Greene County, Mississippi

Greene County is a county located on the southeast border of the U.S. state of Mississippi. As of the 2010 census, the population was 14,400.[1] Its county seat is Leakesville.[2] Established in 1811, the county was named for General Nathanael Greene of the American Revolutionary War.[3]

Greene County
U.S. county
Leaksville Junior High School
Location within the U.S. state of Mississippi
Mississippi's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 31°13′N 88°38′W
Country United States
State Mississippi
Founded1811
Named forNathanael Greene
SeatLeakesville
Largest townLeakesville
Area
 • Total719 sq mi (1,860 km2)
 • Land713 sq mi (1,850 km2)
 • Water5.9 sq mi (15 km2)  0.8%
Population
 (2010)
 • Total14,400
 • Estimate 
(2018)
13,586
 • Density20/sq mi (7.7/km2)
Time zoneUTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district4th
Websitewww.greenecountyms.gov

History

Historically this area of the state was occupied by the Choctaw people, who constituted the largest tribe. French, Spanish and English colonists traded with them in the early colonial years. in 1830, President Andrew Jackson gained passage of the Indian Removal Act by Congress, and proceeded to force the Choctaw and other of the Five Civilized Tribes out of the Southeast to lands west of the Mississippi River. The land was sold to European-American settlers.

County boundaries went through numerous changes as population increased and new counties were created. Along with neighboring Jones and Perry counties, Greene is characterized by its sandy soil and Piney Woods. These characteristics limited the productivity of farming.[4]

The county economy originally depended on subsistence farmers who ran herds of cattle and hogs, which were allowed to roam freely in the pine forests and bush. Together with the game they hunted, residents sold the meat animals to markets in Mobile, Alabama, the nearest commercial center.[5] While some farmers tried to cultivate cotton because of the high prices when the market was strong, most in this area had small farms and the owners held few enslaved African Americans. The soil did not support very successful cotton crops; in 1860 only 16 of the 213 farmers in this county raised cotton.[4]

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 719 square miles (1,860 km2), of which 713 square miles (1,850 km2) is land and 5.9 square miles (15 km2) (0.8%) is water.[6]

Major highways

Adjacent counties

National protected area

Demographics

The rural county had strong declines in population from 1940 to 1960, a period when many African Americans left for the West Coast in the second wave of the Great Migration. The buildup of defense industries in California and other states before and during World War II attracted many migrants for work opportunities.

Historical population
CensusPop.%±
18201,345—
18301,85437.8%
18401,636−11.8%
18502,01823.3%
18602,23210.6%
18702,038−8.7%
18803,19456.7%
18903,90622.3%
19006,79574.0%
19106,050−11.0%
192010,43072.4%
193010,6442.1%
19409,512−10.6%
19508,215−13.6%
19608,3661.8%
19708,5452.1%
19809,82715.0%
199010,2204.0%
200013,29930.1%
201014,4008.3%
2018 (est.)13,586[7]−5.7%
U.S. Decennial Census[8]
1790-1960[9] 1900-1990[10]
1990-2000[11] 2010-2013[1]

As of the census[12] of 2000, there were 13,299 people, 4,148 households, and 3,152 families residing in the county. The population density was 19 people per square mile (7/km2). There were 4,947 housing units at an average density of 7 per square mile (3/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 72.79% White, 26.18% Black or African American, 0.23% Native American, 0.07% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.31% from other races, and 0.38% from two or more races. 0.80% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 4,148 households, out of which 37.20% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.20% were married couples living together, 11.90% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.00% were non-families. 22.00% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.30% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.67 and the average family size was 3.12.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 24.10% under the age of 18, 13.10% from 18 to 24, 32.10% from 25 to 44, 20.60% from 45 to 64, and 10.10% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females there were 130.00 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 141.00 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $28,336, and the median income for a family was $33,037. Males had a median income of $30,189 versus $17,935 for females. The per capita income for the county was $11,868. About 16.50% of families and 19.60% of the population were below the poverty line, including 25.30% of those under age 18 and 21.10% of those age 65 or over.

