Hancock County, Mississippi
Hancock County | |
|---|---|
 Location within the U.S. state of Mississippi | |
 Mississippi's location within the U.S. | |
| Coordinates: 30°23′N 89°28′W / 30.39°N 89.47°W | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Mississippi |
| Seat | Bay St. Louis |
| Population (2000) | |
• Total | 42,967 |
Hancock County is a county located in the U.S. state of Mississippi. As of 2000, the population was 42,967. Its county seat is Bay St. Louis6. The area is also home to the John C. Stennis Space Center, NASA's largest rocket engine test facility.
History
In 2005, the county was the scene of the final landfall of the eye of Hurricane Katrina, and its communities and infrastructure suffered some of the most intense damage inflicted by that storm.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,431 km² (553 mi²). 1,235 km² (477 mi²) of it is land and 196 km² (76 mi²) of it (13.69%) is water.
Major Highways
Adjacent Counties
- Pearl River County (north)
- Harrison County (east)
- St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana (west)
Demographics
As of the census² of 2000, there were 42,967 people, 16,897 households, and 11,827 families residing in the county. The population density was 35/km² (90/mi²). There were 21,072 housing units at an average density of 17/km² (44/mi²). The racial makeup of the county was 90.19% White, 6.83% Black or African American, 0.60% Native American, 0.88% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.33% from other races, and 1.14% from two or more races. 1.80% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 16,897 households out of which 31.50% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.90% were married couples living together, 11.30% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.00% were non-families. 24.70% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.20% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.52 and the average family size was 2.99.
In the county the population was spread out with 25.10% under the age of 18, 7.30% from 18 to 24, 28.00% from 25 to 44, 25.60% from 45 to 64, and 14.00% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 98.30 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.50 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $35,202, and the median income for a family was $40,307. Males had a median income of $32,229 versus $22,066 for females. The per capita income for the county was $17,748. About 11.20% of families and 14.40% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.90% of those under age 18 and 10.30% of those age 65 or over.
Cities and towns
- Bay St. Louis
- Diamondhead
- Kiln
- Pearlington
- Shoreline Park
- Waveland
- Clermont Harbor
- Lakeshore
- Bayou Caddy
