Choctaw County, Mississippi

Choctaw County
Choctaw County
County
	French Camp. Historic Mississippi cabin.
	Location within the U.S. state of Mississippi
	Mississippi's location within the U.S.
	Coordinates: 33°21′N 89°15′W / 33.35°N 89.25°W
Country	United States
State	Mississippi
Founded	1833
Named for	Choctaw people
Seat	Ackerman
Largest town	Ackerman
Area
• Total	420 sq mi (1,100 km2)
• Land	418 sq mi (1,080 km2)
• Water	1.7 sq mi (4 km2) 0.4%
Population (2020)
• Total	8,246
• Density	20/sq mi (7.6/km2)
Time zone	UTC−6 (Central)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district	1st
Website	choctawcountyms.com

Choctaw County is a county located in the central part of the U.S. state of Mississippi. As of the 2020 census, the population was 8,246.^[1] Its northern border is the Big Black River, which flows southwest into the Mississippi River south of Vicksburg. The county seat is Ackerman.^[2]

The county is named after the Choctaw tribe of Native Americans. They had long occupied this territory as their homeland before European exploration. Under the Indian Removal Act of 1830, they were forced by the United States to cede their lands and to move west of the Mississippi River to what became Indian Territory (today's state of Oklahoma).

History

This was one of the first counties organized in central Mississippi after Indian Removal, and it was originally much larger in geography. As the population increased in the Territory, additional counties were organized. For instance, in 1874 Webster County was formed from some of this county, as were Montgomery and Grenada counties.

The first county seat was Greensboro, which was later assigned to the territory of Webster County and designated as its county seat. Eventually Walthall, Mississippi was designated as the county seat of that county, resulting in the decline and abandonment of Greensboro.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 420 square miles (1,100 km²), of which 418 square miles (1,080 km²) is land and 1.7 square miles (4.4 km²) (0.4%) is water. The Big Black River forms the county's northern border.^[3]

Adjacent counties

National protected areas

Natchez Trace Parkway (part)
Tombigbee National Forest (part)

Demographics

The adjacent table reflects major decreases in population from 1910 to 1920, and from 1940 to 1960. These were periods of the Great Migration from the South by African Americans, who first moved to jobs in industrial cities in the North and Midwest. In the 1940s and after, they moved to the West Coast for jobs in the rapidly growing defense industry. Farm work declined with mechanization of agriculture. But Black people also migrated to escape the violence and social repression of Mississippi, where they had been essentially disenfranchised since 1890 and lived under Jim Crow laws and the threat of violence; the state had a high rate of lynchings.

Historical population
Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1840	6,010		—
1850	11,402		89.7%
1860	15,722		37.9%
1870	16,988		8.1%
1880	9,036		−46.8%
1890	10,847		20.0%
1900	13,036		20.2%
1910	14,357		10.1%
1920	12,491		−13.0%
1930	12,339		−1.2%
1940	13,548		9.8%
1950	11,009		−18.7%
1960	8,423		−23.5%
1970	8,440		0.2%
1980	8,996		6.6%
1990	9,071		0.8%
2000	9,758		7.6%
2010	8,543		−12.5%
2020	8,246		−3.5%
2023 (est.)	8,088	^[4]	−1.9%
U.S. Decennial Census^[5] 1790-1960^[6] 1900-1990^[7] 1990-2000^[8] 2010-2013^[9]

2020 census

Choctaw County racial composition^[10]
Race	Num.	Perc.
White (non-Hispanic)	5,559	67.41%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic)	2,332	28.28%
Native American	15	0.18%
Asian	6	0.07%
Other/Mixed	217	2.63%
Hispanic or Latino	117	1.42%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 8,246 people, 3,228 households, and 2,010 families residing in the county.

2010 census

As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 8,543 people living in the county. 68.1% were White, 30.2% African American, 0.3% Native American, 0.2% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 0.1% from some other race and 1.1% of two or more races. 1.4% were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

2000 census

As of the census^[11] of 2000, there were 9,758 people, 3,686 households, and 2,668 families living in the county. The population density was 23 people per square mile (8.9 people/km²). There were 4,249 housing units at an average density of 10 units per square mile (3.9 units/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 68.03% White, 30.68% Black or African American, 0.31% Native American, 0.13% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.42% from other races, and 0.42% from two or more races. 0.81% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 3,686 households, out of which 32.60% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.30% were married couples living together, 14.60% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.60% were non-families. 25.00% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.20% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.56 and the average family size was 3.06.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 27.80% under the age of 18, 8.80% from 18 to 24, 24.90% from 25 to 44, 23.50% from 45 to 64, and 15.00% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 91.90 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.40 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $27,020, and the median income for a family was $31,095. Males had a median income of $26,966 versus $17,798 for females. The per capita income for the county was $13,474. About 17.70% of families and 24.70% of the population were below the poverty line, including 33.80% of those under age 18 and 21.30% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Primary and secondary schools

