Brandon, Mississippi

Brandon is a city in Rankin County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 16,436 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Rankin County

Brandon is part of the Jackson Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History
Before the arrival of white American settlers, the site of modern-day Brandon was a focal point of local Native American activities.

Geography
Brandon is located at 32.28028°N, -89.99833°W (32.280330, -89.998470).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 21.3 square miles (55.3 km²), of which, 21.3 square miles (55.1 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.2 km²) of it (0.37%) is water.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 16,436 people, 6,295 households, and 4,595 families residing in the city. The population density was 773.2 people per square mile (298.5/km²). There were 6,540 housing units at an average density of 307.7 per square mile (118.8/km²). 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 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.

Government and infrastructure
The city of Brandon has a city Mayor as the chief executive officer and a Board of Aldermen. The current city officials are Mayor Tim Coulter; Alderman, At Large Mr. James Morris; Alderman, Ward 1 Mrs. Monica Corley; Alderman, Ward 2 Mr. Chris Vinson; Alderman, Ward 3 Mr. Harry Williams; Alderman, Ward 4 Mr. Lu Coker; Alderman, Ward 5 Mrs Yvonne Bianchi; and Alderman, Ward 6 Mr. Butch Lee. The city's attorney is Mark C. Baker.

The city of Brandon is served by three fire stations under the direction of Fire Chief Rob Martin and one police station under the direction of Police Chief Brian Chalk.

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

Culture

 * Black Rose Theatre Company

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

Public schools

 * Brandon High School (Grades 9-12)
 * Brandon Middle School (Grades 6-8)
 * Brandon Elementary School (Grades 3-5)
 * Stonebridge Elementary School (Grades 2-3)
 * Rouse Elementary School (Grades K-1)

Notable natives and residents

 * Devin Britton, professional tennis player
 * Daryl Dedmon, charged with murder in the 2011 killing of James Craig Anderson, described as a racially motivated hate crime
 * Jenna Edwards, former Miss Florida and Miss Florida USA
 * Patrick Henry, (1843–1930), U.S. representative
 * Volney Howard, Attorney General and U.S. Representative for Texas
 * Mamie Locke, political scientist, Virginia state senator
 * Justin Mapp, professional soccer player
 * Mary Ann Mobley, Miss America 1959, actress and television personality
 * Jerious Norwood, professional football player
 * Joe M. Turner, professional magician, mentalist, speaker
 * Louis H. Wilson, Jr., Commandant of the Marine Corps and member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff