Stone County, Mississippi

Stone County, Mississippi
County
Stone County Courthouse in Wiggins
Stone County Courthouse in Wiggins
Map of Mississippi highlighting Stone County
Location within the U.S. state of Mississippi
Coordinates: 30°47′N 89°07′W / 30.79°N 89.12°W / 30.79; -89.12
Country United States
State Mississippi
Founded1916
Named afterJohn M. Stone
SeatWiggins
Largest cityWiggins
Area
 • Total
448 sq mi (1,160 km2)
 • Land445 sq mi (1,150 km2)
 • Water2.6 sq mi (6.7 km2)  0.6%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total
18,333
 • Estimate 
(2025)
19,654 Increase
 • Density41.2/sq mi (15.9/km2)
Time zoneUTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district4th
Websitewww.stonecountyms.gov

Stone County is a county located in the U.S. state of Mississippi. As of the 2020 census, the population was 18,333.[1] Its county seat is Wiggins.[2] Stone County was formed from the northern portion of Harrison County on June 5, 1916.[3] The county was named for John M. Stone, who served as Governor of Mississippi from 1876 to 1882 and again from 1890 to 1896. Stone County is included in the Gulfport-Biloxi, MS Metropolitan Statistical Area. In 1918, the Stone County Courthouse was completed at a cost of $29,515.18,[4] and is still in use today, after several renovations.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 448 square miles (1,160 km2), of which 445 square miles (1,150 km2) is land and 2.6 square miles (6.7 km2) (0.6%) is water.[5]

Major highways

  • U.S. Highway 49
  • Mississippi Highway 15
  • Mississippi Highway 26
  • Mississippi Highway 29

Adjacent counties

National protected areas

Demographics

Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
19206,528—
19305,704−12.6%
19406,1557.9%
19506,2641.8%
19607,01312.0%
19708,10115.5%
19809,71619.9%
199010,75010.6%
200013,62226.7%
201017,78630.6%
202018,3333.1%
2025 (est.)19,654[7] Increase7.2%
U.S. Decennial Census[8]
1790-1960[9] 1900-1990[10]
1990-2000[11] 2010-2013[12]

Racial and ethnic composition

Stone 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[13] Pop 1990[14] Pop 2000[15] Pop 2010[16] Pop 2020[17] % 1980 % 1990 % 2000 % 2010 % 2020
White alone (NH) 7,430 8,326 10,724 13,820 13,822 76.47% 77.45% 78.73% 77.70% 75.39%
Black or African American alone (NH) 2,162 2,335 2,591 3,395 3,239 22.25% 21.72% 19.02% 19.09% 17.67%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) 13 20 30 86 79 0.13% 0.19% 0.22% 0.48% 0.43%
Asian alone (NH) 20 14 21 57 89 0.21% 0.13% 0.15% 0.32% 0.49%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH) x [18] x [19] 3 5 9 x x 0.02% 0.03% 0.05%
Other race alone (NH) 4 1 6 13 72 0.04% 0.01% 0.04% 0.07% 0.39%
Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) x [20] x [21] 77 171 579 x x 0.57% 0.96% 3.16%
Hispanic or Latino (any race) 87 54 170 239 444 0.90% 0.50% 1.25% 1.34% 2.42%
Total 9,716 10,750 13,622 17,786 18,333 100.00% 100.00% 100.00% 100.00% 100.00%

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 18,333. The median age was 39.4 years. 22.0% of residents were under the age of 18 and 17.2% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 108.6 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 108.7 males age 18 and over.[22][23]

The racial makeup of the county was 76.0% White, 17.7% Black or African American, 0.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% Asian, <0.1% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 1.4% from some other race, and 3.8% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 2.4% of the population.[23]

<0.1% of residents lived in urban areas, while 100.0% lived in rural areas.[24]

There were 6,572 households in the county, of which 32.9% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 51.2% were married-couple households, 17.6% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 25.6% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 24.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[22]

There were 7,499 housing units, of which 12.4% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 78.0% were owner-occupied and 22.0% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.7% and the rental vacancy rate was 10.2%.[22]

circa 1920
2010
Stone County Courthouse historical timeline

Arts and culture

On April 25, during the 2012 regular session of the Mississippi Legislature, Concurrent Resolution 643 was adopted by the state Senate and state House of Representatives, stating that Stone County be named and declared the Mural County of Mississippi.[25] During the previous 8 years, a Telling Trees Project was developed in Stone County to document and celebrate Stone County's history and heritage. As part of that project, 23 murals, in the form of paintings and mosaic tiles, were created in cooperation with the Art Department, Perkinston campus of Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College and are on public display throughout the county. The murals tell visual stories of Stone County's ecosystems, people, landmarks, and industries.[26]

Communities

Cities

Census-designated place

  • Bond

Unincorporated communities

  • Beatrice
  • Big Level
  • McHenry
  • Perkinston
  • Ramsey Springs
  • Silver Run
  • Ten Mile
  • Texas

Education

Public school districts

  • Stone County School District

Colleges

  • Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College, Perkinston Campus

Politics

Stone County has been a Republican stronghold for decades. The last Democrat to carry it was Jimmy Carter in 1976. In recent elections the county has been especially friendly to Republicans; Donald Trump in 2024 earned the highest share of the vote for any Republican since Nixon in 1972.

