Greene County, Mississippi

Greene County
Greene County
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 / 31.22°N 88.64°W
Country	United States
State	Mississippi
Founded	1811
Named for	Nathanael Greene
Seat	Leakesville
Largest town	Leakesville
Area
• Total	719 sq mi (1,860 km2)
• Land	713 sq mi (1,850 km2)
• Water	5.9 sq mi (15 km2) 0.8%
Population (2020)
• Total	13,530
• Density	19/sq mi (7.3/km2)
Time zone	UTC−6 (Central)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district	4th
Website	www.greenecountyms.gov

Greene County is a county located on the southeast border of the U.S. state of Mississippi. As of the 2020 census, the population was 13,530.^[1] Its county seat is Leakesville.^[2] Established in 1811, the county was named for General Nathanael Greene of the American Revolutionary War.^[3]

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

De Soto National Forest (part)

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
Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1820	1,345		—
1830	1,854		37.8%
1840	1,636		−11.8%
1850	2,018		23.3%
1860	2,232		10.6%
1870	2,038		−8.7%
1880	3,194		56.7%
1890	3,906		22.3%
1900	6,795		74.0%
1910	6,050		−11.0%
1920	10,430		72.4%
1930	10,644		2.1%
1940	9,512		−10.6%
1950	8,215		−13.6%
1960	8,366		1.8%
1970	8,545		2.1%
1980	9,827		15.0%
1990	10,220		4.0%
2000	13,299		30.1%
2010	14,400		8.3%
2020	13,530		−6.0%
2023 (est.)	13,601	^[7]	0.5%
U.S. Decennial Census^[8] 1790-1960^[9] 1900-1990^[10] 1990-2000^[11] 2010-2013^[12]

2000 census

As of the census^[13] 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 (7.3 people/km²). There were 4,947 housing units at an average density of 7 units per square mile (2.7 units/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^[update] 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%^[14]

2020 census

Greene County racial composition^[15]
Race	Num.	Perc.
White (non-Hispanic)	9,809	72.5%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic)	3,143	23.23%
Native American	60	0.44%
Asian	21	0.16%
Pacific Islander	3	0.02%
Other/Mixed	323	2.39%
Hispanic or Latino	171	1.26%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 13,530 people, 3,925 households, and 2,624 families residing in the county.

Government and infrastructure

The Mississippi Department of Corrections South Mississippi Correctional Institution is located in an unincorporated area of Greene County.^[16]^[17] 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.^[18]

Communities

Towns

Leakesville (county seat)
McLain
State Line (partly in Wayne County)

Census-designated places

Leaf

Unincorporated communities

United States presidential election results for Greene County, Mississippi^[19]
Year	Republican		Democratic		Third party
Year	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
2020	4,794	82.48%	966	16.62%	52	0.89%
2016	4,335	80.74%	974	18.14%	60	1.12%
2012	4,531	76.51%	1,325	22.37%	66	1.11%
2008	4,361	75.33%	1,366	23.60%	62	1.07%
2004	3,850	72.66%	1,421	26.82%	28	0.53%
2000	3,082	69.48%	1,317	29.69%	37	0.83%
1996	1,947	53.71%	1,347	37.16%	331	9.13%
1992	2,406	51.90%	1,664	35.89%	566	12.21%
1988	2,837	57.08%	1,637	32.94%	496	9.98%
1984	2,744	67.55%	1,297	31.93%	21	0.52%
1980	1,772	50.04%	1,740	49.14%	29	0.82%
1976	1,538	40.80%	2,127	56.42%	105	2.79%
1972	2,884	83.52%	513	14.86%	56	1.62%
1968	132	3.97%	449	13.50%	2,744	82.53%
1964	1,845	89.52%	216	10.48%	0	0.00%
1960	247	15.65%	550	34.85%	781	49.49%
1956	351	28.56%	734	59.72%	144	11.72%
1952	506	28.86%	1,247	71.14%	0	0.00%
1948	14	1.38%	118	11.59%	886	87.03%
1944	109	10.73%	907	89.27%	0	0.00%
1940	66	6.65%	926	93.35%	0	0.00%
1936	46	5.23%	830	94.43%	3	0.34%
1932	29	3.42%	818	96.46%	1	0.12%
1928	342	36.58%	593	63.42%	0	0.00%
1924	31	6.37%	456	93.63%	0	0.00%
1920	24	6.59%	337	92.58%	3	0.82%
1916	32	7.36%	399	91.72%	4	0.92%
1912	13	4.18%	268	86.17%	30	9.65%