Isola is a town in

Humphreys County, Mississippi Humphreys County is a County (United States), county located in the U.S. state of Mississippi. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 7,785. Its county seat is Belzoni, Mississippi, Belzoni. The county is named for ...

, United States, on the banks of Lake Dawson. The population was 713 at the 2010 census, down from 768 at the 2000 census.

Etymology

The name is derived from "isolation", due to the town's remote location when it was founded.

Geography

Isola is located in northern Humphreys County. It is bordered to the north by Sunflower County. U.S. Route 49W passes through the east side of the town, leading north to Indianola and southeast to Belzoni, the Humphreys County seat. According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, the town has a total area of , all land. The southeast end of Lake Dawson, an old river channel, is near the northwest corner of the town. The lake leads northwest and connects via Pawson Bayou to the

Big Sunflower River The Sunflower River (also known as the Big Sunflower River) is one of the main tributaries of the Yazoo River in the U.S. state of Mississippi. . The Sunflower follows an old channel of the Mississippi River as it winds between farms, neighborhoods ...

, a tributary of the

Yazoo River The Yazoo River is a river primarily in the U.S. state of Mississippi. It is considered by some to mark the southern boundary of what is called the Mississippi Delta, a broad floodplain that was cultivated for cotton plantations before the Ame ...

Demographics

2020 Census

2000 census

As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2000, there were 768 people, 279 households, and 191 families residing in the town. The population density was . There were 307 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 63.67%

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 32.68%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 0.52% Native American, 2.73% from other races, and 0.39% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race were 3.12% of the population. There were 279 households, out of which 33.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.4% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

living together, 25.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.5% were non-families. 28.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.6% 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 3.37. In the town, the population was spread out, with 31.6% under the age of 18, 10.3% from 18 to 24, 24.9% from 25 to 44, 19.0% from 45 to 64, and 14.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females, there were 87.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 79.2 males. The median income for a household in the town was $25,063, and the median income for a family was $27,396. Males had a median income of $20,909 versus $17,639 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the town was $13,487. About 25.1% of families and 30.8% 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 ...

, including 48.0% of those under age 18 and 18.8% of those age 65 or over.

Education

The town is served by the

Humphreys County School District The Humphreys County School District is a public school district with its administrative offices in Belzoni, Mississippi (USA). The district's boundaries parallel that of Humphreys County. History In 2019, the state Board of Education voted t ...

. The children in Isola attend school in Belzoni.

Notable people

* Willie Bailey, member of the

Mississippi House of Representatives The Mississippi House of Representatives is the lower house of the Mississippi Legislature, the lawmaking body of the U.S. state of Mississippi. According to the state constitution of 1890, it is to comprise no more than 122 members elected for ...

Hank Cochran Garland Perry "Hank" Cochran (August 2, 1935 – July 15, 2010) was an American country music singer and songwriter. Starting during the 1960s, Cochran was a prolific songwriter in the genre, including major hits by Patsy Cline, Ray Price, Eddy ...

, country music singer and songwriter

References

{{authority control Towns in Humphreys County, Mississippi Towns in Mississippi