Batesville, Mississippi

Batesville is a city in Panola County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 7,463 at the 2010 census.

Batesville, Mississippi
City
Panola County Courthouse in Batesville
Location of Batesville, Mississippi
Batesville Location in Mississippi Show map of Mississippi Batesville Batesville (the United States) Show map of the United States Batesville Batesville (North America) Show map of North America
Coordinates: 34°19′4″N 89°56′33″W
Country	United States
State	Mississippi
County	Panola
Government
• Type	Mayor-Counsel
• Mayor	Jerry Autrey (Democratic Party)
• Alderman-at-Large/Vice Mayor	Teddy Morrow
• Ward 1 Alderman	Bill Dugger
• Ward 2 Alderman	Bobby Walton
• Ward 3 Alderman	Stan Harrison
Area [1]
• Total	19.95 sq mi (51.67 km^2)
• Land	19.95 sq mi (51.67 km^2)
• Water	0.00 sq mi (0.00 km^2)
Elevation	233 ft (71 m)
Population  (2010)[2]
• Total	7,463
• Estimate  (2019)[3]	7,218
• Density	361.79/sq mi (139.69/km^2)
Time zone	UTC-6 (Central (CST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code	38606
Area code(s)	662
FIPS code	28-03620
GNIS feature ID	0666568
Website	City website

Batesville is one of two county seats which the legislature established for Panola County, related to a longstanding rivalry between towns on either side of the Tallahatchie River; the other is Sardis, located north of the river.

Batesville was founded in the 1850s following the construction of the Mississippi and Tennessee Railroad.[4]

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 11.1 square miles (29 km²), all land.

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.		%±
1870	227		—
1880	442		94.7%
1890	705		59.5%
1900	556		−21.1%
1910	774		39.2%
1920	1,050		35.7%
1930	1,062		1.1%
1940	1,815		70.9%
1950	2,463		35.7%
1960	3,284		33.3%
1970	3,796		15.6%
1980	5,162		36.0%
1990	6,403		24.0%
2000	7,113		11.1%
2010	7,463		4.9%
Est. 2019	7,218	[3]	−3.3%
U.S. Decennial Census[5]

As of the census[6] of 2000, there were 7,113 people, 2,577 households, and 1,821 families residing in the city. The population density was 638.2 people per square mile (246.3/km²). There were 2,791 housing units at an average density of 250.4 per square mile (96.6/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 56.43% White, 41.88% African American, 0.06% Native American, 0.38% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.82% from other races, and 0.39% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.60% of the population.

There were 2,577 households, out of which 35.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.7% were married couples living together, 21.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.3% were non-families. 26.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.59 and the average family size was 3.14.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 28.9% under the age of 18, 11.6% from 18 to 24, 26.4% from 25 to 44, 18.6% from 45 to 64, and 14.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females, there were 85.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 78.4 males. The median income for a household in the city was $29,875, and the median income for a family was $38,849. Males had a median income of $30,998 versus $22,029 for females. The per capita income for the city was $15,814. About 21.9% of families and 28.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 36.1% of those under age 18 and 27.0% of those age 65 or over.

Government and infrastructure

The United States Postal Service operates the Batesville Post Office.[7]

Transportation

Rail service is provided by Grenada Railway (formerly Illinois Central Railroad).

Amtrak's City of New Orleans used to provide passenger service, but the train was rerouted to the Delta region in 1995.

The short-lived Batesville Southwestern Railroad was established in Batesville.

Education

South Panola School District (SPSD) operates schools in Batesville and has its headquarters in Batesville.[8] Batesville Elementary School,[9] Batesville Intermediate School,[10] Batesville Middle School,[11] Batesville Junior High School,[12] and South Panola High School serve Batesville.[13]

A private academy founded in 1987, North Delta School, also serves Panola County and the surrounding area.[14]

Notable people

• Al Baker – former Major League Baseball player.
• Cliff Finch – governor of Mississippi from 1976 to 1980
• Joe C. Gardner – Mississippi state legislator
• Jermarcus Hardrick - current CFL player for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers
• Peria Jerry – University of Mississippi and Atlanta Falcons defensive tackle
• Ronnie Musgrove – governor of Mississippi from 2000 to 2004, was born in Tocowa in 1956 and reared in Batesville.
• Dwayne Rudd – former NFL player for the Minnesota Vikings, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Oakland Raiders, and Cleveland Browns.
• Deshea Townsend – Pittsburgh Steelers defensive back
• Sammy Vick – former Major League Baseball player
• Soulja Boy - hip hop musician & producer, businessman
• Jameson Rodgers - Country music singer-songwriter

References

1. "2019 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 26, 2020.
2. "2010 City Population and Housing Occupancy Status". U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved May 14, 2012.
3. "Population and Housing Unit Estimates". United States Census Bureau. May 24, 2020. Retrieved May 27, 2020.
4. Kyle, John W. (1913). Reconstruction in Panola County. Publications of the Mississippi Historical Society. XIII. Mississippi Historical Society. p. 13.
5. "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
6. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
7. "Post Office Location – BATESVILLE." United States Postal Service. Retrieved on October 21, 2010.
8. "SPSD Contact Information Archived July 23, 2011, at the Wayback Machine." South Panola School District. Retrieved on October 21, 2010.
9. "Batesville Elementary School Archived July 1, 2010, at the Wayback Machine." South Panola School District. Retrieved on October 21, 2010.
10. "Batesville Intermediate School Archived July 22, 2010, at the Wayback Machine." South Panola School District. Retrieved on October 21, 2010.
11. "Welcome to Batesville Middle School! Archived July 23, 2011, at the Wayback Machine." South Panola School District. Retrieved on October 21, 2010.
12. "Welcome to Batesville Jr. High! Archived August 29, 2010, at the Wayback Machine" South Panola School District. Retrieved on October 21, 2010.
13. "South Panola High School Archived 2010-05-01 at the Wayback Machine." South Panola School District. Retrieved on October 21, 2010.
14. North Delta School Archived December 2, 2011, at the Wayback Machine, official website

External links

• City website
• The Panolian
• Panola Partnership website

Gallery

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  Downtown Batesville