Greenville is the ninth-most populous city in the U.S. state of Mississippi, and the largest city by population in the Mississippi Delta region. It is the county seat of Washington County. The population was 29,670 at the 2020 Census.

History Early history This area was occupied by indigenous peoples for thousands of years. When the French explored here, they encountered the historic Natchez people. As part of their colony known as La Louisiane, the French established a settlement at what became Natchez, Mississippi. Other Native American tribes also lived in what is now known as Mississippi.

The current city of Greenville is the third in the State to bear the name. The first, (known as Old Greenville) located to the south near Natchez, was the Jefferson County seat from 1803 to 1825 but became defunct soon after the American Revolution, as European-American settlement was then still concentrated in the eastern states. This ghost town was in no way related to the second Greenville except that they eventually shared a name.

Many migrants came to the area of the future, second Greenville, located approximately 150 miles north of the first Greenville, from the eastern and Upper South states, seeking land for developing cotton plantations, and this area became a trading center for the region's plantations. In 1830, the United States Congress passed the Indian Removal Act, which authorized the government to make treaties to revoke Native American land claims in exchange for lands west of the Mississippi River. They forced most of the Southeastern tribes to Indian Territory during the following decade.

After it became necessary to relocate the county seat of Washington County in 1844 due to the loss of land to the newly formed Issaquena County, the not-yet-established second Greenville was designated as the future county seat and finally became so upon its founding in 1847. American William W. Blanton filed for land from the United States government and was granted section four, township eighteen, range eight west; this plot now constitutes most of current downtown Greenville (the third). It was named by its founders for General Nathanael Greene, friend of President George Washington, for whom the county was named. This Greenville was thriving hamlet in the antebellum years, as cotton plantations developed in the area generated high profits for major planters. They used indentured Whites, captured Indians and African slaves as farmhands on the plantations.

Washington County's two previous county seats, New Mexico and Princeton, were located along the Mississippi River and had been eroded by the waters, to the point that they were destroyed. As county seat, Greenville was the trading, business, and cultural center for the large cotton plantations that surrounded it. Most plantations were located directly on the Mississippi and other major navigable tributaries. The interior bottomlands were not developed until after the Civil War.

The destruction of Greenville and the Civil War The town (the second Greenville, eventually also referred to as Old Greenville by its residents who may not have been familiar with Mississippi's first Greenville, which by then had disappeared) was destroyed during the Union Army's actions related to the siege of Vicksburg. Troops from a Union gunboat landed at Greenville. In retaliation for being fired upon, they burned every building. The inhabitants took refuge in plantation homes of the area. When the war ended, veterans of Mississippi regiments returned to find Greenville in a state of ruin.

The former residents soon decided to build again. They chose a new site (the third, current Greenville) three miles away, at the highest point on the Mississippi River between the towns of Vicksburg and Memphis. Much of the land belonged to the Roach and Blanton families; the major part of the area selected was within property owned by Mrs. Harriet Blanton Theobald. She welcomed the idea of a new Greenville, and donated land for schools, churches and public buildings. She was called the "Mother of Greenville". Major Richard O’Hea, who had planned the wartime defense fortifications at Vicksburg, was hired to lay out the new town.

Greenville recovered prosperity, still based on cotton, despite the decline in world markets for this commodity. In the early 20th century, its elite families had considerable political influence in the state, and US Senator Leroy Percy was from here. Several residences and other buildings from the late 19th and early 20th centuries have been listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It was a center of Delta culture in the early 20th century. This city adapted the former site to serve as industrial fill.

Nelson Street

African Americans in the Delta developed rich varieties of innovative music. Nelson Street is a historic strip of blues clubs that drew crowds in the 1940s and 1950s to the flourishing club scene to hear Delta blues, big band, jump blues and jazz. Record companies came to Greenville to recruit talent. It was similar to Beale Street in mid-20th century Memphis.

In the early 21st century, the Mississippi Blues Commission was established to commemorate this music in the state's history and culture. It has identified sites throughout the Delta as part of the Mississippi Blues Trail.

Southern Whispers Restaurant on Nelson Street in Greenville was the second site identified on this trail; this was a stop on the Chitlin' Circuit in the early days of the blues. The historic marker in front of the restaurant commemorates its importance in the history of the blues in Mississippi.

21st century In 2020 the city ordered churches to shut down to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and issued citations and fines to those attending a drive-in church gathering. The U.S. Justice Department intervened on behalf of the church.

Geography

Greenville is located on the eastern bank of Lake Ferguson, an oxbow lake left from an old channel of the Mississippi River.

