Newton County is a county in Mississippi, United States, roughly halfway between Jackson and Meridian along Interstate 20. It had a population of 21,291 at the 2020 census and covers 580 square miles (1,502 km2), of which 578 square miles (1,500 km2) is land, centred near 32°25′N 89°07′W.
Decatur is the county seat, and its postal code is 39327. The county has one city, five towns and several unincorporated communities. It observes Central time.
Towns & Villages in Newton County
Newton County has one incorporated city, five incorporated towns and a scatter of unincorporated communities and rural crossroads. Two of the towns straddle county lines: Lake sits mostly in neighboring Scott County, and Union sits partly in Neshoba County. Populated places below marked “CDP” are census-designated only where the Census Bureau tracks them separately; the rest are unincorporated communities without their own municipal government.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Newton | City · largest | 3,195 | 39345 |
| Decatur | Town · seat | — | 39327 |
| Chunky | Town | — | 39323 |
| Hickory | Town | — | 39332 |
| Lake | Town | — | — |
| Union | Town | — | — |
| Conehatta | Unincorp. | — | 39057 |
| Little Rock | Unincorp. | — | 39337 |
| Lawrence | Unincorp. | — | 39336 |
| Cedar Grove | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Duffee | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Perdue | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Stratton | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Battlefield | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Bartlett | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Bethel | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Beulah | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Blounts Store | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Calhoun | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Center Ridge | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Ebenezer | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Goodhope | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Greenland | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Hazel | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Hubbard | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Jeff | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Lebanon | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Liberty | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Lucern | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Mount Vernon | Unincorp. | — | — |
| New Ireland | Unincorp. | — | — |
| New Providence | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Pilgrim Grove | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Pine Bluff | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Poplar Springs | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Prospect | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Roberts | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Rock Branch | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Rock Creek | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Tanglewood | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Willoughby | Unincorp. | — | — |
Conehatta is the seat of the Conehatta Community, one of eight communities of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians and part of the Choctaw Indian Reservation, which extends into Newton County from neighboring Neshoba and Leake counties.
ZIP Codes
- 39345 — Newton
- 39327 — Decatur
- 39323 — Chunky
- 39332 — Hickory
- 39337 — Little Rock
- 39336 — Lawrence
- 39057 — Conehatta (also serves the Conehatta Choctaw community)
Lake and Union receive mail through post offices in the adjoining counties they straddle, and most of the county’s unincorporated communities are served by one of the seven ZIPs above rather than a ZIP of their own.
Geography
Newton County lies in the piney, gently rolling upland belt of east-central Mississippi, drained by tributaries of the Chunky River and Tallahala Creek. Land makes up 578 of the county’s 580 square miles, with about 1.5 square miles of water. Interstate 20 and U.S. Highway 80 cross the county east–west, and Mississippi Highway 15 crosses it north–south through Decatur.
Newton County borders Neshoba County to the north, Lauderdale County to the east, Jasper County to the south and Scott County to the west.
Demographics
Newton County had 21,291 residents at the 2020 census, down slightly from 21,720 in 2010. Newton, the county’s only city, is its largest community at 3,195 residents; Decatur, the county seat, is much smaller. The county is racially mixed, with roughly 60% of residents White, 30% Black or African American and about 5% American Indian or Alaska Native — a share reflecting the Conehatta Choctaw community. Median household income runs below the Mississippi median of $54,203, typical of rural counties in this part of the state. Population density is about 37 people per square mile.
Economy & Local Life
Manufacturing, timber and poultry processing anchor the county’s economy, alongside government and school-district employment centered on Newton and Decatur. Newton is home to East Central Community College, which serves Newton and several surrounding counties and is one of the county’s largest employers. Farming and forestry remain part of daily life across the county’s unincorporated areas.
History
Newton County was organized on February 26, 1836, carved from the southern part of Neshoba County following Choctaw land cessions. It is named for the English scientist Sir Isaac Newton. Decatur, laid out as the county seat soon after organization, has held that role since. Union, on the county’s northern edge, later grew as a rail and timber town straddling the line with Neshoba County, while Conehatta developed as a center of Choctaw settlement that predates the county itself.
Getting There
Interstate 20 runs the length of the county and U.S. Highway 80 parallels it, giving direct access east to Meridian and west to Jackson.
- Meridian — 25 miles east
- Jackson — 60 miles west
- Philadelphia — 25 miles north
- Laurel — 40 miles south
The nearest commercial airport is Key Field in Meridian; Jackson–Medgar Wiley Evers International Airport is the nearest major hub.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Newton County, Mississippi?
It is in east-central Mississippi, along Interstate 20 between Jackson and Meridian.
What is the population of Newton County?
21,291 at the 2020 census.
How big is Newton County?
578 square miles of land and about 1.5 square miles of water, 580 square miles total.
What is the county seat of Newton County?
Decatur is the county seat.
How many towns are in Newton County?
One city (Newton) and five towns (Chunky, Decatur, Hickory, Lake and Union), plus a number of unincorporated communities.
What ZIP codes are in Newton County?
39057, 39323, 39327, 39332, 39336, 39337 and 39345.
What is Conehatta?
An unincorporated community in Newton County that serves as the seat of the Conehatta Community, one of eight communities of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Mississippi.