COUNTY PROFILE: COUNTY SUMMARY

Prentiss County has the right mix of people, transportation, utilities, and economic activity for new businesses and industries to be successful.

PEOPLE

The county’s 25,000 residents, who maintain 10,000 households, are one of its greatest assets. The available labor force is nearly 12,000 within the county boundaries and about 302,000 within a 60-mile radius. The employment rate in the county is over 93 percent.

The median annual household income of nearly $35,000 is balanced by a low cost of living. People in their prime working years (20 to 59) make up more than half of the population. Eleven percent have completed a bachelor’s degree or higher level of education.

TRANSPORTATION

The county has convenient access to highways, rail lines, airports, and waterways.

US Highway 45, a major north-south corridor that runs from Chicago to Mobile, passes through the town of Booneville, which is also served by east-west highways 4 and 30.

Air transportation is available at three facilities:

• Memphis International Airport, 107 miles from Booneville, offering many domestic and international flights daily. It serves as the national hub for FedEx air shipments
• Tupelo Regional Airport, 34 miles from Booneville, which offers a mix of commercial and private aviation
• Booneville/Baldwyn Airport, a small, unattended facility located between the two cities.

Rail transportation is provided by the Eastern Division rail line of the Kansas City Southern Railway, which runs from Tennessee south to Bay Springs, Mississippi, with connections to Jackson, Mississippi, and Louisiana.

Waterway transportation is provided by the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway, which runs through the southeastern edge of the county. Ports are located 32 miles north and 50 miles south of Prentiss County. The waterway connects to the Port of New Orleans at a distance of 375 miles.

UTILITIES

Electrical energy is provided by the Prentiss County Electric Power Association, currently serving about 14,000 meters. The association is a supporting partner of the North Mississippi Industrial Development Authority, which helps new and expanding businesses locate successfully in northeastern Mississippi.

Natural gas service is provided by utilities in the cities of Baldwyn and Booneville.

Telecommunications services, including wireless and broadband Internet connectivity, are provided by AT&T, Cellular South, and Dixie-Net.

Water is provided to Prentiss County’s industrial parks by four municipal systems (Booneville, Baldwyn, Marietta, and Jumpertown), while 14 other water associations serve the remainder of the county.

CURRENT BUSINESSES

The business climate in Prentiss County is energized by seven major employers:

• ACCO Brands of Booneville (800 employees)
• Caterpillar, Inc. (260 employees)
• Status Leather (262 employees)
• Golden Manufacturing ( 100 employees)
• Marathon Cheese Corporation (270 employees)
• Plumrose USA (500 employees)
• Southern Diversified Industries ( 60 employees)

See the full listing of industry and business in Prentiss County (PDF, 51 KB) for more information about these and 27 other companies operating in Prentiss County.