Choctaw County School District operates public schools, including Choctaw County High School, Ackerman Elementary, French Camp Elementary, and Weir Elementary.^[12]

French Camp Academy, which provides in-house private education in grades 7 through 12, is located in French Camp.^[13]^[14]

Colleges and universities

Colleges and universities within a 60-mile (97 km) radius of the center of the county include:^[13]

East Mississippi Community College (campuses in Columbus, Mayhew, and Scooba)
Holmes Community College (campuses in Goodman and Grenada)
Mississippi State University (Starkville)
Mississippi University for Women (Columbus)

Communities

Towns

Ackerman (county seat)
French Camp
Mathiston (mostly in Webster County)
Weir

Unincorporated communities

Ghost towns

Notable people

James Blackwood, American Gospel singer and one of the founding members of legendary Southern Gospel quartet The Blackwood Brothers.
Turner Catledge, Managing editor of The New York Times from 1952 to 1964 and the paper's first executive editor.
David A. Chandler, Former Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of Mississippi.
James Plemon "J.P." Coleman 52nd Governor of Mississippi and a United States Circuit Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.
Thomas Fulton, Former conductor of the New York Metropolitan Opera
Dennis Johnson Fullback for Mississippi State University who played for the New York Giants and Buffalo Bills in the NFL.^[15]
Kenneth Johnson, NFL defensive back for the Green Bay Packers^[16]
Tony Kimbrough, Former professional football quarterback^[17]
Raymond Edwin "Ray" Mabus Jr., 60th Governor of Mississippi and 75th United States Secretary of the Navy.
Hoyt Ming, old-time fiddler.
Alvin McKinley, NFL defensive tackle who played for the Carolina Panthers, Cleveland Browns, Denver Broncos and New Orleans Saints.
Roy Oswalt, a major league pitcher for the Colorado Rockies, and his wife Nicole live in Weir.
Cheryl Prewitt, Miss America 1980 and Miss Mississippi 1979
Kristi M. Fondren, Author "Walking on the Wild Side: Long-Distance Hiking on the Appalachian Trail"

In popular culture

The song "Choctaw County Affair" from Carrie Underwood's 2015 album Storyteller is set in Choctaw County, Mississippi.

Politics

United States presidential election results for Choctaw County, Mississippi^[18]
Year	Republican		Democratic		Third party
Year	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
2020	3,001	71.06%	1,185	28.06%	37	0.88%
2016	2,788	68.59%	1,218	29.96%	59	1.45%
2012	2,812	65.81%	1,428	33.42%	33	0.77%
2008	2,624	63.57%	1,459	35.34%	45	1.09%
2004	2,694	66.00%	1,366	33.46%	22	0.54%
2000	2,398	64.48%	1,278	34.36%	43	1.16%
1996	1,715	53.15%	1,247	38.64%	265	8.21%
1992	2,026	53.77%	1,435	38.08%	307	8.15%
1988	2,297	62.98%	1,335	36.61%	15	0.41%
1984	2,491	68.00%	1,166	31.83%	6	0.16%
1980	1,927	52.15%	1,729	46.79%	39	1.06%
1976	1,561	49.23%	1,520	47.93%	90	2.84%
1972	2,301	86.57%	326	12.26%	31	1.17%
1968	211	6.65%	417	13.15%	2,543	80.20%
1964	2,096	93.32%	150	6.68%	0	0.00%
1960	245	14.88%	817	49.64%	584	35.48%
1956	221	15.74%	1,117	79.56%	66	4.70%
1952	524	27.42%	1,387	72.58%	0	0.00%
1948	43	3.34%	131	10.19%	1,112	86.47%
1944	76	6.36%	1,119	93.64%	0	0.00%
1940	66	5.16%	1,212	94.84%	0	0.00%
1936	41	2.96%	1,342	96.83%	3	0.22%
1932	23	2.03%	1,110	97.88%	1	0.09%
1928	118	10.48%	1,008	89.52%	0	0.00%
1924	98	7.44%	1,219	92.56%	0	0.00%
1920	191	19.41%	779	79.17%	14	1.42%
1916	53	5.56%	873	91.51%	28	2.94%
1912	24	3.53%	609	89.69%	46	6.77%