Long Beach, Mississippi

Long Beach is a city (incorporated August 10, 1905) located in Harrison County, Mississippi, United States. It is part of the Gulfport–Biloxi Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 14,792.[3]

Long Beach, Mississippi
City
Nickname(s): 
The Friendly City
Location of Long Beach in Mississippi
Long Beach, Mississippi
Location in the United States
Coordinates: 30°21′9″N 89°9′35″W
CountryUnited States
StateMississippi
CountyHarrison
Founded
Incorporated
1905
Government
 • MayorGeorge Bass
Area
 • Total10.65 sq mi (27.57 km2)
 • Land10.26 sq mi (26.57 km2)
 • Water0.39 sq mi (1.01 km2)
Elevation
26 ft (8 m)
Population
 (2010)
 • Total14,792
 • Estimate 
(2019)[2]
16,023
 • Density1,562.15/sq mi (603.16/km2)
Time zoneUTC−6 (CST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−5 (CDT)
ZIP code
39560
Area code(s)228
FIPS code28-41680
GNIS feature ID0672794
WebsiteCity of Long Beach official website

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 10.4 square miles (26.9 km2), of which 10.0 square miles (25.9 km2) is land and 0.39 square miles (1.0 km2), or 3.74% is water.[4]

Long Beach (map center) is east of Pass Christian and west of Gulfport, along the Gulf of Mexico

Demographics
Historical population
CensusPop.%±
19101,026—
1920980−4.5%
19301,34637.3%
19401,49511.1%
19502,70380.8%
19604,77076.5%
19706,17029.4%
198014,199130.1%
199015,80411.3%
200017,3209.6%
201014,792−14.6%
2019 (est.)16,023[2]8.3%
U.S. Decennial Census[5]

As of the census[6] of 2000, there were 17,320 people, 6,560 households, and 4,696 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,713.6 people per square mile (661.5/km2). There were 7,203 housing units at an average density of 712.6 per square mile (275.1/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 87.49% White, 7.36% African American, 0.39% Native American, 2.57% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 0.68% from other races, and 1.44% from two or more races. 2.29% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 6,560 households, out of which 36.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.8% were married couples living together, 13.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.4% were non-families. 22.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.61 and the average family size was 3.07.

In the city, the population dispersal was 27.1% under the age of 18, 9.1% from 18 to 24, 29.8% from 25 to 44, 22.8% from 45 to 64, and 11.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.7 males. The median income for a household in the city was $43,289, and the median income for a family was $50,014. Males had a median income of $35,909 versus $24,119 for females. The per capita income for the city was $19,305. 9.0% of the population and 7.7% of families were below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 15.2% of those under the age of 18 and 3.7% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.

Education

The city of Long Beach is served by the Long Beach School District. The district operates five campuses and has an enrollment of approximately 2,700 students. These campuses include Long Beach High School, Long Beach Middle School, Reeves Elementary School, Quarles Elementary School, and Harper McCaughan Elementary School, rebuilt in a new location after the previous school was destroyed by Hurricane Katrina.

The Gulf Coast campus of the University of Southern Mississippi is located in Long Beach along Beach Boulevard. The Friendship Oak tree is located on the front lawn of the Southern Miss Gulf Park campus.

History

The early 1900s

Long Beach began as an agricultural town, based around its radish industry. But on August 10, 1905, Long Beach incorporated and became another city on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. As the years went on, the city moved from its agricultural heritage and moved toward tourism with the beach and high-rise condominiums becoming increasingly popular.

"The Radish capital of the world"

Long Beach's early economy was based largely upon radishes. Logging initially drove the local economy, but when the area's virgin yellow pine forests became depleted, row crops were planted on the newly cleared land.[7]

A productive truck farming town in the early 20th century, citizens of Long Beach proclaimed the city to be the "Radish Capital of the World". The city was especially known for its cultivation of the Long Red radish variety, a favorite beer hall staple in the northern US at the time. In 1921, a bumper crop resulted in the shipment of over 300 train loads of Long Beach's Long Red radishes to northern states.[8][9]

Eventually, the Long Red radishes for which Long Beach was known fell into disfavor, and the rise of the common button radish caused a dramatic decline in the cultivation of this crop in the area.[7]

Hurricane Katrina
The impact of Hurricane Katrina on the Long Beach shoreline

Nineteen days following the city's centennial, Hurricane Katrina struck the city on August 29, 2005, destroying almost all buildings within 500 meters (1,600 ft) of the Gulf of Mexico shoreline. Many Long Beach residents were left homeless or living in water and or wind damaged houses. At least one person was confirmed dead.[10]

The city of Long Beach, California, held a fund raiser to help its eponymous relative.[11] The city of Peoria, Arizona, adopted Long Beach and provided both public and private resources. This resulted in a close relationship between the two communities.

Today

Today, the city is still recovering from Hurricane Katrina. Residents are returning as beaches and condominiums in the area are being repaired. However, the city has not seen a return of business to pre-Katrina levels due in part to building codes on the beach established by the Federal Emergency Management Agency and Mississippi Emergency Management Agency and to the economic downturn.

Notable people

References
  1. "2019 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 26, 2020.
  2. "Population and Housing Unit Estimates". United States Census Bureau. May 24, 2020. Retrieved May 27, 2020.
  3. "Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (DP-1): Long Beach city, Mississippi". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 15, 2012.
  4. "Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (G001): Long Beach city, Mississippi". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 15, 2012.
  5. "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
  6. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
  7. Long Beach is a friendly city Archived 2008-03-28 at the Wayback Machine The Sun-Herald. Retrieved October 17, 2007.
  8. Mary Ellen Alexander. Rosalie and Radishes: A history of Long Beach, Mississippi. Hagerstown Bookbinding & Printing Co, 2001 edition
  9. Mississippi History Newsletter Archived 2007-08-07 at the Wayback Machine Volume 44 No. 5. May 2002. Retrieved October 17, 2007.
  10. "Katrina's Surge, Part 11". The Weather Channel, LLC. Retrieved 12 May 2015.
  11. "Long Beach CARES: Long Beach, CA Helping Long Beach, MS". City of Long Beach, CA. Retrieved 12 May 2015.
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