Monticello, Mississippi
Geography
Monticello is in central Lawrence County, on the west side of the Pearl River. U.S. Route 84 runs through the north side of the town on a four-lane bypass. US 84 leads east 15 miles (24 km) to Prentiss and west 22 miles (35 km) to Interstate 55 in Brookhaven. Mississippi Highway 27 passes through the west side of Monticello, leading north 37 miles (60 km) to Crystal Springs and south 33 miles (53 km) to Tylertown.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town of Monticello has a total area of 4.2 square miles (11.0 km), of which 4.2 square miles (10.8 km) are land and 0.1 square miles (0.2 km), or 2.17%, are water.
Demographics
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1860 | 221 | — | |
| 1870 | 200 | −9.5% | |
| 1910 | 450 | — | |
| 1920 | 464 | 3.1% | |
| 1930 | 606 | 30.6% | |
| 1940 | 802 | 32.3% | |
| 1950 | 1,382 | 72.3% | |
| 1960 | 1,432 | 3.6% | |
| 1970 | 1,790 | 25.0% | |
| 1980 | 1,834 | 2.5% | |
| 1990 | 1,755 | −4.3% | |
| 2000 | 1,726 | −1.7% | |
| 2010 | 1,571 | −9.0% | |
| 2020 | 1,441 | −8.3% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
| Race | Num. | Perc. |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 894 | 62.04% |
| Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 468 | 32.48% |
| Asian | 10 | 0.69% |
| Pacific Islander | 1 | 0.07% |
| Other/Mixed | 38 | 2.64% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 30 | 2.08% |
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 1,441 people, 640 households, and 350 families residing in the town.
Education
The town of Monticello is served by the Lawrence County School District. The district is under the supervision of Superintendent Tammy Fairburn, who took office in 2012.
Notable people
- Richard Olney Arrington, justice of the Supreme Court of Mississippi from 1950-1963
- Erick Dampier, NBA center
- Katherine Ettl, sculptor
- Major Everett, former NFL running back
- Cindy Hyde-Smith, United States Senator
- Al Jefferson, forward/center for the NBA Indiana Pacers
- Kendra King, Miss Mississippi USA 2006
- J. B. Lenoir, blues singer
- Charles Lynch, 8th and 11th Governor of Mississippi
- Henry Mayson, former member of the Mississippi House of Representatives and attended the 1868 Mississippi Constitutional Convention
- Harvey McGehee, former member of the Mississippi State Senate and justice of the Supreme Court of Mississippi from 1937 to 1964
- Jim Pace, professional racing driver
- Rod Paige, former U.S. Secretary of Education
- Neville Patterson, justice of the Supreme Court of Mississippi from 1962 to 1986
- Rosalind Peychaud, former member of the Louisiana House of Representatives
- Hiram Runnels, 9th Governor of Mississippi
- George Washington Russell, member of the Mississippi House of Representatives 1916 to 1924
- Francis M. Sheppard, former member of the Mississippi State Senate and Mississippi House of Representatives
- Byther Smith, blues singer
- T. B. Stamps, former member of the Louisiana House of Representatives and the Louisiana State Senate
- William Sutton Sr., former President of Mississippi Valley State University
- Matthew Wells, American football linebacker
