 | −2.8% | |
| 1970 | 22,871 | −1.8% | |
| 1980 | 25,708 | 12.4% | |
| 1990 | 25,544 | −0.6% | |
| 2000 | 25,595 | 0.2% | |
| 2010 | 27,088 | 5.8% | |
| 2020 | 24,441 | −9.8% | |
| 2024 (est.) | 24,008 | [5] | −1.8% |
| U.S. Decennial Census[6] 1790-1960[7] 1900-1990[8] 1990-2000[9] 2010-2013[10] | |||
| Race | Num. | Perc. |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 15,721 | 64.32% |
| Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 7,583 | 31.03% |
| Native American | 42 | 0.17% |
| Asian | 65 | 0.27% |
| Other/Mixed | 624 | 2.55% |
| Hispanic orLatino | 406 | 1.66% |
As of the2020 census, the county had a population of 24,441. The median age was 40.8 years. 23.6% of residents were under the age of 18 and 19.3% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 96.0 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 94.2 males age 18 and over.[12][13]
The racial makeup of the county was 64.7%White, 31.2%Black or African American, 0.2%American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%Asian, <0.1%Native Hawaiian andPacific Islander, 0.9% from some other race, and 2.7% fromtwo or more races.Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 1.7% of the population.[13]
25.5% of residents lived in urban areas, while 74.5% lived in rural areas.[14]
There were 9,520 households in the county, of which 31.3% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 45.3% were married-couple households, 18.8% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 31.0% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 28.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[12]
There were 11,080 housing units, of which 14.1% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 78.1% were owner-occupied and 21.9% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.5% and the rental vacancy rate was 10.5%.[12]
TheMississippi Department of Human Services's Division of Youth Services operated the Columbia Training School inunincorporated Marion County. The facility was closed in 2008.[15][16]
Marion County is a Republican stronghold, having only voted for a Democrat once since the 1960s. Its Republican tilt has been increasingly evident in recent years, with the 2024 presidential election showing the strongest Republican support in the county since 1972.
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 1912 | 12 | 2.51% | 438 | 91.44% | 29 | 6.05% |
| 1916 | 51 | 6.01% | 792 | 93.40% | 5 | 0.59% |
| 1920 | 143 | 18.52% | 613 | 79.40% | 16 | 2.07% |
| 1924 | 99 | 8.70% | 1,039 | 91.30% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1928 | 526 | 36.33% | 922 | 63.67% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1932 | 94 | 3.71% | 2,429 | 95.97% | 8 | 0.32% |
| 1936 | 37 | 1.88% | 1,932 | 98.07% | 1 | 0.05% |
| 1940 | 45 | 2.11% | 2,083 | 97.89% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1944 | 54 | 2.16% | 2,441 | 97.84% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1948 | 49 | 1.79% | 205 | 7.47% | 2,491 | 90.75% |
| 1952 | 1,420 | 35.35% | 2,597 | 64.65% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1956 | 611 | 20.15% | 1,751 | 57.75% | 670 | 22.10% |
| 1960 | 698 | 22.92% | 1,082 | 35.53% | 1,265 | 41.54% |
| 1964 | 5,469 | 91.55% | 505 | 8.45% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1968 | 763 | 9.16% | 1,722 | 20.66% | 5,848 | 70.18% |
| 1972 | 6,805 | 79.40% | 1,693 | 19.75% | 72 | 0.84% |
| 1976 | 5,300 | 49.36% | 5,283 | 49.20% | 154 | 1.43% |
| 1980 | 5,218 | 48.73% | 5,366 | 50.12% | 123 | 1.15% |
| 1984 | 7,355 | 66.11% | 3,757 | 33.77% | 13 | 0.12% |
| 1988 | 7,019 | 61.87% | 4,240 | 37.38% | 85 | 0.75% |
| 1992 | 5,776 | 49.74% | 4,654 | 40.08% | 1,183 | 10.19% |
| 1996 | 5,023 | 50.39% | 4,334 | 43.48% | 611 | 6.13% |
| 2000 | 6,796 | 61.79% | 4,114 | 37.41% | 88 | 0.80% |
| 2004 | 7,999 | 66.95% | 3,888 | 32.54% | 60 | 0.50% |
| 2008 | 8,513 | 65.43% | 4,422 | 33.99% | 75 | 0.58% |
| 2012 | 8,237 | 64.71% | 4,393 | 34.51% | 99 | 0.78% |
| 2016 | 7,836 | 67.01% | 3,677 | 31.45% | 180 | 1.54% |
| 2020 | 8,273 | 67.94% | 3,787 | 31.10% | 117 | 0.96% |
| 2024 | 7,874 | 70.25% | 3,215 | 28.68% | 119 | 1.06% |
There are two school districts in the county:Columbia School District andMarion County School District.[20]
The county is in the service area ofPearl River Community College.[21]
Media related toMarion County, Mississippi at Wikimedia CommonsPlaces adjacent to Marion County, Mississippi | |
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Municipalities and communities ofMarion County, Mississippi,United States | ||
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| Other communities | ||
31°14′N89°49′W / 31.23°N 89.82°W /31.23; -89.82
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