Hancock County, Mississippi
Hancock County | |
|---|---|
 Location within the U.S. state of Mississippi | |
 Mississippi's location within the U.S. | |
| Coordinates: 30°23′N 89°28′W / 30.39°N 89.47°W | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Mississippi |
| Founded | 1812 |
| Seat | Bay St. Louis |
| Largest city | Bay St. Louis |
| Area | |
| • Total | 553 sq mi (1,430 km2) |
| • Land | 477 sq mi (1,240 km2) |
| • Water | 76 sq mi (200 km2) 13.69% |
| Population (2000) | |
| • Total | 42,967 |
| • Density | 90/sq mi (35/km2) |
Hancock County is the southernmost county of the U.S. state of Mississippi, situated along the Gulf of Mexico and the state line with Louisiana. It is part of the Gulfport-Biloxi, Mississippi Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of 2000, the population was 42,967. Its county seat is Bay St. Louis6. The area is also home to the John C. Stennis Space Center, NASA's largest rocket engine test facility. Hancock County is named for Founding Father John Hancock President of the Continental Congress and United States in Congress Assembled[1].
The county was severely damaged from Hurricane Katrina on August 28-29, 2005, causing catastrophic effects.
History
In 2005, the county was the scene of the final landfall of the eye of Hurricane Katrina, and its communities and infrastructure suffered some of the most intense damage inflicted by that storm. Over the entire 7 mile beach front, not one building or home was left intact. This is true for nearly the entire 1st block off of the beach for the entire 7 mile stretch.
Recovery from Hurricane Katrina
A loosely knit group of hippies called the "Rainbow Family" arrived in Hancock County soon after Hurricane Katrina. From early September 2005 to early December 2005, they ran the "New Waveland Café & Clinic" [1] [2] located in the parking lot of Fred's Dept Store on Highway 90. The café provided free hot meals three times a day. The clinic was staffed by volunteer doctors and nurses from around the United States who saw over 5000 patients during the duration, free of charge and dispensing free medications. Donations of medications and supplies came from a multitude of sources, with International Aid [3] arranging the most donations. This was the first experience of the counter-culture Rainbow Family in running a disaster relief center. The Bastrop Christian Outreach Center also volunteered with the Rainbow Family.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,431 km² (553 sq mi). 1,235 km² (477 sq mi) of it is land and 196 km² (76 sq mi) of it (13.69%) is water.
Major Highways
Adjacent Counties
- Pearl River County (north)
- Harrison County (east)
- St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana (west)
Demographics
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1820 | 1,594 | — | |
| 1830 | 1,962 | 23.1% | |
| 1840 | 3,367 | 71.6% | |
| 1850 | 3,672 | 9.1% | |
| 1860 | 3,139 | −14.5% | |
| 1870 | 4,239 | 35.0% | |
| 1880 | 6,439 | 51.9% | |
| 1890 | 8,318 | 29.2% | |
| 1900 | 11,886 | 42.9% | |
| 1910 | 11,207 | −5.7% | |
| 1920 | 10,380 | −7.4% | |
| 1930 | 11,415 | 10.0% | |
| 1940 | 11,328 | −0.8% | |
| 1950 | 11,891 | 5.0% | |
| 1960 | 14,039 | 18.1% | |
| 1970 | 17,387 | 23.8% | |
| 1980 | 24,537 | 41.1% | |
| 1990 | 31,760 | 29.4% | |
| 2000 | 42,967 | 35.3% | |
| 2006 (est.) | 40,421 | Expression error: Unrecognized punctuation character "[". |
As of the census² of 2000, there were 42,967 people, 16,897 households, and 11,827 families residing in the county. The population density was 35/km² (90/sq mi). There were 21,072 housing units at an average density of 17/km² (44/sq mi). The racial makeup of the county was 90.19% White, 6.83% Black or African American, 0.60% Native American, 0.88% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.33% from other races, and 1.14% from two or more races. 1.80% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 16,897 households out of which 31.50% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.90% were married couples living together, 11.30% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.00% were non-families. 24.70% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.20% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.52 and the average family size was 2.99.
In the county the population was spread out with 25.10% under the age of 18, 7.30% from 18 to 24, 28.00% from 25 to 44, 25.60% from 45 to 64, and 14.00% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 98.30 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.50 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $35,202, and the median income for a family was $40,307. Males had a median income of $32,229 versus $22,066 for females. The per capita income for the county was $17,748. About 11.20% of families and 14.40% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.90% of those under age 18 and 10.30% of those age 65 or over.
Hancock County has the ninth highest per capita income in the State of Mississippi.
Communities
- Cities
- Census-designated places
- Unincorporated places
External links
Municipalities and communities of Hancock County, Mississippi, United States | ||
|---|---|---|
| Cities |  | |
| CDPs | ||
| Other unincorporated communities | ||
| Ghost towns | ||
