Moss Point is a city in
Jackson 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 12,147 in 2020, a decline from the figure of 13,704 in 2010. The Moss Point Historic District and several individual buildings are listed on the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...
'
Jackson County listings.
History
On August 29, 2005, Moss Point was hit by the strong east side of
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina was a destructive Category 5 Atlantic hurricane that caused over 1,800 fatalities and $125 billion in damage in late August 2005, especially in the city of New Orleans and the surrounding areas. It was at the time the cost ...
, and much of the city was flooded or destroyed (see details below). Moss Point is home to
Trent Lott International Airport and the
Mississippi Export Railroad
The Mississippi Export Railroad (MSE) is a 42-mile shortline railroad founded in 1922 which operates in the state of Mississippi from Pascagoula to Evanston. The company owns a North-South line between its two termini, along which it interchange ...
.
Geography
Moss Point is in southeastern Jackson County, on the east side of the
Pascagoula River
The Pascagoula River is a river, about 80 miles (130 km) long, in southeastern Mississippi in the United States. The river drains an area of about 8,800 square miles (23,000 km²) and flows into Mississippi Sound of the Gulf of Mexico. ...
. It is bordered to the south by the city of
Pascagoula, 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 to the north by unincorporated
Escatawpa
Escatawpa is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Jackson County, Mississippi, United States. It is part of the Pascagoula Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 3,254 at the 2020 census.
History
The commun ...
. The
Escatawpa River
Escatawpa River is a river in the states of Alabama and Mississippi. It is a tributary of the Pascagoula River.
''Escatawpa '' is a name derived from the Choctaw language meaning "where Canebrake, cane is cut".
See also
*List of rivers of Alaba ...
flows east–west through the city into the Pascagoula River.
U.S. Route 90 forms the southeastern boundary of Moss Point, leading southwestward into Pascagoula and northeastward to
Interstate 10
Interstate 10 (I-10) is the southernmost cross-country highway in the American Interstate Highway System. I-10 is the fourth-longest Interstate in the United States at , following I-90, I-80, and I-40. This freeway is part of the originally pl ...
, which runs through the northern part of the Moss Point city limits. I-10 leads west to the
Biloxi area and northeast to
Mobile, Alabama
Mobile ( , ) is a city and the county seat of Mobile County, Alabama, United States. The population within the city limits was 187,041 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, down from 195,111 at the 2010 United States census, 2010 cens ...
. Mississippi Highways
63 and
613
__NOTOC__
Year 613 ( DCXIII) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. The denomination 613 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era ...
(Main Street) are north–south roads through Moss Point. Highway 63 leads south to US-90 and north to
Lucedale, while Highway 613 leads south to the center of Pascagoula and north to Escatawpa.
Moss Point has a total area of , of which are land and , or 9.11%, are water.
Demographics
2020 census
As of the
2020 United States census
The United States census of 2020 was the twenty-fourth decennial United States census. Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2020. Other than a pilot study during the 2000 census, this was the first U.S. census to of ...
, there were 12,147 people, 5,102 households, and 3,263 families residing in the city.
2000 census
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 17,653 people, 6,714 households, and 5,228 families residing in the city. 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 634.0 people per square mile (344.8/km). There were 6,237 housing units at an average density of 249.4 per square mile (96.3/km). The racial makeup of the city was 28.04%
White
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...
, 70.56%
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 ...
, 0.15%
Native American, 0.21%
Asian
Asian may refer to:
* Items from or related to the continent of Asia:
** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia
** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia
** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...
, 0.03%
Pacific Islander
Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe the original p ...
, 0.44% from
other races, and 0.57% from two or more races.
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 ...
or
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 1.00% of the population.
![3218 Dantzler Street, Moss Point, Mississippi, Nov 2012](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/76/3218_Dantzler_Street%2C_Moss_Point%2C_Mississippi%2C_Nov_2012.jpg)
There were 5,714 households, out of which 31.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.7% 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, 23.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.0% were non-families. 22.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.75 and the average family size was 3.21.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 26.8% under the age of 18, 9.5% from 18 to 24, 25.8% from 25 to 44, 25.3% from 45 to 64, and 12.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.4 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $32,075, and the median income for a family was $37,712. Males had a median income of $31,126 versus $20,550 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 city was $15,537. About 15.8% of families and 17.8% 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 23.2% of those under age 18 and 17.3% of those age 65 or over.
Education
The city is served by the
Moss Point School District
The Moss Point School District is a public school district based in Moss Point, Mississippi (USA). The district serves the communities of Moss Point, most of Escatawpa and all of Helena.
In early 2015, the district added sexual orientation, ge ...
.
Hurricane Katrina
On August 29, 2005, Moss Point was hit by the strong eastern side of
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina was a destructive Category 5 Atlantic hurricane that caused over 1,800 fatalities and $125 billion in damage in late August 2005, especially in the city of New Orleans and the surrounding areas. It was at the time the cost ...
, when it passed east of central
with minimal gale-force winds. However, on the east side of Hurricane Katrina, much of Moss Point was flooded or destroyed in one day, by the strong hurricane-force winds which lasted several hours and a storm surge exceeding in some sections.
