Humphreys County, Mississippi | |
|---|---|
 Humphreys County Courthouse | |
 Location within the U.S. state of Mississippi | |
| Coordinates: 33°08′N 90°31′W / 33.13°N 90.52°W / 33.13; -90.52 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Mississippi |
| Founded | 1918 |
| Named after | Benjamin G. Humphreys |
| Seat | Belzoni |
| Largest city | Belzoni |
| Area | |
• Total | 431 sq mi (1,120 km2) |
| • Land | 418 sq mi (1,080 km2) |
| • Water | 13 sq mi (34 km2) 3.0% |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 7,785 |
| • Density | 18.6/sq mi (7.19/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| Congressional district | 2nd |
| Website | humphreyscounty.ms |
Humphreys County is a county located in the U.S. state of Mississippi. As of the 2020 census, the population was 7,785.[1] Its county seat is Belzoni.[2] The county is named for Benjamin G. Humphreys. Humphreys County is Mississippi's newest county, having been formed in 1918. Humphreys County is located in the Mississippi Delta region.
It was named 'Farm-Raised Catfish Capital of the World' in 1976 by then Governor Cliff Finch, since it produced more farm-raised catfish than any other U.S. county. Forty thousand acres (160 square kilometers) of the county are underwater and used to grow catfish. About 60% of U.S. farm-raised catfish is raised within a 65-mile (105 km) radius of the county seat, Belzoni. The title "Catfish Capital" has also been claimed by Savannah, Tennessee, and Des Allemands, Louisiana.
In March 2023, the towns of Rolling Fork, Midnight and Silver City were struck by an EF4, part of the tornado outbreak of March 24–25, 2023.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 431 square miles (1,120 km2), of which 418 sq mi (1,080 km2) is land and 13 sq mi (34 km2) (3.0%) is water.[3]
Major highways
U.S. Highway 49W- Mississippi Highway 7
- Mississippi Highway 12
- Mississippi Highway 14
- Mississippi Highway 16
Adjacent counties
- Sunflower County (north)
- Leflore County (northeast)
- Holmes County (east)
- Yazoo County (south)
- Sharkey County (southwest)
- Washington County (west)
National protected area
- Theodore Roosevelt National Wildlife Refuge (part)
- Sky Lake Wildlife Management Area; the 3,500-acre (1,400 ha) area contains some of the oldest and largest bald cypress trees in the world.[4]
Demographics
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1920 | 19,192 | — | |
| 1930 | 24,729 | 28.9% | |
| 1940 | 26,257 | 6.2% | |
| 1950 | 23,115 | −12.0% | |
| 1960 | 19,093 | −17.4% | |
| 1970 | 14,601 | −23.5% | |
| 1980 | 13,931 | −4.6% | |
| 1990 | 12,134 | −12.9% | |
| 2000 | 11,206 | −7.6% | |
| 2010 | 9,375 | −16.3% | |
| 2020 | 7,785 | −17.0% | |
| 2024 (est.) | 7,121 | [5] | −8.5% |
| U.S. Decennial Census[6] 1790–1960[7] 1900–1990[8] 1990–2000[9] 2010–2013[10] | |||
2020 census
| Race | Num. | Perc. |
|---|---|---|
| White | 1,423 | 18.28% |
| Black or African American | 6,072 | 78.00% |
| Native American | 13 | 0.17% |
| Asian | 10 | 0.13% |
| Other/Mixed | 176 | 2.26% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 91 | 1.17% |
As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 7,785. The median age was 39.9 years. 24.6% of residents were under the age of 18 and 17.7% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 88.8 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 83.2 males age 18 and over.[12][13]
The racial makeup of the county was 18.5% White, 78.5% Black or African American, 0.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% Asian, <0.1% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 0.4% from some other race, and 2.3% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 1.2% of the population.[13]
<0.1% of residents lived in urban areas, while 100.0% lived in rural areas.[14]
There were 3,106 households in the county, of which 31.3% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 26.6% were married-couple households, 22.5% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 45.7% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 33.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[12]
There were 3,528 housing units, of which 12.0% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 58.7% were owner-occupied and 41.3% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.2% and the rental vacancy rate was 6.1%.[12]
2010 census
As of the 2010 United States census, there were 9,375 people living in the county: 74.5% were Black or African American, 23.5% White, 0.2% Asian, 0.1% Native American, 0.9% of some other race and 0.7% of two or more races, and 2.2% were Hispanic or Latino (of any race).
2000 census
At the 2000 census,[15] there were 11,206 people, 3,765 households and 2,695 families living in the county. The population density was 27 per square mile (10/km2). There were 4,138 housing units at an average density of 10 per square mile (3.9/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 27.17% White, 71.51% Black or African-American, 0.10% Native American, 0.27% Asian, 0.64% from other races, and 0.31% from two or more races. 1.50% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 3,765 households, of which 36.60% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.30% were married couples living together, 27.70% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.40% were non-families. Of all households, 24.90% were made up of individuals, and 10.90% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.95 and the average family size was 3.54.
Age distribution was 32.70% under the age of 18, 10.70% from 18 to 24, 25.80% from 25 to 44, 18.80% from 45 to 64, and 12.00% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females there were 87.50 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 78.70 males.
