Hinds County, Mississippi Explained

Hinds County
Settlement Type:County
Seal Size:150px
Image Map1:Mississippi in United States.svg
Map Caption1:Mississippi's location within the U.S.
Coordinates:32.26°N -90.44°W
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Type1:State
Established Title:Founded
Established Date:1821
Named For:Thomas Hinds
Seat Type:County seat
Seat:Jackson and Raymond
Seat1 Type:Largest city
Seat1:Jackson
Area Total Sq Mi:877
Area Land Sq Mi:870
Area Water Sq Mi:7.6
Area Blank1 Title:percentage
Area Blank1 Sq Mi:0.9
Population As Of:2020
Population Total:227742
Pop Est As Of:2022
Population Est:217730
Population Rank:MS: 1st
US: 321st
Population Density Sq Mi:auto
Timezone1:Central (CST)
Utc Offset1:−6
Timezone1 Dst:CDT
Utc Offset1 Dst:−5
Area Code Type:Area code
Area Code:601, 769
Blank Name Sec1:Congressional districts
Blank Info Sec1:2nd, 3rd

Hinds County is a county located in the U.S. state of Mississippi. With its county seats (Raymond and the state's capital, Jackson), Hinds is the most populous county in Mississippi with a 2020 census population of 227,742 residents.[1] Hinds County is a central part of the Jackson metropolitan statistical area. It is a professional, educational, business and industrial hub in the state. It is bordered on the northwest by the Big Black River and on the east by the Pearl River. It is one county width away from the Yazoo River and the southern border of the Mississippi Delta.

In the 19th century, the rural areas of the county were devoted to cotton plantations worked by enslaved African Americans and depended on agriculture well into the 20th century; from 1877 to 1950, this county had 22 lynchings, the highest number in the state. Mississippi has the highest total number of lynchings of any state.[2]

In September 2022, it was reported that Hinds County, Mississippi, had the highest STD rate in the United States, with 2,253 cases per 100,000 residents.[3]

Etymology

The county is named for General Thomas Hinds,[4] a hero of the Battle of New Orleans during the War of 1812.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of, of which is land and (0.9%) is water.[5] It is the third-largest county in Mississippi by land area and fifth-largest by total area.

Adjacent counties

National protected area

Transportation

Airports

The following public-use airports are located in Hinds County:

Demographics

With a population of 8,645 at the 1830 census, the county's population has experienced growth to an initial historic high of 250,000 in 1980; its second historic high was 254,441 at the 1990 census. Since then, its population has fluctuated to 250,800 in 2000 and 245,285 in 2010. At the 2020 census, its population was 227,742, locally reflecting a drop in the state's overall population.[6]

Race and ethnicity

Hinds County racial composition as of 2020[7] !Race!Num.!Perc.
White (non-Hispanic)58,01225.5%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic)157,48369.2%
Native American3320.2%
Asian2,1571.0%
Pacific Islander43nil%
Other/Mixed5,1512.3%
Hispanic or Latino4,5642.0%

With the trend of greater diversification in the United States leading up to and following the 2020 census,[8] the county and state's population declined with non-Hispanic whites and overall; for contrast, in 2010, non-Hispanic whites made up 28.4% of the population, yet in 2020 they declined to 25.5% of the population. Historic minorities in the county and state increased in population. The 2020 census reported 69.2% of its population was Black or African American, 0.2% Native American, 1.0% Asian, nil% Pacific Islander, 2.3% of two or more races, and 2.0% Hispanic or Latino of any race.

Law enforcement

Hinds County Sheriff's Office
Seal:MS - Hinds County Sheriff.jpg
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Deputyminister8 Name:-->
Chief1 Name:Tyree Jones
Chief1 Position:Sheriff
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Website:Hinds County Sheriff's site

The Hinds County Sheriffs Department provides police services to areas of the county that are unincorporated or in municipalities that do not have their own local police force. It was founded on January 1, 1928.[9]

Tyrone Lewis took office January 3, 2012, taking over from Malcolm E. McMillin who had held the role for 20 years. Victor Mason defeated Tyrone Lewis August 4, 2015, as Lewis sought another term. Mason went on to secure the Office November 3, 2015. Mason defeated 3 other candidates securing more than seventy percent of the vote. Victor Mason was defeated in the Democratic Primary on August 27, 2019, by Lee D. Vance. On August 4, 2021, Sheriff Lee Vance was found deceased at his home after contracting COVID-19.[10] The current sheriff is Tyree Jones, elected November 23, 2021.[11]

Government

Hinds County is governed via a five-member board of supervisors, each elected from single-member districts. The county is led by a county administrator, who is appointed.

The Mississippi Department of Human Services (MDHS) has its headquarters in Jackson and in Hinds County. The Division of Youth Services operates the Oakley Training School (OTS) in an unincorporated area of Hinds County.[12]

The Mississippi Department of Corrections has its headquarters in Jackson and in Hinds County.[13] It operates the Jackson Probation & Parole Office in the city.

Education

Public schools

School districts:[14]

State-operated schools:

Private schools

Colleges and universities

Public libraries

Communities

Cities

Towns

Unincorporated communities

Notable people

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: State & County QuickFacts. United States Census Bureau. September 15, 2023.
  2. https://eji.org/sites/default/files/lynching-in-america-second-edition-supplement-by-county.pdf Lynching in America, 2nd edition
  3. Web site: This SC county has among the highest STD rates in the US, report shows. Do you live there? .
  4. Book: The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States. Govt. Print. Off.. Gannett, Henry. 1905. 157.
  5. Web site: 2010 Census Gazetteer Files. https://web.archive.org/web/20130928074019/http://www.census.gov/geo/maps-data/data/docs/gazetteer/counties_list_28.txt. dead. September 28, 2013. United States Census Bureau. November 4, 2014. August 22, 2012.
  6. Web site: April 26, 2021 . Census shows Mississippi lost population and diversified . November 26, 2022 . AP NEWS . en.
  7. Web site: 2020 Race and Population Totals . December 16, 2021 . data.census.gov.
  8. Web site: Frey . William H. . August 13, 2021 . New 2020 census results show increased diversity countering decade-long declines in America's white and youth populations . November 26, 2022 . Brookings . en-US.
  9. Web site: September 3, 2013 . Sheriff . October 17, 2022 . www.hindscountyms.com . en.
  10. Web site: Hinds County Sheriff Lee Vance passes away. August 4, 2021.
  11. Web site: Tyree Jones elected Hinds County Sheriff. November 24, 2021.
  12. Web site: Mississippi Department of Human Services website. https://web.archive.org/web/20100113011314/http://www.mdhs.state.ms.us/dys_personnel.html. dead. January 13, 2010.
  13. http://www.mdoc.state.ms.us/ Mississippi Department of Corrections homepage
  14. Web site: 2020 Census – School District Reference Map: Hinds County, MS. https://web.archive.org/web/20210701044238/https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/DC2020/PL20/st28_ms/schooldistrict_maps/c28049_hinds/DC20SD_C28049.pdf . July 1, 2021 . live. United States Census Bureau. July 19, 2022. – Text list