Shuqualak, Mississippi

Shuqualak, Mississippi
Town
Flora House in Shuqualak is on the National Register of Historic Places listings in Noxubee County, Mississippi.
Flora House in Shuqualak is on the National Register of Historic Places listings in Noxubee County, Mississippi.
Nickname: 
Shuga Town
Motto: 
This will always be our home
Location of Shuqualak, Mississippi
Location of Shuqualak, Mississippi
Shuqualak, Mississippi is located in the United States
Shuqualak, Mississippi
Shuqualak, Mississippi
Location in the United States
Coordinates: 32°58′49″N 88°34′8″W / 32.98028°N 88.56889°W / 32.98028; -88.56889
CountryUnited States
StateMississippi
CountyNoxubee
Area
[1]
 • Total
1.13 sq mi (2.92 km2)
 • Land1.13 sq mi (2.92 km2)
 • Water0 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation
213 ft (65 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total
399
 • Density353.5/sq mi (136.49/km2)
Time zoneUTC-6 (Central (CST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code
39361
Area code662
FIPS code28-67640
GNIS feature ID0677762
Websitewww.townofshuqualak.com

Shuqualak (/ˈʃʊɡəlɑːk/ SHUU-gə-lock) is a town in Noxubee County, Mississippi, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 399. That is down from 501 from the 2010 census.[2] Three locations in Shuqualak, including most of the downtown area, are included on the National Register of Historic Places.

History

Shaqualak was settled after the Treaty of Dancing Rabbit Creek was signed in 1830. [3] Shuqualak is a name derived from the Choctaw language purported to mean 'beads'.[4]

Mobile and Ohio Railroad Station,
Shuqualak, Mississippi,
circa 1900

A post office was established in 1855, and the town was incorporated in 1859. Shuqualak was a stop on the Mobile and Ohio Railroad, built in the 1850s.[5]

There was a devastating fire in 1885 that burned much of downtown.[6]

Geography

Shuqualak is located on U.S. Route 45, midway between Columbus and Meridian.

An auxiliary landing field for Columbus Air Force Base is located south of the town. The name of the auxiliary landing field is Gunshy.

Demographics

Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
1880352—
189060170.7%
1900600−0.2%
19106366.0%
192076420.1%
19308106.0%
1940743−8.3%
1950714−3.9%
1960550−23.0%
19705917.5%
1980554−6.3%
19905702.9%
2000562−1.4%
2010501−10.9%
2020399−20.4%
U.S. Decennial Census[7]

Racial and ethnic composition

Shuqualak town, Mississippi – Racial and ethnic composition
Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.
Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic) Pop 2000[8] Pop 2010[9] Pop 2020[10] % 2000 % 2010 % 2020
White alone (NH) 167 100 40 29.72% 19.96% 10.03%
Black or African American alone (NH) 391 392 338 69.57% 78.24% 84.71%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) 0 0 0 0.00% 0.00% 0.00%
Asian alone (NH) 0 1 0 0.00% 0.20% 0.00%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH) 0 0 0 0.00% 0.00% 0.00%
Other race alone (NH) 0 0 0 0.00% 0.00% 0.00%
Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) 4 2 16 0.71% 0.40% 4.01%
Hispanic or Latino (any race) 0 6 5 0.00% 1.20% 1.25%
Total 562 501 399 100.00% 100.00% 100.00%

2020 census

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 399 people, 199 households, and 115 families residing in the town.

2000 census

As of the census[11] of 2000, there were 562 people, 214 households, and 148 families residing in the town. The population density was 493.0 inhabitants per square mile (190.3/km2). There were 249 housing units at an average density of 218.4 per square mile (84.3/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 29.72% White, 69.57% African American, and 0.71% from two or more races.

There were 214 households, out of which 36.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.3% were married couples living together, 28.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.8% were non-families. 30.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.63 and the average family size was 3.32.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 33.1% under the age of 18, 10.5% from 18 to 24, 24.9% from 25 to 44, 19.6% from 45 to 64, and 11.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 74.9 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $21,875, and the median income for a family was $26,607. Males had a median income of $28,750 versus $22,596 for females. The per capita income for the town was $12,051. About 30.7% of families and 29.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 28.1% of those under age 18 and 16.7% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

The Shuqualak Lumber Company was founded in 1948 and employs approximately 150. It is one of the largest privately owned, independent producers of southern yellow pine in the southeastern United States.[12]

Government

Municipal government

Shuqualak operates under the Code charter form of government, with a mayor and Board of Aldermen.[13] The mayor and aldermen are all elected at-large.

