Bassfield is a town in Jefferson Davis County,

Mississippi Mississippi () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States, bordered to the north by Tennessee; to the east by Alabama; to the south by the Gulf of Mexico; to the southwest by Louisiana; and to the northwest by Arkansas. Miss ...

, United States. The population was 254 at the 2010 census, down from 315 at the 2000 census. As of 2017, the estimated population was 216.

Geography

Bassfield is located in southeastern Jefferson Davis County at (31.497090, -89.746008).

Mississippi Highway 42 Mississippi () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States, bordered to the north by Tennessee; to the east by Alabama; to the south by the Gulf of Mexico; to the southwest by Louisiana; and to the northwest by Arkansas. Mississ ...

passes through the town, leading northwest to

Prentiss Prentiss may refer to: People Given name * Prentiss Barnes (1925–2006), U.S. singer * Prentiss M. Brown (1889–1973), Michigan politician * Robert Prentiss Daniel (1902–1968), U.S. academic * Prentiss Douglass (1884–1949), U.S. American fo ...

, the

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US st ...

, and southeast to Sumrall.

Mississippi Highway 35 Mississippi Highway 35 (MS 35) is a state highway in Mississippi. It runs north–south for , beginning at the Louisiana state line and ending at a junction with MS 315 at Sardis Dam. MS 35 serves the counties of Marion, Jefferson Davis, Co ...

passes through the west side of Bassfield, leading north to Mount Olive and south to

Columbia Columbia may refer to: * Columbia (personification), the historical female national personification of the United States, and a poetic name for America Places North America Natural features * Columbia Plateau, a geologic and geographic region in ...

. According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...

, Bassfield has a total area of , all land.

2020 tornadoes

On April 12th, 2020, at approximately 4:15 CDT, Bassfield was struck by a large, violent EF4 tornado, causing catastrophic damage. The town just barely avoided being hit again when a large EF3 tornado passed just north of the city only 35 minutes later.

Demographics

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...

of 2000, there were 315 people, 124 households, and 76 families residing in the town. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopul ...

was 290.4 people per square mile (112.6/km²). There were 144 housing units at an average density of 132.8 per square mile (51.5/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 64.13%

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, 35.56%

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

and 0.32% Native American.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...

Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...

of any race were 1.27% of the population. There were 124 households, out of which 24.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.9% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...

living together, 16.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.7% were non-families. 36.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 20.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.31 and the average family size was 3.08. In the town, the population was spread out, with 20.3% under the age of 18, 9.2% from 18 to 24, 23.2% from 25 to 44, 19.0% from 45 to 64, and 28.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females, there were 71.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 69.6 males. The median income for a household in the town was $18,500, and the median income for a family was $27,500. Males had a median income of $17,292 versus $14,250 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the town was $13,283. About 22.7% of families and 25.0% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...

, including 24.1% of those under age 18 and 34.8% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Bassfield is served by the Jefferson Davis County School District. The school district was taken over by the state of Mississippi due to low graduation rates and mismanaged finances.

Notable residents

Cornell Armstrong Cornell Orlando Armstrong (born September 22, 1995) is an American football cornerback for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Southern Miss. Early years Armstrong attended Bassfield High Sc ...

, professional football player * A. J. Moore, professional football player *

C. J. Moore Calvin J. "C.J." Moore (born December 15, 1995) is an American football safety for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Ole Miss. Early life and high school Moore was born and grew up in Bassfi ...

, professional football player *

Wilbur Myers Wilbur Myers (born August 17, 1961) is a former American football defensive back. He played for the Denver Broncos The Denver Broncos are a professional American football franchise based in Denver. The Broncos compete in the National Football ...

, former

defensive back In gridiron football, defensive backs (DBs), also called the secondary, are the players on the defensive side of the ball who play farthest back from the line of scrimmage. They are distinguished from the other two sets of defensive players, the ...

for the

Denver Broncos The Denver Broncos are a professional American football franchise based in Denver. The Broncos compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The team is headquart ...

Ronnie Shows Clifford Ronald Shows (born January 26, 1947) is an American educator and former Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives from Mississippi. He served from 1999 to 2003. Biography Shows was born in Moselle, Mississippi. ...

, U.S. congressman (1999–2003)

Gallery

File:Grief (1272794716).jpg, ''Grief'', statue at the Bassfield Catholic Cemetery

References

{{authority control Towns in Jefferson Davis County, Mississippi Towns in Mississippi