2015

As of 2015 the largest self-reported ancestry groups in Greene County, Mississippi are:

  • African - 26.18%
  • English - 18.9%
  • American - 17.6%
  • Irish - 7.9%
  • German - 4.9%
  • Scots-Irish - 4.0%
  • Scottish - 3.4%
  • French (except Basque) - 1.5%
  • Dutch - 1.1%
  • Italian - 0.7%
  • Welsh - 0.4%
  • French-Canadian - 0.1%
  • Russian - 0.1%
  • Norwegian - 0.1%[13]

The First sheriff of Greene County was Alexander Mclain

Government and infrastructure

The Mississippi Department of Corrections South Mississippi Correctional Institution is located in an unincorporated area of Greene County.[14][15] It opened in 1990. In the early 21st century, it has an inmate population of more than 3,000 men, which has added markedly to the total population of the county. Its inmates constitute approximately 21 percent of the state's total prisoners. Numerous residents of the rural county are employed at the prison.

The Greene County School District includes: Greene County High School, Greene County Vocational-Technical School, Leakesville Elementary School, Leakesville Junior High School, McLain Attendance Center, and Sand Hill Attendance Center.[16]

Communities

Towns

Unincorporated communities

Politics
Presidential elections results
Presidential elections results[17]
Year Republican Democratic Third parties
2016 80.7% 4,335 18.1% 974 1.1% 60
2012 76.5% 4,531 22.4% 1,325 1.1% 66
2008 75.3% 4,361 23.6% 1,366 1.1% 62
2004 72.7% 3,850 26.8% 1,421 0.5% 28
2000 69.5% 3,082 29.7% 1,317 0.8% 37
1996 53.7% 1,947 37.2% 1,347 9.1% 331
1992 51.9% 2,406 35.9% 1,664 12.2% 566
1988 57.1% 2,837 32.9% 1,637 10.0% 496
1984 67.6% 2,744 31.9% 1,297 0.5% 21
1980 50.0% 1,772 49.1% 1,740 0.8% 29
1976 40.8% 1,538 56.4% 2,127 2.8% 105
1972 83.5% 2,884 14.9% 513 1.6% 56
1968 4.0% 132 13.5% 449 82.5% 2,744
1964 89.5% 1,845 10.5% 216
1960 15.7% 247 34.9% 550 49.5% 781
1956 28.6% 351 59.7% 734 11.7% 144
1952 28.9% 506 71.1% 1,247
1948 1.4% 14 11.6% 118 87.0% 886
1944 10.7% 109 89.3% 907
1940 6.7% 66 93.4% 926
1936 5.2% 46 94.4% 830 0.3% 3
1932 3.4% 29 96.5% 818 0.1% 1
1928 36.6% 342 63.4% 593
1924 6.4% 31 93.6% 456
1920 6.6% 24 92.6% 337 0.8% 3
1916 7.4% 32 91.7% 399 0.9% 4
1912 4.2% 13 86.2% 268 9.6% 30

See also

References
  1. "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on June 7, 2011. Retrieved September 3, 2013.
  2. "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on 2011-05-31. Retrieved 2011-06-07.
  3. Gannett, Henry (1905). The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States. Govt. Print. Off. p. 143.
  4. Ball, Brooks (4 August 2017). "History of Greene County – Part 4 ( the Civil War years )". Greene County Herald. Retrieved 3 October 2019.
  5. Ball, Brooks (4 August 2017). "THE HISTORY OF GREENE COUNTY – Part 1". Greene County Herald. Retrieved 2 October 2019.
  6. "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Archived from the original on September 28, 2013. Retrieved November 3, 2014.
  7. "Population and Housing Unit Estimates". Retrieved November 11, 2019.
  8. "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved November 3, 2014.
  9. "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved November 3, 2014.
  10. "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved November 3, 2014.
  11. "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Retrieved November 3, 2014.
  12. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
  13. Bureau, U.S. Census. "American FactFinder - Results". factfinder.census.gov. Archived from the original on 2020-02-13. Retrieved 2018-03-03.
  14. "State Prisons Archived 2002-12-06 at the Wayback Machine." Mississippi Department of Corrections. Retrieved on May 21, 2010.
  15. "MDOC QUICK REFERENCE." Mississippi Department of Corrections. Retrieved on May 21, 2010.
  16. "Greene County School District". www.greene.k12.ms.us. Archived from the original on 2018-03-03. Retrieved 2018-03-03.
  17. Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved 2018-03-03.

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