Carroll County, Mississippi | |
|---|---|
 Carroll County Courthouse | |
 Location within the U.S. state ofMississippi | |
 Mississippi's location within theU.S. | |
| Coordinates:33°27′N89°55′W / 33.45°N 89.92°W /33.45; -89.92 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Mississippi |
| Founded | 1833 |
| Named after | Charles Carroll of Carrollton |
| Seat | Carrollton (Northern District) Vaiden (Southern District) |
| Largest town | Vaiden |
| Area | |
• Total | 635 sq mi (1,640 km2) |
| • Land | 628 sq mi (1,630 km2) |
| • Water | 6.3 sq mi (16 km2) 1.0% |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 9,998 |
• Estimate (2024) | 9,378 |
| • Density | 15.9/sq mi (6.15/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| Congressional district | 2nd |
| Website | carrollcountyms |
Carroll County is acounty in theU.S. state ofMississippi. As of the2020 census, the population was 9,998.[1] Itscounty seats areCarrollton andVaiden.[2] The county is named forCharles Carroll of Carrollton,[3] the last surviving signatory of theDeclaration of Independence.
Carroll County is part of theGreenwood,Micropolitan Statistical Area. Bordered by theYazoo River on the west and theBig Black River to the east, it is considered to lie within theMississippi Delta region. Most of its land, however, is in the hill country.
The county is referred to in the third verse ofBobbie Gentry's 1967 hit song, "Ode to Billie Joe".
This area was developed by European Americans for cotton plantations near the rivers. These were dependent on the labor of large gangs of enslaved African Americans. After the American Civil War, manyfreedmen worked as sharecroppers or tenant farmers on the plantations. Other areas were harvested for timber.
In the period from 1877 to 1950, Carroll County had 29 documentedlynchings of African Americans, the second-highest number in the state.[4]
Carroll County consists of rolling hills, largely covered with trees.[5] The county's highest point is adjacent to State Highway 35, 8 miles (13 km) WSW ofWinona, at 540 ft (160 m) ASL.[6] According to theCensus Bureau, the county has a total area of 635 square miles (1,640 km2), of which 628 square miles (1,630 km2) is land and 6.3 square miles (16 km2) (1.0%) is water.[7]
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1840 | 10,481 | — | |
| 1850 | 18,491 | 76.4% | |
| 1860 | 22,035 | 19.2% | |
| 1870 | 21,047 | −4.5% | |
| 1880 | 17,795 | −15.5% | |
| 1890 | 18,773 | 5.5% | |
| 1900 | 22,116 | 17.8% | |
| 1910 | 23,139 | 4.6% | |
| 1920 | 20,324 | −12.2% | |
| 1930 | 19,765 | −2.8% | |
| 1940 | 20,651 | 4.5% | |
| 1950 | 15,499 | −24.9% | |
| 1960 | 11,177 | −27.9% | |
| 1970 | 9,397 | −15.9% | |
| 1980 | 9,776 | 4.0% | |
| 1990 | 9,237 | −5.5% | |
| 2000 | 10,769 | 16.6% | |
| 2010 | 10,597 | −1.6% | |
| 2020 | 9,998 | −5.7% | |
| 2024 (est.) | 9,378 | [8] | −6.2% |
| US Decennial Census[9] 1790-1960[10] 1900-1990[11] 1990-2000[12] 2010-2013[13] | |||
From 1940 to 1970, the county population declined markedly, as many African Americans left in theGreat Migration to West Coast cities that had a growing defense industry. Others went North to Chicago and other industrial cities. Rural whites also moved to cities to find work.
| Race | Num. | Perc. |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 6,529 | 65.3% |
| Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 3,030 | 30.31% |
| Native American | 15 | 0.15% |
| Asian | 29 | 0.29% |
| Other/Mixed | 241 | 2.41% |
| Hispanic orLatino | 154 | 1.54% |
As of the2020 United States census, there were 9,998 people, 3,827 households, and 2,685 families residing in the county.
As of the2000 United States census,[15] there were 10,769 people, 4,071 households, and 3,069 families in the county. Thepopulation density was 17 per square mile (6.6/km2). There were 4,888 housing units at an average density of 8 per square mile (3.1/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 62.67%White, 36.61%Black orAfrican American, 0.07%Native American, 0.16%Asian, 0.01%Pacific Islander, 0.13% fromother races, and 0.36% from two or more races. 0.73% of the population wereHispanic orLatino of any race.
