Pearl, Mississippi | |
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 Riverwind Drive | |
 Flag  Seal  Logo | |
| Nickname: "The Pearl of the South" | |
| Motto: "The City Creating Its Own Future"[1] | |
 Location of Pearl inRankin County, Mississippi | |
 Location ofMississippi in the United States | |
  Pearl, Mississippi Location of Pearl in the United States | |
| Coordinates:32°16′19″N90°06′19″W / 32.27194°N 90.10528°W /32.27194; -90.10528 | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Mississippi |
| County | Rankin |
| Founded | 1865 |
| Incorporation | June 29, 1973 |
| Government | |
| • Type | Weak Mayor-Council |
| • Mayor | Jake Windham (R)[2][3] |
| • Board of Aldermen | David Luckett (R) – Dist. 1 Michael Sartor (R) – Dist. 2 Johnny Steverson (R) – Dist. 3 Casey Foy (R) – Dist. 4 James Thompson (I) – Dist. 5 Gavin Gill (R) – Dist. 6 John McHenry (R) –At-large |
| Area | |
• Total | 25.61 sq mi (66.33 km2) |
| • Land | 25.49 sq mi (66.01 km2) |
| • Water | 0.12 sq mi (0.32 km2) |
| Elevation | 276 ft (84.1 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 27,115 |
| • Density | 1,063.92/sq mi (410.78/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (CST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| Zip Code(s); physical locations | 39208 |
| Zip Code(s);U.S. P.O. boxes | 39288 |
| Area code(s) | 601,769 |
| FIPS code | 28-55760[5] |
| GNIS feature ID | 0675537[6] |
| Website | http://www.cityofpearl.com |
| For additional city data see:City-Data | |
Pearl is a city located inRankin County, Mississippi, United States, on the east side of thePearl River across from the state capitalJackson. The population was 27,115 as of the2020 census. It is part of theJackson, Mississippi metropolitan area.
Pearl is the most populous city in Rankin County, and the12th most populous city in the state.
After the American Civil War, the bottomlands of the Pearl River were developed for agriculture. The population was sparse until the mid-1900s when the development of the state capitalJackson inHinds County to the west spilled over into Rankin County. New residents and industry settled here. Thereafter, growth in the area came from the urban expansion of the capital, control of flood threats from the Pearl River, and improved transportation due to accessible interstates andJackson-Evers International Airport.
On September 16, 1968, a community meeting was held to discuss the incorporation of Pearl, with all but six of the 657 attending residents favoring incorporation.[7] A "Boundary Committee" proposed several possible boundaries a little more than a month later. The following January the community voted for an 11 square miles (28 km2) boundary that included the Pearl River to Airport Road, excluding East Jackson and all areas south of Interstate 20 except Cunningham Heights and Grandview Heights. A majority at that meeting also agreed to name the city "Pearl", rather than the alternative proposals of "Riverview" or "Brightsville".
Pearl was affected by the violence of theKu Klux Klan,[8] and was white-only for most of the 20th Century. In 1970, Pearl had 9,613 white residents and 10 black residents.[9] By the 1990s Pearl had become more racially integrated, and by 2010 blacks made up 23% of the population.[10]
The first mayor, Harris Harvey, was elected, along with council members Jimmy Joe Thompson, W.D. McAlpin, James Netherland, Ophelia Byrd, Mack C Atwood, W.L. Maddox, and Bobby Joe Davis. With the Mississippi Supreme Court ruling of June 5, 1973, the incorporation could proceed. A week later, the state legislature issued a charter. On June 29, 1973, GovernorWilliam Winter presided over the first annual Pearl Day Celebration, with the swearing in of the city's new officials, who met for the first time on July 3, 1973.
The Pearl Municipal Separate School District was created on May 18, 1976, by an Ordinance of the City of Pearl Mayor and Board of Aldermen. The first franchise by the City of Pearl for cable television installation was granted on July 6, 1976. The Pearl Chamber of Commerce was formed on August 24, 1978.
On October 1, 1997, Luke Woodham went ona shooting spree that ended at Pearl High School, killing two and injuring seven, after earlier stabbing his mother to death.
Over the years the city has redeveloped the former Pearl High School into City Hall, including the Pearl Police Department, public works departments, and city courts. A large auditorium-style Community Center was built next door. Its clock tower is inscribed with the names of graduates of Pearl High School for the period 1949 through 1989 while the high school occupied the building. A 25,000 sq ft (2,300 m2) library opened near City Hall on July 18, 2005.
