Sunflower County, Mississippi
Sunflower County is a county located in the U.S. state of Mississippi. As of the 2020 census, the population was 25,971, and was estimated to be 23,029 in 2024. The county seat and the largest city is Indianola.
Sunflower County comprises the Indianola, MS Micropolitan statistical area, which is included in the Cleveland-Indianola, MS Combined statistical area. It is located in the Mississippi Delta region.
Mississippi State Penitentiary is located in Sunflower County.
History
Sunflower County was created on February 15, 1844. The land mass encompassed most of Sunflower and Leflore Counties as we know them today. The first seat of government was Clayton, located near Fort Pemberton. Later the county seat was moved to McNutt, also in present-day Leflore County. When Sunflower and Leflore counties were separated in 1871, the new county seat for Sunflower County was moved to Johnsonville. This village was located where the north end of Mound Bayou empties into the Sunflower River. In 1882 the county seat was moved to Eureka, which was later renamed Indianola. Boyer Cemetery, located in Boyer, goes back to the early days of Sunflower County.After the U.S. Civil War, across several decades African Americans migrated to Sunflower County to work in the Mississippi Delta. In 1870, 3,243 black people lived in Sunflower County. This increased to 12,070 in 1900, making up 75% of the residents in Sunflower County. Between 1900 and 1920, the black population almost tripled.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of, of which is land and is water. It is the 19th largest county in Mississippi by total area.Sunflower County is the longest county in Mississippi. The traveling distance from the southern boundary at Caile to its northern boundary at Rome is approximately 71 miles.
The center of the county is about east of the Mississippi River, about west of the hill section of Mississippi, north of Jackson, and about south of Memphis, Tennessee.
Adjacent counties
- Coahoma County
- Tallahatchie County
- Leflore County
- Humphreys County
- Washington County
- Bolivar County
Demographics
Sunflower County has the tenth-lowest per capita income in Mississippi and the 72nd-lowest in the United States in 2023. $39,498 in Sunflower County in 2023. $52,017 in Mississippi in 2024. $72,425 in the United States in 2024.
As of the fourth quarter of 2024, the median home value in Sunflower County was $110,130.
As of the 2023 American Community Survey, there are 8,058 estimated households in Sunflower County with an average of 2.70 persons per household. The county has a median household income of $40,265. Approximately 32.5% of the county's population lives at or below the poverty line. Sunflower County has an estimated 48.3% employment rate, with 16.9% of the population holding a bachelor's degree or higher and 75.8% holding a high school diploma.
The top five reported ancestries were English, Spanish, Indo-European, Asian and Pacific Islander, and Other.
Racial and ethnic composition
Sunflower County, Mississippi – racial and ethnic composition| Race / ethnicity | Pop. 1980 | Pop. 1990 | Pop. 2000 | Pop. 2010 | |
| White alone | 12,964 | 11,556 | 9,799 | 7,410 | 6,729 |
| Black or African American alone | 21,236 | 21,001 | 23,871 | 21,362 | 18,077 |
| Native American or Alaska Native alone | 30 | 28 | 29 | 47 | 19 |
| Asian alone | 119 | 90 | 136 | 82 | 84 |
| Pacific Islander alone | — | — | 0 | 10 | 0 |
| Other race alone | 0 | 8 | 9 | 8 | 37 |
| Mixed race or multiracial | — | — | 77 | 127 | 364 |
| Hispanic or Latino | 495 | 184 | 448 | 404 | 661 |
| Total | 34,844 | 32,867 | 34,369 | 29,450 | 25,971 |
2024 estimate
As of the 2024 estimate, there were 23,029 people and 8,058 households residing in the county. The population density was. There were 9,438 housing units at an average density of. The racial makeup of the county was 24.7% White , 73.6% African American, 0.4% Native American, 0.5% Asian, 0.0% Pacific Islander, _% from some other races and 0.8% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 3.3% of the population.2020 census
As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 25,971, with 8,474 households and 5,729 families residing in the county.The population density was. There were 9,412 housing units at an average density of ; 10.0% of housing units were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 58.1% were owner-occupied and 41.9% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.6% and the rental vacancy rate was 7.8%.
The racial makeup of the county was 26.5% White, 69.9% Black or African American, 0.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% Asian, less than 0.1% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 1.4% from some other race, and 1.7% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 2.5% of the population.
The median age was 39.4 years. 21.2% of residents were under the age of 18 and 15.4% were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 109.5 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 112.6 males age 18 and over.
36.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 64.0% lived in rural areas.
There were 8,474 households in the county, of which 34.5% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 30.8% were married-couple households, 18.6% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 44.1% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 28.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
2010 census
As of the 2010 census, there were 29,450 people, 8,822 households, and _ families residing in the county. The population density was. There were 9,685 housing units at an average density of. The racial makeup of the county was 25.44% White, 72.93% African American, 0.19% Native American, 0.29% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.65% from some other races and 0.47% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 1.37% of the population.2000 census
As of the 2000 census, there were 34,369 people, 9,637 households, and 7,314 families residing in the county. The population density was. There were 10,338 housing units at an average density of. The racial makeup of the county was 28.88% White, 69.86% African American, 0.09% Native American, 0.40% Asian, 0.00% Pacific Islander, 0.48% from some other races and 0.28% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 1.30% of the population.There were 9,637 households out of which 38.40% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.30% were married couples living together, 28.40% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.10% were non-families. 21.20% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.70% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.01 and the average family size was 3.50.
In the county the population was spread out with 27.90% under the age of 18, 14.00% from 18 to 24, 30.30% from 25 to 44, 18.10% from 45 to 64, and 9.70% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females there were 115.90 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 120.00 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $24,970, and the median income for a family was $29,144. Males had a median income of $26,208 versus $19,145 for females. The per capita income for the county was $11,365. About 24.60% of families and 30.00% of the population were below the poverty line, including 39.50% of those under age 18 and 24.10% of those age 65 or over.
1990 census
As of the 1990 census, there were 32,341 people. The racial makeup of the county was 26.40% White, 71.89% African American, 0.12% Native American, 0.60% Asian, 0.00% Pacific Islander, 0.50% from some other races and 0.28% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 0.56% of the population.1980 census
As of the 1980 census, there were 30,402 people. The racial makeup of the county was 24.45% White, 73.88% African American, 0.15% Native American, 0.80% Asian, 0.00% Pacific Islander, 0.52% from some other races and 0.28% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 1.42% of the population.Government
The Mississippi Department of Corrections is responsible for the state's correctional services, probation services, and parole services. MDOC operates the Mississippi State Penitentiary in the unincorporated community of Parchman in Sunflower County and a probation and parole office in the Courthouse Annex in Indianola.MSP, a prison for men, is the location of the State of Mississippi male death row and the State of Mississippi execution chamber. Around the time of MSP's opening in 1901, Sunflower County residents objected to having executions performed at MSP because they feared that Sunflower County would be stigmatized as a "death county". Therefore, the State of Mississippi originally performed executions of condemned criminals in their counties of conviction. By the 1950s residents of Sunflower County were still opposed to the concept of housing the execution chamber at MSP. In September 1954, Governor Hugh White called for a special session of the Mississippi Legislature to discuss the application of the death penalty. During that year, an execution chamber was installed at MSP.
Sunflower County mirrors other Mississippi Delta counties in that it is a traditional Democratic stronghold. It has not supported a Republican presidential candidate since 1984.