Shuqualak's current mayor is Velma Jenkins of the Democratic Party, who was elected on June 3, 2025.[14][15] The next election will be in June, 2029.[16] The city clerk is Sonya Slaughter.[15]

State government

Shuqualak is located in state Senate district 32, represented by Rod Hickman since 2021, and state House district 42, represented by Carl Mickens since 2015; both are members of the Democratic Party. Senator Hickman is Chairman of the State Senate Committee on Housing, and Vice-Chairman of the Committee on Government Structure.[17] Representative Mickens is Chairman of the House Committee on Housing.[18]

Federal representation

Shuqualak is located in Mississippi's 3rd congressional district. U.S. Representative Michael Guest, a Republican, has served since 2019. He has been Chairman of the Committee on Ethics since 2023, and Chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee's Subcommittee on Border Security and Enforcement since 2025.

The United States Postal Service operates the Shuqualak Post Office[19].

Education

The Town of Shuqualak is served by the Noxubee County School District. It was the site of Stone Female College[6] and the now defunct Shuqualak Female College, a female seminary founded in 1880.[20]

Notable people

See also

References

  1. ↑ "2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 24, 2022.
  2. ↑ "Communities". Noxubee County Economic and Community Development Alliance. Retrieved December 17, 2017.
  3. ↑ "National Register of Historic Place Inventory Nomination Form - Flora House" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on December 22, 2016.
  4. ↑ Baca, Keith A. (2007). Native American Place Names in Mississippi. University Press of Mississippi. p. 94. ISBN 978-1-60473-483-6.
  5. ↑ Howe, Tony. "Shuqualak, Mississippi". Mississippi Rails. Retrieved December 17, 2017.
  6. 1 2 "National Register of Historic Place Inventory Nomination Form - Downtown Shuquala". Archived from the original on September 6, 2025.
  7. ↑ "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
  8. ↑ "P004: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2000: DEC Summary File 1 – Shuqualak town, Mississippi". United States Census Bureau.
  9. ↑ "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Shuqualak town, Mississippi". United States Census Bureau.
  10. ↑ "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Shuqualak town, Mississippi". United States Census Bureau.
  11. ↑ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
  12. ↑ "Existing Business & Industry". Noxubee County Economic and Community Development Alliance. Retrieved December 17, 2017.
  13. ↑ Davis, Sumner; Camp, Jason, eds. (2021). Municipal Government in Mississippi (PDF) (7th ed.). Center for Government & Community Development, Mississippi State University. p. 378. Retrieved July 7, 2026.
  14. ↑ Shuqualak General Election, Official Recapitulation (PDF) (Report). Mississippi Secretary of State. July 1, 2025. Retrieved July 9, 2026.
  15. 1 2 "Shuqualak". Mississippi Munincipal League. Archived from the original on July 10, 2026. Retrieved July 9, 2025.
  16. ↑ "MS Code § 21-15-1". Term of elected municipal officers. Mississippi Code of 1972 Annotated. Vol. Title 21 (Municipalities), Chapter 3 (Officers and Records). Mississippi State Legislature. Retrieved July 10, 2026.
  17. ↑ "Senate Profile, Rod Hickman". Mississippi Legislature. State of Mississippi.
  18. ↑ "House of Representatives Profile, Carl L. Mickens". Mississippi Legislature. State of Mississippi.
  19. ↑ "https://tools.usps.com/locations/details/1381605] Archived July 10, 2026, at the Wayback Machine." United States Postal Service. Retrieved July 10, 2026.
  20. ↑ American College and Public School Directory. C. H. Evans & Company. 1890. p. 125. Retrieved December 17, 2017.
  21. ↑ Smith, Timothy B. (2012). James Z. George: Mississippi's Great Commoner. Univ. Press of Mississippi. p. 6. ISBN 978-1-61703-232-5. Retrieved December 17, 2017.
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