Brandon, Mississippi

History

Long occupied by indigenous cultures, this area was part of Choctaw people territory at the time of European colonization. They were forced to cede their land to the United States in the 1830s. The area near the river was developed for cotton plantations. European-American settlers did not occupy the area in great number until the mid-20th century.

Geography

Brandon is located at 32°16′49″N 89°59′54″W (32.280330, -89.998470). According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 21.3 square miles (55.3 km²), of which 21.3 square miles (55.1 km²) is land and 0.1 square mile (0.2 km²) (0.37%) is water.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 16,436 people, 6,295 households, and 4,595 families residing in the city. The population density was 773.2 people per square mile (298.5/km²). There were 6,540 housing units at an average density of 307.7 per square mile (118.8/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 86.61% White, 11.89% Black, 0.10% Native American, 0.58% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 0.30% from other races, and 0.47% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.30% of the population.

There were 6,295 households out of which 36.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.0% were married couples living together, 11.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.0% were non-families. 23.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.53 and the average family size was 3.00.

In the city, the population was spread out with 25.2% under the age of 18, 8.3% from 18 to 24, 30.4% from 25 to 44, 24.5% from 45 to 64, and 11.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 90.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.0 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $53,246, and the median income for a family was $63,098. Males had a median income of $42,414 versus $28,128 for females. The per capita income for the city was $24,020. About 4.1% of families and 6.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.7% of those under age 18 and 10.7% of those age 65 or over.

Government and infrastructure

The city of Brandon has a city Mayor as the chief executive officer and a Board of Aldermen, with six elected from single-member districts and one elected at-large. The current city officials are Mayor Butch Lee; Alderman, At-Large member James Morris; Alderman, Ward 1 Monica Corley; Alderman, Ward 2 Chris Vinson; Alderman, Ward 3 Harry Williams; Alderman, Ward 4 Lu Coker; Alderman, Ward 5 Bobby Christopher; and Alderman, Ward 6 Robert Morrow. The city's attorney is Mark C. Baker.

The city of Brandon is served by five fire stations and one administrative central station under the direction of Fire Chief Terry Wages. In 2015, the city established an independent EMS district that provides ambulance services through a private provider. The city has one police station under the direction of Police Chief William A. Thompson Jr.

The Mississippi Department of Corrections operates the Brandon Probation & Parole Office in Brandon. The Central Mississippi Correctional Facility, located in unincorporated Rankin County, is in proximity to Brandon.

Culture

Brandon is the location of the Black Rose Theatre Company.

Brandon contains a number of buildings on the National Register of Historic Places. Included are:

Education

The City of Brandon is served by the Rankin County School District.

Notable people