Forrest County is a
countyA county is a land area of local government within a country. A county may have cities and towns within its area. Originally, in continental Europe, a county was the land under the jurisdiction of a count .Counts are called earls in post-Celtic Britain, Ireland and France—the term is from Old...
located in the
U.S. stateA U.S. state is any one of 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government . Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile...
of
MississippiMississippi is a state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The state's name comes from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, and takes its name from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi . The state is heavily forested outside of the...
. It is part of the
Hattiesburg, Mississippi Metropolitan Statistical AreaThe Hattiesburg Metropolitan Statistical Area is a metropolitan area in southeastern Mississippi that covers three counties - Forrest, Lamar, and Perry...
. As of 2000, the population was 72,604. It is named in honor of
ConfederateThe Confederate States of America was a separatist political entity existing between 1861 to 1865, established by eleven southern slave states of the United States of America, each of which had previously declared their secession from the United States...
General Nathan B. Forrest. Its
county seatA county seat is a term for an administrative center for a county or civil parish, primarily used in the United States. In the Northeast United States, the statutory term often is shire town, but colloquially county seat is the term in use there...
and largest city is
HattiesburgHattiesburg is a city in Forrest County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 44,779 at the 2000 census.Founded in 1882 by pioneer lumberman and civil engineer William H. Hardy, Hattiesburg was named in honor of Hardy's wife Hattie. The town was incorporated two years later with a...
.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 470 square miles (1,218 km²), of which, 467 square miles (1,208 km²) of it is land and 4 square miles (9 km²) of it (0.76%) is water.
Interstate 59Interstate 59 is an Interstate Highway in the southern United States. Its southern terminus is near Slidell, Louisiana, a suburb of New Orleans, at an intersection with Interstate 10 and Interstate 12, its northern terminus is at Wildwood, Georgia, at an intersection with Interstate 24.The road's...
U.S.
Forrest County is a
countyA county is a land area of local government within a country. A county may have cities and towns within its area. Originally, in continental Europe, a county was the land under the jurisdiction of a count .Counts are called earls in post-Celtic Britain, Ireland and France—the term is from Old...
located in the
U.S. stateA U.S. state is any one of 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government . Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile...
of
MississippiMississippi is a state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The state's name comes from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, and takes its name from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi . The state is heavily forested outside of the...
. It is part of the
Hattiesburg, Mississippi Metropolitan Statistical AreaThe Hattiesburg Metropolitan Statistical Area is a metropolitan area in southeastern Mississippi that covers three counties - Forrest, Lamar, and Perry...
. As of 2000, the population was 72,604. It is named in honor of
ConfederateThe Confederate States of America was a separatist political entity existing between 1861 to 1865, established by eleven southern slave states of the United States of America, each of which had previously declared their secession from the United States...
General Nathan B. Forrest. Its
county seatA county seat is a term for an administrative center for a county or civil parish, primarily used in the United States. In the Northeast United States, the statutory term often is shire town, but colloquially county seat is the term in use there...
and largest city is
HattiesburgHattiesburg is a city in Forrest County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 44,779 at the 2000 census.Founded in 1882 by pioneer lumberman and civil engineer William H. Hardy, Hattiesburg was named in honor of Hardy's wife Hattie. The town was incorporated two years later with a...
.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 470 square miles (1,218 km²), of which, 467 square miles (1,208 km²) of it is land and 4 square miles (9 km²) of it (0.76%) is water.
Major highways
Adjacent counties
- Jones County
Jones County is a county located in the U.S. state of Mississippi. As of 2000, the population was 64,958. Its county seats are Laurel and Ellisville.Jones County is part of the Laurel Micropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:According to the U.S...
(northeast)
- Perry County
Perry County is a county located in the U.S. state of Mississippi. It is part of the Hattiesburg, Mississippi Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of 2000, the population was 12,138. Its county seat is New Augusta. It was named after the War of 1812 naval hero, Oliver Hazard...
(east)
- Stone County
Stone County is a county located in the U.S. state of Mississippi. Its county seat is Wiggins. Stone County was formed from the northern portion of Harrison County on June 5, 1916. The county was named for John M...
(south)
- Pearl River County
Pearl River County is a county located in the U.S. state of Mississippi. The population was 48,621 at the 2000 census. Its county seat is Poplarville.The Picayune Micropolitan Statistical Area includes all of Pearl River County.- Hurricane Katrina :...
(southwest)
- Lamar County
Lamar County is a county located in the U.S. state of Mississippi. It is part of the Hattiesburg, Mississippi Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of 2000, the population was 39,070. Its county seat is Purvis....
