Alligator, Mississippi

Alligator is a town in Bolivar County, Mississippi, United States. Per the 2020 Census, the population was 116.^[3]

Alligator, Mississippi
Town
Location of Alligator, Mississippi
Alligator, Mississippi Location in the United States
Coordinates: 34°05′24″N 90°43′14″W[1]
Country	United States
State	Mississippi
County	Bolivar
Area [2]
• Total	1.04 sq mi (2.70 km2)
• Land	0.98 sq mi (2.55 km2)
• Water	0.06 sq mi (0.15 km2)
Elevation [1]	161 ft (49 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	116
• Density	117.77/sq mi (45.47/km2)
Time zone	UTC-6 (Central (CST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code	38720
Area code	662
FIPS code	28-00940
GNIS feature ID	2405138[1]

In 2009, Tommie "Tomaso" Brown was elected Alligator's first black mayor. He defeated Robert Fava, the mayor since 1979.^[4]

Etymology

The town takes its name from Alligator Lake, a lake in the town which once had a large alligator population.^[5]

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 1.04 square miles (2.70 km²), of which 0.98 square miles (2.55 km²) is land and 0.058 square miles (0.15 km²), or 5.48%, is water.^[6]

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1920	263		—
1930	278		5.7%
1940	206		−25.9%
1950	214		3.9%
1960	227		6.1%
1970	280		23.3%
1980	256		−8.6%
1990	187		−27.0%
2000	220		17.6%
2010	208		−5.5%
2020	116		−44.2%
U.S. Decennial Census[7] 2010[8] 2020[9]

2020 census

Alligator town, 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 2010[8]	Pop 2020[9]	% 2010	% 2020
White alone (NH)	33	17	15.87%	14.66%
Black or African American alone (NH)	171	95	82.21%	81.90%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)	0	0	0.00%	0.00%
Asian alone (NH)	1	0	0.48%	0.00%
Pacific Islander alone (NH)	0	0	0.00%	0.00%
Some Other Race alone (NH)	0	0	0.00%	0.00%
Mixed Race or Multi-Racial (NH)	1	1	0.48%	0.86%
Hispanic or Latino (any race)	2	3	0.96%	2.59%
Total	208	116	100.00%	100.00%

2000 census

As of the census of 2000,^[10] there were 220 people, 77 households, and 58 families residing in the town. The population density was 223.7 inhabitants per square mile (86.4/km²). There were 81 housing units at an average density of 82.3 per square mile (31.8/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 20.91% White, 77.27% African American, and 1.82% from two or more races.

There were 77 households, out of which 39.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 35.1% were married couples living together, 35.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.4% were non-families. 23.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.86 and the average family size was 3.27.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 39.1% under the age of 18, 4.5% from 18 to 24, 27.3% from 25 to 44, 16.8% from 45 to 64, and 12.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 29 years. For every 100 females, there were 83.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 74.0 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $16,667, and the median income for a family was $17,083. Males had a median income of $21,875 versus $14,063 for females. The per capita income for the town was $9,567. About 41.5% of families and 47.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 69.3% of those under the age of eighteen and 35.3% of those sixty five or over.

Education

Duncan is served by the North Bolivar Consolidated School District,^[11] formerly known as the North Bolivar School District until it consolidated in 2014.^[12][13]

Students are zoned to Brooks Elementary School in Duncan, as it belonged to the pre-consolidation North Bolivar School District,^[14] and Northside High School (the only secondary school in the district) in Shelby.^[15]

Northside High opened in 2018 after Broad Street High School in Shelby consolidated into it.^[16] Shelby Middle School closed in 2018.^[17]

Notable people

• Charles Bennett, professional football player^[18]
• Tony Bennett, professional football player
• Jack Butler, author
• Fred Coe, television producer and director
• Johnny Drummer, Chicago blues and soul blues singer^[19]
• Matt Duff, former Major League Baseball pitcher^[20]

Gallery

• 
  Post Office
• 
  Town Hall
• 
  Mississippi Blues Trail marker in the downtown area

References

Media related to Alligator, Mississippi at Wikimedia Commons

1. U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Alligator, Mississippi
2. "2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 24, 2022.
3. "Alligator town, Mississippi". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved April 15, 2022.
4. Harnden, Toby (June 4, 2009). "Down the Mississippi: Barack Obama effect ends white rule in Deep South town". The Telegraph. Retrieved July 13, 2009.
5. Quimby, Myron J. (1969). Scratch Ankle, U.S.A.: American Place Names and Their Derivation. Cranbury, New Jersey: A.S. Barnes and Company, Inc. p. 21. ISBN 049806638X.
6. "Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (G001): Alligator town, Mississippi". U.S. Census Bureau, American Factfinder. Archived from the original on February 12, 2020. Retrieved January 23, 2014.
7. "Decennial Census of Population and Housing by Decades". US Census Bureau.
8. "P2 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Alligator town, Mississippi". United States Census Bureau.
9. "P2 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Alligator town, Mississippi". United States Census Bureau.
10. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
11. "2020 CENSUS – SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Bolivar County, MS" (PDF). U.S. Census Bureau. Archived (PDF) from the original on May 12, 2021. Retrieved May 12, 2021.
12. "School District Consolidation in Mississippi Archived 2017-07-02 at the Wayback Machine." Mississippi Professional Educators. December 2016. Retrieved on July 2, 2017. Page 2 (PDF p. 3/6).
13. "SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP (2010 CENSUS): Bolivar County, MS." U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved on May 25, 2018. Note that the map is from 2010; the Mound Bayou and North Bolivar districts merged in 2014. This map shows Alligator was in the pre-merger North Bolivar district.
14. "Home". North Bolivar School District. November 12, 2005. Archived from the original on November 12, 2005. Retrieved May 12, 2021.
15. "North Bolivar Consolidated School District". Nbcsd.k12.ms.us.
16. "Students staying home to protest high school consolidation". The Clarion Ledger. Associated Press. August 23, 2018. Retrieved May 12, 2021.
17. Davis Betz, Kelsey (January 24, 2018). "Mound Bayou school one of two in Delta to close as enrollment, funds dwindle". Mississippi Today. Retrieved May 12, 2021.
18. "Charles Bennett". Pro Football Archives. Retrieved May 18, 2020.
19. Karen Hanson (2007). Today's Chicago Blues. Lake Claremont Press. p. 145. ISBN 978-1-893121-19-5.
20. "Former Rebel Pitcher Gets Call Up From St. Louis". Ole Miss Sports. Retrieved May 18, 2020.