Pearl is a city located in

Rankin County, Mississippi Rankin County is a county located in the U.S. state of Mississippi. The western border of the county is formed by the Pearl River. As of the 2020 census, the population was 157,031, making it the fourth-most populous county in Mississippi. The ...

, United States, on the east side of the

Pearl River The Pearl River (, or ) is an extensive river system in southern China. "Pearl River" is often also used as a catch-all for the watersheds of the Pearl tributaries within Guangdong, specifically the Xi ('west'), Bei ('north'), and Dong ( ...

across from the state capital

Jackson Jackson may refer to: Places Australia * Jackson, Queensland, a town in the Maranoa Region * Jackson North, Queensland, a locality in the Maranoa Region * Jackson South, Queensland, a locality in the Maranoa Region * Jackson oil field in Durham, ...

. The population was 27,115 as of the 2020 census. It is part of the

Jackson, Mississippi metropolitan area The Jackson metropolitan statistical area is a metropolitan statistical area (MSA) in the central region of the U.S. state of Mississippi that covers seven counties: Copiah, Hinds, Holmes, Madison, Rankin, Simpson, and Yazoo. As of the 2 ...

. Pearl is the most populous city in Rankin County, and the 12th most populous city in the state.

History

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 capital

in Hinds 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 and Jackson-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. A "Boundary Committee" proposed several possible boundaries a little more than a month later. The following January the community voted for an 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 the

Ku Klux Klan The Ku Klux Klan (), commonly shortened to KKK or Klan, is an American Protestant-led Christian terrorism, Christian extremist, white supremacist, Right-wing terrorism, far-right hate group. It was founded in 1865 during Reconstruction era, ...

, and was white-only for most of the 20th Century. In 1970, Pearl had 9,613 white residents and 10 black residents. By the 1990s Pearl had become more racially integrated, and by 2010 blacks made up 23% of the population. 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, Governor William 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 on a 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 library opened near City Hall on July 18, 2005.

Geography

According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, the city has a total area of , of which is land and (1.00%) is water. Neighboring settlements include

Flowood Flowood is a city in Rankin County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 10,202 as of the 2020 census. A suburb of Jackson, Flowood is part of the Jackson Metropolitan Statistical Area, and is located northeast of the state capital. ...

, Brandon, Richland, and the state capital

. 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.

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 27,115 people, 10,463 households, and 6,662 families residing in the city.

2000 census

As of the census of 2000, there were 21,961 people, 8,608 households, and 6,025 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 9,128 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 81.18%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 16.24%

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 0.22% Native American, 0.79% Asian, 0.03%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...

, 0.78% from other races, and 0.75% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino 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.

Sports

The

Mississippi Mud Monsters The Mississippi Mud Monsters are a professional baseball team based in Pearl, Mississippi. The Mud Monsters compete in the Frontier League (FL) as a member of the West Division, in the Midwest Conference. The Mud Monsters play its home games at th ...

baseball team plays in the

Frontier League The Frontier League (FL; French: ''Ligue Frontière'', LF) is a professional baseball league in North America composed of 18 teams – 15 in the United States and 3 in Canada. The FL is one of the eight independent baseball leagues in North Ame ...

, an independent professional league comparable to

Minor League Baseball Minor League Baseball (MiLB) is a professional baseball organization below Major League Baseball (MLB), constituted of teams affiliated with MLB clubs. It was founded on September 5, 1901, in response to the growing dominance of the National Le ...

Single-A Single-A, formerly known as Class A and sometimes as Low-A, is the fourth-highest level of play in Minor League Baseball in the United States, below Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A, Double-A (baseball), Double-A, and High-A. There are 30 teams cl ...

league. Founded in 2024, they replaced the

Mississippi Braves The Mississippi Braves, or M-Braves as they were referred to locally, were a Minor League Baseball team based in Pearl, Mississippi, a suburb of Jackson, from 2005 to 2024. They were the Double-A affiliate of the Atlanta Braves and competed in ...

, the Double-A Minor League Baseball affiliate of the

Atlanta Braves The Atlanta Braves are an American professional baseball team based in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Braves compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Eas ...

who relocated from Pearl to

Columbus, Georgia Columbus is a consolidated city-county located on the west-central border of the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. Columbus lies on the Chattahoochee River directly across from Phenix City, Alabama. It is the county seat of Muscogee ...

, after the 2024 season. They play their home games at

Trustmark Park Trustmark Park is a baseball stadium in Jackson, Mississippi. It is the home of the Mississippi Mud Monsters, playing in the Frontier League (FL), and the Belhaven Blazers, a college baseball team in the NCAA Division III Collegiate Conference ...

