Petal, Mississippi
From Free net encyclopedia
Petal is a city located in Forrest County, Mississippi, along the Leaf River. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 7,579. The American Checkers Federation is based in Petal, MS.
Geography
Petal is located at 31°20'48" North, 89°15'20" West (31.346740, -89.255485)Template:GR.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 25.1 km² (9.7 mi²). 25.0 km² (9.7 mi²) of it is land and 0.1 km² (0.04 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 0.21% water.
Demographics
As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there were 7,579 people, 2,979 households, and 2,079 families residing in the city. The population density was 302.6/km² (783.8/mi²). There were 3,208 housing units at an average density of 128.1/km² (331.7/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 93.93% White, 4.43% African American, 0.29% Native American, 0.08% Asian, 0.00% Pacific Islander, 0.53% from other races, and 0.74% from two or more races. 1.44% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 2,979 households out of which 34.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.4% were married couples living together, 15.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.2% were non-families. 26.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.52 and the average family size was 3.05.
In the city the population was spread out with 27.2% under the age of 18, 9.8% from 18 to 24, 28.9% from 25 to 44, 19.6% from 45 to 64, and 14.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 87.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.9 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $29,637, and the median income for a family was $35,343. Males had a median income of $27,500 versus $20,741 for females. The per capita income for the city was $13,996. 15.0% of the population and 11.9% of families were below the poverty line. 19.4% of those under the age of 18 and 13.8% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.