Leake County is a

county A county () is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesL. Brookes (ed.) '' Chambers Dictionary''. Edinburgh: Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, 2005. in some nations. The term is derived from the Old French denoti ...

in the center of the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its so ...

Mississippi Mississippi ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Alabama to the east, the Gulf of Mexico to the south, Louisiana to the s ...

. As of the 2020 census, the population was 21,275. Its

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...

Carthage Carthage was an ancient city in Northern Africa, on the eastern side of the Lake of Tunis in what is now Tunisia. Carthage was one of the most important trading hubs of the Ancient Mediterranean and one of the most affluent cities of the classic ...

. The county is named for Walter Leake, the

Governor of Mississippi The governor of Mississippi is the head of government of Mississippi and the commander-in-chief of the U.S. state, state's Mississippi National Guard, military forces. The governor has a duty to enforce state laws, and the power to either appro ...

from 1822 to 1825. In 2010, the

center of population In Demography, demographics, the center of population (or population center) of a region is a geographical point that describes a centerpoint of the region's population. There are several ways of defining such a "center point", leading to dif ...

of Mississippi was located in Leake County, near the town of Lena.

Geography

According to the

U.S. Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, 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 U.S. Census Bureau is part of the U ...

, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (0.4%) is water.

Major highways

* Mississippi Highway 13 *

Mississippi Highway 16 Mississippi Highway 16 (MS 16) is a state highway in central Mississippi. It runs east–west for , from the Mississippi Delta region to the Alabama state line. MS 16 serves 8 counties: Issaquena, Sharkey, Yazoo, Humphreys, Madison, Leak ...

* Mississippi Highway 25 * Mississippi Highway 35 *

Mississippi Highway 43 Mississippi Highway 43 (MS 43) is a state highway in Mississippi that generally runs north–south in three segments: the first from US 90 near Bay St. Louis to MS 13 south of Columbia, resuming at MS 13 in southern Jefferson Davis Co ...

* Natchez Trace Parkway

Adjacent counties

* Attala County (north) * Neshoba County (east) * Scott County (south) * Madison County (west)

National protected area

* Natchez Trace Parkway (part)

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 21,275 people, 8,105 households, and 5,591 families residing in the county.

2010 census

As of the 2010 United States census, there were 23,805 people living in the county. 49.5% were

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 ...

, 40.6% Black or African American, 6.0% Native American, 0.2% Asian, 2.8% of some other race and 0.8% of two or more races. 4.3% were Hispanic or Latino (of any race).

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 20,940 people, 7,611 households, and 5,563 families living in the county. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), 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 geog ...

was . There were 8,585 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 56.14%

, 37.42%

Black Black is a color that results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without chroma, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness.Eva Heller, ''P ...

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 ...

, 4.56% Native American, 0.15% Asian, 0.03%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, 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 th ...

, 1.14% from other races, and 0.57% from two or more races. 2.10% of the population were

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. There were 7,611 households, out of which 34.30% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.20% 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, 16.50% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.90% were non-families. 24.30% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.70% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.65 and the average family size was 3.13. In the county, the population was spread out, with 26.90% under the age of 18, 10.10% from 18 to 24, 27.00% from 25 to 44, 21.70% from 45 to 64, and 14.30% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 98.00 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.20 males. The median income for a household in the county was $27,055, and the median income for a family was $32,147. Males had a median income of $27,367 versus $18,307 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 county was $13,365. About 18.10% of families and 23.30% 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 31.90% of those under age 18 and 23.90% of those age 65 or over.

Government and infrastructure

The county is quite rural, with Carthage the only city and three towns. The

Mississippi Department of Corrections The Mississippi Department of Corrections (MDOC) is a state agency of Mississippi that operates prisons. It has its headquarters in Jackson. Burl Cain is the commissioner. History In 1843 a penitentiary in four city squares in central Jack ...

contracted for development of the Walnut Grove Youth Correctional Facility, which opened in 2001 in the town of Walnut Grove.Five Private Prisons
."

. Retrieved on November 21, 2010. The facility was operated by the private Management and Training Corporation (MTC). By 2006, the Town of Walnut Grove annexed the land of the prison, resulting in an apparent increase in population, which was chiefly associated with prisoners.Walnut Grove
." ''First Impressions''.

Mississippi State University Mississippi State University for Agriculture and Applied Science, commonly known as Mississippi State University (MSU), is a Public university, public land-grant university, land-grant research university in Mississippi State, Mississippi, Un ...

, February 2008. 0 (3/21). Retrieved on August 14, 2010. "Looking at the MDA profile, the population growth is impressive (year 2000 – 488, year 2006 – 1,424). However, we learned that most of this population growth has been due to the location and annexation of the Walnut Grove Youth Correctional Facility." MTC was repeatedly cited for problems with poor treatment of prisoners, and abuses within the facility. The state closed it in 2016.

Education

The Leake County School District is the sole school district of the county. It includes Leake Central High School. Choctaw Tribal School System has two tribal schools in the county: Red Water Elementary School and Standing Pine Elementary School. East Central Community College is the area community college, including Carthage Career Advancement Center in Leake County.

Racial segregation

Most white students attend private schools while black and Hispanic children attend the local public schools. Although, children of all races have the same opportunity to private school as well.

Politics

Since 1984, Leake County has supported Republican candidates at the presidential level; however Democrats usually gain at least 40% of the vote. Since then, in only 1984, 2004, and 2024 has the Republican candidate gained over 60% of the county's vote (and the Democrat under 40%).

Communities

City

(county seat)

Towns

* Lena * Sebastopol (mostly in Scott County) * Walnut Grove

Census-designated places

* Redwater * Standing Pine

Unincorporated communities

* Bolatusha * Coosa * Edinburg * Good Hope * Hopoca * Madden * Midway * Ofahoma * Thomastown * Tuscola * Wiggins

References

External links

Leake County Chamber of Commerce
*
Leake County Courthouse Pictures

Leake County Genealogy
{{authority control Mississippi counties 1833 establishments in Mississippi Populated places established in 1833 Majority-minority counties in Mississippi