# Smith County, Mississippi

Smith County is a county located in the U.S. state of Mississippi. As of the 2020 census, the population was 14,209. Its county seat is Raleigh.

## History

Smith County is named for Major David Smith.

## Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 637 square miles (1,650 km$^2$), of which 636 square miles (1,650 km$^2$) is land and 1.0 square mile (2.6 km$^2$) (0.2%) is water.

### Major highways

* Mississippi Highway 13
* Mississippi Highway 18
* Mississippi Highway 28
* Mississippi Highway 35
* Mississippi Highway 37
* Mississippi Highway 540
* Mississippi Highway 481
* Mississippi Highway 501
* Mississippi Highway 902

### Adjacent counties

* Scott County (north)
* Jasper County (east)
* Jones County (southeast)
* Covington County (south)
* Simpson County (west)
* Rankin County (northwest)

### National protected area

* Bienville National Forest (part)

## Demographics

Smith County racial composition as of 2020 :
| Race | Num. | Perc. |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 10,582 | 74.47% |
| Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 3,111 | 21.89% |
| Native American | 20 | 0.14% |
| Asian | 19 | 0.13% |
| Other/mtixed | 279 | 1.96% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 198 | 1.39% |
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 14,209 people, 5,820 households, and 4,109 families residing in the county.

## Communities
### Towns

* Mize
* Raleigh (county seat)
* Taylorsville
* Polkville

### Village

* Sylvarena

## Politics

United States presidential election results for Smith County, Mississippi :
| Year | Republican | Republican | Democratic | Democratic | Third party(ies) | Third party(ies) |
| Year | No. | % | No. | % | No. | % |
| 2024 | 6,146 | 80.07% | 1,486 | 19.36% | 44 | 0.57% |
| 2020 | 6,458 | 77.55% | 1,791 | 21.51% | 78 | 0.94% |
| 2016 | 5,928 | 77.72% | 1,617 | 21.20% | 82 | 1.08% |
| 2012 | 6,049 | 74.69% | 1,979 | 24.44% | 71 | 0.88% |
| 2008 | 6,265 | 75.44% | 1,968 | 23.70% | 72 | 0.87% |
| 2004 | 5,577 | 78.33% | 1,496 | 21.01% | 47 | 0.66% |
| 2000 | 4,838 | 74.11% | 1,620 | 24.82% | 70 | 1.07% |
| 1996 | 3,371 | 58.47% | 1,858 | 32.23% | 536 | 9.30% |
| 1992 | 4,106 | 60.49% | 1,968 | 28.99% | 714 | 10.52% |
| 1988 | 4,573 | 72.76% | 1,660 | 26.41% | 52 | 0.83% |
| 1984 | 5,116 | 76.24% | 1,573 | 23.44% | 21 | 0.31% |
| 1980 | 3,772 | 59.50% | 2,474 | 39.02% | 94 | 1.48% |
| 1976 | 3,147 | 54.75% | 2,434 | 42.35% | 167 | 2.91% |
| 1972 | 4,419 | 92.35% | 329 | 6.88% | 37 | 0.77% |
| 1968 | 437 | 8.48% | 352 | 6.83% | 4,367 | 84.70% |
| 1964 | 4,045 | 94.44% | 238 | 5.56% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1960 | 353 | 11.98% | 1,568 | 53.22% | 1,025 | 34.79% |
| 1956 | 277 | 10.89% | 2,055 | 80.81% | 211 | 8.30% |
| 1952 | 738 | 24.39% | 2,288 | 75.61% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1948 | 33 | 1.48% | 295 | 13.23% | 1,901 | 85.28% |
| 1944 | 165 | 6.30% | 2,456 | 93.70% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1940 | 27 | 1.46% | 1,826 | 98.49% | 1 | 0.05% |
| 1936 | 17 | 1.00% | 1,676 | 98.94% | 1 | 0.06% |
| 1932 | 17 | 1.07% | 1,576 | 98.81% | 2 | 0.13% |
| 1928 | 419 | 22.42% | 1,450 | 77.58% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1924 | 49 | 4.22% | 1,081 | 93.11% | 31 | 2.67% |
| 1920 | 265 | 21.10% | 968 | 77.07% | 23 | 1.83% |
| 1916 | 30 | 2.28% | 1,271 | 96.51% | 16 | 1.21% |
| 1912 | 12 | 1.31% | 854 | 93.13% | 51 | 5.56% |

## Education

There is one school district in the county, Smith County School District.
The county is in the zone for Jones College.