Sharkey Countyis acountylocated in theU.S. stateofMississippi.Part of the eastern border is formed by theYazoo River.According to the2020 census,the population was 3,800,[1]making it the second-least populous county in Mississippi, afterIssaquena County.Itscounty seatisRolling Fork.[2]The county is named afterWilliam L. Sharkey,the provisionalGovernor of Mississippiin 1865.
Sharkey County | |
|---|---|
 Sharkey County courthouse in Rolling Fork | |
 Location within the U.S. state ofMississippi | |
 Mississippi's location within theU.S. | |
| Coordinates:32°53′N90°49′W/ 32.88°N 90.81°W | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Mississippi |
| Founded | 1876 |
| Named for | William L. Sharkey |
| Seat | Rolling Fork |
| Largest city | Rolling Fork |
| Area | |
• Total | 435 sq mi (1,130 km2) |
| • Land | 432 sq mi (1,120 km2) |
| • Water | 3.4 sq mi (9 km2) 0.8% |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 3,800 |
| • Density | 8.7/sq mi (3.4/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−6(Central) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5(CDT) |
| Congressional district | 2nd |
| Website | www |
Sharkey County is located in theMississippi Deltaregion.
Historic Weather
editOn the afternoon of Sunday, February 21, 1971, a large and long-trackedF5 tornadoimpacted areas of Sharkey County. On March 24, 2023, a high-end EF4 tornado hit the city of Rolling Fork with estimated wind speeds of 195 mph (314kph), causing catastrophic damage throughout the community. The tornado was responsible for 17 fatalities and 165 injuries.[3][4][5]
Geography
editAccording to theU.S. Census Bureau,the county has a total area of 435 square miles (1,130 km2), of which 432 square miles (1,120 km2) is land and 3.4 square miles (8.8 km2) (0.8%) is water.[6]
Major highways
edit
Adjacent counties
edit- Washington County(north)
- Humphreys County(northeast)
- Yazoo County(east)
- Issaquena County(southwest)
National protected area
editDemographics
edit| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1880 | 6,306 | — | |
| 1890 | 8,382 | 32.9% | |
| 1900 | 12,178 | 45.3% | |
| 1910 | 15,694 | 28.9% | |
| 1920 | 14,190 | −9.6% | |
| 1930 | 13,877 | −2.2% | |
| 1940 | 15,433 | 11.2% | |
| 1950 | 12,903 | −16.4% | |
| 1960 | 10,738 | −16.8% | |
| 1970 | 8,937 | −16.8% | |
| 1980 | 7,964 | −10.9% | |
| 1990 | 7,066 | −11.3% | |
| 2000 | 6,580 | −6.9% | |
| 2010 | 4,916 | −25.3% | |
| 2020 | 3,800 | −22.7% | |
| 2023 (est.) | 3,336 | [7] | −12.2% |
| U.S. Decennial Census[8] 1790-1960[9]1900-1990[10] 1990-2000[11]2010-2013[12] | |||
2020 census
edit| Race | Num. | Perc. |
|---|---|---|
| White | 962 | 25.32% |
| Black or African American | 2,671 | 70.29% |
| Asian | 14 | 0.37% |
| Pacific Islander | 3 | 0.08% |
| Other/Mixed | 89 | 2.34% |
| HispanicorLatino | 61 | 1.61% |
As of the2020 United States Census,there were 3,800 people, 1,751 households, and 1,046 families residing in the county.
2010 census
editAs of the2010 United States Census,there were 4,916 people living in the county. 71.0% wereBlack or African American,27.9%White,0.2%Asian,0.1%Native American,0.4% of some other race and 0.4%or two or more races.0.8% wereHispanic or Latino(of any race).
2000 census
editAs of thecensus[14]of 2000, there were 6,580 people, 2,163 households, and 1,589 families living in the county. Thepopulation densitywas 15 people per square mile (5.8 people/km2). There were 2,416 housing units at an average density of 6 units per square mile (2.3 units/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 69.32%BlackorAfrican American,29.36%White,0.18%Native American,0.27%Asian,0.27% fromother races,and 0.59% from two or more races. 1.31% of the population wereHispanicorLatinoof any race.
There were 2,163 households, out of which 36.10% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.00% weremarried couplesliving together, 26.80% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.50% were non-families. 23.50% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.90% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.99 and the average family size was 3.56.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 33.00% under the age of 18, 10.40% from 18 to 24, 24.80% from 25 to 44, 20.40% from 45 to 64, and 11.30% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females there were 88.70 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.40 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $22,285, and the median income for a family was $26,786. Males had a median income of $26,563 versus $17,931 for females. Theper capita incomefor the county was $11,396. About 30.50% of families and 38.30% of the population were below thepoverty line,including 50.00% of those under age 18 and 24.20% of those age 65 or over.
Sharkey County has thetenth-lowestper capita income in Mississippi and the73rd lowestin the United States.
