Marion County, Mississippi | |
|---|---|
 Marion County Courthouse in Columbia | |
 Location within the U.S. state of Mississippi | |
| Coordinates: 31°14′N 89°49′W / 31.23°N 89.82°W / 31.23; -89.82 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Mississippi |
| Founded | 1811 |
| Named after | Francis Marion |
| Seat | Columbia |
| Largest city | Columbia |
| Area | |
• Total | 549 sq mi (1,420 km2) |
| • Land | 542 sq mi (1,400 km2) |
| • Water | 6.2 sq mi (16 km2) 1.1% |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 24,441 |
• Estimate (2024) | 24,008  |
| • Density | 45.1/sq mi (17.4/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| Congressional district | 3rd |
| Website | www.marioncountyms.com |
Marion County is a county located in the U.S. state of Mississippi. As of the 2020 census, the population was 24,441.[1] Its county seat is Columbia.[2] Marion County is named for American Revolutionary War guerrilla leader Francis Marion also known as The Swamp Fox.[3]
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 549 square miles (1,420 km2), of which 542 square miles (1,400 km2) is land and 6.2 square miles (16 km2) (1.1%) is water.[4]
Major highways
U.S. Highway 98- Mississippi Highway 13
- Mississippi Highway 35
- Mississippi Highway 43
- Mississippi Highway 44
Adjacent counties
- Jefferson Davis County (north)
- Lamar County (east)
- Pearl River County (southeast)
- Washington Parish, Louisiana (south)
- Walthall County (west)
- Lawrence County (northwest)
Demographics
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1820 | 3,116 | — | |
| 1830 | 3,691 | 18.5% | |
| 1840 | 3,830 | 3.8% | |
| 1850 | 4,410 | 15.1% | |
| 1860 | 4,686 | 6.3% | |
| 1870 | 4,211 | −10.1% | |
| 1880 | 6,901 | 63.9% | |
| 1890 | 9,532 | 38.1% | |
| 1900 | 13,501 | 41.6% | |
| 1910 | 15,599 | 15.5% | |
| 1920 | 17,144 | 9.9% | |
| 1930 | 19,923 | 16.2% | |
| 1940 | 24,085 | 20.9% | |
| 1950 | 23,967 | −0.5% | |
| 1960 | 23,293 | −2.8% | |
| 1970 | 22,871 | −1.8% | |
| 1980 | 25,708 | 12.4% | |
| 1990 | 25,544 | −0.6% | |
| 2000 | 25,595 | 0.2% | |
| 2010 | 27,088 | 5.8% | |
| 2020 | 24,441 | −9.8% | |
| 2024 (est.) | 24,008 | [5] | −1.8% |
| U.S. Decennial Census[6] 1790-1960[7] 1900-1990[8] 1990-2000[9] 2010-2013[10] | |||
| Race | Num. | Perc. |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 15,721 | 64.32% |
| Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 7,583 | 31.03% |
| Native American | 42 | 0.17% |
| Asian | 65 | 0.27% |
| Other/Mixed | 624 | 2.55% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 406 | 1.66% |
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 24,441. The median age was 40.8 years. 23.6% of residents were under the age of 18 and 19.3% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 96.0 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 94.2 males age 18 and over.[12][13]
The racial makeup of the county was 64.7% White, 31.2% Black or African American, 0.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% Asian, <0.1% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 0.9% from some other race, and 2.7% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 1.7% of the population.[13]
25.5% of residents lived in urban areas, while 74.5% lived in rural areas.[14]
There were 9,520 households in the county, of which 31.3% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 45.3% were married-couple households, 18.8% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 31.0% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 28.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[12]
There were 11,080 housing units, of which 14.1% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 78.1% were owner-occupied and 21.9% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.5% and the rental vacancy rate was 10.5%.[12]
Government and infrastructure
The Mississippi Department of Human Services's Division of Youth Services operated the Columbia Training School in unincorporated Marion County. The facility was closed in 2008.[15][16]
Politics
Marion County is a Republican stronghold, having only voted for a Democrat once since the 1960s. Its Republican tilt has been increasingly evident in recent years, with the 2024 presidential election showing the strongest Republican support in the county since 1972.
