Coldwater, Mississippi

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Coldwater is a town in Tate County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 1,674 at the 2000 census.

1 Geography
2 History
3 Demographics
4 External links

[edit] Geography

Coldwater is located at 34°41′23″N, 89°58′26″W (34.689854, -89.973790)^GR1.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 6.2 km² (2.4 mi²). 6.1 km² (2.4 mi²) of it is land and 0.42% water.

[edit] History

The town was founded in 1856 and incorporated in 1872. The corporate limits were one mile square. In the 1930's the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers began plans to build Arkabutla Dam, which when completed impounding Arkabutla Lake, would flood the Town of Coldwater.

In 1942, the U.S. Government moved the town and approximately 700 residents at a cost of $250,000 to its present location 1 mile south of the original site. By coincidence, the present town site is the one selected in 1856, but the landowners at that time would not sell their valuable farmland. In 2000, Coldwater had approximately 1,674 residents and the corporate limits consisted of 3 square miles.

As of May 2006, the waters of Arkabutla Lake had reached flood stage of elevation 238.3 feet MSL on 8 occasions. The site of the old town of Coldwater is 229 feet MSL and parts of it are underwater year round.

[edit] Demographics

As of the census^GR2 of 2000, there were 1,674 people, 598 households, and 429 families residing in the town. The population density was 272.7/km² (705.5/mi²). There were 642 housing units at an average density of 104.6/km² (270.6/mi²). The racial makeup of the town was 29.45% White, 69.71% African American, 0.06% Native American, 0.12% Asian, and 0.66% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.42% of the population.

There were 598 households out of which 36.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.1% were married couples living together, 28.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.1% were non-families. 25.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.80 and the average family size was 3.35.

In the town the population was spread out with 31.5% under the age of 18, 8.0% from 18 to 24, 29.0% from 25 to 44, 20.3% from 45 to 64, and 11.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females there were 79.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 72.6 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $26,058, and the median income for a family was $31,364. Males had a median income of $28,472 versus $19,444 for females. The per capita income for the town was $12,330. About 21.1% of families and 23.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 26.9% of those under age 18 and 26.7% of those age 65 or over.