Smith County, Mississippi

Smith County, Mississippi
County
Smith County Courthouse in Raleigh
Smith County Courthouse in Raleigh
Map of Mississippi highlighting Smith County
Location within the U.S. state of Mississippi
Coordinates: 32°01′N 89°30′W / 32.02°N 89.5°W / 32.02; -89.5
Country United States
State Mississippi
Founded1833
Named afterDavid Smith
SeatRaleigh
Largest townTaylorsville
Area
 • Total
637 sq mi (1,650 km2)
 • Land636 sq mi (1,650 km2)
 • Water1.0 sq mi (2.6 km2)  0.2%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total
14,209
 • Estimate 
(2025)
13,991 Decrease
 • Density22.3/sq mi (8.63/km2)
Time zoneUTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district3rd
Websitewww.smithcountyms.gov

Smith County is a county located in the U.S. state of Mississippi. As of the 2020 census, the population was 14,209.[1] Its county seat is Raleigh.[2]

History

Smith County is named for Major David Smith.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 637 square miles (1,650 km2), of which 636 square miles (1,650 km2) is land and 1.0 square mile (2.6 km2) (0.2%) is water.[3]

Major highways

Adjacent counties

National protected area

Demographics

Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
18401,961—
18504,071107.6%
18607,63887.6%
18707,126−6.7%
18808,08813.5%
189010,63531.5%
190013,05522.8%
191016,60327.2%
192016,178−2.6%
193018,40513.8%
194019,4035.4%
195016,740−13.7%
196014,303−14.6%
197013,561−5.2%
198015,07711.2%
199014,798−1.9%
200016,1829.4%
201016,4911.9%
202014,209−13.8%
2025 (est.)13,991[4] Decrease−1.5%
U.S. Decennial Census[5]
1790-1960[6] 1900-1990[7]
1990-2000[8] 2010-2013[9]

Racial and ethnic composition

Smith County, Mississippi – Racial and ethnic composition
Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.
Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic) Pop 1980[10] Pop 1990[11] Pop 2000[12] Pop 2010[13] Pop 2020[14] % 1980 % 1990 % 2000 % 2010 % 2020
White alone (NH) 11,770 11,456 12,268 12,421 10,582 78.07% 77.42% 75.81% 75.32% 74.47%
Black or African American alone (NH) 3,146 3,237 3,728 3,758 3,111 20.87% 21.87% 23.04% 22.79% 21.89%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) 7 16 16 18 20 0.05% 0.11% 0.10% 0.11% 0.14%
Asian alone (NH) 8 7 15 13 19 0.05% 0.05% 0.09% 0.08% 0.13%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH) x [15] x [16] 1 2 0 x x 0.01% 0.01% 0.00%
Other race alone (NH) 5 1 6 2 22 0.03% 0.01% 0.04% 0.01% 0.15%
Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) x [17] x [18] 52 79 257 x x 0.32% 0.48% 1.81%
Hispanic or Latino (any race) 141 81 96 198 198 0.94% 0.55% 0.59% 1.20% 1.39%
Total 15,077 14,798 16,182 16,491 14,209 100.00% 100.00% 100.00% 100.00% 100.00%

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 14,209. The median age was 44.1 years. 22.4% of residents were under the age of 18 and 20.4% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 93.3 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 91.1 males age 18 and over.[19][20]

The racial makeup of the county was 74.7% White, 21.9% Black or African American, 0.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% Asian, <0.1% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 0.8% from some other race, and 2.3% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 1.4% of the population.[20]

<0.1% of residents lived in urban areas, while 100.0% lived in rural areas.[21]

There were 5,692 households in the county, of which 29.3% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 49.9% were married-couple households, 17.9% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 28.1% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 27.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[19]

There were 6,622 housing units, of which 14.0% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 84.9% were owner-occupied and 15.1% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.3% and the rental vacancy rate was 10.1%.[19]

Communities

Towns

Village

Unincorporated communities

  • Burns
  • Cohay
  • Summerland
  • Traxler
  • White Oak

Ghost town

  • Shongelo

Politics

Smith County is currently a Republican stronghold, although, like most of Mississippi, it was heavily Democratic up until the 1960s. Recently, in 2024 Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump broke 80% of the vote in the county for the first time since 1972.