United States presidential election results for Stone County, Mississippi[27]
Year Republican Democratic Third party(ies)
No.  % No.  % No.  %
1916 31 6.37% 451 92.61% 5 1.03%
1920 16 5.00% 299 93.44% 5 1.56%
1924 56 11.97% 412 88.03% 0 0.00%
1928 436 62.82% 258 37.18% 0 0.00%
1932 32 6.99% 424 92.58% 2 0.44%
1936 23 3.29% 675 96.43% 2 0.29%
1940 28 3.37% 802 96.63% 0 0.00%
1944 43 4.17% 989 95.83% 0 0.00%
1948 17 1.51% 50 4.45% 1,056 94.03%
1952 569 37.09% 965 62.91% 0 0.00%
1956 293 25.09% 761 65.15% 114 9.76%
1960 275 19.15% 343 23.89% 818 56.96%
1964 1,776 90.84% 179 9.16% 0 0.00%
1968 258 9.51% 314 11.58% 2,140 78.91%
1972 2,467 88.49% 293 10.51% 28 1.00%
1976 1,575 48.05% 1,648 50.27% 55 1.68%
1980 1,888 49.21% 1,821 47.46% 128 3.34%
1984 2,980 71.07% 1,185 28.26% 28 0.67%
1988 3,007 66.84% 1,452 32.27% 40 0.89%
1992 2,295 54.53% 1,447 34.38% 467 11.10%
1996 2,288 53.45% 1,551 36.23% 442 10.32%
2000 3,702 67.03% 1,677 30.36% 144 2.61%
2004 4,146 72.29% 1,528 26.64% 61 1.06%
2008 5,149 71.06% 1,996 27.55% 101 1.39%
2012 5,420 71.96% 2,003 26.59% 109 1.45%
2016 5,306 75.32% 1,573 22.33% 166 2.36%
2020 5,964 75.70% 1,802 22.87% 112 1.42%
2024 6,214 78.47% 1,620 20.46% 85 1.07%

See also

References

  1. ^ "Census - Geography Profile: Stone County, Mississippi". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 15, 2023.
  2. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  3. ^ A History of Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College Archived September 8, 2006, at the Wayback Machine accessed January 1, 2007.
  4. ^ Stone County Archived February 11, 2009, at the Wayback Machine accessed February 18, 2010.
  5. ^ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Archived from the original on September 28, 2013. Retrieved November 7, 2014.
  6. ^ "Sweetbay Bogs Preserve | The Nature Conservancy". www.nature.org. Retrieved April 3, 2018.
  7. ^ "County Population Totals and Components of Change: 2020-2025". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved April 14, 2026.
  8. ^ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved November 7, 2014.
  9. ^ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved November 7, 2014.
  10. ^ "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved November 7, 2014.
  11. ^ "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.
  12. ^ "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on June 7, 2011. Retrieved September 5, 2013.
  13. ^ "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.
  14. ^ "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.
  15. ^ "P004: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2000: DEC Summary File 1 – Stone County, Mississippi". United States Census Bureau.
  16. ^ "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Stone County, Mississippi". United States Census Bureau.
  17. ^ "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Stone County, Mississippi". United States Census Bureau.
  18. ^ included in the Asian category in the 1980 Census
  19. ^ included in the Asian category in the 1990 Census
  20. ^ not an option in the 1980 Census
  21. ^ not an option in the 1990 Census
  22. ^ a b c "2020 Decennial Census Demographic Profile (DP1)". United States Census Bureau. 2021. Retrieved December 24, 2025.
  23. ^ a b "2020 Decennial Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171)". United States Census Bureau. 2021. Retrieved December 24, 2025.
  24. ^ "2020 Decennial Census Demographic and Housing Characteristics (DHC)". United States Census Bureau. 2023. Retrieved December 24, 2025.
  25. ^ Mississippi Senate Concurrent Resolution 643 Retrieved May 3, 2012
  26. ^ Nicole Dow. 2012. Stone County named state's mural county.Sun Herald (Biloxi, MS), Vol. 128, No, 213, page 2A, May 3, 2012.
  27. ^ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved April 17, 2018.
  • Wikimedia Commons logo Media related to Stone County, Mississippi at Wikimedia Commons
  • Mississippi Courthouses – Stone County

30°47′N 89°07′W / 30.79°N 89.12°W / 30.79; -89.12

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