Rienzi, Mississippi

Rienzi is a town in Alcorn County, Mississippi, United States.. The population was 317 at the 2010 census.[3]

Rienzi
Town
Building at Main and Front
Location of Rienzi, Mississippi
Rienzi Location in Mississippi Rienzi Rienzi (the United States)
Coordinates: 34°45′53″N 88°31′45″W
Country	United States
State	Mississippi
County	Alcorn
Area [1]
• Total	0.99 sq mi (2.57 km^2)
• Land	0.99 sq mi (2.57 km^2)
• Water	0.00 sq mi (0.00 km^2)
Elevation	433 ft (132 m)
Population  (2010)
• Total	317
• Estimate  (2019)[2]	308
• Density	311.11/sq mi (120.07/km^2)
Time zone	UTC-6 (Central (CST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code	38865
Area code(s)	662
FIPS code	28-62560
GNIS feature ID	0676659

History

Rienzi was named for Cola di Rienzo, a medieval Italian politician.[4] The original town was settled in 1830 and was located one mile west of its current location, near the Nesly Williams Plantation.

On April 27, 2011, a tornado hit Rienzi as part of the 2011 Super Outbreak, causing minor home damages and downing trees.[5] The tornado was rated EF0, with estimated wind speeds of 65 miles per hour (105 km/h; 56 kn).[5] The tornado's path of destruction was 50 yards (46 m) wide, and the tornado traveled a path of 2.32 miles (3.73 km).[5]

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 1.0 square mile (2.6 km²), all land. The town is concentrated along Mississippi Highway 356 (signed as Main Street and Front Street), just east of the highway's intersection with U.S. Route 45, in southern Alcorn County. Corinth lies to the north, Booneville lies to the south, and Glen lies to the northeast.

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.		%±
1900	230		—
1910	434		88.7%
1920	493		13.6%
1930	500		1.4%
1940	458		−8.4%
1950	468		2.2%
1960	375		−19.9%
1970	363		−3.2%
1980	423		16.5%
1990	339		−19.9%
2000	330		−2.7%
2010	317		−3.9%
2019 (est.)	308	[2]	−2.8%
U.S. Decennial Census[6]

As of the census[7] of 2000, there were 330 people, 127 households, and 99 families residing in the town. The population density was 332.9 people per square mile (128.7/km²). There were 147 housing units at an average density of 148.3 per square mile (57.3/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 69.39% White, 28.48% African American, 2.12% from other races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.64% of the population.

There were 127 households, out of which 26.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.7% were married couples living together, 16.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.0% were non-families. 21.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.60 and the average family size was 3.04.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 25.2% under the age of 18, 10.3% from 18 to 24, 24.8% from 25 to 44, 26.7% from 45 to 64, and 13.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 77.7 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $26,563, and the median income for a family was $31,375. Males had a median income of $31,125 versus $20,625 for females. The per capita income for the town was $10,604. About 22.6% of families and 28.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 36.7% of those under age 18 and 34.8% of those age 65 or over.

Education

The town of Rienzi is served by the Alcorn School District.

Notable people

• Jamie Davis, Southern rock singer[8]
• Lee Denson, rockabilly singer and songwriter[9]
• Billy McCoy, politician[10]

References

1. "2019 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 26, 2020.
2. "Population and Housing Unit Estimates". United States Census Bureau. May 24, 2020. Retrieved May 27, 2020.
3. "Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (G001): Rienzi town, Mississippi". U.S. Census Bureau, American Factfinder. Archived from the original on February 12, 2020. Retrieved June 18, 2013.
4. Amanda Collins (31 December 2002). Greater than Emperor: Cola di Rienzo (ca. 1313-54) and the World of Fourteenth-Century Rome. University of Michigan Press. p. 6. ISBN 978-0-472-11250-0. Retrieved 11 August 2012.
5. NWS Memphis Office Report
6. "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
7. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
8. "Jamie Davis and Soul Gravy". ourstage.com. Amazing Media Group. Retrieved 18 May 2020.
9. "Lee Denson". IMDb.com. IMDb. Retrieved 18 May 2020.
10. Carroll's State Directory: Executive, Legislative, Judicial. Carroll Publishing Company. 2004. p. 916.