Characteristics of the Mississippi Delta from the 2003, 2005 and 2007 Delta Rural Polls

SOCIAL CAPITAL INDICATORS
IN THE MISSISSIPPI DELTA

by Alan W. Barton, Ph.D.

From the 2007 Delta Rural Poll
Conducted January 2007

Delta Residents’ Trust in People and Institutions
In Their Community by Respondents’ Race
(Percent*)

I can trust...	All Respondents	Race
I can trust...	All Respondents	Black	White
...people at my church	80.2	73.8	92.1
...my neighbors	75.5	69.0	87.4
...people of other races	67.6	59.3	81.5
...the people I work with	64.5	56.3	79.3
...local business people	59.0	48.7	76.5
...local law enforcement	49.2	43.5	58.9
...local newspapers	46.3	44.9	49.4
...local politicians	32.1	33.3	30.6
*Percent indicates those who agree or strongly agree

Delta Residents’ Trust in People and Institutions in Their Community
by Respondents’ 2006 Total Household Income
(Percent*)

I can trust...	All Respondents	2006 Household Income
I can trust...	All Respondents	More Than $60,000	$30,000 to $60,000	Less Than $30,000
...people at my church	80.2	91.4	80.9	77.1
...my neighbors	75.5	87.4	75.7	73.5
...people of other races	67.6	73.2	74.7	64.3
...the people I work with	64.5	76.0	68.1	62.0
...local business people	59.0	60.3	60.8	57.8
...local law enforcement	49.2	52.0	39.5	50.8
...local newspapers	46.3	38.7	37.1	51.0
...local politicians	32.1	15.1	27.6	35.8
*Percent indicates those who agree or strongly agree

Delta Residents’ Trust in People and Institutions in Their Community
by Respondents’ Gender
(Percent*)

I can trust...	All Respondents	Gender
I can trust...	All Respondents	Male	Female
...people at my church	80.2	79.7	80.5
...my neighbors	75.5	76.8	74.5
...people of other races	67.6	66.8	68.1
...the people I work with	64.5	69.7	59.6
...local business people	59.0	58.4	59.5
...local law enforcement	49.2	50.0	48.3
...local newspapers	46.3	42.7	49.2
...local politicians	32.1	28.9	34.8
*Percent indicates those who agree or strongly agree

Delta Residents’ Trust in People and Institutions in Their Community
by Respondents’ Educational Achievement
(Percent*)

I can trust...	All Respondents	Highest Education Completed
I can trust...	All Respondents	Less Than High School	High School Diploma	College Degree	Grad/Prof Degree
...people at my church	80.2	77.8	81.0	83.9	80.8
...my neighbors	75.5	73.6	73.5	81.6	84.0
...people of other races	67.6	68.9	63.7	77.6	70.0
...the people I work with	64.5	60.7	60.4	76.2	77.9
...local business people	59.0	59.7	55.4	68.7	64.6
...local law enforcement	49.2	51.9	46.9	50.0	53.8
...local newspapers	46.3	52.0	45.6	43.2	42.0
...local politicians	32.1	36.5	28.9	32.7	36.7
*Percent indicates those who agree or strongly agree

Delta Residents’ Trust in People and Institutions in Their Community
by Respondents’ County of Residence
(Percent*)

I can trust...	All Respondents	County of Residence
I can trust...	All Respondents	North Delta	Coahoma	Bolivar	Sunflower	Leflore	Washington	South Delta
...people at my church	80.2	79.4	83.9	80.0	80.5	77.8	80.9	79.5
...my neighbors	75.5	79.5	70.0	78.9	77.4	73.1	75.3	71.2
...people of other races	67.6	71.4	70.0	61.9	73.3	67.4	68.2	57.7
...the people I work with	64.5	63.0	68.0	62.2	66.7	64.8	63.8	66.2
...local business people	59.0	62.2	50.9	69.5	59.7	52.8	58.4	56.2
...local law enforcement	49.2	53.1	47.2	47.7	46.6	56.3	43.2	57.7
...local newspapers	46.3	60.5	39.8	52.4	48.0	38.7	42.7	42.6
...local politicians	32.1	31.3	35.5	39.1	27.1	33.6	31.2	23.2
*Percent indicates those who agree or strongly agree North Delta Counties: Tunica, Quitman, Tallahatchie South Delta Counties: Humphreys, Sharkey, Issaquena

Notes:

Data for the 2007 Delta Rural Poll were collected in January, 2007, with 1,005 respondents.

the Delta Rural Poll surveyed residents of eleven counties in northwestern Mississippi: Bolivar, Coahoma, Humphreys, Issaquena, Leflore, Quitman, Sharkey, Sunflower, Tallahatchie, Tunica and Washington. Surveys were conducted by telephone and respondents were selected using random digit dialing techniques.

Responses were weighted using the 2000 U.S. Census as a baseline, to account for skewed gender and race characteristics.