The median household income was $20,566, and the median family income was $23,719. Males had a median income of $24,948 versus $19,201 for females. The per capita income for the county was $10,926. About 32.40% of families and 38.20% of the population were below the poverty line, including 50.30% of those under age 18 and 31.00% of those age 65 or over.
Humphreys County has the seventh-lowest per capita income in Mississippi and the 56th-lowest in the United States.
In April 2019, Propublica identified Humphreys County as the county most intensely audited by the IRS.[16]
Politics
Like most counties in the Delta, Humphreys County is solidly Democratic. The last Republican presidential candidate to win the county was Richard Nixon in 1972. In 2001 the Humphreys County Sheriff's Department named J. D. Roseman the first black Chief Deputy. In 2008 he became the first black Sheriff of Humphreys County.
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| № | % | № | % | № | % | |
| 1920 | 21 | 6.19% | 316 | 93.22% | 2 | 0.59% |
| 1924 | 33 | 4.99% | 628 | 95.01% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1928 | 1 | 0.10% | 1,020 | 99.90% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1932 | 10 | 1.27% | 775 | 98.73% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1936 | 7 | 0.60% | 1,164 | 99.40% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1940 | 20 | 1.85% | 1,061 | 98.15% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1944 | 35 | 2.95% | 1,150 | 97.05% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1948 | 11 | 0.96% | 17 | 1.49% | 1,116 | 97.55% |
| 1952 | 589 | 40.70% | 858 | 59.30% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1956 | 127 | 9.81% | 576 | 44.51% | 591 | 45.67% |
| 1960 | 231 | 16.24% | 459 | 32.28% | 732 | 51.48% |
| 1964 | 1,863 | 95.69% | 84 | 4.31% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1968 | 258 | 7.11% | 1,219 | 33.60% | 2,151 | 59.29% |
| 1972 | 2,334 | 69.01% | 892 | 26.37% | 156 | 4.61% |
| 1976 | 1,445 | 38.29% | 2,172 | 57.55% | 157 | 4.16% |
| 1980 | 1,841 | 36.67% | 2,970 | 59.16% | 209 | 4.16% |
| 1984 | 2,309 | 46.99% | 2,596 | 52.83% | 9 | 0.18% |
| 1988 | 2,018 | 42.98% | 2,644 | 56.32% | 33 | 0.70% |
| 1992 | 1,721 | 36.75% | 2,696 | 57.57% | 266 | 5.68% |
| 1996 | 1,382 | 36.24% | 2,305 | 60.45% | 126 | 3.30% |
| 2000 | 1,628 | 41.28% | 2,288 | 58.01% | 28 | 0.71% |
| 2004 | 1,679 | 34.27% | 3,168 | 64.65% | 53 | 1.08% |
| 2008 | 1,462 | 28.52% | 3,634 | 70.89% | 30 | 0.59% |
| 2012 | 1,293 | 24.81% | 3,903 | 74.88% | 16 | 0.31% |
| 2016 | 1,151 | 27.06% | 3,071 | 72.21% | 31 | 0.73% |
| 2020 | 1,118 | 26.69% | 3,016 | 72.00% | 55 | 1.31% |
| 2024 | 990 | 28.55% | 2,443 | 70.44% | 35 | 1.01% |
Media
- Radio stations (both located in Belzoni)
- Newspapers
- The Belzoni Banner, distributed weekly
- The Enterprise-Tocsin, a newspaper based in Indianola in Sunflower County, is distributed in portions of northern Humphreys County.[18]
Communities
City
- Belzoni (county seat)
Towns
Unincorporated communities
Education
There is one school district: Humphreys County School District, which has boundaries coterminous with those of the county.[19]
See also
References
- ^ "Census - Geography Profile: Humphreys County, Mississippi". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 8, 2023.
- ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
- ^ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Archived from the original on September 28, 2013. Retrieved November 4, 2014.
- ^ "Sky Lake Wildlife Boardwalk". Mississippi Fish and Wildlife Foundation. Retrieved April 9, 2022.
- ^ "County Population Totals and Components of Change: 2020-2024". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved September 3, 2025.
- ^ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved November 4, 2014.
- ^ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Archived from the original on August 11, 2012. Retrieved November 4, 2014.
- ^ "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved November 4, 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. Retrieved November 4, 2014.
- ^ "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on June 7, 2011. Retrieved September 3, 2013.
- ^ "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved December 7, 2021.
- ^ a b c "2020 Decennial Census Demographic Profile (DP1)". United States Census Bureau. 2021. Retrieved December 24, 2025.
- ^ a b "2020 Decennial Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171)". United States Census Bureau. 2021. Retrieved December 24, 2025.
- ^ "2020 Decennial Census Demographic and Housing Characteristics (DHC)". United States Census Bureau. 2023. Retrieved December 24, 2025.
- ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
- ^ Where in The U.S. Are You Most Likely to Be Audited by the IRS? By Paul Kiel and Hannah Fresques, ProPublica. Retrieved April 1, 2019
- ^ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved March 4, 2018.
- ^ "about us Archived 2012-03-12 at the Wayback Machine." The Enterprise-Tocsin. Retrieved on March 4, 2011. "Our office is located at 114 Main St, Indianola."
- ^ Geography Division (December 21, 2020). 2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Humphreys County, MS (PDF) (Map). U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved May 31, 2025. - Text list
33°08′N 90°31′W / 33.13°N 90.52°W / 33.13; -90.52