(west)
- Covington County
Covington County is a county located in the U.S. state of Mississippi. As of 2000, the population was 19,407. Its county seat is Collins. Covington County is named for U.S. Army officer and Congressman Leonard Covington.-Geography:According to the U.S...
(northwest)
National protected areaProtected areas are locations which receive protection because of their environmental value, or environmental plus cultural values. Examples include parks, nature reserves, and wildlife sanctuaries...
- De Soto National Forest
De Soto National Forest is of pine forests in southern Mississippi. It offers year-round opportunities for outdoor activities including camping, canoeing, hunting, fishing, and more. There are two wilderness areas within DeSoto: Black Creek Wilderness and Leaf River Wilderness...
(part)
Demographics
As of the
censusA "census" is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population.In other words every 10 years...next one would be in 2010 The term is used mostly in connection with...
of 2000, there were 72,604 people, 27,183 households, and 17,315 families residing in the county. The
population densityPopulation density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans. It is a key term used in geography....
was 156 people per square mile (60/km²). There were 29,913 housing units at an average density of 64 per square mile (25/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 64.34%
WhiteRace and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the United States Census Bureau and the Federal Office of Management and Budget , are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 33.55%
BlackRace and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the United States Census Bureau and the Federal Office of Management and Budget , are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
or
African AmericanRace and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the United States Census Bureau and the Federal Office of Management and Budget , are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.19%
Native AmericanRace and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the United States Census Bureau and the Federal Office of Management and Budget , are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.74%
AsianRace and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the United States Census Bureau and the Federal Office of Management and Budget , are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.02%
Pacific IslanderRace and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the United States Census Bureau and the Federal Office of Management and Budget , are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.40% from
other racesRace and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the United States Census Bureau and the Federal Office of Management and Budget , are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 0.75% from two or more races. 1.26% of the population were
HispanicRace and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the United States Census Bureau and the Federal Office of Management and Budget , are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
or
LatinoRace and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the United States Census Bureau and the Federal Office of Management and Budget , are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
of any race.
There were 27,183 households out of which 31.00% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.60% were
married couplesMarriage is a social union or legal contract between individuals that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged by a variety of ways, depending on the culture or demographic...
living together, 17.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.30% were non-families. 28.50% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.80% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.47 and the average family size was 3.07.
In the county the population was spread out with 24.50% under the age of 18, 18.20% from 18 to 24, 27.60% from 25 to 44, 18.30% from 45 to 64, and 11.30% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females there were 89.30 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.30 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $27,420, and the median income for a family was $35,791. Males had a median income of $28,742 versus $20,500 for females. The
per capita incomePer capita income means how much each individual receives, in monetary terms, of the yearly income generated in the country. This is what each citizen is to receive if the yearly national income is divided equally among everyone. Per capita income is usually reported in units of currency per year...
for the county was $15,160. About 17.10% of families and 22.50% of the population were below the poverty line, including 28.60% of those under age 18 and 12.80% of those age 65 or over.
Communities
- Cities
- Hattiesburg
Hattiesburg is a city in Forrest County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 44,779 at the 2000 census.Founded in 1882 by pioneer lumberman and civil engineer William H. Hardy, Hattiesburg was named in honor of Hardy's wife Hattie. The town was incorporated two years later with a...
(small portion in Lamar County)
- Petal
Petal is a city in Forrest County, Mississippi, United States, along the Leaf River. It is part of the Hattiesburg, Mississippi Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population is 10,617 per the US Census estimates performed in July 2007....
- Unincorporated places
- Brooklyn
Brooklyn is a small unincorporated town in southern Forrest County, Mississippi, United States). It is part of the Hattiesburg, Mississippi Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
- Carnes
Carnes is a small unincorporated town in southern Forrest County, Mississippi, United States. It is part of the Hattiesburg, Mississippi Metropolitan Statistical Area.- History :Carnes was settled in 1905 and was originally named Helena...
- Fruitland Park
Fruitland Park is a small unincorporated town in southern Forrest County, Mississippi, United States. It is part of the Hattiesburg, Mississippi Metropolitan Statistical Area. Camp Tiak, a Boy Scouts of America camp with a 1-mile educational forest trail, is located in Fruitland Park.- History :The...
- McLaurin
McLaurin is a small unincorporated community in Forrest County, in the southern part of the U.S. state of Mississippi.- History :The town of McLaurin is named for General McLaurin, who was also the first president of the Gulf & Ship Island Railroad...
- Palmer
External links