Humphreys County, Mississippi | |
|---|---|
 Humphreys County Courthouse | |
 Location within the U.S. state ofMississippi | |
 Mississippi's location within theU.S. | |
| Coordinates:33°08′N90°31′W / 33.13°N 90.52°W /33.13; -90.52 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Mississippi |
| Founded | 1918 |
| Named after | Benjamin G. Humphreys |
| Seat | Belzoni |
| Largest city | Belzoni |
| Area | |
• Total | 431 sq mi (1,120 km2) |
| • Land | 418 sq mi (1,080 km2) |
| • Water | 13 sq mi (34 km2) 3.0% |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 7,785 |
| • Density | 18.6/sq mi (7.19/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| Congressional district | 2nd |
| Website | humphreyscounty |
Humphreys County is acounty located in theU.S. state ofMississippi. As of the2020 census, the population was 7,785.[1] Itscounty seat isBelzoni.[2] The county is named forBenjamin G. Humphreys. Humphreys County is Mississippi's newest county, having been formed in 1918. Humphreys County is located in theMississippi Delta region.
It was named 'Farm-Raised Catfish Capital of the World' in 1976 by then GovernorCliff Finch, since it produced more farm-raisedcatfish than any other U.S. county. Forty thousand acres (160 square kilometers) of the county are underwater and used to growcatfish. About 60% of U.S. farm-raisedcatfish is raised within a 65-mile (105 km) radius of thecounty seat,Belzoni. The title "Catfish Capital" has also been claimed bySavannah, Tennessee, andDes Allemands, Louisiana.
In March 2023, the towns ofRolling Fork,Midnight andSilver City were struck by an EF4, part of thetornado outbreak of March 24–25, 2023.
According to theU.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 431 square miles (1,120 km2), of which 418 sq mi (1,080 km2) is land and 13 sq mi (34 km2) (3.0%) is water.[3]
U.S. Highway 49W
Mississippi Highway 7
Mississippi Highway 12
Mississippi Highway 14
Mississippi Highway 16| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1920 | 19,192 | — | |
| 1930 | 24,729 | 28.9% | |
| 1940 | 26,257 | 6.2% | |
| 1950 | 23,115 | −12.0% | |
| 1960 | 19,093 | −17.4% | |
| 1970 | 14,601 | −23.5% | |
| 1980 | 13,931 | −4.6% | |
| 1990 | 12,134 | −12.9% | |
| 2000 | 11,206 | −7.6% | |
| 2010 | 9,375 | −16.3% | |
| 2020 | 7,785 | −17.0% | |
| 2024 (est.) | 7,121 | [5] | −8.5% |
| U.S. Decennial Census[6] 1790–1960[7] 1900–1990[8] 1990–2000[9] 2010–2013[10] | |||
| Race | Num. | Perc. |
|---|---|---|
| White | 1,423 | 18.28% |
| Black or African American | 6,072 | 78.00% |
| Native American | 13 | 0.17% |
| Asian | 10 | 0.13% |
| Other/Mixed | 176 | 2.26% |
| Hispanic orLatino | 91 | 1.17% |
As of the2020 United States census, there were 7,785 people, 3,186 households, and 2,078 families residing in the county.
As of the2010 United States census, there were 9,375 people living in the county: 74.5% wereBlack or African American, 23.5%White, 0.2%Asian, 0.1%Native American, 0.9% of some other race and 0.7%of two or more races, and 2.2% wereHispanic or Latino (of any race).
At the 2000census,[12] there were 11,206 people, 3,765 households and 2,695 families living in the county. Thepopulation density was 27 per square mile (10/km2). There were 4,138 housing units at an average density of 10 per square mile (3.9/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 27.17%White, 71.51%Black orAfrican-American, 0.10%Native American, 0.27%Asian, 0.64% fromother races, and 0.31% from two or more races. 1.50% of the population wereHispanic orLatino of any race.
