Wednesday, June 8, 2016, 9:40 am News Flash Archive

The Census Bureau has quietly revised the population estimates for the city of Greenwood up by 882 persons from its original official value reported in 2010.

The adjustment, which appeared first in the 2013 Population Estimates issued by the Census Bureau in May 2013, showed the population of Leflore County remaining the same, but with people reassigned from living in unincorporated areas of the county into the city of Greenwood.

According to the Census Bureau, "The April 1, 2010 estimates base population may differ from the April 1, 2010 Census count due to legal boundary updates, other geographic program changes, and Count Question Resolution actions."

The numbers are as follows:

Entity	April 2010 Census	Revised April 2010 Population	% Chg
Greenwood	15,205	16,087	+5.8
Itta Bena	2,049	2,048	-0.05
Morgan City	255	255	n/c
Schlater	310	310	n/c
Sidon	509	509	n/c
Rural Leflore County	13,989	13,108	-6.3
Total	32,317	32,317	n/c

As can be seen, in the revised figures, 882 people were reassigned into Greenwood from rural Leflore County. One person was transferred from Itta Bena into rural Leflore County.

These revised figures show what the Census Bureau now believes were the actual population numbers as of April 2010.

This revising upward of the estimated population of Greenwood as of April 2010 is the largest increase, both in absolute numbers and percentage wise, of any city, town, or county in the entire state. The city of Hattiesburg had its population estimate for April 2010 reduced by 225 persons, while the city of Pearl had its population estimate increased by 608 persons.

Overall, the population estimates for the State of Mississippi were adjusted upwards by 806 persons.

The raw data from the Census Bureau may be seen at this link: Census Bureau Population Estimates 2015.

The Taxpayers Channel first reported yesterday that, using these new revised figures, the Census Bureau estimates that Greenwood has shrunk 4.1% in population in the past 5 years, with Leflore County as a whole losing the same percentage in population. See our article here: Greenwood Shrinks 4.1% in 5 Years.

At this time, there does not seem to be any explanation available from the Census Bureau as to which persons in what census blocks were reassigned from outside Greenwood into the city in the revised figures, nor is there any explanation as to what mistakes were made back in 2010 in the original counts.

Click here to see the Census Bureau letter to Mayor Carolyn McAdams certifying the upwardly revised official 2010 Census population figure for the city of Greenwood: Letter to McAdams re: Census error and revised population figure

The paradoxical fact is that, even though Greenwood's population is shrinking at a rate of 8.2% per decade, its currently estimated population still exceeds the artificially lower population the Census Bureau first published for Greenwood back in 2010.

John Pittman Hey
The Taxpayers Channel

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