Southaven, a city in DeSoto County, Mississippi. Southaven is a suburb of Memphis, Tennessee. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 28,977. The 2007 census estimate reflected a population of 42,567, making Southaven the fourth largest city in Mississippi. Southaven is traversed from north to south by the Interstate 55 freeway, most of which has recently been widened to 10 lanes. Southaven's Baptist Memorial Hospital - Desoto (one of Mississippi's largest hospitals). Southaven also has its own city-wide municipal Wi-Fi Internet service called Magnolia Wave.
Sports
Southaven hosts the minor league hockey team, the Mississippi RiverKings.
History
Whitehaven was a neighboring, unincorporated suburb of Memphis before being annexed by the central city. In 1978, Southaven's incorporation to Memphis's suburbs gave it its new name. Instead of "South Whitehaven", it was named "Southaven". Southaven is one of the fastest growing cities in the southeast United States.[citation needed] In just 20 years, Southaven doubled its land area, while its population tripled. Like the rest of Desoto County, Southaven's growth has been attributed mostly to the white flight from Memphis. The Mississippi Main Street program has included Southaven as one of its participant cities.
Weather
Annual precipitation is 50 inches, which is well distributed throughout the year. March is wettest month; October is driest. Less than two inches of snow falls each year. The average temperature is 42 °F in January and 91 °F in July.
Neighboring cities
Demographics
| Historical populations |
| Census |
Pop. |
|
%± |
| 1970 |
8,931 |
|
—
|
| 1980 |
16,071 |
|
79.9% |
| 1990 |
18,705 |
|
16.4% |
| 2000 |
28,977 |
|
54.9% |
| Est. 2006 |
41,295 |
|
42.5% |
Households and families
As of the census[1] of 2000, there were 28,977 people, 11,007 households, and 8,134 families residing in the city. The population density was 857.9 people per square mile (331.2/km²). There were 11,462 housing units at an average density of 339.3/sq mi (131.0/km²).
There were 11,007 households out of which 36.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.1% were married couples living together, 12.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.1% were non-families. 21.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.62 and the average family size was 3.04.
Racial makeup
The racial makeup of the city was 65.08% White, 25.02% African American, 0.15% Native American, 0.74% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 1.13% from other races, and 0.80% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.26% of the population.
Age
In the city the population was spread out with 27.2% under the age of 18, 9.0% from 18 to 24, 32.5% from 25 to 44, 22.6% from 45 to 64, and 8.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females there were 95.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.7 males.
Income
The median income for a household in the city was $46,691, and the median income for a family was $52,333. Males had a median income of $36,671 versus $26,557 for females. The per capita income for the city was $20,759. About 5.3% of families and 6.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.2% of those under age 18 and 6.8% of those age 65 or over.
Education
Colleges and universities
Public secondary schools
The City of Southaven is served by the DeSoto County School District.
Public elementary schools
Private schools
Media
Local area attractions
Other facts
- Southaven was the boyhood home of noted novelist John Grisham, who also practiced law there for almost a decade.
- While its name would indicate otherwise, the city of Southaven is actually in the northernmost corner of Mississippi. The name derives from the fact that Southaven is located south of the Memphis neighborhood Whitehaven and Southaven is also considered South Memphis extended.
- Southaven is the boyhood home of singer and songwriter Cory Branan.
References
External links
