A Profile of the Mid-South Delta Region

The Census Bureau has released more data from the Census 2000 count! Please visit the Census 2000 website and compare the new information with that given in the following PowerPoint presentation from the 2002 Cross Site. Click on your state to view the most recent information:

• Arkansas
• Louisiana
• Mississippi

During the March 2002 MSDI Cross-Site Conference, Bo Beaulieu of the Southern Rural Development Center gave a fascinating presentation titled A Profile of the Mid-South Mississippi Delta Region. This page provides access to the PowerPoint presentation used by Beaulieu to highlight the following:

• An examination of population changes in the in the Mid-South MS Delta area
  
  
• The educational characteristics of adult residents of the Mid-South MS Delta region
  
  
• Changes that have occurred in the economy of the Mid-South MS Delta over the period of the 1990s



• Discussion of the implications of these demographic and economic changes for the region

These key points were examined using U.S. Census data from 2000 and 1990. As illustrated by this graph, nearly 1 in 3 families are headed by a single parent. Delta counties/parishes have seen a decline in the number of residents under the age 18 and over the age 65. The percent of those 45-64 years of age has grown dramatically over the 1990-2000 period (nearly 26 percent). This will pose a challenge for the Delta area as these individuals reach retirement age. The Delta has also experienced modest growth of those of prime working age (18-44 years old), and it will be critical that jobs be available to keep these individuals in the area. Please click here to view the entire presentation.