Diamondhead is a city in southeastern Hancock County, Mississippi, United States. The city is located just over northeast of New Orleans, Louisiana. It is part of the Gulfport−Biloxi Metropolitan Statistical Area. In February 2012, Diamondhead was officially incorporated as a city. In the 2020 USA decennial census, the city population was 9,529.

History

Resort community

On October 25, 1961, NASA announced the formation of the Mississippi Test Facility, now the John C. Stennis Space Center. The center would be located in an area bordering the Pearl River in Hancock County. During and following the construction of the facility, an influx of government workers, contractors, and their families moved into the area.

Much of the land that became Diamondhead had been purchased by Walter Gex Sr., in 1937 from the Gulf State Paper Company and the Easy Opener Bag Company. Additional land was purchased by Gex, bringing his acquisition to nearly . In the late 1960s, D.E.A.R., Inc., later known as the Diamondhead Corporation, a large corporation interested in resort developments, began operations on the Mississippi Coast, with Diamondhead as its first project. Coastal Mississippi had been a popular vacation destination for years, particularly with Midwesterners. Its location was ideal as a second home development given the convenient access via Interstate 55. The land on which Diamondhead is located is the highest point of elevation ( above sea level) on the Gulf Coast in Mississippi. Therefore, the project was named "Diamondhead" after Diamond Head, an iconic volcanic cone on the Hawaiian island of Oahu.

Plans for the largest resort-type community in the southern United States were unveiled at a press conference in 1969. Hawaiian-style architecture, landscape, and road names were featured in the development. The company became interested in purchasing of property adjacent to Interstate 10, which was still under construction in the Mississippi Coast area in the 1960s.

The corporation was scheduled to close on the purchase on August 18, 1969, one day after Hurricane Camille made landfall in Hancock County. Shortly after the storm left the area, the investment team was able to survey the damage and found that the area around current-day Diamondhead received far less damage than other coastal areas. Seeing such little damage from Camille, the investment team decided to go ahead with the project. Diamondhead was responsible for much economic growth by creating opportunities for builders, tradesmen, and service industries related to the construction industry. The community also benefitted from other growth along the coast as employees from the Naval Oceanographic Office at Stennis Space Center, the Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans East, and other developments around the area chose to live in Diamondhead. By the end of the 1970s, 6,500 of the 10,000 lots offered at Diamondhead had been sold. Most of the early residents came from New Orleans, but later residents came from all over the United States. A survey taken in the late 1970s revealed that a large percentage of property owners came from New Orleans to escape overcrowding conditions. Diamondhead continued to grow after the turnover. As more people and families moved into the community, the demographics became more diverse and less of a second home for retirees. The demographic makeup of Diamondhead changed from that of a retirement community to that of any small suburban-type area. The population of the community became younger, with 54.6% of the population over age 45 in 2000, down from 61.1% in 1990. Tensions began to develop among different groups. Many began to question the POA's decisions, especially over increasing monthly dues and spending large amounts of money on golf course maintenance. In 1994, those who did not want the POA to lead the community began to advocate incorporation and conducted a petition drive for Diamondhead to become a city. This initial attempt at incorporation ultimately stalled but did not ease tensions between advocates and opponents. A record storm surge of nearly caused extensive damage. Many homes were badly damaged or completely destroyed, especially those homes on the south side of Diamondhead, facing the Bay of Saint Louis. The commercial center, including stores and restaurants, was mostly destroyed. A 1,000-gallon aviation fuel tank from the airport in Diamondhead floated onto I-10. The north side fared better, and many of the people whose homes had been destroyed in neighboring cities, as well as in Diamondhead, moved into the houses which remained on the north side. Overnight, the population swelled from 6,500 to 9,000.

Incorporation

Following Hurricane Katrina, the POA found itself facing issues that it had not anticipated that brought back the issue regarding incorporation. A city would be eligible for federal or state financial resources that the POA would not have access to as a private entity. Concerns about the expiration of the various covenants that governed different areas within the POA also created anxiety among homeowners. In January 2012, a motion for extension to appeal the decision was denied by the Supreme Court, and a final edict mandating the incorporation was issued. The City of Diamondhead was presented its charter as the 111th city in Mississippi by Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann on February 6, 2012.

Geography

Unlike most of the Mississippi Gulf Coast, which is relatively level, the Diamondhead area has more rolling topography, with elevations ranging from sea level to over . The city is bordered to the south by the Bay of Saint Louis. Rotten Bayou runs west and northwest of the city. Harrison County borders Diamondhead to the east.

According to the United States Census Bureau, in 2010 the Diamondhead CDP had a total area of , of which were land and , or 5.04%, were water.

Major highways

  • 22px Interstate 10 runs through the southern part of the city, with access from Exit 16. I-10 leads east to Biloxi and southwest to New Orleans.

Nearby cities and towns

  • Bay St. Louis ( south by road)
  • DeLisle ( east)
  • Kiln (7 miles [11 km] northwest)
  • Picayune (21 miles [34 km] northwest)
  • Shoreline Park ( south)
  • Waveland ( south)

Climate

The average temperature of Diamondhead is 67 °F, which is higher than the Mississippi average temperature of 64 °F and is much higher than the national average temperature of 54 °F.

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, Diamondhead had a population of 9,529. The median age was 51.0 years. 18.2% of residents were under the age of 18 and 30.3% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 94.5 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 90.9 males age 18 and over.

94.9% of residents lived in urban areas, while 5.1% lived in rural areas.

There were 4,133 households in Diamondhead, of which 23.6% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 54.9% were married-couple households, 15.1% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 24.4% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 28.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. There were 2,630 families residing in the city.

!Race

!Num.

!Perc.

|-

|White (non-Hispanic)

|8,123

|85.25%

|-

|Black or African American (non-Hispanic)

|335

|3.52%

|-

|Native American

|39

|0.41%

|-

|Asian

|130

|1.36%

|-

|Pacific Islander

|2

|0.02%

|-

|Other/Mixed

|463

|4.86%

|-

|Hispanic or Latino

|437

|4.59%

|}

Education

Diamondhead is served by the Hancock County School District.

All of Hancock County is in the service area of Pearl River Community College.

Local schools of note

  • Hancock High School
  • Our Lady Academy
  • Saint Stanislaus College

References

  • City of Diamondhead official website