Long Beach, Mississippi

Long Beach, Mississippi
City
Nickname(s):  The Friendly City
Location of Long Beach in Mississippi
Long Beach, Mississippi Location in the United States
Coordinates: 30°21′9″N 89°9′35″W / 30.35250°N 89.15972°W / 30.35250; -89.15972Coordinates: 30°21′9″N 89°9′35″W / 30.35250°N 89.15972°W / 30.35250; -89.15972
Country	United States
State	Mississippi
County	Harrison
Founded Incorporated	1905
Government
• Mayor	George Bass
Area [2]
• Total	10.65 sq mi (27.57 km2)
• Land	10.26 sq mi (26.57 km2)
• Water	0.39 sq mi (1.01 km2)
Elevation	26 ft (8 m)
Population  (2010)
• Total	14,792
• Estimate  (2019)[1]	16,023
• Density	1,562.15/sq mi (603.16/km2)
Time zone	UTC−6 (CST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
ZIP code	39560
Area code(s)	228
FIPS code	28-41680
GNIS feature ID	0672794
Website	City of Long Beach official website

Long Beach is a city (incorporated August 10, 1905) located in Harrison County, Mississippi, United States. It is part of the Gulfport–Biloxi Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 14,792.^[3]

Geography[]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 10.4 square miles (26.9 km²), of which 10.0 square miles (25.9 km²) is land and 0.39 square miles (1.0 km²), or 3.74% is water.^[4]

Long Beach (map center) is east of Pass Christian and west of Gulfport, along the Gulf of Mexico

Demographics[]

As of the census^[6] of 2000, there were 17,320 people, 6,560 households, and 4,696 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,713.6 people per square mile (661.5/km²). There were 7,203 housing units at an average density of 712.6 per square mile (275.1/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 87.49% White, 7.36% African American, 0.39% Native American, 2.57% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 0.68% from other races, and 1.44% from two or more races. 2.29% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 6,560 households, out of which 36.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.8% were married couples living together, 13.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.4% were non-families. 22.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.61 and the average family size was 3.07.

In the city, the population dispersal was 27.1% under the age of 18, 9.1% from 18 to 24, 29.8% from 25 to 44, 22.8% from 45 to 64, and 11.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.7 males. The median income for a household in the city was $43,289, and the median income for a family was $50,014. Males had a median income of $35,909 versus $24,119 for females. The per capita income for the city was $19,305. 9.0% of the population and 7.7% of families were below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 15.2% of those under the age of 18 and 3.7% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.

Education[]

The city of Long Beach is served by the Long Beach School District. The district operates five campuses and has an enrollment of approximately 2,700 students. These campuses include Long Beach High School, Long Beach Middle School, Reeves Elementary School, Quarles Elementary School, and Harper McCaughan Elementary School, rebuilt in a new location after the previous school was destroyed by Hurricane Katrina.

The Gulf Coast campus of the University of Southern Mississippi is located in Long Beach along Beach Boulevard. The Friendship Oak tree is located on the front lawn of the Southern Miss Gulf Park campus.

History[]

The early 1900s[]

Long Beach began as an agricultural town, based around its radish industry. But on August 10, 1905, Long Beach incorporated and became another city on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. As the years went on, the city moved from its agricultural heritage and moved toward tourism with the beach becoming increasingly popular.

"The Radish capital of the world"[]

Long Beach's early economy was based largely upon radishes. Logging initially drove the local economy, but when the area's virgin yellow pine forests became depleted, row crops were planted on the newly cleared land.^[7]

A productive truck farming town in the early 20th century, citizens of Long Beach proclaimed the city to be the "Radish Capital of the World". The city was especially known for its cultivation of the Long Red radish variety, a favorite beer hall staple in the northern US at the time. In 1921, a bumper crop resulted in the shipment of over 300 train loads of Long Beach's Long Red radishes to northern states.^[8][9]

Eventually, the Long Red radishes for which Long Beach was known fell into disfavor, and the rise of the common button radish caused a dramatic decline in the cultivation of this crop in the area.^[7]

Hurricane Katrina[]

The impact of Hurricane Katrina on the Long Beach shoreline

Nineteen days following the city's centennial, Hurricane Katrina struck the city on August 29, 2005, destroying almost all buildings within 500 meters (1,600 ft) of the Gulf of Mexico shoreline.^{[failed verification]} Many Long Beach residents were left homeless or living in water and or wind damaged houses. At least one person was confirmed dead.^[10]

The city of Long Beach, California, held a fund raiser to help its eponymous relative.^[11] The city of Peoria, Arizona, adopted Long Beach and provided both public and private resources. This resulted in a close relationship between the two communities.^{[citation needed]}

Today[]

This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (June 2014) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)

Today, the city is still recovering from Hurricane Katrina. Residents are returning as beaches and condominiums in the area are being repaired. However, the city has not seen a return of business to pre-Katrina levels due in part to building codes on the beach established by the Federal Emergency Management Agency and Mississippi Emergency Management Agency and to the economic downturn.

Notable people[]

• Richard Bennett, member of the Mississippi House of Representatives^[12]
• Hale Boggs, former member of the U.S. House of Representatives and House majority leader and a member of the Warren Commission^[13]
• Ted N. Branch, retired vice admiral in the United States Navy and former Director of Naval Intelligence^[14]
• Myles Brennan, quarterback for the LSU Tigers^[15]
• Richie Brown, NFL player
• Nick James, former professional defensive tackle^[16]
• Shea Kerry, Writer Producer
• Gerald McRaney, Film Star

References[]

External links[]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Long Beach, Mississippi.

• City of Long Beach official website