Demographics

As of the census

Census

A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...

of 2000, there were 28,423 people, 10,183 households, and 7,535 families residing in the county. The population density

Population density

Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...

 was 47 people per square mile (18/km²). There were 11,116 housing units at an average density of 18 per square mile (7/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 57.20% White

Race (United States Census)

Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...

, 38.88% Black

Race (United States Census)

Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...

 or African American

Race (United States Census)

Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...

, 0.31% Native American

Race (United States Census)

Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...

, 0.18% Asian

Race (United States Census)

Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...

, 0.02% Pacific Islander

Race (United States Census)

Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...

, 2.52% from other races

Race (United States Census)

Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...

, and 0.89% from two or more races. 5.84% of the population were Hispanic

Race (United States Census)

Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...

 or Latino

Race (United States Census)

Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...

 of any race.
There were 10,183 households out of which 36.20% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.80% were married couples

Marriage

Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...

 living together, 18.80% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.00% were non-families. 22.20% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.00% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.76 and the average family size was 3.21.

In the county the population was spread out with 28.60% under the age of 18, 9.60% from 18 to 24, 27.90% from 25 to 44, 21.40% from 45 to 64, and 12.40% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 94.40 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.10 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, 100% are said to be sexually active.

The median income for a household in the county was $26,686, and the median income for a family was $31,487. Males had a median income of $26,406 versus $18,459 for females. The per capita income

Per capita income

Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...

 for the county was $14,013. About 16.50% of families and 20.70% of the population were below the poverty line, including 26.80% of those under age 18 and 22.70% of those age 65 or over.

Scott County Sheriff's Office

The Scott County Sheriff's office serves the equivalent of County law enforcement for both unincorporated cities as well as incorporated cities within the county. The Scott County Sheriff is the oldest elected position in Scott County. Mike Lee is the current sheriff elect. The Scott County Sheriff's Office has 63 employees both sworn and non-sworn, and is divided into six divisions; Administration, patrol, criminal investigations,narcotics, communications, and detention. The Sheriff's office operates the County Jail and has contracts with the Forest Police Department and the MS. Department of Corrections. In 2010 the Scott County Sheriff's office opened a new state of the art correction facility. The facility can handle 150 prisoners. Incorporated also into the facility is a new sheriff's office. The new sheriff's provides offices for all administrative personnel as well as investigations offices.

Newspaper

The Scott County Times has served Scott County since 1939. It is a weekly publication owned by Emmerich Newspapers, Inc.

Communities

• Cities
  • Forest
    Forest, Mississippi
    Forest is a city in Scott County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 5,987 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Scott County.-Geography:Forest is located at ....
    
    
  • Morton
    Morton, Mississippi
    Morton is a city in Scott County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 3,482 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Morton is located at ....
    
    

• Towns
  • Lake
    Lake, Mississippi
    Lake is a town in Newton and Scott Counties in the U.S. state of Mississippi. The population was 408 at the 2000 census. Lake is the birthplace of country music singer, Randy Houser.-Geography:...
    
     (partly in Newton County)
  • Sebastopol
    Sebastopol, Mississippi
    Sebastopol is a town in Leake and Scott Counties in the U.S. state of Mississippi. The population was 272 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Sebastopol is located at . Most of the town is located in Scott County, although a tiny portion extends into Leake County. In the 2000 census, all of the city's...
    
     (small portion in Leake County)

• Unincorporated places
  • Forkville
  • Harperville
  • Hillsboro
  • Homewood
  • Ludlow
  • Norris
  • Pulaski

See also

• Bienville National Forest
  Bienville National Forest
  Bienville National Forest is a United States National Forest in central Mississippi. It is named for Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne de Bienville. In descending order of land area it lies in parts of Scott, Smith, Jasper, and Newton counties. It has an area of 178,542 acres...
  
  
• Dry counties
• National Register of Historic Places listings in Scott County, Mississippi
• Roosevelt State Park
  Roosevelt State Park
  Roosevelt State Park is a U.S. state park in Mississippi. It is located off I-20 near Morton, between Jackson and Meridian. Area AttractionsThe following attractions are located within a short drive of Roosevelt State Park.* Bienville National Forest...