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]
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.
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]
With the trend of greater diversification in the United States leading up to and following the 2020 census,[13] the county and state's population declined with non-Hispanic whites and overall; for contrast, in 2010, non-Hispanic whites made up 28.4% of the population, yet in 2020 they declined to 25.5% of the population. Historic minorities in the county and state increased in population.[12] The 2020 census reported 69.2% of its population was Black or African American, 0.2% Native American, 1.0% Asian, nil% Pacific Islander, 2.3% of two or more races, and 2.0% Hispanic or Latino of any race.
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.[14]
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.[15] The current sheriff is Tyree Jones, elected November 23, 2021.[16]
Government
Hinds County is governed via a five-member board of supervisors, each elected from single-member districts. The county is led by a county administrator, who is appointed.
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United States
Mississippi
