Tunica is a town in
Tunica CountyTunica County is a county located in the Mississippi Delta region of the U.S. state of Mississippi. As of 2000, the population was 9,227. Its county seat is Tunica. Tunica County is named for the Tunica Native Americans....
,
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...
,
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, located near the
Mississippi RiverThe Mississippi River is the second longest river in the United States, with a length of from its source in Lake Itasca in Minnesota to its mouth in the Gulf of Mexico....
. Historically part of an agricultural area, the town lies on the fringe of a growing
gamblingGambling is the wagering of money or something of material value on an event with an uncertain outcome with the primary intent of winning additional money and/or material goods. Typically, the outcome of the wager is evident within a short period....
resort area, with major
casinoA casino is a facility that houses and accommodates certain types of gambling activities. Casinos are most commonly built near or combined with hotels, restaurants, retail shopping, cruise ships and other tourist attractions...
s attracting visitors from nearby
Memphis, TennesseeMemphis is a city in the southwest corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. Memphis rises above the Mississippi River on the 4
th Chickasaw Bluff just south of the mouth of the Wolf River....
and all over the
SoutheastThe US Southeast is the eastern portion of the Southern United States, but the Census Bureau does not provide a standard definition of a "Southeast" region of the United States, and organizations that need to subdivide the US are free to define a "Southeast" region to fit their needs...
.
The town is the fourth community to serve as
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...
of
Tunica CountyTunica County is a county located in the Mississippi Delta region of the U.S. state of Mississippi. As of 2000, the population was 9,227. Its county seat is Tunica. Tunica County is named for the Tunica Native Americans....
, succeeding earlier county seats at Commerce (1839-1842, 1842-1847), Peyton (1842, temporary) and
AustinAustin is an unincorporated community in Tunica County, Mississippi, United States.Austin was the third community to serve as county seat of Tunica County, from 1847-1888. In 1888, Tunica became the fourth and current seat of Tunica County. Earlier county seats were Commerce and Peyton ....
(1847-1888).
Tunica is a town in
Tunica CountyTunica County is a county located in the Mississippi Delta region of the U.S. state of Mississippi. As of 2000, the population was 9,227. Its county seat is Tunica. Tunica County is named for the Tunica Native Americans....
,
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...
,
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, located near the
Mississippi RiverThe Mississippi River is the second longest river in the United States, with a length of from its source in Lake Itasca in Minnesota to its mouth in the Gulf of Mexico....
. Historically part of an agricultural area, the town lies on the fringe of a growing
gamblingGambling is the wagering of money or something of material value on an event with an uncertain outcome with the primary intent of winning additional money and/or material goods. Typically, the outcome of the wager is evident within a short period....
resort area, with major
casinoA casino is a facility that houses and accommodates certain types of gambling activities. Casinos are most commonly built near or combined with hotels, restaurants, retail shopping, cruise ships and other tourist attractions...
s attracting visitors from nearby
Memphis, TennesseeMemphis is a city in the southwest corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. Memphis rises above the Mississippi River on the 4
th Chickasaw Bluff just south of the mouth of the Wolf River....
and all over the
SoutheastThe US Southeast is the eastern portion of the Southern United States, but the Census Bureau does not provide a standard definition of a "Southeast" region of the United States, and organizations that need to subdivide the US are free to define a "Southeast" region to fit their needs...
.
The town is the fourth community to serve as
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...
of
Tunica CountyTunica County is a county located in the Mississippi Delta region of the U.S. state of Mississippi. As of 2000, the population was 9,227. Its county seat is Tunica. Tunica County is named for the Tunica Native Americans....
, succeeding earlier county seats at Commerce (1839-1842, 1842-1847), Peyton (1842, temporary) and
AustinAustin is an unincorporated community in Tunica County, Mississippi, United States.Austin was the third community to serve as county seat of Tunica County, from 1847-1888. In 1888, Tunica became the fourth and current seat of Tunica County. Earlier county seats were Commerce and Peyton ....
(1847-1888).
Geography
Tunica is located at (34.688797, -90.380587).
According to the
United States Census BureauThe United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data. As part of the United States Department of Commerce, the Census Bureau serves as the leading source of quality data about...
, the town has a total area of 0.7
square mileThe square mile is an imperial and US unit of measure for an area equal to the area of a square of one statute mile.
s (1.8 km²), all of it land.
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 1,132 people, 537 households, and 254 families residing in the town. 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 1,588.4 people per square mile (615.6/km²). There were 592 housing units at an average density of 830.7/sq mi (321.9/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 67.84% White, 29.42% African American, 0.27% Native American, 1.06% Asian, 0.88% 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 0.53% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.30% of the population.
