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), of which 409 square miles (1,060 km) is land and 1.7 square miles (4.4 km) (0.4%) is water.

Major highways

Adjacent counties

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

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1820	4,438		—
1830	5,402		21.7%
1840	6,151		13.9%
1850	7,360		19.7%
1860	11,135		51.3%
1870	11,303		1.5%
1880	16,688		47.6%
1890	21,203		27.1%
1900	27,545		29.9%
1910	37,272		35.3%
1920	28,725		−22.9%
1930	32,201		12.1%
1940	35,002		8.7%
1950	35,137		0.4%
1960	35,789		1.9%
1970	36,345		1.6%
1980	37,578		3.4%
1990	38,987		3.7%
2000	39,903		2.3%
2010	40,404		1.3%
2020	40,324		−0.2%
2023 (est.)	39,394		−2.3%
U.S. Decennial Census 1790–1960 1900–1990 1990–2000 2010–2013

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 twice.

United States presidential election results for Pike County, Mississippi

Year	Republican		Democratic		Third party
	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
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%

See also

• National Register of Historic Places listings in Pike County, Mississippi
• Fernwood Lumber Company
• History of Pike County Mississippi 1798-1876 by Luke W. Conerly 1909
• J. J. Carter, Pike County native who served in the late 19th century in the Louisiana House of Representatives and as mayor of Minden, Louisiana