ADAMS County, MS

200px|right|thumb|Stone wall provides protection to Natchez, Mississippi from the Mississippi River.

200px|right|thumb|A portion of the historic Natchez City Cemetery in Adams County

Adams County is a county located in the U.S. state of Mississippi. As of the 2010 census, the population was 32,297. The county seat is Natchez.

The county is the first to have been organized in the former Mississippi Territory. It is named for the second President of the United States, John Adams, who held that office when the county was organized in 1799. Adams County is part of the Natchez micropolitan area which consists of Adams County, Mississippi and Concordia Parish, Louisiana.

History

Adams County was created on April 2, 1799, from part of Pickering Territorial County. The county was organized eighteen years before Mississippi became a state. Four Mississippi governors have come from Adams County: David Holmes, George Poindexter, John A. Quitman, and Gerard Brandon.

In 1860, before the US Civil War, Adams County was the richest county in the United States.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (5.2%) is water.

Major highways

Adjacent counties

National protected areas

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 United States Census, there were 29,538 people, 11,237 households, and 6,650 families residing in the county.

2010 census

As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 32,297 people living in the county. 53.5% were Black or African American, 42.7% White, 0.4% Asian, 0.3% Native American, 1.7% of some other race and 1.4% of two or more races. 6.7% were Hispanic or Latino (of any race).

2000 census

As of the census of 2000, there were 34,340 people, 13,677 households, and 9,409 families living in the county. The population density was 75 people per square mile (29/km²).

There were 15,175 housing units at an average density of 33 per square mile (13/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 52.76% Black or African American, 46.04% White, 0.14% Native American, 0.25% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.21% from other races, and 0.59% from two or more races. 0.79% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 13,677 households, out of which 31.80% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.80% were married couples living together, 21.50% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.20% were non-families. 28.00% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.90% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 3.03.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 26.80% under the age of 18, 8.60% from 18 to 24, 25.60% from 25 to 44, 23.50% from 45 to 64, and 15.60% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 86.10 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.10 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $25,234, and the median income for a family was $29,591. Males had a median income of $30,260 versus $20,383 for females. The per capita income for the county was $15,778. About 22.90% of families and 25.90% of the population were below the poverty line, including 36.80% of those under age 18 and 19.20% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Alcorn State University, a historically black college that was designated as a land-grant institution, has its School of Business and School of Nursing at Natchez. The School of Business offers Masters of Business Administration degree and some undergraduate classes at the School of Business, Natchez campus. Adjacent to the Natchez campus of Alcorn State University is Copiah-Lincoln Community College.

Economy

Adams County Correctional Center, a private prison operated by the Corrections Corporation of America on behalf of the Federal Bureau of Prisons, is in an unincorporated area in the county.

Top employers

The top employers of Adams County are as follows:

1. Natchez-Adams School District (620)

2. Merit Health Natchez (425)

3. Adams County Correctional Center (380)

4. Walmart (365)

5. City of Natchez (275)

6. Magnolia Bluffs Casino (250)

7. Jordan Carriers (250)

8. Supermarket Operations (250)

9. Adams County Government (220)

10. Energy Drilling (220)

Communities

City

Census-designated places

Unincorporated communities

Ghost towns

Politics

Adams County, typical of other counties in the Solid South, was heavily Democratic during the first half of the 20th century. After supporting Dixiecrat Strom Thurmond in 1948, it began to lean more Republican, and remained that way until the 1980s. Since 1992, Adams County has returned to the Democratic fold, owing to its majority-black population.