Greetings from the "Stroke Belt": Humphreys County, Mississippi

The population of Humphreys County peaked in 1940 and has decreased 72% since then.

Source:  Wikipedia

New York Times, 8/11/2024

The Striblings’ hometown lies in the heart of the “Stroke Belt,” a region stretching from Louisiana to Virginia that is plagued by high rates of diseases linked to obesity, high blood pressure and diabetes. Dollar stores, which are plentiful in the Delta, stock sugary drinks, pasta, candy and canned foods that are high in salt. 

There’s only one full-service supermarket in Belzoni. The best bargains there are giant slabs of pork ribs, which sell for about $3 a pound, and jumbo bags of frozen fries. 

Belzoni has a playground and ball fields, but no real park, no Y.M.C.A. and no public swimming pool. The small hospital in town closed in 2013. On a recent visit, I asked Mr. Stribling if we could meet outside on a mild day, perhaps by the Yazoo River, which meanders alongside the town. 

“Oh, Miss Roni,” he said, in a tone that combined resignation with a touch of exasperation about my naïveté. “This is Mississippi. There’s no park here. There’s no river trail. It’s the Mississippi Delta.”

Source:  U.S. Census QuickFacts

% of population 25 and older with bachelor's degree:

• 18.6% - Humphreys County
• 23.9% - Mississippi
• 34.3% - U.S.

% of population 65 and older:

• 19.7% - Humphreys County
• 17.6% - Mississippi
• 17.3% - U.S.

% of population living in poverty:

• 32.3% - Humphreys County
• 19.1% - Mississippi
• 11.5% - U.S.