Lyon, Mississippi

Lyon is a town in Coahoma County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 350 at the 2010 census.[3]

Lyon, Mississippi
Town
Location of Lyon, Mississippi
Lyon, Mississippi Location in the United States
Coordinates: 34°13′2″N 90°32′28″W
Country	United States
State	Mississippi
County	Coahoma
Area [1]
• Total	0.47 sq mi (1.20 km^2)
• Land	0.47 sq mi (1.20 km^2)
• Water	0.00 sq mi (0.00 km^2)
Elevation	174 ft (53 m)
Population  (2010)
• Total	350
• Estimate  (2019)[2]	288
• Density	619.35/sq mi (239.13/km^2)
Time zone	UTC-6 (Central (CST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code	38645
Area code(s)	662
FIPS code	28-42960
GNIS feature ID	0672971

History

The town is named after the French city of Lyon, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes.

Geography

Lyon is located in east-central Coahoma County. It is bordered to the west and south by the city of Clarksdale, the county seat.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 0.46 square miles (1.2 km²), all land.[3]

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.		%±
1900	166		—
1910	223		34.3%
1920	277		24.2%
1930	295		6.5%
1940	339		14.9%
1950	386		13.9%
1960	393		1.8%
1970	383		−2.5%
1980	428		11.7%
1990	446		4.2%
2000	418		−6.3%
2010	350		−16.3%
Est. 2019	288	[2]	−17.7%
U.S. Decennial Census[4]

As of the census[5] of 2000, there were 418 people, 170 households, and 121 families residing in the town. The population density was 897.0 people per square mile (343.4/km²). There were 177 housing units at an average density of 379.8 per square mile (145.4/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 74.40% White, 25.12% African American and 0.48% Asian.

There were 170 households, out of which 32.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.6% were married couples living together, 11.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.8% were non-families. 28.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 3.00.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 23.4% under the age of 18, 8.9% from 18 to 24, 26.3% from 25 to 44, 23.9% from 45 to 64, and 17.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.6 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $34,375, and the median income for a family was $56,042. Males had a median income of $43,750 versus $23,611 for females. The per capita income for the town was $20,646. About 15.0% of families and 21.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 36.9% of those under age 18 and 4.7% of those age 65 or over.

Education

The town of Lyon is served by the Coahoma County School District. Residents are served by Lyon Elementary School and Coahoma County Junior-Senior High School.[6]

In popular culture

Tennessee Williams grew up in neighboring Clarksdale and referred to the town in his poem The Couple:

I saw them often when they drove to Lyons,
a ghostly pair perched on a wooden scaffold.[7]

Notable people

• Lacy Banks, sportswriter for the Chicago Sun-Times
• Lamar Fontaine, veteran of the Mexican–American War and the American Civil War; surveyor, poet and author.[8]
• Lewis Gleeck, Jr., diplomat and historian; U.S. Consul General to the Phiippines from 1962 to 1968.[9]
• Son House, blues singer and guitarist
• Charles Mitchell, professional football player

References

1. "2019 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 26, 2020.
2. "Population and Housing Unit Estimates". United States Census Bureau. May 24, 2020. Retrieved May 27, 2020.
3. "Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (G001): Lyon town, Mississippi". U.S. Census Bureau, American Factfinder. Archived from the original on February 12, 2020. Retrieved October 7, 2014.
4. "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
5. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
6. "Schools Archived 2017-07-04 at the Wayback Machine." Coahoma County School District. Retrieved on July 6, 2017.
7. Roessel, David; Moschovakis, Nicholas (2002). The Collected Poems of Tennessee Williams. New Directions Publishing.
8. "Lamar Fontaine Warrior, Poet Dead At 92". Tensas Gazette. Saint Joseph, Louisiana. October 7, 1921. p. 2. Retrieved May 6, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
9. Shavit, Davis (1990). The United States in Asia: A Historical Dictionary. Greenwood.