One floating casino is located on the lake near the downtown area known as the Trop Casino Greenville, with a second just west of the city near the Greenville Bridge known as Harlow's Casino Resort. Chicago Mill and Lumber Co. operated a lumber mill on the lake two-tenths of a mile south of the casino levee parking lot; the mill specialized in making hardwood boxes until it closed.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which is land and (2.82%) is water.

Climate

Demographics

Racial and ethnic composition +Greenville city, Mississippi – Racial and ethnic compositionRace / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)Pop 2000Pop 2010% 2000% 2010White alone (NH)11,9636,8944,85728.73%20.04%16.37%Black or African American alone (NH)28,87126,75023,87469.35%77.76%80.47%Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)2845430.07%0.13%0.14%Asian alone (NH)2922512640.70%0.73%0.89%Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH)5550.01%0.01%0.02%Other race alone (NH)861420.02%0.02%0.48%Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)1691564850.41%0.45%1.63%Hispanic or Latino (any race)2972932690.71%0.85%0.91%Total41,63334,40029,670100.00%100.00%100.00%

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, Greenville had a population of 29,670 in 11,874 households and 7,405 families.

The median age was 40.3 years. 24.2% of residents were under the age of 18 and 18.1% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 84.3 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 80.1 males age 18 and over.

95.3% of residents lived in urban areas, while 4.7% lived in rural areas.

Of the 11,874 households, 30.8% had children under the age of 18 living in them. 26.5% were married-couple households, 20.3% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 45.7% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 33.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

There were 13,824 housing units, of which 14.1% were vacant. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.0% and the rental vacancy rate was 15.4%.

+ Racial composition as of the 2020 census Race Number Percent White 4,857 16.4% Black or African American 23,874 80.5% American Indian and Alaska Native 43 0.1% Asian 264 0.9% Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander 5 0.0% Some other race 142 0.5% Two or more races 485 1.6% Hispanic or Latino (of any race) 269 0.9%

2013 ACS As of the 2013 American Community Survey, there were 33,928 people living in the city. 75.9% were African American, 21.7% White, 0.0% Native American, 0.8% Asian, 0.9% from some other race and 0.7% from two or more races. 1.2% were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

2000 census As of the census of 2000, there were 41,633 people, 18,784 households, and 14,422 families living in the city. The population density was . There were 16,251 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 28.92% White, 69.60% Black, 0.07% Native American, 0.71% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.20% from other races, and 0.49% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.71% of the population.

There were 14,784 households, out of which 35.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 37.8% were married couples living together, 27.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.5% were non-families. Of all households, 25.8% were made up of individuals, and 10.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.77 and the average family size was 3.34.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 31.4% under the age of 18, 10.1% from 18 to 24, 26.3% from 25 to 44, 20.5% from 45 to 64, and 11.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females, there were 85.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 77.5 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $25,928, and the median income for a family was $30,788. Males had a median income of $29,801 versus $20,707 for females. The per capita income for the city was $13,992. About 25.7% of families and 29.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 38.2% of those under age 18 and 23.6% of those age 65 or over.

1990 census As of the census of 1990, there were 45,226 people living in the city. The racial makeup of the city was 59.41% (26,867) Black or African American, 39.54% (17,881) White, 0.08% (37) Native American, 0.41% (185) Asian, and 0.01% (4) from other races. 0.56% (252) were Hispanic or Latino of any race. Government Mayors of Greenville, Mississippi Image Mayor Years Notes ? 1824–? L. Wilczinski 1875–1887 R. W. Tilford 1887–1889 J. H. Wynn 1889–? –? J. T. Gooch December 1919 – July 15, 1920 Resigned effective July 15, 1920 due to the need to conduct business away from the city J. Allen Hunt July 15, 1920 – ? Appointed mayor after resignation of J.T. Gooch ? Fred Schelben 1928–1932 E. G. Ham 1932–1934 Milton C. Smith 1934–1944 E. M. Gray 1944–1948 George F. Archer 1948–1964 Pat Dunne 1964–1976 William Burnley 1976– July 31, 1990 Defeated in a runoff election He was authorized to serve until August 8, 1990 but resigned effective July 31, 1990. Jerre Lane July 31, 1990 – August 8, 1990 Vice Mayor Lane served as interim mayor after William Burnley's resignation Frank Self August 8, 1990 – 1995 Paul Artman Jr. 1996–2003 Heather McTeer Toney 2004–2011 First African-American mayor Chuck Jordan2012 Resigned effective September 24, 2012 after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Carolyn Weathers September 24, 2012 – October 24, 2012 Vice Mayor Weathers served as interim mayor after Chuck Jordan's resignation John Cox October 24, 2012 – 2014 Elected in a special election on October 22, 2012, to complete Jordan's term; sworn in on October 24, 2012. Errick Simmons2015–Present 2nd African-American mayor