- Como, Mississippi
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Como, Mississippi — Town — Location of Como, Mississippi
Coordinates: 34°30′48″N 89°56′29″W / 34.51333°N 89.94139°WCoordinates: 34°30′48″N 89°56′29″W / 34.51333°N 89.94139°W Country United States State Mississippi County Panola Area – Total 1.9 sq mi (4.9 km2) – Land 1.9 sq mi (4.9 km2) – Water 0.0 sq mi (0.0 km2) Elevation 358 ft (109 m) Population (2000) – Total 1,310 – Density 692.1/sq mi (267.2/km2) Time zone Central (CST) (UTC-6) – Summer (DST) CDT (UTC-5) ZIP code 38619 Area code(s) 662 FIPS code 28-15500 GNIS feature ID 0668729 Como is a town in Panola County, Mississippi, United States which borders the Mississippi Delta. The population was 1,310 as of the 2000 census. Wayne Drash, a CNN.com senior producer, described Como as "a hard-hit rural community" in a 2007 article.[1]
Contents
History
Como's history includes some of the wealthiest people in Mississippi. It is said that at one time Como had more millionaires per capita than any other town. The Taylor, Swango and Wardlaw families still have descendants in the town. Mississippi Fred McDowell, Napoleon Strickland, Sid Hemphill, Jessie Mae Hemphill and Othar Turner were old time Hill Country musicians who lived in or near Como. Como is home of Jimbo Mathus' Delta Recording Studio, which records artists from around the world. The town is also the home of blind sculptor Sharon McConnel-Dickerson, who created life castings of over 50 blues musicians.[1] Luther Perkins, iconic guitarist who played for singer Johnny Cash, spent most of his childhood in Como.
Como is the birthplace of the notorious western outlaw L.H. Musgrove, who was sprung from jail and lynched by a vigilante mob in Denver, Colorado, in the fall of 1868.
Geography
Como is located at 34°30′48″N 89°56′29″W / 34.51333°N 89.94139°W (34.513343, -89.941290)[2].
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 1.9 square miles (4.9 km2), of which, 1.9 square miles (4.9 km2) of it is land and 0.53% is water.
It is 45 miles (72 km) south of Memphis, Tennessee.[1]
Demographics
As of the census[3] of 2000, there were 1,310 people, 461 households, and 352 families residing in the town. The population density was 692.1 people per square mile (267.6/km²). There were 506 housing units at an average density of 267.3 per square mile (103.4/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 71.83% African American, 26.79% White, 0.08% Native American, 0.61% from other races, and 0.69% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.15% of the population.
There were 461 households out of which 34.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.7% were married couples living together, 31.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.6% were non-families. 22.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.84 and the average family size was 3.30.
In the town the population was spread out with 30.1% under the age of 18, 9.8% from 18 to 24, 24.5% from 25 to 44, 20.6% from 45 to 64, and 15.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 81.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 74.8 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $22,344, and the median income for a family was $25,000. Males had a median income of $28,333 versus $18,977 for females. The per capita income for the town was $12,278. About 31.3% of families and 37.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 57.2% of those under age 18 and 29.6% of those age 65 or over.
Government and infrastructure
The United States Postal Service operates the Como Post Office.[4]
Education
The Town of Como is served by the North Panola School District. Como Elementary School in Como,[5] North Panola Junior High School in Como,[6] and North Panola High School in Sardis serve the community.[7] Wayne Drash, a CNN.com senior producer, said in a 2007 article that one school in Como was considered to be among the lowest-performing in the United States.[1]
References
- ^ a b c d Drash, Wayne. "Granddaughter of slave: I was 'afraid' for Obama." CNN. Friday January 16, 2009. "Como is a town of 1,400 people 45 miles south of Memphis, Tennessee, along Interstate 55. It is a hard-hit rural community, home to a school with the dubious distinction of being among the worst-performing schools in the nation."
- ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. http://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/gazette.html. Retrieved 2011-04-23.
- ^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^ "Post Office™ Location - COMO." United States Postal Service. Retrieved on October 21, 2010.
- ^ "Como Elementary." North Panola School District. Retrieved on October 21, 2010.
- ^ "Home." North Panola Junior High School. Retrieved on October 21, 2010.
- ^ "Home." North Panola High School. Retrieved on October 21, 2010.
Municipalities and communities of Panola County, Mississippi City 
Towns Village Unincorporated
communitiesAskew | Curtis Station | Glenville | Locke Station‡ | Longtown | Pleasant Grove
Ghost town Tocowa
Footnotes ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties
Categories:- Populated places in Panola County, Mississippi
- Towns in Mississippi
- Populated places in Mississippi with African American majority populations
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