Client's Needs
Mississippiu County is a rural community locaed in Southeast Missouri at the northern most portion of the Mississippi Delta Region, one of the poorest regions of the United States. Situated at the confluence of the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers it its comprised of the following:
Anniston, population of 232
Bertand, population of 821
Charleston, population of 5,947
East Prairie, population of 3,176
Wilson City, population of 115
Wyatt, population of 319 including outlying smaller communities
(Source: 2010 Cencus Data.)
The population of people living in poverty in Mississippi County, Missouri has risen from 23.7% to 27.5% within the last 10 years. Poverty rates in Missouri has also risen from 11.7% in 2000 to 15.3% in 2010. Extreme economic and social deprivation has historically presented an overarching obstacle for nearly one-fourth (27.5% as compared to only 15.3% for the state) of the residents of MIssissippi County classified as living below the poverty level.
There exist a significant number of children (38.8% in Mississippi County vs. 21.0% in the United States) living in poverty as well as a high number of single female household families 17.3% which is significantly higher thatn the national rate of 12.3%. These indicators are more elevated in the West End of Charleston and in the housing project areas of East Prairie. A large number of the housing units in the West End of Charleston and in East Prairie are public housing. Substantial portions of housing in Mississippi County are rental units, 33.4%.
