Hinds County, Mississippi

Hinds County is a county located in the U.S. state of Mississippi. With its county seats (Raymond and the state's capital, Jackson), Hinds is the most populous county in Mississippi with a 2020 census population of 227,742 residents.^[1] Hinds County is a central part of the Jackson metropolitan statistical area. It is a professional, educational, business and industrial hub in the state. It is bordered on the northwest by the Big Black River and on the east by the Pearl River. It is one county width away from the Yazoo River and the southern border of the Mississippi Delta.

Hinds County
County
Hinds County Courthouse and Confederate Monument in Raymond
Seal
Location in Mississippi
Mississippi's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 32.26°N 90.44°W / 32.26; -90.44
Country	United States
State	Mississippi
Founded	1821
Named after	Thomas Hinds
County seat	Jackson and Raymond
Largest city	Jackson
Area
• Total	2,270 km2 (877 sq mi)
• Land	2,300 km2 (870 sq mi)
• Water	20 km2 (7.6 sq mi)
• percentage	2 km2 (0.9 sq mi)
Population  (2020)
• Total	227,742
• Estimate  (2022)	217,730
• Rank	MS: 1st US: 321st
• Density	100/km2 (260/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC−6 (Central (CST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
Area code	601, 769
Congressional districts	2nd, 3rd
Website	Official website

In the 19th century, the rural areas of the county were devoted to cotton plantations worked by enslaved African Americans and depended on agriculture well into the 20th century; from 1877 to 1950, this county had 22 lynchings, the highest number in the state. Mississippi has the highest total number of lynchings of any state.^[2]

In September 2022, it was reported that Hinds County, Mississippi, had the highest STD rate in the United States, with 2,253 cases per 100,000 residents.^[3]

Etymology

The county is named for General Thomas Hinds,^[4] a hero of the Battle of New Orleans during the War of 1812.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 877 square miles (2,270 km²), of which 870 square miles (2,300 km²) is land and 7.6 square miles (20 km²) (0.9%) is water.^[5] It is the third-largest county in Mississippi by land area and fifth-largest by total area.

Adjacent counties

• Madison County (northeast)
• Rankin County (east)
• Copiah County (south)
• Claiborne County (southwest)
• Warren County (west)
• Yazoo County (northwest)

National protected area

• Natchez Trace Parkway (part)

Transportation

Major highways

• I-20
• I-55
• I-220
• US 49
• US 51
• US 80
• MS 18
• MS 22
• MS 25
• MS 27
• MS 467
• MS 473
• MS 476
• Natchez Trace Parkway

Airports

The following public-use airports are located in Hinds County:

• Hawkins Field (HKS) in Jackson
• John Bell Williams Airport (JVW) in Raymond

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1830	8,645		—
1840	19,098		120.9%
1850	25,340		32.7%
1860	31,339		23.7%
1870	30,488		−2.7%
1880	43,958		44.2%
1890	39,279		−10.6%
1900	52,577		33.9%
1910	63,726		21.2%
1920	57,110		−10.4%
1930	85,118		49.0%
1940	107,273		26.0%
1950	142,164		32.5%
1960	187,045		31.6%
1970	214,973		14.9%
1980	250,998		16.8%
1990	254,441		1.4%
2000	250,800		−1.4%
2010	245,285		−2.2%
2020	227,742		−7.2%
2023 (est.)	214,870	[6]	−5.7%
U.S. Decennial Census[7] 1790–1960[8] 1900–1990[9] 1990–2000[10] 2010–2020[1]

With a population of 8,645 at the 1830 census, the county's population has experienced growth to an initial historic high of 250,000 in 1980; its second historic high was 254,441 at the 1990 census. Since then, its population has fluctuated to 250,800 in 2000 and 245,285 in 2010. At the 2020 census, its population was 227,742, locally reflecting a drop in the state's overall population.^[11][12]

Race and ethnicity

Hinds County, Mississippi – Racial and ethnic composition
Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.

Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)	Pop 2000[13]	Pop 2010[14]	Pop 2020[15]	% 2000	% 2010	% 2020
White alone (NH)	92,804	68,609	58,012	37.00%	27.97%	25.47%
Black or African American alone (NH)	152,652	168,839	157,483	60.87%	68.83%	69.15%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)	280	343	332	0.11%	0.14%	0.15%
Asian alone (NH)	1,493	1,851	2,157	0.60%	0.75%	0.95%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH)	23	29	43	0.01%	0.01%	0.02%
Other race alone (NH)	153	151	562	0.06%	0.06%	0.25%
Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)	1,417	1,833	4,589	0.56%	0.75%	2.01%
Hispanic or Latino (any race)	1,978	3,630	4,564	0.79%	1.48%	2.00%
Total	250,800	245,285	227,742	100.00%	100.00%	100.00%

With the trend of greater diversification in the United States leading up to and following the 2020 census,^[16] the population of non-Hispanic whites declined from 37.0% of the population in 2000 to 25.5% of the population in 2020. The 2020 census reported 69.2% of its population was Black or African American, 0.2% Native American, 1.0% Asian, nil% Pacific Islander, 2.0% of two or more races, and 2.0% Hispanic or Latino of any race.

