| Lafayette County, Mississippi | |
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Lafayette County courthouse in Oxford, Mississippi
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Location in the state of Mississippi |
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Mississippi's location in the U.S. |
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| Founded | 1836 |
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| Seat | Oxford |
| Largest city | Oxford |
| Area - Total - Land - Water |
679.29 sq mi (1,759 km²) 631.11 sq mi (1,635 km²) 48.17 sq mi (125 km²), 7.09% |
| Population - (2010) - Density |
47,351 62/sq mi (24/km²) |
| Website | www.lafayettecoms.com |
Lafayette County is a county located in the U.S. state of Mississippi. As of 2010, the population was 47,351. Its county seat is Oxford[1]. The local pronunciation of the name is "la-FAY-et". Lafayette County is often regarded as the inspiration for Yoknapatawpha County, the fictional setting of many of William Faulkner's stories. The county is named to honor Marquis de Lafayette, a French military hero and American general who fought during the American Revolutionary War.
The Oxford Micropolitan Statistical Area includes all of Lafayette County.
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According to the 2000 census, the county has a total area of 679.29 square miles (1,759.4 km2), of which 631.11 square miles (1,634.6 km2) (or 92.91%) is land and 48.17 square miles (124.8 km2) (or 7.09%) is water.[2]
| Tate County | Marshall County | Union County | ||
| Panola County | ||||
| Lafayette County, Mississippi | ||||
| Yalobusha County | Calhoun County | Pontotoc County |
As of the census[3] of 2000, there were 38,744 people, 14,373 households, and 8,321 families residing in the county. The population density was 61 people per square mile (24/km²). There were 16,587 housing units at an average density of 26 per square mile (10/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 71.85% White, 25.05% Black or African American, 0.16% Native American, 1.67% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.42% from other races, and 0.84% from two or more races. 1.10% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
The largest European ancestry groups in Lafayette county are[4]:
Many people in Mississippi may claim Irish ancestry because of the term "Scots-Irish", but most of the time in Mississippi this term is used for those with Scottish roots, rather than Irish.[5]
| Historical populations | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1840 | 6,531 |
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| 1850 | 14,069 | 115.4% | |
| 1860 | 16,125 | 14.6% | |
| 1870 | 18,802 | 16.6% | |
| 1880 | 21,671 | 15.3% | |
| 1890 | 20,553 | −5.2% | |
| 1900 | 22,110 | 7.6% | |
| 1910 | 21,883 | −1.0% | |
| 1920 | 19,243 | −12.1% | |
| 1930 | 19,978 | 3.8% | |
| 1940 | 21,257 | 6.4% | |
| 1950 | 22,798 | 7.2% | |
| 1960 | 21,355 | −6.3% | |
| 1970 | 24,181 | 13.2% | |
| 1980 | 31,030 | 28.3% | |
| 1990 | 31,826 | 2.6% | |
| 2000 | 38,744 | 21.7% | |
| 2010 | 47,351 | 22.2% | |
| MS Counties 1900-1990 GeoHive - 2000 & 2010 statistics |
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In 2000, there were 14,373 households out of which 26.90% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.20% were married couples living together, 11.40% had a female householder with no husband present, and 42.10% were non-families. 29.10% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.80% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.36 and the average family size was 2.97.
In the county the population was spread out with 19.50% under the age of 18, 27.10% from 18 to 24, 26.30% from 25 to 44, 17.10% from 45 to 64, and 9.80% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 27 years. For every 100 females there were 96.70 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.60 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $28,517, and the median income for a family was $42,910. Males had a median income of $30,964 versus $21,207 for females. The per capita income for the county was $16,406. About 10.20% of families and 21.30% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.60% of those under age 18 and 19.40% of those age 65 or over.
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