Jackson, Mississippi
Jackson is the capital of and the most populous city in the U.S. state of Mississippi. Along with Raymond, Jackson is one of two county seats for Hinds County. The city had a population of 153,701 at the 2020 census, a significant decline from 173,514, or 11.42%, since the 2010 census, representing the largest decline in population during the decade of any major U.S. city.[4] Jackson is the anchor for the Jackson metropolitan statistical area, the largest metropolitan area located entirely in the state and the tenth-largest urban area in the Deep South. With a 2020 population of nearly 600,000, metropolitan Jackson is home to over one-fifth of Mississippi's population. The city sits on the Pearl River and is located in the greater Jackson Prairie region of Mississippi. Jackson is the only city in Mississippi with a population exceeding 100,000 people.
This article is about the city and related subjects within the city. For the Jackson metro area, see Jackson metropolitan area, Mississippi. For the county on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, see Jackson County, Mississippi. For the Kid Rock song, see Jackson, Mississippi (song).
Jackson
1822
- Ward 1: Ashby Foote
- Ward 2: Melvin Priester, Jr.
- Ward 3: Kenneth Stokes
- Ward 4: De'Keither Stamps
- Ward 5: Charles H. Tillman
- Ward 6: Aaron Banks
- Ward 7: Virgi Lindsey
113.85 sq mi (294.88 km2)
111.72 sq mi (289.34 km2)
2.14 sq mi (5.53 km2)
279 ft (85 m)
153,701
US: 149th
1,375.82/sq mi (531.21/km2)
347,693 (US: 118th)
1,466.1/sq mi (566.1/km2)
591,978 (US: 99th)
Jacksonian
601, 769
28-36000
0711543[3]
Founded in 1821 as new state capital for Mississippi, Jackson is named after General Andrew Jackson, a war hero in the Battle of New Orleans during the War of 1812 and subsequently the seventh U.S. president. Following the Battle of Vicksburg, which was fought near Jackson during the American Civil War in 1863, Union forces commanded by General William Tecumseh Sherman launched the siege of Jackson and set the city on fire.[5]
During the 1920s, Jackson surpassed Meridian to become the most populous city in the state following a speculative natural gas boom in the region. The current slogan for the city is "The City with Soul".[6] It has had numerous musicians prominent in blues, gospel, folk, and jazz. The city is located in the deep south halfway between Memphis and New Orleans on Interstate 55 and Dallas and Atlanta on Interstate 20.
The city has a number of museums and cultural institutions, including the Mississippi Children's Museum, Mississippi Museum of Natural Science, Mississippi Civil Rights Museum, Mississippi Museum of Art, Old Capital Museum, Museum of Mississippi History. Other notable locations are the Mississippi Coliseum and the Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium, home of the Jackson State Tigers football team.
The Jackson metropolitan statistical area is the state's second-largest metropolitan area.[7] In 2020, the Jackson metropolitan area held a GDP of 30 billion dollars, accounting for 29% of the state's total GDP of 104.1 billion dollars.
Crime[edit]
High criminal activity, particularly the homicide rate, is a major reoccurring issue in the city. The crime crises has had a negative impact on the city's economy. Most parts of Jackson are considered a food desert because important grocery stores and restaurants have closed down or left the city as theft and other crimes worsen since 2000.[88][89][90]
In 2020, the city's homicide rate reached its highest in history with 79.69 homicides per 100,000 residents, with a total of 128 homicides.[91] Of major U.S. cities, only St. Louis surpassed Jackson's homicide rate.[92] The homicide rate in 2020 represented a significant spike after years of declining homicide rates in the early 2000s.[93] Property crime remains much lower than in the 1990s and overall violent crime has not increased as significantly as homicide in recent years and is below the peak in 1994 as of 2020.[94]
In 2021, a record number of homicides (155) were recorded, and at a rate of 101 per 100,000 was the highest in the United States.[95] In late 2020, Police Chief James Davis along with the Mayor and other city leaders unveiled the virtual policing concept. After months of struggling to move the concept forward, Chief Davis began discussions with Eric B. Fox, a veteran Jackson Police Officer to return to the department. Fox returned officially in January 2022, and launched a new concept, the Real Time Command Center.
Also in 2021, the Jackson Police Department stated that the city had a serious street gang problem which is a major contributor to violent crimes. The city has had a gang presence since the 1980s but it has seemingly grown over the years. Several gangs have settled in the city and are heavily involved in drug-selling territory wars and many other crimes.[96][97]
In 2022, for the second year in a row Jackson had the highest homicide rate per capita in the United States.[98]
In 2023, Mayor Lumumba announced the opening of the Jackson Crime Center which is a facility that houses monitoring cameras strategically placed around the city to better identify criminals so they can be held accountable for their actions.[99] The Jackson Police Department is short-staffed so the center will help the department as they work to increase recruitment and retention.[100] Also in 2023, Jackson murders dropped by 15% but the city still had the nation's highest homicide rate per capita.[101]
In February 2024, Governor Reeves announced a new and tougher plan to lower rampant crime in the city and protect innocent residents.[102]
Economy[edit]
Jackson is home to several major industries; these include electrical equipment and machinery, processed food, and primary and fabricated metal products. The surrounding area supports the agricultural development of livestock, soybeans, cotton, and poultry.
According to the city's government, Jackson's top three employers are the University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson Public Schools, and Nissan North America as of 2020.[103] Other notable corporations with a large presence in the city and area include C Spire and Amazon in nearby Madison County.[104]
The city is home to Cooperation Jackson, which is an economic development vehicle for worker-owned cooperative business.[105] The organization has led to the creation of several businesses including lawn care provider The Green Team, organic farm Freedom Farms, print shop The Center for Community Production, and The Balagoon Center, which is a cooperative business incubator.[106]
In popular culture[edit]
In 2011, the United States Navy named the USS Jackson (LCS-6) in honor of the city.[154]
In 2002, the Subway Lounge (of the Summers Hotel on the Gold Coast) was featured as the subject of the film documentary entitled Last of the Mississippi Jukes.[155][156]
The popular film The Help (2011), based on the bestselling novel by the same name by Kathryn Stockett, was filmed in Jackson. The city has a two-part, self-guided tour of areas featured in the film and the book.[157]
In the song "Uptown Funk" by Mark Ronson and featuring Bruno Mars Jackson is mentioned in the lines "Julio! Get the Stretch! Ride to Harlem; Hollywood, Jackson, Mississippi."
Get on Up, a movie released in August 2014, had some scenes filmed in Jackson,[158] and nearby Natchez.[159] The movie is based on the life of James Brown.[160]
The movie Speech & Debate, an adaptation of the stage play of the same name of Broadway theatre,[161] was filmed entirely in Jackson.[162]
The Charlie Daniels song "Uneasy Rider" is set in Jackson.
