Brandon, Mississippi Explained

Brandon, Mississippi
Official Name:City of Brandon
Settlement Type:City
Nickname:"City of Red Hills Laden with Golden Opportunities"
Motto:"Growth and Stability"
Image Blank Emblem:Logo of Brandon, Mississippi.png
Blank Emblem Type:Wordmark
Blank Emblem Link:List of U.S. county and city insignia
Mapsize:250x200px
Pushpin Map:Mississippi#USA
Pushpin Map Caption:Location in the United States
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Name:United States
Subdivision Type1:State
Subdivision Name1:Mississippi
Subdivision Type2:County
Subdivision Name2:Rankin
Named For:Gerard Chittocque Brandon
Population Demonym:Brandonite
Government Type:Mayor-Council
Leader Title:Mayor
Leader Name:Butch Lee (R)
Leader Title1:Board of Aldermen
Leader Name1:Alderman at Large- James Morris
Ward 1- Monica Corley
Ward 2- Cris Vinson
Ward 3- Harry Williams
Ward 4- Lu Coker
Ward 5- Dwight Middleton
Ward 6- Tahya Dobbs
Established Date:December 19, 1831
Unit Pref:Imperial
Area Footnotes:[1]
Area Total Km2:66.70
Area Land Km2:66.47
Area Water Km2:0.23
Area Total Sq Mi:25.75
Area Land Sq Mi:25.66
Area Water Sq Mi:0.09
Population As Of:2020
Population Total:25138
Population Density Km2:298.6
Population Density Sq Mi:773.2-->
Timezone:Central (CST)
Utc Offset:-6
Timezone Dst:CDT
Utc Offset Dst:-5
Elevation M:147
Elevation Ft:482
Coordinates:32.2803°N -89.9983°W
Postal Code Type:ZIP codes
Postal Code:39042, 39043, 39047
Area Code:601, 769
Blank Name:FIPS code
Blank Info:28-08300
Blank1 Name:GNIS feature ID
Blank1 Info:0667519
Population Density Sq Mi:979.54
Population Density Km2:378.20

Brandon is a city in and the county seat of Rankin County, Mississippi, United States.[2] It was incorporated on December 19, 1831. The population was 25,138 as of the 2020 census. A suburb of Jackson, Brandon is part of the Jackson Metropolitan Statistical Area, and is located east of the state capital.

History

The city is named for Gerard Brandon, Governor of Mississippi during the early 1800s. A newspaper, The News, was established in 1892. The Brandon Bank was established in 1900, and The Rankin County Bank was established in 1906. In 1900, Brandon had a school, a telephone and telegraph office, a saw mill, two livery stables, two cotton gins, two hotels, six churches, and fifteen or twenty stores. The population was 775.[3]

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 21.3 square miles (55.3 km), of which 21.3 square miles (55.1 km) is land and 0.1 square mile (0.2 km) (0.37%) is water.

Demographics

2020 census

Brandon racial composition[4] !Race!Num.!Perc.
White (non-Hispanic)18,55273.8%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic)5,03420.03%
Native American510.2%
Asian2350.93%
Pacific Islander20.01%
Other/Mixed7292.9%
Hispanic or Latino5352.13%
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 25,138 people, 8,780 households, and 6,593 families residing in the city.

2000 census

As of the census[5] of 2000, there were 16,436 people, 6,295 households, and 4,595 families residing in the city. The population density was 773.2sp=usNaNsp=us. There were 6,540 housing units at an average density of 307.7sp=usNaNsp=us. 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 people 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.

Economy

The Mississippi Department of Corrections operates the Brandon Probation & Parole Office in Brandon.[6] The Central Mississippi Correctional Facility, located in unincorporated Rankin County,[7] is in proximity to Brandon.[8]

Arts and culture

The Downtown Brandon Historic District is located within the city. Brandon is the location of the Black Rose Theatre Company.

Buildings on the National Register of Historic Places, including:[9]

Government

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.[10] The current city officials are Mayor Butch Lee; Alderman, At-Large member Sharon Womack; Alderman, Ward 1 Jarrad Craine; Alderman, Ward 2 Cris Vinson; Alderman, Ward 3 Harry Williams; Alderman, Ward 4 Lu Coker; Alderman, Ward 5 Dwight Middleton; and Alderman, Ward 6 David Farris. The city's attorney is Mark C. Baker.

Education

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

Public schools

Infrastructure

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, Pafford EMS. The city has one police station under the direction of Police Chief Wayne Dearman.[11] [12]

Notable people

In popular culture

The town was mentioned in the 1986 film Platoon by Chris Taylor, a character played by Charlie Sheen.[15]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: 2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files. United States Census Bureau. July 24, 2022.
  2. Web site: Find a County . 2011-06-07 . National Association of Counties . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20110531210815/http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx . 2011-05-31 .
  3. Book: Rowland, Dunbar . Mississippi: Comprising Sketches of Counties, Towns, Events, Institutions, and Persons, Arranged in Cyclopedic Form . Southern Historical Publishing Association . 1907 . 1 . 286, 287.
  4. Web site: Explore Census Data. 2021-12-16. data.census.gov.
  5. Web site: U.S. Census website . . 2008-01-31 .
  6. "Rankin County." Mississippi Department of Corrections. Retrieved on September 15, 2010.
  7. "MDOC QUICK REFERENCE." Mississippi Department of Corrections. Retrieved on May 21, 2010. "3794 Hwy 468 - Pearl, MS 39208"
  8. "GARRISON COULD BE BACK IN JAIL SOON." Biloxi Sun-Herald. February 15, 1995. C2 Coast and State. Retrieved on September 24, 2011. "[...]days for her return to the Central Mississippi Correctional Facility in Brandon."
  9. http://www.nationalregisterofhistoricplaces.com/ms/Rankin/state.html National Register of Historic Places: Mississippi—Rankin County
  10. "City of Brandon website ." Retrieved on October 26, 2010.
  11. "Brandon Fire Department ." Retrieved on October 26, 2010.
  12. "Brandon Police Department ." Retrieved on October 26, 2010.
  13. HOWARD, Volney Erskine (1809 - 1889) . Biographical Directory of the United States Congress . October 2, 2021.
  14. McLAURIN, Anselm Joseph, (1848 - 1909) . Biographical Directory of the United States Congress . October 2, 2021.
  15. Web site: Platoon Quotes . 2023-05-18 . www.quotes.net.