Jasper County, Mississippi
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Jasper County, Mississippi | |
| Map | |
 Location in the state of Mississippi |
|
| Statistics | |
| Formed | 1833 |
|---|---|
| Seat | Bay Springs and Paulding |
| Area - Total - Land - Water |
1,755 km² (677 mi²) 1,751 km² (676 mi²) 4 km² (1 mi²), 0.21% |
| Population - (2000) - Density |
18,149 10/km² |
Jasper County is a county located in the U.S. state of Mississippi. As of 2000, the population is 18,149. Its county seats are Bay Springs and Paulding6.
Contents |
[edit] Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,755 km² (677 mi²). 1,751 km² (676 mi²) of it is land and 4 km² (1 mi²) of it (0.21%) is water.
[edit] Major Highways
[edit] Adjacent Counties
- Newton County (north)
- Clarke County (east)
- Wayne County (southeast)
- Jones County (south)
- Smith County (west)
[edit] History
Jasper County was formed in 1833. It was named for Sgt. William Jasper who first distinguished himself in the defense of Fort Moultrie in 1776. When a shell from a British warship shot away the flagstaff, he recovered the flag, raised it on a temporary staff, and held it under fire until a new staff was installed. Sgt. Jasper was killed in the Siege of Savannah in 1779.
[edit] Demographics
As of the census2 of 2000, there were 18,149 people, 6,708 households, and 4,957 families residing in the county. The population density was 10/km² (27/mi²). There were 7,671 housing units at an average density of 4/km² (11/mi²). The racial makeup of the county was 46.47% White, 52.88% Black or African American, 0.07% Native American, 0.07% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.08% from other races, and 0.41% from two or more races. 0.64% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 6,708 households out of which 35.00% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.90% were married couples living together, 18.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.10% were non-families. 24.20% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.30% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.68 and the average family size was 3.19.
In the county the population was spread out with 27.90% under the age of 18, 9.60% from 18 to 24, 26.70% from 25 to 44, 21.90% from 45 to 64, and 13.90% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 91.00 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.30 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $24,441, and the median income for a family was $29,951. Males had a median income of $27,183 versus $17,260 for females. The per capita income for the county was $12,889. About 19.30% of families and 22.70% of the population were below the poverty line, including 28.90% of those under age 18 and 23.70% of those age 65 or over.