Law enforcement

The Hinds County Sheriffs Department provides police services to areas of the county that are unincorporated or in municipalities that do not have their own local police force. It was founded on January 1, 1928.^[17]

Tyrone Lewis took office January 3, 2012, taking over from Malcolm E. McMillin who had held the role for 20 years. Victor Mason defeated Tyrone Lewis August 4, 2015, as Lewis sought another term. Mason went on to secure the Office November 3, 2015. Mason defeated 3 other candidates securing more than seventy percent of the vote. Victor Mason was defeated in the Democratic Primary on August 27, 2019, by Lee D. Vance. On August 4, 2021, Sheriff Lee Vance was found deceased at his home after contracting COVID-19.^[18] The current sheriff is Tyree Jones, elected November 23, 2021.^[19]

Politics

Hinds County is one of the most staunchly Democratic counties in Mississippi due to it being an urban county and having a large African-American population. The last Republican to win the county was George H.W. Bush in his failed 1992 re-election bid.

United States presidential election results for Hinds County, Mississippi^[20]

Year	Republican		Democratic		Third party(ies)
	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
2024	22,816	26.19%	62,840	72.12%	1,472	1.69%
2020	25,141	25.09%	73,550	73.40%	1,517	1.51%
2016	25,275	26.58%	67,594	71.09%	2,208	2.32%
2012	29,664	27.86%	76,112	71.47%	715	0.67%
2008	32,949	30.26%	75,401	69.24%	552	0.51%
2004	36,975	39.97%	54,845	59.29%	680	0.74%
2000	37,753	43.01%	46,789	53.31%	3,228	3.68%
1996	35,653	42.19%	45,410	53.73%	3,446	4.08%
1992	45,031	46.90%	43,434	45.23%	7,559	7.87%
1988	52,749	55.52%	41,058	43.22%	1,199	1.26%
1984	56,953	56.69%	42,373	42.18%	1,142	1.14%
1980	48,135	53.44%	39,369	43.71%	2,570	2.85%
1976	45,803	60.46%	28,748	37.95%	1,205	1.59%
1972	49,877	77.82%	12,679	19.78%	1,540	2.40%
1968	13,488	22.21%	14,880	24.50%	32,366	53.29%
1964	36,831	87.93%	5,058	12.07%	0	0.00%
1960	11,083	38.23%	5,811	20.05%	12,094	41.72%
1956	7,015	34.59%	7,104	35.03%	6,159	30.37%
1952	12,520	53.38%	10,933	46.62%	0	0.00%
1948	492	3.23%	1,041	6.82%	13,722	89.95%
1944	962	8.42%	10,466	91.58%	0	0.00%
1940	538	5.14%	9,917	94.82%	4	0.04%
1936	313	3.49%	8,647	96.33%	16	0.18%
1932	403	5.77%	6,541	93.67%	39	0.56%
1928	976	14.60%	5,707	85.40%	0	0.00%
1924	245	5.45%	4,083	90.77%	170	3.78%
1920	151	5.54%	2,510	92.01%	67	2.46%
1916	97	4.15%	2,220	94.99%	20	0.86%
1912	40	1.80%	2,065	92.89%	118	5.31%

Education

Public School Districts in Hinds County

Public schools

School districts:^[21]

• Clinton Public School District
• Hinds County School District (Raymond)
• Jackson Public School District

State-operated schools:

• Mississippi School for the Blind
• Mississippi School for the Deaf

Private schools

• Clinton Christian Academy (Clinton)
• Hillcrest Christian School (Jackson)
• Jackson Academy (Jackson)
• Mt. Salus Christian School (Clinton)
• Rebul Academy (Learned)
• Central Hinds Academy (Raymond)

Colleges and universities

• Belhaven University (Jackson)
• Hinds Community College (Raymond)
• Jackson State University (Jackson)
• Millsaps College (Jackson)
• Mississippi College (Clinton)
  • Mississippi College School of Law (Jackson)
• Reformed Theological Seminary (Jackson)
• Tougaloo College (Tougaloo)
• University of Mississippi Medical Center (Jackson)
• Wesley Biblical Seminary (Jackson)

Hinds County is in the community college district of Hinds Community College.^[22]

Public libraries

• Jackson/Hinds Library System

Communities

Cities

• Byram
• Clinton
• Jackson (county seat; partly in Madison and Rankin counties)
• Raymond (county seat)

Towns

• Bolton
• Edwards
• Learned
• Terry
• Utica

Unincorporated communities

• Brownsville
• Cayuga
• Cynthia
• Midway
• Oakley
• Pocahontas

Notable people

• Kate Stone (1841–1907), diarist
• Henry Sloan (1870–1948), delta blues musician
• Charley Patton (1891–1934), blues musician
• Richard Durham (1917–1984), writer of the radio series Destination Freedom

See also

• Mississippi portal

• National Register of Historic Places listings in Hinds County, Mississippi