10 Most Populous Cities (1920-2000) (Hattiesburg, Greenville: costs, vs., agriculture)

[gvillesux]

USG and Uncle Ben's rice are the only factories left. 2 casinos, a hospital and then a bunch of mom/pop stores/diners, but for the most part it still continues its downward spiral. There if effort to revitalize down town, maybe it will help. But more than just tourist dollars this town need real jobs, and for that you have to have an employable workforce that WANTS to work. We don't have that.

[kettlepot]

Originally Posted by Sharif662

1960
9. Columbus (25,795)

1970
8. Columbus (25,795)

I see that Columbus had the exact same population in 1960 and 1970.

Typo? Or, statistical coincidence?

[Phil75230]

Maybe I'm nitpicking, but city size by itself says nothing. The automobile and suburbanization changes things. If you judge community size by how much economic, commercial, and cultural activity one has very easy access to, it's better to go for county size and (in the case of Jackson, Hattiesburg, and the Gulf Coast), metro area size

[Sharif662]

Originally Posted by kettlepot

I see that Columbus had the exact same population in 1960 and 1970.

Typo? Or, statistical coincidence?

Thanks for recognizing that typo.

1960- 24,771

[Sharif662]

Originally Posted by Phil75230

Maybe I'm nitpicking, but city size by itself says nothing. The automobile and suburbanization changes things. If you judge community size by how much economic, commercial, and cultural activity one has very easy access to, it's better to go for county size and (in the case of Jackson, Hattiesburg, and the Gulf Coast), metro area size

Generally its economics & commercial activities that draws people to cities in the first place.

[SonySegaTendo617]

I never knew Laurel used to have a much higher ranking, when it came to the more populated cities and towns in Mississippi. For whatever reason, I certainly wouldn't have guessed it and Hattiesburg were once almost close to equal in population, in the 1920s. I guess Hattiesburg took off in population, once they gained USM and the army base?

As for Greenville and Natchez(probably also Vicksburg too), I guess the decline was due to industry starting to move away from all those cities? It's sad to think about the decline of those cities, particularly Greenville. I'd suspect not being near an interstate expressway(though it does have a 4 lane road connecting it to I-55), probably hurts Greenville as well. And that more and more goods are transported via expressways today.

[gvillesux]

https://docs.wixstatic.com/ugd/b12e6...973d4eecb5.pdf page 39 says Greenville's population MUST stabilize no lower than the 22-25000 range in order to stay viable. Official projections say it will get this low within 13 years, and that is only if the city actually follows the plan. The thing is the city never truly supports these types plans so many people here anticipate even more rapid decline than "officially expected". the Hwy 82 corridor has many empty buildings and vacant lots, they simply do not sell. Sadly if the 82 bypass is ever completed this will devalue the properties even more and result in more eyesores. The city has had to close a couple older schools in the last few years due to population declines, not because of "white flight" but because district enrollment is down over 1000 students from even the lower income families leaving. Common sense tells you that if those living off government assistance no longer want to live in an area due to its decline then it has reached a fatal point. large sections of town look abandoned, as is referenced in the above linked document on page 15.

[Mouldy Old Schmo]

Originally Posted by gvillesux

https://docs.wixstatic.com/ugd/b12e6...973d4eecb5.pdf page 39 says Greenville's population MUST stabilize no lower than the 22-25000 range in order to stay viable. Official projections say it will get this low within 13 years, and that is only if the city actually follows the plan. The thing is the city never truly supports these types plans so many people here anticipate even more rapid decline than "officially expected". the Hwy 82 corridor has many empty buildings and vacant lots, they simply do not sell. Sadly if the 82 bypass is ever completed this will devalue the properties even more and result in more eyesores. The city has had to close a couple older schools in the last few years due to population declines, not because of "white flight" but because district enrollment is down over 1000 students from even the lower income families leaving. Common sense tells you that if those living off government assistance no longer want to live in an area due to its decline then it has reached a fatal point. large sections of town look abandoned, as is referenced in the above linked document on page 15.

I heard on the "Delta News" that Darling Elementary has closed. It is off Broadway near the fire department.
The old Sears building downtown has been remodeled, but I don't believe a revival of downtown is possible.
I used to work at the Percy Library. I think its patronage has declined over the years. It hasn't been given a facelift since it opened in the 1960s.
I remember when Waldenbooks and later Bookland were in the Greenville Mall. There hasn't been a bookstore in the mall in over 10 years. And McCormick's Book Inn on South Main closed a few years ago.

[Mouldy Old Schmo]

It is possible that Greenville's population will fall below 30,000 by the time of the 2020 Census. If you travel along Highway 1 south of Greenville, you can see where a number of them moved so they could send their kids to Riverside schools in Avon. You can also find some affluent former Greenvillians living across the Mississippi River along Lake Chicot in Arkansas.

[Sharif662]

Originally Posted by gvillesux

https://docs.wixstatic.com/ugd/b12e6...973d4eecb5.pdf page 39 says Greenville's population MUST stabilize no lower than the 22-25000 range in order to stay viable. Official projections say it will get this low within 13 years, and that is only if the city actually follows the plan. The thing is the city never truly supports these types plans so many people here anticipate even more rapid decline than "officially expected". the Hwy 82 corridor has many empty buildings and vacant lots, they simply do not sell. Sadly if the 82 bypass is ever completed this will devalue the properties even more and result in more eyesores. The city has had to close a couple older schools in the last few years due to population declines, not because of "white flight" but because district enrollment is down over 1000 students from even the lower income families leaving. Common sense tells you that if those living off government assistance no longer want to live in an area due to its decline then it has reached a fatal point. large sections of town look abandoned, as is referenced in the above linked document on page 15.

In due time, we will see the outcome.