Lamar County, Mississippi
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Lamar County, Mississippi | |
| Map | |
 Location in the state of Mississippi |
|
 Mississippi's location in the USA |
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| Statistics | |
| Founded | 1904 |
|---|---|
| Seat | Purvis |
| Area - Total - Land - Water |
1,296 km² (500 mi²) 1,287 km² (497 mi²) 9 km² (3 mi²), 0.68% |
| Population - (2000) - Density |
39,070 30/km² |
Lamar County is a county located in the U.S. state of Mississippi. It is part of the Hattiesburg, Mississippi Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of 2000, the population was 39,070. Its county seat is Purvis6.
Named for the post-Civil War Mississippi statesman Lucius Quintus Cincinnatus Lamar, the county was carved out of Marion County to the west in 1904. It remained largely a rural county until the last decades of the 20th Century, when retail and residential growth of nearby Hattiesburg (in Forrest County, to the east) spilled over the county lines.
Contents |
[edit] Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,296 km² (500 mi²). 1,287 km² (497 mi²) of it is land and 9 km² (3 mi²) of it (0.68%) is water.
[edit] Major Highways
Interstate 59
U.S. Highway 11
U.S. Highway 98
Mississippi Highway 13
Mississippi Highway 42
Mississippi Highway 44
[edit] Adjacent Counties
- Covington County (north)
- Forrest County (east)
- Pearl River County (south)
- Marion County (west)
- Jefferson Davis County (northwest)
[edit] Demographics
| Historical populations | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1910 | 11,741 |
|
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| 1920 | 12,869 | 9.6% | |
| 1930 | 12,848 | -0.2% | |
| 1940 | 12,096 | -5.9% | |
| 1950 | 13,225 | 9.3% | |
| 1960 | 13,675 | 3.4% | |
| 1970 | 15,209 | 11.2% | |
| 1980 | 23,821 | 56.6% | |
| 1990 | 30,424 | 27.7% | |
| 2000 | 39,070 | 28.4% | |
| Est. 2005 | 44,616 | 14.2% | |
As of the census² of 2000, there were 39,070 people, 14,396 households, and 10,725 families residing in the county. The population density was 30/km² (79/mi²). There were 15,433 housing units at an average density of 12/km² (31/mi²). The racial makeup of the county was 85.34% White, 12.90% Black or African American, 0.17% Native American, 0.65% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.30% from other races, and 0.64% from two or more races. 1.09% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 14,396 households out of which 38.40% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.60% were married couples living together, 11.50% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.50% were non-families. 20.40% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.10% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.68 and the average family size was 3.11.
In the county the population was spread out with 28.00% under the age of 18, 10.90% from 18 to 24, 30.40% from 25 to 44, 21.00% from 45 to 64, and 9.70% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females there were 93.30 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.10 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $37,628, and the median income for a family was $44,611. Males had a median income of $32,791 versus $22,260 for females. The per capita income for the county was $18,849. About 9.70% of families and 13.30% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.30% of those under age 18 and 17.00% of those age 65 or over.
