Senatobia is a city in, and the

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US ...

of, Tate County,

Mississippi Mississippi () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States, bordered to the north by Tennessee; to the east by Alabama; to the south by the Gulf of Mexico; to the southwest by Louisiana; and to the northwest by Arkansas. Miss ...

, United States, and is the 16th largest municipality in the Memphis Metropolitan Area. The population was 8,165 at the 2010 census. Senatobia is the home of Northwest Mississippi Community College, a state community college providing two-year academic and technical degree programs. Northwest's system-wide enrollment exceeds 8,000 on three campuses in Senatobia,

Southaven Southaven is a city in DeSoto County, Mississippi, United States. It is a principal city in Greater Memphis. The 2020 census reported a population of 54,648, making Southaven the third-largest city in Mississippi and the second most populous ...

and

Oxford Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...

. Also located in Senatobia is the Baddour Center, a residential care facility for intellectually disabled adults.

History

On April 13, 1834, early settler James Peters purchased two sections of land from the

Chickasaw Nation The Chickasaw Nation (Chickasaw: Chikashsha I̠yaakni) is a federally recognized Native American tribe, with its headquarters located in Ada, Oklahoma in the United States. They are an Indigenous people of the Southeastern Woodlands, original ...

for the sum of $1.25 per acre. This land was later developed as the town of Senatobia. The community took its name from Senatobia Creek. Senatobia received its charter as a municipality in 1860. During the

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government polici ...

, the town's business section was burned twice by Federal troops. Tate County was organized in 1873, during the

Reconstruction era The Reconstruction era was a period in American history following the American Civil War (1861–1865) and lasting until approximately the Compromise of 1877. During Reconstruction, attempts were made to rebuild the country after the bloo ...

. Two

Academy Award The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...

-nominated films have been partially filmed in the town: '' The Client'' (1994) and '' The People vs. Larry Flynt'' (1996).

Geography

According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of th ...

, the city has a total area of , of which is land and (0.28%) is water.

Demographics

2020 census

As of the

2020 United States Census The United States census of 2020 was the twenty-fourth decennial United States census. Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2020. Other than a pilot study during the 2000 census, this was the first U.S. census to off ...

, there were 8,354 people, 2,470 households, and 1,639 families residing in the city.

2010 and 2000 censuses

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses inc ...

of 2010, there were 8,165 people, 2,554 households, and 1,826 families residing in the city, up from 6,682 people, 2,137 households, and 1,498 families recorded in the census of 2000. The population density was . There were 2,239 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 61.1% non-Hispanic

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White ...

, 35.0% non-Hispanic

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 2.4%

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties for ...

or Latino of any race, and 1.6% in other racial/ethnic categories. In the 2000 census, the distribution had been 68.03%

, 30.51%

, 0.12% Native American, 0.22% Asian, 0.15%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/ racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...

, 0.24% from other races, and 0.72% from two or more races, while

or Latino of any race were 0.85% of the population. There were 2,137 households, out of which 38.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.4% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between ...

living together, 19.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.9% were non-families. 26.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.60 and the average family size was 3.15. In the city, the population was spread out, with 24.8% under the age of 18, 20.1% from 18 to 24, 26.0% from 25 to 44, 17.1% from 45 to 64, and 11.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 29 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.4 males. The median income for a household in the city was $33,698, and the median income for a family was $43,088. Males had a median income of $34,022 versus $22,000 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the city was $16,434. About 13.0% of families and 17.7% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 21.3% of those under age 18 and 18.5% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Senatobia is served by the Senatobia Municipal School District and Magnolia Heights School.

Notable people

JoJo Billingsley Deborah Jo Billingsley (May 28, 1952 – June 24, 2010) was an American singer, soloist, songwriter and recording artist. She was best known for her work with The Honkettes, backing vocalists for the Southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd. Lynyrd ...

(1952-2010), rock and roll vocalist * Aron Burton (1938-2016), blues bass guitarist *

William J. East William Jasper East (September 1, 1854 - 1933) was a longtime Democratic Mississippi state legislator from Tate County in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Early life William Jasper East was born on September 1, 1854, in Monroe Count ...

(1854-1933), longtime Mississippi state legislator * James "Kamala" Harris (1950-2020), wrestler * Robert Earl Jones (1910-2006), an American actor * O. B. McClinton (1940-1987), country and R&B singer/songwriter * Dan A. Sullivan, Republican member of the

Arkansas House of Representatives The Arkansas State House of Representatives is the lower house of the Arkansas General Assembly, the state legislature of the US state of Arkansas. The House is composed of 100 members elected from an equal amount of constituencies across the ...

from Jonesboro,

Arkansas Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the South Central United States. It is bordered by Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, and Texas and Oklahoma to the west. Its name is from the O ...

; former Senatobia resident.

References

External links

City websiteSenatobia Municipal School DistrictMagnolia Heights SchoolTate County DemocratNorthwest Mississippi Community College

Gallery

File:Senatobia MS 024.jpg File:Senatobia MS 023.jpg File:Senatobia MS 022.jpg File:Senatobia MS 019.jpg File:Senatobia MS 021.jpg File:Senatobia MS 008.jpg File:Senatobia MS 010.jpg File:Senatobia MS 016.jpg File:Senatobia MS 015.jpg File:Senatobia MS 013.jpg File:Senatobia MS 012.jpg File:Senatobia MS 011.jpg file:Tate County Courthouse with Sign.jpg {{authority control Cities in Tate County, Mississippi County seats in Mississippi Cities in the Memphis metropolitan area Cities in Mississippi