United States presidential election results for Smith County, Mississippi[22]
Year Republican Democratic Third party(ies)
No.  % No.  % No.  %
1912 12 1.31% 854 93.13% 51 5.56%
1916 30 2.28% 1,271 96.51% 16 1.21%
1920 265 21.10% 968 77.07% 23 1.83%
1924 49 4.22% 1,081 93.11% 31 2.67%
1928 419 22.42% 1,450 77.58% 0 0.00%
1932 17 1.07% 1,576 98.81% 2 0.13%
1936 17 1.00% 1,676 98.94% 1 0.06%
1940 27 1.46% 1,826 98.49% 1 0.05%
1944 165 6.30% 2,456 93.70% 0 0.00%
1948 33 1.48% 295 13.23% 1,901 85.28%
1952 738 24.39% 2,288 75.61% 0 0.00%
1956 277 10.89% 2,055 80.81% 211 8.30%
1960 353 11.98% 1,568 53.22% 1,025 34.79%
1964 4,045 94.44% 238 5.56% 0 0.00%
1968 437 8.48% 352 6.83% 4,367 84.70%
1972 4,419 92.35% 329 6.88% 37 0.77%
1976 3,147 54.75% 2,434 42.35% 167 2.91%
1980 3,772 59.50% 2,474 39.02% 94 1.48%
1984 5,116 76.24% 1,573 23.44% 21 0.31%
1988 4,573 72.76% 1,660 26.41% 52 0.83%
1992 4,106 60.49% 1,968 28.99% 714 10.52%
1996 3,371 58.47% 1,858 32.23% 536 9.30%
2000 4,838 74.11% 1,620 24.82% 70 1.07%
2004 5,577 78.33% 1,496 21.01% 47 0.66%
2008 6,265 75.44% 1,968 23.70% 72 0.87%
2012 6,049 74.69% 1,979 24.44% 71 0.88%
2016 5,928 77.72% 1,617 21.20% 82 1.08%
2020 6,458 77.55% 1,791 21.51% 78 0.94%
2024 6,146 80.07% 1,486 19.36% 44 0.57%

Education

There is one school district in the county, Smith County School District.[23]

The county is in the zone for Jones College.[24]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Census - Geography Profile: Smith County, Mississippi". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 15, 2023.
  2. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  3. ^ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Archived from the original on September 28, 2013. Retrieved November 7, 2014.
  4. ^ "County Population Totals and Components of Change: 2020-2025". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved April 14, 2026.
  5. ^ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved November 7, 2014.
  6. ^ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved November 7, 2014.
  7. ^ "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved November 7, 2014.
  8. ^ "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 7, 2014.
  9. ^ "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved September 5, 2013.
  10. ^ "1980 Census of Population - General Social and Economic Characteristics - Mississippi - Table 58 - Race by Sex: 1980 and Table 59 - Persons by Spanish Origin, Race, and Sex: 1980" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. p. 17-32. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 7, 2022 – via Wayback Machine.
  11. ^ "1990 Census of Population - General Population Characteristics - Mississippi: Table 6 - Race and Hispanic Origin" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. p. 9-37. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 21, 2024 – via Wayback Machine.
  12. ^ "P004: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2000: DEC Summary File 1 – Smith County, Mississippi". United States Census Bureau.
  13. ^ "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Smith County, Mississippi". United States Census Bureau.
  14. ^ "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Smith County, Mississippi". United States Census Bureau.
  15. ^ included in the Asian category in the 1980 Census
  16. ^ included in the Asian category in the 1990 Census
  17. ^ not an option in the 1980 Census
  18. ^ not an option in the 1990 Census
  19. ^ a b c "2020 Decennial Census Demographic Profile (DP1)". United States Census Bureau. 2021. Retrieved December 24, 2025.
  20. ^ a b "2020 Decennial Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171)". United States Census Bureau. 2021. Retrieved December 24, 2025.
  21. ^ "2020 Decennial Census Demographic and Housing Characteristics (DHC)". United States Census Bureau. 2023. Retrieved December 24, 2025.
  22. ^ Presidential Election Results in Smith County, Mississippi, uselectionatlas.org; accessed December 5, 2017.
  23. ^ "2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Smith County, MS" (PDF). U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved September 27, 2024. - Text list
  24. ^ "Profile". Jones College. Retrieved September 27, 2024.
  • Smith County official website
  • Wikimedia Commons logo Media related to Smith County, Mississippi at Wikimedia Commons
  • Mississippi Courthouses – Smith County

32°01′N 89°30′W / 32.02°N 89.50°W / 32.02; -89.50

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