RoadsideThoughts
A Gazetteer for the United States and Canada
Home >> State of Mississippi >> Washington County >> Greenville >> Census DataIndex...










Learn About
The Commemorative
Quarter for
Mississippi


The Commemorative Quarter for Mississippi







Census Data for Greenville

Population ...

The most recent Census Estimate<1> was for 2019 and it gave Greenville a population of 29,110 people.

The last Decennial Census<2> was in 2010, which gave Greenville a population of 34,400 people.

The city of Greenville is located in Washington County. The 2010 Census gave Washington County; a population of 51,137 people. This means that Greenville had 67.3% of the county's total population, making it Washington's most populous community.

At the same time, Mississippi had a population of 2,967,297 people, meaning that Greenville had 1.16% of the total population of Mississippi - making it the state's 8th most populous community.

Area ...

The 2010 Census shows that the sampling area for Greenville has a total area of 27.66 square miles [71.6 km²]. Of this total, 26.9 square miles [69.7 km²] is land, with the balance (2.75%) being water (0.76 square miles [2 km²]).

Washington County has a land area of 724 square miles [1,877.1 km²]. At 26.9 square miles [69.7 km²], Greenville has 3.71% of the county's total land area.

  • Continue Reading ...
    • When the Census Bureau conducts a census for a city like Greenville, they draw a boundary around the area in which they are going to conduct their count - this defines the sampling area (usually a polygon). The shape of the sampling area can be quite complex and it's important to keep in mind that the boundaries of the sampling area may or may not match the recognized boundaries of the city.
    • Things like population, area and housing for Greenville reflect the sampling area. Since the shape of the sampling area and the actual boundaries of Greenville might be different, it's best to check with the U.S. Census Bureau to resolve any difference between the two.
    • Not only does the sampling area define boundaries, it also has a GPS location (latitude & longitude) that indicates a point within the sampling area (usually the center of the polygon, known as the centroid). At the time of the 2010 Census, the sampling area was located at:
    • Lat:   33° 23' 0"   (or 33.38°)
    • Lon:   -91° 3' 8"   (or -91.05°)
    • More information on this topic and the changes between the 2000 Census and the 2010 Census can be found in the section for our Census-to-Census Observations ... (see below).

Housing Units ...

At the time of the 2010 Census, Greenville had 14,561 Housing Units<3> and with its population of 34,400 people, this averages 2.36 people per Housing Unit.

  • Continue Reading ...
    • The 2010 Census shows Greenville had a land area of 26.9 square miles [69.7 km²]. This translates to 526 Housing Units per square mile [203.3 housing units/km²].
    • From the Census of 2000: Greenville had 16,251 Housing Units, a population of 41,633 people and a land area of 26.88 square miles [69.6 km²]. This gives a density of 2.56 people per Housing Unit and 587 Housing Units per square mile [226.8 housing units/km²].
    • Note: Repeating the caution above (under Population Density), be aware that when comparing Housing Units between the 2010 Census and the 2000 Census, there were changes in the sampling area for Greenville and you need to be careful when comparing values between the censuses. More information about these differences can be found in the section called Census-to-Census Observations ... (see below).

Washington County ...

The community of Greenville is located in Washington County<4> and is the County Seat for Washington County.

The county had a population of 51,137 people at the 2010 Census. With it's population of 34,400 people, Greenville represented 67.3% of the county's total.

In addition, where the city of Greenville has a population density of 1,243 people per square mile [480.3 people/km²], Washington County averages 70.6 people per square mile [27.24 people/km²].

For more information, please visit our Census Page for Washington County.

Census-to-Census Observations ...

Introduction ...

When the Census Bureau takes a census count (or enumeration) for Greenville, they start by specifying the boundaries of the area to be counted. This area (or sampling area) is a polygon and its shape can be quite complex - it may or may not match the geographical boundaries of Greenville. It's important to note that from one Census to the next, the shape and location of the polygon can change.

