- Sunflower County, Mississippi
Infobox U.S. County
county = Sunflower County
state = Mississippi
map size = 150
founded = 1844
seat = Indianola | largest city = Indianola | area_total_sq_mi =707
area_land_sq_mi =694
area_water_sq_mi =13
area percentage = 1.90%
census yr = 2000
pop = 34369
density_km2 =19
web =
|Sunflower County is a
county located in theMississippi Delta region of theU.S. state ofMississippi . As of 2000, the population was 34,369. Itscounty seat is IndianolaGR|6.The Indianola
Micropolitan Statistical Area includes all of Sunflower County.History
Sunflower County was created in 1834. The land mass encampassed most of Sunflower and Leflore Counties as we know them today. The first seat of government was Clayton, located near Fort Pemberton. Later the county seat was moved to McNutt, also in the Leflore County of today. When Sunflower and Leflore Counties were separated in 1871, the new county seat for Sunflower County was moved to Johnsonville. This village was located where the north end of Mound Bayou empties into the
Sunflower River . In 1882 the county seat was moved to Eureka, which was later re-named Indianola (Hemphill, Marie M. 1980. Fevers, Floods and Faith--A History of Sunflower County Mississippi, 1844-1976).Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 707
square mile s (1,832km² ), of which, 694 square miles (1,797 km²) of it is land and 13 square miles (35 km²) of it (1.90%) is water. Sunflower County is the longest county in Mississippi. The traveling distance from the southern boundary at Caile, to its northern boundary at Rome is approximately 56 miles.Major highways
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*Adjacent counties
*Coahoma County (north)
*Tallahatchie County (northeast)
*Leflore County (east)
*Humphreys County (south)
*Washington County (southwest)
*Bolivar County (northwest)Demographics
USCensusPop
1850= 1102
1860= 5019
1870= 5015
1880= 4661
1890= 9384
1900= 16084
1910= 28787
1920= 46374
1930= 66364
1940= 61007
1950= 56031
1960= 45750
1970= 37047
1980= 34844
1990= 32867
2000= 34369
estyear=2007
estimate=30964
footnote= [http://www.census.gov/population/cencounts/ms190090.txt MS Counties 1900-1990] As of thecensus GR|2 of 2000, there were 34,369 people, 9,637 households, and 7,314 families residing in the county. Thepopulation density was 50 people per square mile (19/km²). There were 10,338 housing units at an average density of 15 per square mile (6/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 28.88% White, 69.86% Black or African American, 0.09% Native American, 0.40% Asian, 0.48% from other races, and 0.28% from two or more races. 1.30% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.There were 9,637 households out of which 38.40% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.30% were married couples living together, 28.40% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.10% were non-families. 21.20% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.70% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.01 and the average family size was 3.50.
In the county the population was spread out with 27.90% under the age of 18, 14.00% from 18 to 24, 30.30% from 25 to 44, 18.10% from 45 to 64, and 9.70% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females there were 115.90 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 120.00 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $24,970, and the median income for a family was $29,144. Males had a median income of $26,208 versus $19,145 for females. The
per capita income for the county was $11,365. About 24.60% of families and 30.00% of the population were below thepoverty line , including 39.50% of those under age 18 and 24.10% of those age 65 or over.Sunflower County has the ninth lowest per capita income in Mississippi and the 72nd lowest in the United States.
Famous residents
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Charlie Patton (bluesman, 1891-1934)
*James Eastland (U.S. Senator from Mississippi, 1904-1986)
*Fannie Lou Hamer (civil rights activist, 1917-1977)
*Craig Claiborne (Food Editor, New York Times, 1920-2000)
*B.B. King (bluesman, 1925-present)
*Sam Lacey (retired NBA basketball player, 1948-present)
*Archie Manning (NFL quarterback, 1949-present); father ofPeyton Manning ,Cooper Manning andEli Manning
*Roderick Ferguson (Honorary Temptation)
*C. L. Franklin , father ofAretha Franklin In Popular Culture
Sunflower County is the setting for the
Kenny Rogers songHoodooin' of Miss Fannie Deberry , included on his 1978 albumThe Gambler .Communities
*Cities
**Indianola
**Drew
**Moorhead
**Ruleville
**Shaw (mostly in Bolivar County)*Towns
**Doddsville
**Inverness
**Sunflower*Unincorporated places
**Baird
**Blaine
**Caile
**Elizabeth
**Holly Ridge
**Parchman
**RomeEducation
*Colleges
**Mississippi Delta Community College (Moorhead)*Public School Districts
**Drew School District
**Indianola School District
**Sunflower County School District *Private Schools
**Central Delta Academy (Inverness)
**Indianola Academy (Indianola)
**North Sunflower Academy (Drew)ee also
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Mississippi Delta References
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