Education
edit- Public School Districts
- South Delta School District,which operatesSouth Delta High School
- Private Schools
- Sharkey-Issaquena Academy(Rolling Fork)
Communities
edit
City
edit- Rolling Fork(county seat)
Towns
editCensus-designated places
editUnincorporated communities
editPolitics
editSharkey County is, like the rest of theMississippi Deltaregion, heavily Democratic. It has voted for the Democratic nominee for president in every election since 1976, and no Republican has broken 40% of the vote sinceGeorge H. W. Bushin 1988.
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 2024 | 551 | 31.20% | 1,201 | 68.01% | 14 | 0.79% |
| 2020 | 688 | 31.52% | 1,465 | 67.11% | 30 | 1.37% |
| 2016 | 692 | 31.60% | 1,479 | 67.53% | 19 | 0.87% |
| 2012 | 737 | 29.11% | 1,782 | 70.38% | 13 | 0.51% |
| 2008 | 873 | 31.23% | 1,907 | 68.23% | 15 | 0.54% |
| 2004 | 1,120 | 36.21% | 1,560 | 50.44% | 413 | 13.35% |
| 2000 | 1,074 | 37.00% | 1,706 | 58.77% | 123 | 4.24% |
| 1996 | 906 | 34.59% | 1,566 | 59.79% | 147 | 5.61% |
| 1992 | 1,008 | 36.63% | 1,526 | 55.45% | 218 | 7.92% |
| 1988 | 1,277 | 43.00% | 1,609 | 54.18% | 84 | 2.83% |
| 1984 | 1,487 | 43.76% | 1,723 | 50.71% | 188 | 5.53% |
| 1980 | 996 | 32.97% | 1,957 | 64.78% | 68 | 2.25% |
| 1976 | 1,024 | 41.81% | 1,283 | 52.39% | 142 | 5.80% |
| 1972 | 1,426 | 67.94% | 655 | 31.21% | 18 | 0.86% |
| 1968 | 249 | 10.34% | 972 | 40.35% | 1,188 | 49.32% |
| 1964 | 1,116 | 89.71% | 128 | 10.29% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1960 | 313 | 31.08% | 263 | 26.12% | 431 | 42.80% |
| 1956 | 211 | 25.36% | 308 | 37.02% | 313 | 37.62% |
| 1952 | 600 | 60.73% | 388 | 39.27% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1948 | 10 | 1.29% | 23 | 2.96% | 745 | 95.76% |
| 1944 | 24 | 3.32% | 698 | 96.68% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1940 | 18 | 2.35% | 747 | 97.65% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1936 | 7 | 1.22% | 567 | 98.78% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1932 | 0 | 0.00% | 551 | 99.82% | 1 | 0.18% |
| 1928 | 36 | 7.05% | 475 | 92.95% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1924 | 34 | 8.65% | 353 | 89.82% | 6 | 1.53% |
| 1920 | 7 | 2.98% | 228 | 97.02% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1916 | 6 | 2.36% | 246 | 96.85% | 2 | 0.79% |
| 1912 | 3 | 1.79% | 157 | 93.45% | 8 | 4.76% |
See also
editReferences
edit- ^"Census - Geography Profile: Sharkey County, Mississippi".United States Census Bureau.RetrievedJanuary 15,2023.
- ^"Find a County".National Association of Counties.RetrievedJune 7,2011.
- ^National Weather Service in Jackson, Mississippi (March 27, 2023).NWS Damage Survey for March 24 tornado event(Report). Iowa Environmental Mesonet.Archivedfrom the original on March 28, 2023.RetrievedMarch 28,2023.
- ^Will McDuffie (March 24, 2023)."7 dead in 'destructive' Mississippi tornado, official says".ABC News.Archivedfrom the original on March 25, 2023.RetrievedMarch 25,2023.
- ^"Mississippi death toll from March tornado climbs to 22".AP News.May 4, 2023.Archivedfrom the original on May 5, 2023.RetrievedMay 10,2023.
- ^"2010 Census Gazetteer Files".United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Archived fromthe originalon September 28, 2013.RetrievedNovember 7,2014.
- ^"Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2023".United States Census Bureau.RetrievedApril 5,2024.
- ^"U.S. Decennial Census".United States Census Bureau.RetrievedNovember 7,2014.
- ^"Historical Census Browser".University of Virginia Library.RetrievedNovember 7,2014.
- ^"Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990".United States Census Bureau.RetrievedNovember 7,2014.
- ^"Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000"(PDF).United States Census Bureau.Archived(PDF)from the original on March 27, 2010.RetrievedNovember 7,2014.
- ^"State & County QuickFacts".United States Census Bureau.RetrievedSeptember 5,2013.
- ^"Explore Census Data".data.census.gov.RetrievedDecember 8,2021.
- ^"U.S. Census website".United States Census Bureau.RetrievedJanuary 31,2008.
- ^Leip, David."Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections".uselectionatlas.org.RetrievedMarch 4,2018.