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| № | % | № | % | № | % | |
| 1912 | 12 | 2.51% | 438 | 91.44% | 29 | 6.05% |
| 1916 | 51 | 6.01% | 792 | 93.40% | 5 | 0.59% |
| 1920 | 143 | 18.52% | 613 | 79.40% | 16 | 2.07% |
| 1924 | 99 | 8.70% | 1,039 | 91.30% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1928 | 526 | 36.33% | 922 | 63.67% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1932 | 94 | 3.71% | 2,429 | 95.97% | 8 | 0.32% |
| 1936 | 37 | 1.88% | 1,932 | 98.07% | 1 | 0.05% |
| 1940 | 45 | 2.11% | 2,083 | 97.89% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1944 | 54 | 2.16% | 2,441 | 97.84% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1948 | 49 | 1.79% | 205 | 7.47% | 2,491 | 90.75% |
| 1952 | 1,420 | 35.35% | 2,597 | 64.65% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1956 | 611 | 20.15% | 1,751 | 57.75% | 670 | 22.10% |
| 1960 | 698 | 22.92% | 1,082 | 35.53% | 1,265 | 41.54% |
| 1964 | 5,469 | 91.55% | 505 | 8.45% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1968 | 763 | 9.16% | 1,722 | 20.66% | 5,848 | 70.18% |
| 1972 | 6,805 | 79.40% | 1,693 | 19.75% | 72 | 0.84% |
| 1976 | 5,300 | 49.36% | 5,283 | 49.20% | 154 | 1.43% |
| 1980 | 5,218 | 48.73% | 5,366 | 50.12% | 123 | 1.15% |
| 1984 | 7,355 | 66.11% | 3,757 | 33.77% | 13 | 0.12% |
| 1988 | 7,019 | 61.87% | 4,240 | 37.38% | 85 | 0.75% |
| 1992 | 5,776 | 49.74% | 4,654 | 40.08% | 1,183 | 10.19% |
| 1996 | 5,023 | 50.39% | 4,334 | 43.48% | 611 | 6.13% |
| 2000 | 6,796 | 61.79% | 4,114 | 37.41% | 88 | 0.80% |
| 2004 | 7,999 | 66.95% | 3,888 | 32.54% | 60 | 0.50% |
| 2008 | 8,513 | 65.43% | 4,422 | 33.99% | 75 | 0.58% |
| 2012 | 8,237 | 64.71% | 4,393 | 34.51% | 99 | 0.78% |
| 2016 | 7,836 | 67.01% | 3,677 | 31.45% | 180 | 1.54% |
| 2020 | 8,273 | 67.94% | 3,787 | 31.10% | 117 | 0.96% |
| 2024 | 7,874 | 70.25% | 3,215 | 28.68% | 119 | 1.06% |
Communities
City
- Columbia (county seat & only incorporated place)
Census-designated places
Unincorporated communities
- Bunker Hill
- Cheraw
- Expose, an unincorporated area of Marion County that was founded by Harry Solomon Expose (born 1861), a community leader who owned a general store and served as postmaster.[18] Monroe Work's Negro Yearbook listed it among "Negro Towns and Settlements in the United States." Football great Walter Payton's mother Alyne Sibley Payton was born in Expose on January 14, 1926.[19]
- Good Hope
- Goss
- Hopewell
- Hub
- Morgantown
- Sandy Hook
Education
There are two school districts in the county: Columbia School District and Marion County School District.[20]
The county is in the service area of Pearl River Community College.[21]
Notable people
- Earl W. Bascom (1906–1995), "Father of Modern Rodeo," Mississippi Rodeo Hall of Fame inductee, producer of Marion County's first rodeo in 1935[22]
- Charles C. Bass (1875–1975), "Father of Preventive Dentistry"; researcher in tropical medicine
- Charles Coleman (American football) (born 1963), American football player
- Logan Cooke - NFL punter
- Peggy Dow, American actress
- Walter Payton, American football player
See also
References
- ^ "Census - Geography Profile: Marion County, Mississippi". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 14, 2023.
- ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
- ^ Gannett, Henry (1905). The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States. U.S. Government Printing Office. p. 200.
- ^ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Archived from the original on September 28, 2013. Retrieved November 6, 2014.
- ^ "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 6, 2014.
- ^ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved November 6, 2014.
- ^ "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved November 6, 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 6, 2014.
- ^ "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on June 7, 2011. Retrieved September 4, 2013.
- ^ "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved December 16, 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 Bureau profile of Columbia, MS . Retrieved on July 21, 2010.
- ^ "Public Appearance Calendar Governor Ronnie Musgrove For the Week of December 31, 2001 Archived October 16, 2010, at the Wayback Machine". Mississippi Department of Archives and History. Retrieved on July 21, 2010. "Columbia Training School 1730 Highway 44 Columbia, MS."
- ^ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved March 3, 2018.
- ^ Society, Marion County Historical (February 20, 2012). Marion County. Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 9780738591933 – via Google Books.
- ^ Pearlman, Jeff (August 28, 2012). Sweetness: The Enigmatic Life of Walter Payton. Penguin Publishing Group. ISBN 9781592407378 – via Google Books.
- ^ "2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Marion County, MS" (PDF). U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved September 27, 2024. - Text list
- ^ "2014-2016 Catalog" (PDF). Pearl River Community College. Archived from the original (PDF) on August 7, 2015. Retrieved April 13, 2022.
- ^ Marion County. Arcadia. 2012. ISBN 9780738591933.
External links
- Marion County Sheriff's Office
- Official website of Marion County
- Mississippi Courthouses – Marion County
- Media related to Marion County, Mississippi at Wikimedia Commons
31°14′N 89°49′W / 31.23°N 89.82°W / 31.23; -89.82