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Greene County, Mississippi facts for kids

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Greene County
U.S. county
Leaksville Junior High School
Leaksville Junior High School
Map of Mississippi highlighting Greene County
Location within the U.S. state of Mississippi
Map of the United States highlighting Mississippi
Mississippi's location within the U.S.
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 18.818/sq mi (7.266/km2)
Time zone UTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST) UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district 4th

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. Its county seat is Leakesville. Established in 1811, the county was named for General Nathanael Greene of the American Revolutionary War.

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.

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. 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.

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.

Major highways

  • US 45.svg U.S. Highway 45
  • US 98.svg U.S. Highway 98
  • Circle sign 42.svg Mississippi Highway 42
  • Circle sign 57.svg Mississippi Highway 57
  • Circle sign 63.svg Mississippi Highway 63

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. %±
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 −5.5%
U.S. Decennial Census
1790-1960 1900-1990
1990-2000 2010-2013

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%

2020 census

Greene County racial composition
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.

Communities

Towns

Census-designated places

Unincorporated communities

United States presidential election results for Greene County, Mississippi
Year Republican Democratic Third party
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%


Education

Greene County School District is the only school district.

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Condado de Greene (Misisipi) para niños

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