  • Continue Reading ...
    • Although we don't have specific information about the shape of the polygon for Greenville or how it changed has over time, there is some information that can give us some hints. For example, since the shape of the sampling area is directly related to the shape of the polygon, any change to area probably indicates a new shape for the polygon.
    • If you need precision or details about the methodology of the Census, you should visit the U.S. Census Bureau for a definitive answer.

Location ...

While generally coinciding with the GPS location (latitude/longitude) of Greenville, the latitude and longitude given by the Census Bureau actually indicates the GPS location of the polygon for Greenville.

  • Continue Reading ...
    • For the 2010 Census, the location was given as:
    • Lat:   33.383461°   (or 33°23'0" N)
    • Lon:   -91.052314°   (or -91°3'8" W)
    • For the 2000 Census, the location given was:
    • Lat:   33.398577°   (or 33°23'54" N)
    • Lon:   -91.048356°   (or -91°2'54" W)
    • The difference indicates that the U.S. Census Bureau moved the location of the polygon for the 2010 Census 5,641 feet to the south<5> of the location that was used in the 2000 Census.
    • The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the U.S. Board on Geographic Names (BGN) have assigned a unique GNIS identifier (#2403752) to Greenville. This identifier also marks a GPS point on the map, and that point lies within the boundaries of Greenville. The GNIS point has been mapped to the latitude/longitude:
    • Lat:   33.385022°   (or 33°23'6" N)
    • Lon:   -91.051424°   (or -91°3'5" W)
    • The GPS location given for the 2010 Census lies 630 feet to the southwest<6> of the point given by the GNIS for Greenville. For more information about this and the relationship of the various Federal Codes, please visit our Misc Page for Greenville.

Miscellaneous Information for Greenville ...

The Federal government has assigned various identifying codes to each community, county and state. At one time or another, the US Census Bureau has used one (or more) of the following identifiers when referring to either Washington County or the city of Greenville:

  • The GNIS Codes ...
    • The current system of identification is called the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS). The following GNIS codes relate to Greenville:
    • GNIS ID for Greenville: 2403752
    • GNIS ID for Washington County: 695796
    • GNIS ID for State of Mississippi: 1779790
  • Misc. Census Codes ...
    • Greenville is located in Census Region #3 (the South Region) and Division #6 (the East South-Central Division).

For more information about the various Federal identification codes, please visit our Misc Page for Greenville.

The official website for Greenville: www.greenville.ms.us/

The official website for State of Mississippi: https://www.ms.gov/

The official website of the U.S. Census Bureau

The official website of the U.S. Board on Geographic Names (BGN)

The official website of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS)

Footnotes ...

<1>Every year, the US Census Bureau creates a population estimate for the preceeding year. Keep in mind that this value is an estimate and not an actual count. The most recent Census estimate is for the year 2019.
<2>Every 10 years (eg- 1990, 2000, 2010), the US Census Bureau conducts a Constitutionally-mandated count (or enumeration) of people living within the United States. This count is called a Decennial Census. The last Decennial Census was the 2010 Census, with the next one planned for 2020.
<3>A Housing Unit is a broad term for those places where people live (whether occupied or temporarily vacant), such as a house, an apartment, a mobile home, or an area that is considered as a separate living quarter. Separate living quarters (consisting of one or more rooms) are considered to be those places where people live, sleep and eat separately from others and that have access to the outside (either directly or by a shared hallway).
<4>If you're interested in how the shape of Mississippi's counties, including Washington, have changed over time, we recommend the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries.
<5>The calculated bearing (or angle) to the 2010 Census location is 167 degrees and a distance of 5,641 feet.
<6>The calculated bearing (or angle) to the GNIS point is 154 degrees and a distance of 630 feet.









 

Copyright 2024
All Rights Reserved

Thank you for visiting our website.

In closing, please keep in mind that we can not guarantee the accuracy or timeliness of the information on this website, so use with care. We encourage you to double-check the information that is critical to you.

If you've found an error or have additional information that you would like to share, please don't hesitate to write: Click here to contact us.

This page was last modified/updated: 10 Mar 2024