There were 537 households out of which 18.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 34.3% 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, 11.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 52.7% were non-families. 48.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 26.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.01 and the average family size was 2.94.
In the town the population was spread out with 18.9% under the age of 18, 6.1% from 18 to 24, 23.4% from 25 to 44, 28.3% from 45 to 64, and 23.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 46 years. For every 100 females there were 87.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 80.0 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $26,607, and the median income for a family was $54,583. Males had a median income of $30,208 versus $22,250 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 town was $20,114. About 17.1% of families and 25.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 33.3% of those under age 18 and 21.3% of those age 65 or over.
Education
The Town of Tunica is served by the
Tunica County School DistrictThe Tunica County School District is a public school district based in Tunica, Mississippi . The district's boundaries parallel that of Tunica County.-Schools:*Rosa Fort High School *Tunica Middle School...
and is the home of the private Tunica Academy.
Casino economy
The Tunica area is now the third-largest gaming region in the
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
http://www.ssrc.msstate.edu/Publications/srrs99-2.pdf, after
Las VegasThe Las Vegas metropolitan area, also known as the Las Vegas-Paradise-Henderson Metropolitan Statistical Area, is a metropolitan area in the southern part of the U.S. state of Nevada, consisting of Clark County. A central part of the metropolitan area is the Las Vegas Valley, a basin in which is...
and Atlantic City. Its booming effect on the local economy has spurred population growth in unincorporated parts of the county outside Tunica proper. Since 1990, the town's name has been popularly associated with multiple
casinoA casino is a facility that houses and accommodates certain types of gambling activities. Casinos are most commonly built near or combined with hotels, restaurants, retail shopping, cruise ships and other tourist attractions...
s in proximity to the
Mississippi RiverThe Mississippi River is the second longest river in the United States, with a length of from its source in Lake Itasca in Minnesota to its mouth in the Gulf of Mexico....
. However, the current group of casinos actually starts in the community of
Tunica ResortsTunica Resorts is an unincorporated community located in northern Tunica County, Mississippi, United States, north of the county seat of Tunica. The community was originally named Robinsonville, but the name was changed in 2003. Locals still refer to the town by this name. The community is situated...
some ten miles north of the town of Tunica, and extending to the
DeSoto CountyDeSoto County is a county located in the U.S. state of Mississippi. DeSoto County is part of the Metropolitan Memphis Statistical Area. Its county seat is Hernando. As of 2000, the population was 107,199. By 2008 the county grew to an estimated population of 154,748...
line. Tunica Resorts was originally named "Robinsonville", but the name was changed in 2005 to eliminate confusion over the location of the casinos, which have always used the name "Tunica" in reference to their location. Success of these gaming houses in northern Tunica County came at the expense of the area's first group of casinos in the early 1990s, located just northwest of Tunica proper, in an area known as Mhoon Landing — much of what comprises the current census designated place of
North TunicaNorth Tunica is a census-designated place in Tunica County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 1,450 at the 2000 census.-Geography:North Tunica is located at ....
. These casinos were closed or moved as larger resorts opened closer to
Memphis, TennesseeMemphis is a city in the southwest corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. Memphis rises above the Mississippi River on the 4
th Chickasaw Bluff just south of the mouth of the Wolf River....
.
Unlike the area including casinos along Mississippi's Gulf Coast region, Tunica was not in the path of
Hurricane KatrinaHurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was the costliest hurricane, as well as one of the five deadliest, in the history of the United States...
. As a result, some of the regular Gulf Coast customer traffic from casinos has drifted northward to Tunica County.
Though the casinos lie outside of the town limits, the effects of tax revenue generated are felt inside the town. Major improvements to the public school system and downtown district are currently among the most visible aspects; long-term effects include major highway improvements on U. S. Highway 61 and a much-discussed potential expansion of
Tunica Municipal AirportTunica Municipal Airport is a public-use airport located east of the central business district of Tunica, a town in Tunica County, Mississippi, United States...
.
As of 2007, some Tunica Resorts residents are trying to incorporate their community into a separate town government
http://www.tunicaresortsms.org/index.htm, rather than exist under the jurisdiction of Tunica County or move toward annexation into the town of Tunica. If Tunica Resorts incorporates, the new town government would be a direct beneficiary of casino tax revenue, enabling construction of municipal government offices. Depending on population and revenue growth, fire and police stations, libraries and other public infrastructure could be other likely additions. Potential effects on the existing town of Tunica are unclear.
External links