There were 3,765 households, of which 36.60% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.30% weremarried couples living together, 27.70% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.40% were non-families. Of all households, 24.90% were made up of individuals, and 10.90% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.95 and the average family size was 3.54.
Age distribution was 32.70% under the age of 18, 10.70% from 18 to 24, 25.80% from 25 to 44, 18.80% from 45 to 64, and 12.00% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females there were 87.50 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 78.70 males.
The median household income was $20,566, and the median family income was $23,719. Males had a median income of $24,948 versus $19,201 for females. Theper capita income for the county was $10,926. About 32.40% of families and 38.20% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 50.30% of those under age 18 and 31.00% of those age 65 or over.
Humphreys County has theseventh-lowest per capita income in Mississippi and the56th-lowest in the United States.
In April 2019, Propublica identified Humphreys County as the county most intensely audited by the IRS.[13]
Like most counties in the Delta, Humphreys County is solidly Democratic. The last Republican presidential candidate to win the county wasRichard Nixon in1972. In 2001 the Humphreys County Sheriff's Department named J. D. Roseman the first black Chief Deputy. In 2008 he became the first black Sheriff of Humphreys County.
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 1920 | 21 | 6.19% | 316 | 93.22% | 2 | 0.59% |
| 1924 | 33 | 4.99% | 628 | 95.01% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1928 | 1 | 0.10% | 1,020 | 99.90% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1932 | 10 | 1.27% | 775 | 98.73% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1936 | 7 | 0.60% | 1,164 | 99.40% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1940 | 20 | 1.85% | 1,061 | 98.15% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1944 | 35 | 2.95% | 1,150 | 97.05% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1948 | 11 | 0.96% | 17 | 1.49% | 1,116 | 97.55% |
| 1952 | 589 | 40.70% | 858 | 59.30% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1956 | 127 | 9.81% | 576 | 44.51% | 591 | 45.67% |
| 1960 | 231 | 16.24% | 459 | 32.28% | 732 | 51.48% |
| 1964 | 1,863 | 95.69% | 84 | 4.31% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1968 | 258 | 7.11% | 1,219 | 33.60% | 2,151 | 59.29% |
| 1972 | 2,334 | 69.01% | 892 | 26.37% | 156 | 4.61% |
| 1976 | 1,445 | 38.29% | 2,172 | 57.55% | 157 | 4.16% |
| 1980 | 1,841 | 36.67% | 2,970 | 59.16% | 209 | 4.16% |
| 1984 | 2,309 | 46.99% | 2,596 | 52.83% | 9 | 0.18% |
| 1988 | 2,018 | 42.98% | 2,644 | 56.32% | 33 | 0.70% |
| 1992 | 1,721 | 36.75% | 2,696 | 57.57% | 266 | 5.68% |
| 1996 | 1,382 | 36.24% | 2,305 | 60.45% | 126 | 3.30% |
| 2000 | 1,628 | 41.28% | 2,288 | 58.01% | 28 | 0.71% |
| 2004 | 1,679 | 34.27% | 3,168 | 64.65% | 53 | 1.08% |
| 2008 | 1,462 | 28.52% | 3,634 | 70.89% | 30 | 0.59% |
| 2012 | 1,293 | 24.81% | 3,903 | 74.88% | 16 | 0.31% |
| 2016 | 1,151 | 27.06% | 3,071 | 72.21% | 31 | 0.73% |
| 2020 | 1,118 | 26.69% | 3,016 | 72.00% | 55 | 1.31% |
| 2024 | 990 | 28.55% | 2,443 | 70.44% | 35 | 1.01% |
There is one school district:Humphreys County School District, which has boundaries coterminous with those of the county.[16]
Places adjacent to Humphreys County, Mississippi | ||||||||||||||||
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Municipalities and communities ofHumphreys County, Mississippi,United States | ||
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| Towns | ||
| Unincorporated communities | ||
33°08′N90°31′W / 33.13°N 90.52°W /33.13; -90.52
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