Benoit, Mississippi

Benoit /bɪˈnɔɪt/ is a town in Bolivar County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 477 at the 2010 census,[3] down from 611 in 2000.

Benoit, Mississippi
Town
Location of Benoit, Mississippi
Benoit, Mississippi Location in the United States
Coordinates: 33°39′2″N 91°0′31″W
Country	United States
State	Mississippi
County	Bolivar
Area [1]
• Total	0.99 sq mi (2.56 km^2)
• Land	0.97 sq mi (2.52 km^2)
• Water	0.01 sq mi (0.03 km^2)
Elevation	141 ft (43 m)
Population  (2010)
• Total	477
• Estimate  (2019)[2]	423
• Density	434.29/sq mi (167.62/km^2)
Time zone	UTC-6 (Central (CST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code	38725
Area code(s)	662
FIPS code	28-05220
GNIS feature ID	0666829

History

The 1956 movie Baby Doll was shot on location at the Burrus House in Benoit; many local residents played in minor roles.[4]

Geography

Benoit is located at 33°39′2″N 91°0′31″W (33.650500, -91.008560).[5]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 1.0 square mile (2.6 km²), of which 0.012 square miles (0.03 km²), or 1.23%, is water.[3]

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.		%±
1910	412		—
1920	443		7.5%
1930	438		−1.1%
1940	406		−7.3%
1950	444		9.4%
1960	453		2.0%
1970	473		4.4%
1980	499		5.5%
1990	641		28.5%
2000	611		−4.7%
2010	477		−21.9%
2019 (est.)	423	[2]	−11.3%
U.S. Decennial Census[6]

Hollywood (the Burrus House) in Benoit is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

As of the census[7] of 2000, there were 611 people, 193 households, and 153 families residing in the town. The population density was 627.2 people per square mile (243.2/km²). There were 211 housing units at an average density of 216.6 per square mile (84.0/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 21.28% White, 76.27% African American, 0.98% from other races, and 1.47% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.29% of the population.

There were 193 households, out of which 38.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 30.6% were married couples living together, 42.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 20.7% were non-families. 19.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.17 and the average family size was 3.57.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 37.0% under the age of 18, 10.8% from 18 to 24, 24.2% from 25 to 44, 17.5% from 45 to 64, and 10.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 26 years. For every 100 females, there were 85.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 68.9 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $18,750, and the median income for a family was $18,929. Males had a median income of $30,357 versus $20,750 for females. The per capita income for the town was $7,813. About 43.1% of families and 49.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 64.0% of those under age 18 and 18.2% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Benoit is served by the Ray Brooks School, a K-12 school of the West Bolivar Consolidated School District.

The Ray Brooks School was a part of the Benoit School District,[8] until July 1, 2014, when that district was consolidated into West Bolivar Consolidated.[9]

Notable people

• Lavarus Lakeith Giles, professional American and Canadian football running back
• Archie Moore, light heavyweight world champion boxer (1952–1962)
• Robert Powell, composer, organist, and choir director
• Eddie Taylor, electric blues guitarist and singer

References

1. "2019 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 26, 2020.
2. "Population and Housing Unit Estimates". United States Census Bureau. May 24, 2020. Retrieved May 27, 2020.
3. "Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (G001): Benoit town, Mississippi". U.S. Census Bureau, American Factfinder. Archived from the original on February 12, 2020. Retrieved January 22, 2014.
4. Turner Classic Movies: Baby Doll.
5. "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. Retrieved 2011-04-23.
6. "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
7. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
8. "SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP (2010 CENSUS): Bolivar County, MS." U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved on August 2, 2017. Note that the Benoit and Shaw districts have since consolidated into West Bolivar.
9. "School District Consolidation in Mississippi Archived 2017-07-02 at the Wayback Machine." Mississippi Professional Educators. December 2016. Retrieved on July 2, 2017. Page 2 (PDF p. 3/6).