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Hancock County, Mississippi

Coordinates: 30°23′N 89°28′W / 30.39°N 89.47°W / 30.39; -89.47
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Hancock County
County
Hancock County courthouse in Bay St. Louis
Hancock County courthouse in Bay St. Louis
Map of Mississippi highlighting Hancock County
Location within the U.S. state of Mississippi
Map of the United States highlighting Mississippi
Mississippi's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 30°23′N 89°28′W / 30.39°N 89.47°W / 30.39; -89.47
Country United States
State Mississippi
Founded1812
Named forJohn Hancock
SeatBay St. Louis
Largest cityBay St. Louis
Area
 • Total553 sq mi (1,430 km2)
 • Land474 sq mi (1,230 km2)
 • Water79 sq mi (200 km2)  14%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total46,053
 • Estimate 
(2023)
46,159
 • Density83/sq mi (32/km2)
Time zoneUTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district4th
Websitehancockcounty.ms.gov

Hancock County is the southernmost county of the U.S. state of Mississippi and is named for Founding Father John Hancock.[1] As of the 2020 census, the population was 46,053.[2] Its county seat is Bay St. Louis.[3] Hancock County is part of the Gulfport–Biloxi, MS Metropolitan Statistical Area. It is situated along the Gulf of Mexico and the state line with Louisiana. The area is home to the John C. Stennis Space Center, NASA's largest rocket engine test facility. The county was severely damaged from Hurricane Katrina on August 29, 2005, which caused a huge storm surge and catastrophic damage.

History

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This area of Mississippi was inhabited by indigenous peoples at the time of European colonization; the French were the first settlers and traders in the area. They imported African slaves as laborers, and in time a Creole class of free people of color developed.

After the United States conducted Indian Removal in the 1830s, more Protestant Americans migrated into this area, but it retained French and African Catholic influences. Located on the Gulf Coast, the county was regularly hit by hurricanes but its residents learned to handle these incidents.

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 (11 km) beach front, not one building or home was left intact. Nearly the entire first block off the beach was destroyed for the entire 7-mile (11 km) stretch.

Homes as far inland as 10 miles (16 km) were flooded by the historic storm surge, which occurred during a full moon high tide. All rivers and waterways were inundated by the surge. Highway 603 south from Interstate 10 was completely submerged, and the Highway 90 - Bay St. Louis Bridge was left looking like a stack of dominoes.

Houses were floated off their foundations. In Waveland and Bay St. Louis, some homes were stranded atop the railroad tracks and others in the middle of streets. Towns like Pearlington, Waveland, Bay St. Louis, Diamondhead, and Kiln suffered catastrophic damage.

Recovery from Hurricane Katrina

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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 Cafe and Clinic" [4][5] 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 more than 5000 patients during the duration. They provided treatment free of charge and dispensed free medications. Donations of medications and supplies came from a multitude of sources, with International Aid [6] arranging the most donations. This was the first experience of the Rainbow Family in running a disaster relief center. The Bastrop Christian Outreach Center also volunteered with the Rainbow Family.

Local churches were central points of recovery in Bay St. Louis, Waveland, and Diamondhead. Some churches provided shelter, meals, clothing, and various clean-up supplies. The churches also provided distribution points where supplies could be donated and easily passed on to those who needed help. Other disaster relief agencies that were active in Hancock County include Samaritan's Purse, Southern Baptist Convention Disaster Relief, Red Cross, Rotary International and Salvation Army.

Businesses became operational as quickly as possible. The Waveland Wal-Mart operated out of a tent for 3 months following the storm; Diamondhead Discount Drug was opened within 2 days following Katrina, although the owner's store and home were both severely damaged. Other business such as Dairy Queen and Subway donated their foodstuffs, before it could spoil, in order to feed survivors.

Geography

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Coastal counties of Mississippi.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 553 square miles (1,430 km2), of which 474 square miles (1,230 km2) is land and 79 square miles (200 km2) (14%) is water.[7]

Major highways

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Adjacent counties and parishes

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Demographics

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Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
18201,594—
18301,96223.1%
18403,36771.6%
18503,6729.1%
18603,139−14.5%
18704,23935.0%
18806,43951.9%
18908,31829.2%
190011,88642.9%
191011,207−5.7%
192010,380−7.4%
193011,41510.0%
194011,328−0.8%
195011,8915.0%
196014,03918.1%
197017,38723.8%
198024,53741.1%
199031,76029.4%
200042,96735.3%
201043,9292.2%
202046,0534.8%
2023 (est.)46,159[8]0.2%
U.S. Decennial Census[9]
1790-1960[10] 1900-1990[11]
1990-2000[12] 2010-2013[13] 2019[14]
Hancock County racial composition as of 2020[15]
Race Num. Perc.
White (non-Hispanic) 37,341 81.08%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic) 3,911 8.49%
Native American 244 0.53%
Asian 424 0.92%
Pacific Islander 9 0.02%
Other/Mixed 2,206 4.79%
Hispanic or Latino 1,918 4.16%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 46,053 people, 20,036 households, and 13,081 families residing in the county.

