# Pike County, Mississippi

Pike County is a county located on the southwestern border of the U.S. state of Mississippi. As of the 2020 census, the population was 40,324. The county seat is Magnolia. Pike County is named for explorer Zebulon Pike. Pike County is part of the McComb, MS Micropolitan Statistical Area.

## History

Pike County was formed from Marion County by an act of the Territorial General Assembly on December 9, 1815. Holmesville was selected as the county seat on December 11, 1816; it was named in honor of Major Andrew Hunter Holmes, an army officer killed in the War of 1812. In 1873 Magnolia was voted in as the new county seat. The county was devoted to agriculture and is still mostly rural.

## Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 411 square miles (1,060 km$^2$), of which 409 square miles (1,060 km$^2$) is land and 1.7 square miles (4.4 km$^2$) (0.4%) is water.

### Major highways

* Interstate 55
* U.S. Highway 51
* U.S. Highway 98
* Mississippi Highway 24
* Mississippi Highway 44
* Mississippi Highway 48
* Mississippi Highway 570
* Mississippi Highway 583

### Adjacent counties

* Lincoln County (north)
* Walthall County (east)
* Washington Parish, Louisiana (southeast)
* Tangipahoa Parish, Louisiana (south)
* Amite County (west)

## Demographics

Pike County by race as of 2020 :
| Race | Num. | Perc. |
| White | 16,769 | 41.59% |
| Black or African American | 21,457 | 53.21% |
| Native American | 113 | 0.28% |
| Asian | 254 | 0.63% |
| Pacific Islander | 7 | 0.02% |
| Other/Mixed | 1,097 | 2.72% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 627 | 1.55% |
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 40,324 people, 14,404 households, and 8,528 families residing in the county.

## Communities
### Cities

* Magnolia (county seat)
* McComb

### Towns

* Osyka
* Summit

### Census-designated place

* Fernwood

### Unincorporated communities

* Chatawa
* Holmesville
* Kirkville
* Pricedale
* Progress
* Sherman

## Politics

Pike County is a swing county in presidential elections; since 2000 it has voted Democratic four times and Republican three times.
United States presidential election results for Pike County, Mississippi :
| Year | Republican | Republican | Democratic | Democratic | Third party(ies) | Third party(ies) |
| Year | No. | % | No. | % | No. | % |
| 2024 | 7,943 | 51.18% | 7,402 | 47.70% | 174 | 1.12% |
| 2020 | 8,479 | 48.84% | 8,646 | 49.80% | 236 | 1.36% |
| 2016 | 8,009 | 48.95% | 8,043 | 49.16% | 308 | 1.88% |
| 2012 | 8,181 | 45.52% | 9,650 | 53.69% | 143 | 0.80% |
| 2008 | 8,651 | 47.91% | 9,276 | 51.38% | 128 | 0.71% |
| 2004 | 8,660 | 52.07% | 7,881 | 47.38% | 91 | 0.55% |
| 2000 | 7,464 | 52.69% | 6,544 | 46.20% | 158 | 1.12% |
| 1996 | 5,403 | 43.45% | 6,302 | 50.68% | 730 | 5.87% |
| 1992 | 6,005 | 43.90% | 6,279 | 45.90% | 1,395 | 10.20% |
| 1988 | 7,637 | 53.63% | 6,531 | 45.87% | 71 | 0.50% |
| 1984 | 8,254 | 57.28% | 6,137 | 42.59% | 20 | 0.14% |
| 1980 | 6,661 | 48.56% | 6,694 | 48.80% | 361 | 2.63% |
| 1976 | 5,659 | 48.16% | 5,749 | 48.92% | 343 | 2.92% |
| 1972 | 6,542 | 72.08% | 2,332 | 25.69% | 202 | 2.23% |
| 1968 | 1,460 | 14.38% | 2,848 | 28.05% | 5,846 | 57.57% |
| 1964 | 6,418 | 92.20% | 543 | 7.80% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1960 | 1,467 | 27.38% | 1,258 | 23.48% | 2,632 | 49.13% |
| 1956 | 1,210 | 29.47% | 1,714 | 41.74% | 1,182 | 28.79% |
| 1952 | 2,908 | 53.82% | 2,495 | 46.18% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1948 | 69 | 1.75% | 221 | 5.61% | 3,650 | 92.64% |
| 1944 | 248 | 7.70% | 2,972 | 92.30% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1940 | 185 | 5.88% | 2,956 | 93.93% | 6 | 0.19% |
| 1936 | 86 | 2.64% | 3,170 | 97.21% | 5 | 0.15% |
| 1932 | 118 | 4.67% | 2,400 | 94.94% | 10 | 0.40% |
| 1928 | 920 | 27.45% | 2,431 | 72.55% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1924 | 197 | 8.61% | 1,640 | 71.65% | 452 | 19.75% |
| 1920 | 153 | 11.66% | 1,114 | 84.91% | 45 | 3.43% |
| 1916 | 53 | 3.50% | 1,451 | 95.71% | 12 | 0.79% |
| 1912 | 24 | 1.95% | 1,068 | 86.90% | 137 | 11.15% |

## Education

Pike County has three school districts:
* McComb School District
* North Pike School District
* South Pike School District
Pike County is in the district of Southwest Mississippi Community College.