Pontotoc County, Mississippi

Pontotoc County is a county located in the U.S. state of Mississippi. As of the 2020 census, the population was 31,184. Its county seat is Pontotoc. It was created on February 9, 1836, from lands ceded to the United States under the Chickasaw Cession. Pontotoc is a Chickasaw word meaning "land of hanging grapes". The original Natchez Trace and the current-day Natchez Trace Parkway both pass through the southeast corner of Pontotoc County.

Pontotoc County is part of the Tupelo, MS Micropolitan Statistical Area.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (0.7%) is water.

Major highways

20px Interstate 22
20px U.S. Route 78
20px U.S. Route 278
20px Mississippi Highway 6
20px Mississippi Highway 9
20px Mississippi Highway 15
20px Mississippi Highway 41
Natchez Trace Parkway

Adjacent counties

Union County (north)
Lee County (east)
Chickasaw County (south)
Calhoun County (southwest)
Lafayette County (west)

National protected area

Natchez Trace Parkway (part)
Tombigbee National Forest (part)

Demographics

Racial and ethnic composition

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center;"

|+Pontotoc County, Mississippi – Racial and ethnic composition

!Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)

!Pop 1980

!Pop 1990

!Pop 2000

!Pop 2010

!style="background-color: #ffffb3;" | Pop 2020

!% 1980

!% 1990

!% 2000

!% 2010

!style="background-color: #ffffb3;" |% 2020

|White alone (NH)

|17,509

|18,873

|22,336

|23,531

|style='background: #ffffe6; |23,859

|83.70%

|84.87%

|83.57%

|78.55%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |76.51%

|Black or African American alone (NH)

|3,203

|3,235

|3,711

|4,096

|style='background: #ffffe6; |4,208

|15.31%

|14.55%

|13.89%

|13.67%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |13.49%

|Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)

|32

|55

|47

|style='background: #ffffe6; |56

|0.01%

|0.14%

|0.21%

|0.16%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.18%

|Asian alone (NH)

|28

|32

|26

|56

|style='background: #ffffe6; |55

|0.13%

|0.14%

|0.10%

|0.19%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.18%

|Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH)

|style='background: #ffffe6; |5

|0.00%

|0.02%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.02%

|Other race alone (NH)

|29

|style='background: #ffffe6; |67

|0.03%

|0.00%

|0.01%

|0.10%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.21%

|Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)

|113

|342

|style='background: #ffffe6; |886

|0.42%

|1.14%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |2.84%

|Hispanic or Latino (any race)

|170

|65

|481

|1,849

|style='background: #ffffe6; |2,048

|0.81%

|0.29%

|1.80%

|6.17%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |6.57%

|Total

|20,918

|22,237

|26,726

|29,957

|style='background: #ffffe6; |31,184

|100.00%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |100.00%

2020 census

As of the 2020 United States census, the county had a population of 31,184. The median age was 38.4 years. 25.3% of residents were under the age of 18 and 16.3% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 95.3 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 92.7 males age 18 and over.

The racial makeup of the county was 77.4% White, 13.6% Black or African American, 0.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% Asian, <0.1% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 4.5% from some other race, and 4.0% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 6.6% of the population.

There were 12,042 households in the county, of which 33.4% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 49.3% were married-couple households, 18.2% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 27.5% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 27.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. of 2000, there were 26,726 people, 10,097 households, and 7,562 families residing in the county. The population density was . There were 10,816 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 84.40% White, 13.98% Black or African American, 0.27% Native American, 0.10% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.71% from other races, and 0.54% from two or more races. 1.80% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

According to the census

Education

There are two school districts: Pontotoc County Schools and Pontotoc City Schools.