Hancock is the only county in Mississippi where Roman Catholics outnumber Baptists. Catholics comprise a plurality of residents of Hancock County, owing to the county's French colonial heritage and proximity to deeply Catholic Southern Louisiana.[16]

Communities

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Cities

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Census-designated places

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Unincorporated communities

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Ghost towns

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Politics

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United States presidential election results for Hancock County, Mississippi[17]
Year Republican Democratic Third party(ies)
No.  % No.  % No.  %
2020 16,132 76.98% 4,504 21.49% 321 1.53%
2016 13,811 78.31% 3,344 18.96% 482 2.73%
2012 12,964 75.52% 3,917 22.82% 286 1.67%
2008 13,020 76.34% 3,768 22.09% 268 1.57%
2004 12,581 70.41% 5,107 28.58% 181 1.01%
2000 9,326 64.11% 4,801 33.00% 421 2.89%
1996 5,820 51.16% 4,303 37.82% 1,254 11.02%
1992 6,422 47.78% 4,651 34.61% 2,367 17.61%
1988 7,763 66.42% 3,760 32.17% 164 1.40%
1984 7,662 74.07% 2,630 25.43% 52 0.50%
1980 5,088 57.07% 3,544 39.75% 283 3.17%
1976 3,765 48.01% 3,855 49.16% 222 2.83%
1972 5,133 86.28% 745 12.52% 71 1.19%
1968 1,065 17.63% 904 14.96% 4,072 67.41%
1964 2,550 62.95% 1,501 37.05% 0 0.00%
1960 719 21.44% 2,132 63.58% 502 14.97%
1956 1,421 53.14% 1,179 44.09% 74 2.77%
1952 1,347 46.05% 1,578 53.95% 0 0.00%
1948 151 8.51% 222 12.51% 1,402 78.99%
1944 137 7.70% 1,642 92.30% 0 0.00%
1940 197 11.27% 1,550 88.67% 1 0.06%
1936 164 11.20% 1,284 87.70% 16 1.09%
1932 109 7.40% 1,349 91.64% 14 0.95%
1928 456 26.21% 1,284 73.79% 0 0.00%
1924 192 27.08% 467 65.87% 50 7.05%
1920 130 29.68% 305 69.63% 3 0.68%
1916 68 11.68% 512 87.97% 2 0.34%
1912 28 6.19% 365 80.75% 59 13.05%

Education

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School districts include:[18]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Gannett, Henry (1905). The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States. Govt. Print. Off. pp. 148.
  2. ^ "Census - Geography Profile: Hancock County, Mississippi". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 8, 2023.
  3. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  4. ^ "Pferdeerziehung im Fohlenalter". July 1, 2015.
  5. ^ "Hippie Kitchens Serve Final Meal to Hurricane Victims". NPR. Archived from the original on August 1, 2020.
  6. ^ "International Aid". internationalaid.org.
  7. ^ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Archived from the original on September 28, 2013. Retrieved November 4, 2014.
  8. ^ "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2023". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved April 5, 2024.
  9. ^ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved November 4, 2014.
  10. ^ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved November 4, 2014.
  11. ^ "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved November 4, 2014.
  12. ^ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 27, 2010. Retrieved November 4, 2014.
  13. ^ "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on June 7, 2011. Retrieved September 3, 2013.
  14. ^ "QuickFacts. Mississippi counties". Retrieved May 20, 2020.
  15. ^ "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved December 16, 2021.
  16. ^ Royal Berglee, PhD (June 17, 2016). "4.3 United States: Population and Religion". {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  17. ^ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved March 2, 2018.
  18. ^ "2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Hancock County, MS" (PDF). U.S. Census Bureau. Archived (PDF) from the original on April 14, 2022. Retrieved July 31, 2022. - Text list
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30°23′N 89°28′W / 30.39°N 89.47°W / 30.39; -89.47

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