[Gary Tuchman, Transcript of "Anderson Cooper 360 Degrees" (2006-08-29) 19:00 ET, ''CNN'']
CNN-ACooper082906
GARY TUCHMAN, CNN Correspondent: Responds to Anderson Cooper that it felt like it would never end, saying winds were at least 100 miles per hour in Gulfport for seven hours, between about 7:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. For another five or six hours, on each side of that, they had hurricane-force winds over 75 miles per hour; much of the city of Gulfport, Mississippi, in Harrison County of 71,000 was then under water.
Sister city
In the wake of Hurricane Katrina,
Burlington, Vermont
Burlington is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Vermont and the seat of Chittenden County. It is located south of the Canada–United States border and south of Montreal. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the population was 44,743. It ...
, became the sister city of Moss Point and provided much-needed aid to the city.
Notable people
*
Jeramey Anderson
Jeramey Anderson (born December 6, 1991) is an American politician serving as a member of the Mississippi House of Representatives from the 110th district. Upon election in 2013, Anderson became the youngest African-American candidate to be elect ...
, State Representative Mississippi's 110'th House District
*
Verlon Biggs
Verlon Marion Biggs (March 16, 1943 – June 7, 1994) was an American football defensive end in the American Football League (AFL) and National Football League (NFL). He played for the New York Jets (AFL) in Super Bowl III, but felt he didn't ...
,
NFL
The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the major ...
football player, Hall of Famer, and former defensive end for the
Washington Redskins
The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) N ...
from 1965 to 1971 and the
New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Jets compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The J ...
from 1971 to 1980
*
Damarius Bilbo
Damarius Bilbo (born ) is an American sports agent and former American football player. He played college football at Georgia Tech as a quarterback and wide receiver.
High school
Bilbo attended Moss Point High School and was a three year le ...
, NFL football player and sports agent, graduated from Moss Point High School in 2001
*
Devin Booker,
NBA
The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United St ...
basketball player
*
Melvin Booker
Melvin Jermaine Booker (born August 20, 1972) is an American former professional basketball player. A , point guard, he played for the University of Missouri.
Amateur career
Booker was a standout high school player in Moss Point, Mississippi. ...
, graduated from Moss Point High School in 1990, former NBA basketball player, father of Devin Booker
*
John Brock, CEO of
Coca-Cola Enterprises (graduated from Moss Point High School in 1967)
John Brock, "local boy", makes it to the big time"
/ref>
* Ray Costict, former linebacker for the New England Patriots
The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East divisio ...
from 1977 to 1979
* Ken Farragut
Kenneth David Farragut, Jr. (December 23, 1928 – February 16, 2014) was an American football center. He played professionally in the National Football League (NFL) for the Philadelphia Eagles.
High school years
Born in Ponchatoula, Louisiana, ...
, NFL and Ole Miss Hall of Fame football player
* Silky Nutmeg Ganache, contestant on season 11 of RuPaul's Drag Race
* Eddie Glaude
Eddie S. Glaude Jr. (born September 4, 1968) is an American academic. He is the James S. McDonnell Distinguished University Professor of African American Studies at Princeton University, where he is also the Chair of the Center for African Amer ...
, Professor of Religion and African American Studies at Princeton University
* Don Hultz
William Donald Hultz (born December 16, 1940 in Moss Point, Mississippi) is a former American football defensive end in the National Football League.
As a teenager, Hultz began playing football at Mobile County High School in Grand Bay, Alabama ...
, NFL football player
* Alcender Jackson
Alcender O'Neal Jackson (born May 18, 1977) is a former American football guard in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys and Green Bay Packers. He played college football at Louisiana State University.
Early years
Jackson attended ...
, NFL football player
* Tom Johnson, NFL defensive tackle for the Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) North division. Founded in 1960 as an expansion ...
* Robert C. Khayat
Robert Conrad Khayat (born April 18, 1938) was the 15th Chancellor of the University of Mississippi. He also played American football as a placekicker, guard, and center for Ole Miss and in the National Football League (NFL) for the Washingto ...
, Chancellor of the University of Mississippi
The University of Mississippi (byname Ole Miss) is a public research university that is located adjacent to Oxford, Mississippi, and has a medical center in Jackson. It is Mississippi's oldest public university and its largest by enrollment.
...
* David Thomas Roberts
David Thomas Roberts (born January 16, 1955) is an American composer and musician, known primarily as a modern ragtime composer. Roberts is also a painter in a primitivist style.
Born in Moss Point, Mississippi, United States, his first recor ...
, composer and musician
*Toni Seawright
Toni Deniece Seawright (born June 25, 1964) is an American actress and singer-songwriter. In 1987, Seawright made history as the first African American to become Miss Mississippi and was the fourth runner-up in 1988's Miss America pageant.
...
, 1982 Graduate of Moss Point High; Made history as the first African American to win Miss Mississippi in 1987 (4th Runner-up Miss America 1988)
* Tony Sipp, Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...
Houston Astros - 2x World Series Champion
* George Wonsley
George Ivory Wonsley (born November 23, 1960 in Moss Point, Mississippi) is a former American football running back in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts in the fourth round of the 1984 NFL Draft. He played co ...
, NFL football player
* Nathan Wonsley, NFL football player
See also
* L.N. Dantzler Lumber Company
Notes
External links
City of Moss Point official website
{{Authority control
Cities in Mississippi
Cities in Jackson County, Mississippi
Cities in Pascagoula metropolitan area