Marion County, Mississippi

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 549 sqmi, of which 542 sqmi is land and 6.2 sqmi (1.1%) is water.

Major highways

• [[File:US 98.svg|20px]] U.S. Highway 98
• [[File:Circle sign 13.svg|20px]] Mississippi Highway 13
• [[File:Circle sign 35.svg|20px]] Mississippi Highway 35
• [[File:Circle sign 43.svg|20px]] Mississippi Highway 43
• [[File:Circle sign 44.svg|20px]] Mississippi Highway 44

Adjacent counties

• Jefferson Davis County (north)
• Lamar County (east)
• Pearl River County (southeast)
• Washington Parish, Louisiana (south)
• Walthall County (west)
• Lawrence County (northwest)

Demographics

|align-fn=center 1790-1960 1900-1990 1990-2000 2010-2013

2020 census

As of the 2020 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.

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,

25.5% of residents lived in urban areas, while 74.5% lived in rural areas.

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.

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%.

Government and infrastructure

The Mississippi Department of Human Services's Division of Youth Services operated the Columbia Training School in unincorporated Marion County. The facility was closed in 2008.

Politics

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.

Communities

City

• Columbia (county seat & only incorporated place)

Census-designated places

• Foxworth
• Kokomo

Unincorporated communities

• Bunker Hill
• Cheraw
• Expose, an unincorporated area of Marion County that was founded by Harry Solomon Expose (born 1861), a community leader who owned a general store and served as postmaster. Monroe Work's Negro Yearbook listed it among "Negro Towns and Settlements in the United States." Football great Walter Payton's mother Alyne Sibley Payton was born in Expose on January 14, 1926.
• Good Hope
• Goss
• Hopewell
• Hub
• Morgantown
• Sandy Hook

Education

There are two school districts in the county: Columbia School District and Marion County School District.

The county is in the service area of Pearl River Community College.

Notable people

• Earl W. Bascom (1906–1995), "Father of Modern Rodeo," Mississippi Rodeo Hall of Fame inductee, producer of Marion County's first rodeo in 1935
• Charles C. Bass (1875–1975), "Father of Preventive Dentistry"; researcher in tropical medicine
• Charles Coleman (American football) (born 1963), American football player
• Logan Cooke - NFL punter
• Peggy Dow, American actress
• Walter Payton, American football player

References

References

1. "Census - Geography Profile: Marion County, Mississippi". [[United States Census Bureau]].
2. "Find a County". National Association of Counties.
3. Gannett, Henry. (1905). "The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States". U.S. Government Printing Office.
4. (August 22, 2012). "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau.
5. "County Population Totals and Components of Change: 2020-2024". United States Census Bureau.
6. "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau.
7. "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library.
8. "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau.
9. "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000". United States Census Bureau.
10. "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau.
11. "Explore Census Data".
12. (2021). "2020 Decennial Census Demographic Profile (DP1)".
13. (2021). "2020 Decennial Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171)".
14. (2023). "2020 Decennial Census Demographic and Housing Characteristics (DHC)".
15. [https://www.census.gov U.S. Census Bureau profile of Columbia, MS] . Retrieved on July 21, 2010.
16. "[http://mdah.state.ms.us/arrec/digital_archives/musgrove/pdfs/17529.pdf Public Appearance Calendar Governor Ronnie Musgrove For the Week of December 31, 2001] {{webarchive. link. (October 16, 2010 ". [[Mississippi Department of Archives and History]]. Retrieved on July 21, 2010. "Columbia Training School 1730 Highway 44 Columbia, MS.")
17. Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections".
18. Society, Marion County Historical. (February 20, 2012). "Marion County". Arcadia Publishing.
19. Pearlman, Jeff. (August 28, 2012). "Sweetness: The Enigmatic Life of Walter Payton". Penguin Publishing Group.
20. "2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Marion County, MS". [[U.S. Census Bureau]].
21. "2014-2016 Catalog". Pearl River Community College.
22. (2012). "Marion County". Arcadia.