Lucedale () is a city in George County, Mississippi, United States. It is part of the Pascagoula, Mississippi Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2020 census, Lucedale had a population of 2,869. It is the county seat of George County.
History
Lucedale was one of several settlements created after the Mobile, Jackson and Kansas City Railroad penetrated northern Jackson County (now George County) in the late 1890s.
Lucedale was founded in 1901, and was named after Gregory Marston Luce, who operated a lumber business there.
In 1906, a black man was hanged from a telegraph pole near the Lucedale railroad depot by a crowd of 300, after allegedly assaulting a white woman.
Mississippi's first execution by electrocution was administered to a convicted wife-killer in Lucedale in 1940, using the only portable electric chair ever employed in the United States. The "death wagon" and chair had been on display outside the Mississippi capitol prior to arriving in Lucedale, and photos of the execution were published in state newspapers, the executioner commenting: "he died with tears in his eyes for the efficient care I took to give him a good clean burning".
Demographics
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, Lucedale had a population of 2,869. The median age was 38.3 years. 23.0% of residents were under the age of 18 and 18.3% were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females, there were 111.1 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 111.3 males age 18 and over.
0.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 100.0% lived in rural areas.
There were 1,029 households in Lucedale, of which 31.9% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 36.4% were married-couple households, 19.1% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 40.3% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 32.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. There were 504 families residing in the city.
!Race
!Num.
!Perc.
|-
|White (non-Hispanic)
|1,858
|64.76%
|-
|Black or African American (non-Hispanic)
|753
|26.25%
|-
|Native American
|12
|0.42%
|-
|Asian
|30
|1.05%
|-
|Pacific Islander
|1
|0.03%
|-
|Other/Mixed
|119
|4.15%
|-
|Hispanic or Latino
|96
|3.35%
|}
Arts and culture
Lucedale Public Library is part of the Jackson-George Regional Library System.
Education
Lucedale is served by the George County School District. As of 2010, the district spends US$6,732 per pupil—63% on instruction, 30% on support services, and 7% on other elementary and secondary expenditures—and 15 students existed for every full-time equivalent teacher.
Infrastructure
Highways
thumb|State welcome sign on US 98
- Mississippi Highway 198 passes through the city as Main Street
- US 98
- Highway 63
Public safety
Lucedale Police Department consists of a police chief, 11 patrolmen, and one investigator. Lucedale Fire Department was established in 1901, and consists of a fire chief, three firemen, and four volunteer firemen.
Healthcare
George Regional Hospital in Lucedale is a 50-bed, non-profit, community owned hospital serving George County, Greene County, Stone County, and northern Jackson County.
Notable people
- Ruthie Bolton, Olympic gold medalist basketball player
- Janice Lawrence Braxton, Olympic gold medalist basketball player
- Ty Fryfogle, football wide receiver for the Indiana Hoosiers
- Carolyn Haines, author, also credited as Caroline Burnes
- Annibel Jenkins, English professor, scholar
- Alonzo Lawrence, football defensive back
- Jake W. Lindsey, recipient of the Medal of Honor
- Dee McCann, professional football player
- Jerry Lott, known by his nickname and stage name Marty "The Phantom"
- Doug McLeod, member of the Mississippi House of Representatives
- Eric Moulds, professional football player
- John Nix, professional football player
- Justin Steele, professional baseball player
- Claude Passeau, professional baseball player
- McKinnley Jackson, professional football player