Lafayette County, Mississippi

Lafayette County
U.S. county
Lafayette County courthouse in Oxford
Location within the U.S. state of Mississippi
Mississippi's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 34°22′N 89°29′W / 34.36°N 89.49°W / 34.36; -89.49
Country	United States
State	Mississippi
Founded	1836
Named for	Marquis de Lafayette
Seat	Oxford
Largest city	Oxford
Area
• Total	679 sq mi (1,760 km2)
• Land	632 sq mi (1,640 km2)
• Water	47 sq mi (120 km2)  7.0%
Population  (2010)
• Total	47,351
• Estimate  (2018)	54,793
• Density	70/sq mi (27/km2)
Time zone	UTC−6 (Central)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district	1st
Website	lafayettems.com

Lafayette County is a county in the U.S. state of Mississippi. As of the 2010 census, the population was 47,351.^[1] Its county seat is Oxford.^[2] The local pronunciation of the name is "la-FAY-et." The county's name honors Marquis de Lafayette, a French military hero and American general who fought during the American Revolutionary War.^[3]

The Oxford, MS Micropolitan Statistical Area includes all of Lafayette County. The county is policed by the Lafayette County Sheriff's Department.

Lafayette County is often regarded as the inspiration for Yoknapatawpha County, the fictional setting of many of William Faulkner's works.

Geography[]

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 679 square miles (1,760 km²), of which 632 square miles (1,640 km²) is land and 47 square miles (120 km²) (7.0%) is water.^[4]

Major highways[]

Adjacent counties[]

• Marshall County (north)
• Union County (northeast)
• Pontotoc County (southeast)
• Calhoun County (south)
• Yalobusha County (southwest)
• Panola County (west)
• Tate County (northwest)

National protected area[]

• Holly Springs National Forest (part)

Demographics[]

Historical population
Census	Pop.		%±
1840	6,531		—
1850	14,069		115.4%
1860	16,125		14.6%
1870	18,802		16.6%
1880	21,671		15.3%
1890	20,553		−5.2%
1900	22,110		7.6%
1910	21,883		−1.0%
1920	19,243		−12.1%
1930	19,978		3.8%
1940	21,257		6.4%
1950	22,798		7.2%
1960	21,355		−6.3%
1970	24,181		13.2%
1980	31,030		28.3%
1990	31,826		2.6%
2000	38,744		21.7%
2010	47,351		22.2%
2020	55,813		17.9%
U.S. Decennial Census[5] 1790–1960[6] 1900–1990[7] 1990–2000[8] 2010–2020[9]

2010 Census^[10]

As of the census of 2010, there were 45,859 people. There were 21,646 housing units. The medium age was 26.8 years old. The racial makeup of the county was 71.5% white, 23.9% Black or African American, 0.3% Native American, and 2.0% Asian. 2.3% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

2000 Census

As of the census^[11] of 2000, there were 38,744 people, 14,373 households, and 8,321 families residing in the county. The population density was 61 people per square mile (24/km²). There were 16,587 housing units at an average density of 26 per square mile (10/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 71.85% White, 25.05% Black or African American, 0.16% Native American, 1.67% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.42% from other races, and 0.84% from two or more races. 1.10% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

The largest European ancestry groups in Lafayette county are:^[12]

• 13.4% English
• 12.5% Irish
• 9.1% German
• 4.4% Scots-Irish
• 2.8% Scottish
• 1.1% Polish
• 1.0% Welsh

Many people in Mississippi may claim Irish ancestry because of the term "Scots-Irish", but most of the time in Mississippi this term is used for those with Ulster Scots roots rather than Irish Catholics.^[13]

In 2000, there were 14,373 households, out of which 26.90% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.20% were married couples living together, 11.40% had a female householder with no husband present, and 42.10% were non-families. 29.10% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.80% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.36 and the average family size was 2.97.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 19.50% under the age of 18, 27.10% from 18 to 24, 26.30% from 25 to 44, 17.10% from 45 to 64, and 9.80% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 27 years. For every 100 females there were 96.70 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.60 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $28,517, and the median income for a family was $42,910. Males had a median income of $30,964 versus $21,207 for females. The per capita income for the county was $16,406. About 10.20% of families and 21.30% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.60% of those under age 18 and 19.40% of those age 65 or over.

Communities[]

City[]

• Oxford (county seat and largest municipality)

Town[]

• Abbeville
• Taylor

Census-designated places[]

• Paris
• Tula
• University

Unincorporated communities[]

• Denmark
• Harmontown
• Springdale
• Yocona

Ghost town[]

• Dogtown
• Orwood

Politics[]

Unlike many counties dominated by college towns, Lafayette County tilts Republican. It last supported a Democrat for president in 1980. However, it is not as heavily Republican as other counties in north Mississippi, particularly those in the Memphis area. The Democrats have garnered at least 40 percent of the vote in every election since 1988, a period when much of north Mississippi swung hard to the GOP.

Sheriff F. D. “Buddy" East died in office in September 2018. He had been elected to office twelve times, starting in 1972 and was the state's longest-serving sheriff and at the time of his death the longest-serving sheriff in the nation.^[14]

See also[]

• National Register of Historic Places listings in Lafayette County, Mississippi
• University of Mississippi (Ole Miss)

References[]

External links[]

• Lafayette County Records (MUM00256) owned by the University of Mississippi, Archives and Special Collections.

Coordinates: 34°22′N 89°29′W / 34.36°N 89.49°W / 34.36; -89.49