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 22.0 square miles (57 km2), of which 21.8 square miles (56 km2) is land and 0.2 square miles (0.52 km2) (1.00%) is water. Neighboring settlements includeFlowood,Brandon,Richland, and the state capitalJackson.
According to its 2008 Annual Drinking Water Quality Report, Pearl's drinking water comes from the Sparta Sand Aquifer via nine wells that draw the water from it.[11]
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 18,602 | — | |
| 1990 | 19,588 | 5.3% | |
| 2000 | 21,961 | 12.1% | |
| 2010 | 25,092 | 14.3% | |
| 2020 | 27,115 | 8.1% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[12] | |||
| Race | Num. | Perc. |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 16,852 | 62.15% |
| Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 7,236 | 26.69% |
| Native American | 38 | 0.14% |
| Asian | 326 | 1.2% |
| Pacific Islander | 86 | 0.32% |
| Other/Mixed | 1,044 | 3.85% |
| Hispanic orLatino | 1,533 | 5.65% |
As of the2020 United States census, there were 27,115 people, 10,463 households, and 6,662 families residing in the city.
As of the census[5] of 2000, there were 21,961 people, 8,608 households, and 6,025 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,005.9 inhabitants per square mile (388.4/km2). There were 9,128 housing units at an average density of 418.1 per square mile (161.4/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 81.18%White, 16.24%African American, 0.22%Native American, 0.79%Asian, 0.03%Pacific Islander, 0.78% fromother races, and 0.75% from two or more races.Hispanic orLatino of any race were 2.03% of the population.
There were 8,608 households, out of which 34.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.2% were married couples living together, 15.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.0% were non-families. 25.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.55 and the average family size was 3.05.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 26.4% under the age of 18, 10.1% from 18 to 24, 31.8% from 25 to 44, 21.4% from 45 to 64, and 10.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.6 males.
In the most recent census (2010), the racial demographics have changed similar to many other Jackson suburbs. The following are the most current demographics: White alone 69.8%, African American 23.0%, American Indian and Alaska Native 0.2%, Asian 0.9%, Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander 0.2%, Two or More Races 1.7%, Hispanic 6.4%.
The median income for a household in the city was $37,617, and the median income for a family was $42,013. Males had a median income of $30,860 versus $24,610 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,136. About 9.2% of families and 12.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.3% of those under age 18 and 12.4% of those age 65 or over.
TheMississippi Braves or "M-Braves", theDouble-AMinor League Baseball affiliate of theAtlanta Braves, played in theSouthern League from 2005 to 2024. The team had their first game at the brand newTrustmark Park on April 18, 2005, losing to theMontgomery Biscuits. They relocated from Pearl toColumbus, Georgia, as theColumbus Clingstones after the 2024 season.[14]
Pearl is home to many parks and recreational facilities.
The City of Pearl is led by an elected Mayor andBoard of Aldermen. Each serves a four-year term.[15] Five of the six aldermen representsingle-member districts; the sixth is electedat-large.
TheMississippi Department of CorrectionsCentral Mississippi Correctional Facility is in anunincorporated area inRankin County, near Pearl.[16][17] In 2007 theMississippi Highway Patrol opened a driver's license facility across the highway from the prison.[18]
TheMississippi Department of Environmental Quality operates the Central Regional Office and the MDEQ Laboratory in unincorporated Rankin County, near Pearl.[19][20]
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Rankin County is in the district for the college.[22]
The Rankin County campus of Hinds Community College opened in Pearl on July 1, 1983.[citation needed]
The City of Pearl's public schools are served by thePearl Public School District.[23] The district's board is appointed by the City of Pearl Board of Aldermen.
Pearl Municipal Broadcasting is a city-owned outlet broadcasting governmental, educational, and local programming on television, and on radio station WPBP 104.3 FM.[24]
Pearl is served byJackson-Evers International Airport, located at Allen C. Thompson Field in Rankin County.
Law enforcement within the city limits of Pearl is handled by the Pearl Police Department. The City has no jail facilities and instead uses theRankin County Jail, which is operated by the Rankin County Sheriff's Department.[15]
Fire protection and prevention within the city limits of Pearl is handled by the Pearl Fire Department. The department operates four stations throughout the city.[15]
[...]located in the Hinds Community College District (Hinds, Rankin, Warren, Claiborne, and Copiah counties)[...]
Municipalities and communities ofRankin County, Mississippi,United States | ||
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| Cities |  | |
| Towns | ||
| Village | ||
| CDPs | ||
| Unincorporated communities | ||
| Ghost towns | ||
| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
| International | |
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| National | |