There were 4,071 households, out of which 32.10% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.20% weremarried couples living together, 15.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.60% were non-families. 22.40% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.80% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.57 and the average family size was 3.01.
The largest ancestry groups in Carroll County wereEnglish 51%,African 38.6%, andScots-Irish 12.1%
The county population contained 24.50% under the age of 18, 9.60% from 18 to 24, 26.70% from 25 to 44, 25.70% from 45 to 64, and 13.60% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 99.20 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.00 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $28,878, and the median income for a family was $35,711. Males had a median income of $28,459 versus $19,695 for females. Theper capita income for the county was $15,744. About 13.70% of families and 16.00% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 17.30% of those under age 18 and 23.50% of those age 65 or over.
Carroll County School District is the area public school district. It operates one high school,J. Z. George High School, and formerly operatedVaiden High School.
Carroll Academy is an area private school that is financially supported by theCouncil of Conservative Citizens, awhite supremacist group.[16]
Pillow Academy in unincorporatedLeflore County, nearGreenwood, enrolls some students from Carroll County.[17] It originally was asegregation academy.[18]
Carroll County is a Republican stronghold. The last time it voted for a Democratic candidate wasJimmy Carter in 1976.
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 1912 | 16 | 2.09% | 653 | 85.36% | 96 | 12.55% |
| 1916 | 34 | 3.42% | 943 | 94.96% | 16 | 1.61% |
| 1920 | 184 | 21.30% | 669 | 77.43% | 11 | 1.27% |
| 1924 | 70 | 7.25% | 895 | 92.75% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1928 | 49 | 4.26% | 1,102 | 95.74% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1932 | 9 | 0.75% | 1,189 | 99.17% | 1 | 0.08% |
| 1936 | 19 | 1.81% | 1,030 | 98.10% | 1 | 0.10% |
| 1940 | 38 | 2.63% | 1,408 | 97.37% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1944 | 68 | 4.52% | 1,438 | 95.48% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1948 | 14 | 1.14% | 74 | 6.04% | 1,138 | 92.82% |
| 1952 | 535 | 31.42% | 1,168 | 68.58% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1956 | 234 | 15.09% | 1,080 | 69.63% | 237 | 15.28% |
| 1960 | 207 | 14.06% | 425 | 28.87% | 840 | 57.07% |
| 1964 | 2,043 | 95.42% | 98 | 4.58% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1968 | 138 | 4.32% | 925 | 28.96% | 2,131 | 66.72% |
| 1972 | 1,777 | 73.31% | 580 | 23.93% | 67 | 2.76% |
| 1976 | 1,561 | 49.29% | 1,566 | 49.45% | 40 | 1.26% |
| 1980 | 2,153 | 50.92% | 2,037 | 48.18% | 38 | 0.90% |
| 1984 | 2,823 | 65.70% | 1,462 | 34.02% | 12 | 0.28% |
| 1988 | 2,628 | 62.51% | 1,560 | 37.11% | 16 | 0.38% |
| 1992 | 1,695 | 54.96% | 1,182 | 38.33% | 207 | 6.71% |
| 1996 | 2,629 | 53.28% | 2,041 | 41.37% | 264 | 5.35% |
| 2000 | 3,165 | 64.28% | 1,726 | 35.05% | 33 | 0.67% |
| 2004 | 3,664 | 65.52% | 1,900 | 33.98% | 28 | 0.50% |
| 2008 | 3,902 | 65.41% | 2,037 | 34.15% | 26 | 0.44% |
| 2012 | 3,960 | 66.09% | 2,007 | 33.49% | 25 | 0.42% |
| 2016 | 3,799 | 68.72% | 1,680 | 30.39% | 49 | 0.89% |
| 2020 | 3,924 | 68.83% | 1,729 | 30.33% | 48 | 0.84% |
| 2024 | 3,730 | 71.81% | 1,431 | 27.55% | 33 | 0.64% |
Places adjacent to Carroll County, Mississippi | ||||||||||||||||
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Municipalities and communities ofCarroll County, Mississippi,United States | ||
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| Towns |  | |
| Unincorporated communities | ||
33°27′N89°55′W / 33.45°N 89.92°W /33.45; -89.92
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