Sharkey County, Mississippi

Sharkey County, Mississippi

Sharkey County courthouse in Rolling Fork
Location in the U.S. state of Mississippi
Mississippi's location in the U.S.
Founded	1876
Named for	William L. Sharkey
Seat	Rolling Fork
Largest city	Rolling Fork
Area
• Total	435 sq mi (1,127 km²)
• Land	432 sq mi (1,119 km²)
• Water	3.4 sq mi (9 km²), 0.8%
Population
• (2010)	4,916
• Density	11/sq mi (4/km²)
Congressional district	2nd
Time zone	Central: UTC-6/-5
Website	www.sharkeycounty.net

Sharkey County is a county located in the U.S. state of Mississippi. Part of the western border is formed by the Yazoo River. According to the 2010 census, the population was 4,916,^[1] making it the second-least populous county in Mississippi. Its county seat is Rolling Fork.^[2] The county is named after William L. Sharkey, the provisional Governor of Mississippi in 1865.

Sharkey County is located in the Mississippi Delta region.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 435 square miles (1,130 km²), of which 432 square miles (1,120 km²) is land and 3.4 square miles (8.8 km²) (0.8%) is water.^[3]

Major highways

Adjacent counties

Washington County (north)
Humphreys County (northeast)
Yazoo County (east)
Issaquena County (southwest)

National protected area

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.		%±
1880	6,306		—
1890	8,382		32.9%
1900	12,178		45.3%
1910	15,694		28.9%
1920	14,190		−9.6%
1930	13,877		−2.2%
1940	15,433		11.2%
1950	12,903		−16.4%
1960	10,738		−16.8%
1970	8,937		−16.8%
1980	7,964		−10.9%
1990	7,066		−11.3%
2000	6,580		−6.9%
2010	4,916		−25.3%
Est. 2015	4,585	^[4]	−6.7%
U.S. Decennial Census^[5] 1790-1960^[6] 1900-1990^[7] 1990-2000^[8] 2010-2013^[1]

As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 4,916 people residing in the county. 71.0% were Black or African American, 27.9% White, 0.2% Asian, 0.1% Native American, 0.4% of some other race and 0.4% or two or more races. 0.8% were Hispanic or Latino (of any race).

As of the census^[9] of 2000, there were 6,580 people, 2,163 households, and 1,589 families residing in the county. The population density was 15 people per square mile (6/km²). There were 2,416 housing units at an average density of 6 per square mile (2/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 29.36% White, 69.32% Black or African American, 0.18% Native American, 0.27% Asian, 0.27% from other races, and 0.59% from two or more races. 1.31% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 2,163 households out of which 36.10% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.00% were married couples living together, 26.80% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.50% were non-families. 23.50% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.90% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.99 and the average family size was 3.56.

In the county the population was spread out with 33.00% under the age of 18, 10.40% from 18 to 24, 24.80% from 25 to 44, 20.40% from 45 to 64, and 11.30% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females there were 88.70 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.40 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $22,285, and the median income for a family was $26,786. Males had a median income of $26,563 versus $17,931 for females. The per capita income for the county was $11,396. About 30.50% of families and 38.30% of the population were below the poverty line, including 50.00% of those under age 18 and 24.20% of those age 65 or over.

Sharkey County has the tenth-lowest per capita income in Mississippi and the 73rd lowest in the United States.

Education

Public School Districts
- South Delta School District
Private Schools
- Sharkey-Issaquena Academy (Rolling Fork)

Communities

Crossing the Sunflower River by ferry southeast of Rolling Fork, 1965

City

Rolling Fork (county seat)

Towns

Unincorporated communities

Sharkey County, Mississippi