Neshoba County, Mississippi

"Neshoba" redirects here. For the film, see Neshoba (film).

Neshoba County, Mississippi
Neshoba County courthouse in Philadelphia
Location in the U.S. state of Mississippi
Mississippi's location in the U.S.
Founded	1833
Seat	Philadelphia
Largest city	Philadelphia
Area
• Total	572 sq mi (1,481 km2)
• Land	570 sq mi (1,476 km2)
• Water	1.5 sq mi (4 km2), 0.3%
Population
• (2010)	29,676
• Density	52/sq mi (20/km²)
Congressional district	3rd
Time zone	Central: UTC-6/-5
Website	www.neshobacounty.net

Neshoba County is a county located in the U.S. state of Mississippi. As of the 2010 census, the population was 29,676. Its county seat is Philadelphia. The name is derived from the Choctaw word nashoba meaning Wolf.

The county is known for the Neshoba County Fair and harness horse races. It is also home of the Williams Brothers Store, which has been in operation since the early 1900s.

The Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians (MBCI) own one of the largest casino complexes in the state. The Silver Star and Golden Moon casinos are the first land based casinos in Mississippi. These casinos are part of the MBCI's Pearl River Resort.

History

Neshoba County is known as the site of one of the most infamous race-related crimes in American history. In 1964, three civil rights workers were murdered brutally by white supremacists, allegedly including a deputy county sheriff, in Philadelphia, the county seat. The crime and decades-long legal aftermath inspired the 1988 movie Mississippi Burning.

President Ronald Reagan launched his 1980 presidential campaign from the Neshoba County Fair, delivering a speech about economic policy that drew attention for the use of the phrase "states' rights" in an area associated with the 1964 murders.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 572 square miles (1,480 km²), of which 570 square miles (1,500 km²) is land and 1.5 square miles (3.9 km²) (0.3%) is water.

Major highways

• Mississippi Highway 15
• Mississippi Highway 16
• Mississippi Highway 19
• 20px Mississippi Highway 21

Adjacent counties

• Winston County (north)
• Kemper County (east)
• Newton County (south)
• Leake County (west)

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.		%±
1840	2,437		—
1850	4,728		94.0%
1860	8,343		76.5%
1870	7,439		−10.8%
1880	8,741		17.5%
1890	11,146		27.5%
1900	12,726		14.2%
1910	17,980		41.3%
1920	19,303		7.4%
1930	26,691		38.3%
1940	27,882		4.5%
1950	25,730		−7.7%
1960	20,927		−18.7%
1970	20,802		−0.6%
1980	23,789		14.4%
1990	24,800		4.2%
2000	28,684		15.7%
2010	29,676		3.5%
Est. 2014	29,465		−0.7%
U.S. Decennial Census 1790-1960 1900-1990 1990-2000 2010-2013

As of the census of 2000, there were 28,684 people, 10,694 households, and 7,742 families residing in the county. The population density was 50 people per square mile (19/km²). There were 11,980 housing units at an average density of 21 per square mile (8/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 65.50% White, 19.33% Black or African American, 13.80% Native American, 0.19% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.34% from other races, and 0.81% from two or more races. 1.16% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 28.6% were of American, 8.8% Irish and 6.1% English ancestry according to Census 2000. Those who self-identify as having "American" ancestry are predominantly of English descent, but have ancestry that has been in North America for so long that they choose to identify simply as American. 88.7% spoke English and 10.2% Choctaw as their first language.

There were 10,694 households out of which 34.90% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.50% were married couples living together, 15.60% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.60% were non-families. 24.70% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.50% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.63 and the average family size was 3.11.

In the county the population was spread out with 28.20% under the age of 18, 9.00% from 18 to 24, 27.00% from 25 to 44, 21.60% from 45 to 64, and 14.20% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 91.10 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.30 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $28,300, and the median income for a family was $33,439. Males had a median income of $28,112 versus $19,882 for females. The per capita income for the county was $14,964. About 17.90% of families and 21.00% of the population were below the poverty line, including 27.20% of those under age 18 and 22.00% of those age 65 or over.

Communities

Cities

• Philadelphia (county seat)

Town

• Union (mostly in Newton County)

Census-designated places

• Bogue Chitto (partly in Kemper County)
• Pearl River
• Tucker

Unincorporated communities

• Burnside
• Choctaw
• Good Hope
• Neshoba
• Sandtown
• Stallo

See also

• National Register of Historic Places listings in Neshoba County, Mississippi
• Neshoba (film)
• Iris Kelso

External links

• Mississippi Region Grapples with Legacy of Civil Rights Murders, a 40th anniversary story from All Things Considered
• Neshoba Democrat's 40th anniversary stories