Grenada County, Mississippi


Grenada County is a county located in the U.S. state of Mississippi. As of the 2020 Census, the population was 21,629. Its county seat is Grenada. The county was named for Granada, Spain. Its western half is part of the Mississippi Delta. Cotton cultivation was important to its economy well into the 20th century.
The Grenada, MS Micropolitan Statistical Area includes all of Grenada County.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of, of which is land and is water.

Major highways

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 21,629. The median age was 42.1 years. 22.8% of residents were under the age of 18 and 19.4% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 88.0 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 83.7 males age 18 and over.
The racial makeup of the county was 52.4% White, 43.5% Black or African American, 0.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% Asian, <0.1% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 0.4% from some other race, and 3.0% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 1.4% of the population.
47.5% of residents lived in urban areas, while 52.5% lived in rural areas.
There were 9,030 households in the county, of which 29.4% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 37.3% were married-couple households, 19.6% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 37.6% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 33.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
There were 10,405 housing units, of which 13.2% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 63.6% were owner-occupied and 36.4% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.2% and the rental vacancy rate was 16.4%.

2019

As of the 2019 United States Census, there were 20,758 people living in the county.
55.3% were White, 42.9% Black or African American, 0.5% Asian, 0.3% Native American, and 1.1% of two or more races. 1.6% were Hispanic or Latino.
There were 8,391 households. The median income for a household in the county was $40,122.

Employment

According to the Greater Grenada Partnership, in 2020, the top 3 local employers were Modine, Lennox, and the Grenada School District Top regional employers include Winchester, Toyota Mississippi, and Franklin Corporation. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that Grenada has added 1,600 direct jobs between 2011 and 2019.
On April 20, 2021, Milwaukee Tool announced that the manufacturing company will expand in Mississippi by constructing an accessories manufacturing facility in Grenada County. The project is a $60 million corporate investment and will create 800 jobs at the Grenada location.
According to a study commissioned by the Mississippi Development Authority and the Mississippi Department of Transportation, Grenada Railroad supports a total of 11,174 jobs, $1.3 billion in gross product and $1 billion in personal income.

Infrastructure

U.S. Senators Roger Wicker, R-Miss., and Cindy Hyde-Smith, R-Mississippi, announced the award of a $6.22 million grant to Grenada Railroad, LLC., to complete the final phase of a project to refurbish a rail line between Canton, Mississippi, and Memphis, Tennessee. Work in progress on the northern 100-mile project is set for completion in Late 2023. The entire 188 miles of the Memphis, TN to Canton, MS line will be rated at 286,000 gross weight on rails with an authorized speed of 40 MPH making it a Class III Short Line Railroad.

Education

is the public school system.

Communities

City

Originally, Grenada County was almost unanimously Democratic, up through the mid 20th Century. Since then, the county has trended heavily Republican. The last Democrat to carry the county was Jimmy Carter in 1980.