Fayette, Mississippi

Fayette, Mississippi
City

Location of Fayette, Mississippi
Coordinates: 31°42′40″N 91°3′44″W / 31.71111°N 91.06222°WCoordinates: 31°42′40″N 91°3′44″W / 31.71111°N 91.06222°W
Country United States
State Mississippi
County Jefferson
Area
 • Total 1.2 sq mi (3.1 km2)
 • Land 1.2 sq mi (3.1 km2)
 • Water 0.0 sq mi (0.0 km2)
Elevation 282 ft (86 m)
Population (2010)
 • Total 1,614
 • Density 1,903.3/sq mi (734.9/km2)
Time zone Central (CST) (UTC-6)
 • Summer (DST) CDT (UTC-5)
ZIP codes 39069, 39081
Area code(s) 601
FIPS code 28-24500
GNIS feature ID 0669927

Fayette is a city in Jefferson County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 1,614 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Jefferson County.[1]

Geography

Fayette is located at 31°42′40″N 91°3′44″W / 31.71111°N 91.06222°W (31.711144, -91.062246).[2]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 1.2 square miles (3.1 km2), all land.

History

In 1879, the Jesse James gang robbed two stores in Washington and Fayette, Mississippi. The outlaws absconded with $2,000 cash in the second robbery and took shelter in abandoned cabins on the Kemp Plantation south of St. Joseph, Louisiana. The posse attacked and killed two of the outlaws but failed to capture the entire gang. Jesse James would live another three years until his demise in, coincidentally, another St. Joseph in northwestern Missouri.[3]

The first African American mayor in post-Reconstruction Mississippi, Charles Evers, the brother of slain civil rights activist Medgar Evers was elected by the people of Fayette in 1969, beating the incumbent R.G. Allen 386-225.[4]

Demographics

As of the census[5] of 2000, there were 2,242 people, 775 households, and 543 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,903.3 people per square mile (733.6/km²). There were 843 housing units at an average density of 715.6 per square mile (275.8/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 1.92% White, 97.37% African American, 0.09% Native American, 0.22% Asian, and 0.40% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.62% of the population.

There were 775 households out of which 39.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 24.4% were married couples living together, 40.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.9% were non-families. 27.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.82 and the average family size was 3.46.

In the city the population was spread out with 34.2% under the age of 18, 12.6% from 18 to 24, 25.6% from 25 to 44, 17.2% from 45 to 64, and 10.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 28 years. For every 100 females there were 75.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 69.1 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $13,564, and the median income for a family was $16,875. Males had a median income of $20,500 versus $17,011 for females. The per capita income for the city was $8,101. About 44.4% of families and 48.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 58.8% of those under age 18 and 38.2% of those age 65 or over.

Education

The City of Fayette is served by the Jefferson County School District.

Notable people

References

  1. ↑ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved 2011-06-07.
  2. ↑ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. Retrieved 2011-04-23.
  3. ↑ "Jefferson B. Snyder". New Orleans Times-Picayune, April 15, 1938. Retrieved July 22, 2013.
  4. ↑ Associated Press (14 May 1969). "Race Won By Evers". Waycross Journal-Herald. Retrieved 25 November 2012.
  5. ↑ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
  6. ↑ "Thomas M. Wade". records.ancestry.com. Retrieved July 17, 2013.