Parks and recreation

Pearl is home to many parks and recreational facilities. *Center City Complex – softball, baseball, soccer, and offices of the Parks and Recreation Department (has been the site of several

United States Specialty Sports Association The United States Specialty Sports Association (USSSA) is a volunteer, sports governing body and a nonprofit organization 3] based in Melbourne, Florida. Originally USSSA stood for United States Slowpitch Softball Association. However, in 1998 ...

Regional and National Tournaments) *Pearl Activity Center (Old Boys Club) – baseball, meeting room, and gymnasium *Bright Park – A 2/3 mile physical fitness walking trail through nature and picnic areas *City Park – A family recreation area which includes, picnic areas, reserveable pavilion, children's playground, tennis courts, basketball court, and covered stage *Jenkins Park – A family recreation facility, children's playground, picnic areas, pavilion, 1/2 mile walking trail, and softball field *Old Library Walking Trail – A 1/4 mile walking trail *Henry F. Shepherd Field Walking Trail – A 1/4 mile walking track around the old Pearl High School football field *Center City Walking Trail – A walking trail winding through the scenic wooded terrain *Pearl Municipal Golf Course – An 18-hole public golf course with a Club House and short order restaurant

Government

Municipal government

The City of Pearl is led by an elected Mayor and Alderman, Board of Aldermen. Each serves a four-year term. Five of the six aldermen represent

single-member districts A single-member district or constituency is an electoral district represented by a single officeholder. It contrasts with a multi-member district, which is represented by multiple officeholders. In some countries, such as Australia and India ...

; the sixth is elected

at-large At large (''before a noun'': at-large) is a description for members of a governing body who are elected or appointed to represent a whole membership or population (notably a city, county, state, province, nation, club or association), rather tha ...

State representation

The

Mississippi Department of Corrections The Mississippi Department of Corrections (MDOC) is a state agency of Mississippi that operates prisons. It has its headquarters in Jackson. Burl Cain is the commissioner. History In 1843 a penitentiary in four city squares in central Jack ...

Central Mississippi Correctional Facility is in an

unincorporated area An unincorporated area is a parcel of land that is not governed by a local general-purpose municipal corporation. (At p. 178.) They may be governed or serviced by an encompassing unit (such as a county) or another branch of the state (such as th ...

in Rankin County, near Pearl.State Prisons
."

. Retrieved May 21, 2010. In 2007 the

Mississippi Highway Patrol The Mississippi Highway Patrol is the highway patrol and acting state police agency for the U.S. state of Mississippi, and has law enforcement jurisdiction over the majority of the state. The Mississippi Highway Patrol specializes in the patrol ...

opened a driver's license facility across the highway from the prison. The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality operates the Central Regional Office and the MDEQ Laboratory in unincorporated Rankin County, near Pearl.Locations and Driving Directions to MDEQ Offices
" Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality. Retrieved September 21, 2010.

Education

Colleges and universities

Hinds Community College Hinds Community College is a public community college with its main campus in Raymond, Mississippi, United States and branches in Jackson, Pearl, Utica, and Vicksburg. The Hinds Community College District includes the counties of Hinds, Cla ...

Rankin Campus (state two-year college) Rankin County is in the district for the college. The Rankin County campus of Hinds Community College opened in Pearl on July 1, 1983.

Primary and secondary schools

The City of Pearl's public schools are served by the Pearl Public School District. The district's board is appointed by the City of Pearl Board of Aldermen. * Pearl High SchoolCity of Pearl, Mississippi 2009 Comprehensive Plan; Pages 25–28. Retrieved May 6, 2009 *Pearl Junior High School *Pearl Upper Elementary *Pearl Lower Elementary *Northside Elementary

Private schools

* Faith Academy – Grades Pre-kindergarten through 8 (part of the

Midsouth Association of Independent Schools The Midsouth Association of Independent Schools (MAIS) is a consortium of schools in Mississippi, Tennessee, Louisiana and Arkansas. It is responsible for accreditation of its member private schools as well as governing athletic competition for i ...

) * Park Place Christian Academy – Grades Pre-kindergarten through 12. PPCA graduated its first senior class in May 2012.

Media

Pearl Municipal Broadcasting is a city-owned outlet broadcasting governmental, educational, and local programming on television, and on radio station WPBP 104.3 FM.

Infrastructure

Transportation

Air travel

Pearl is served by Jackson-Evers International Airport, located at Allen C. Thompson Field in Rankin County.

Ground transportation

Interstate 55 Interstate 55 (I-55) is a major Interstate Highway in the central United States. As with most primary Interstates that end in a five, it is a major cross-country, north–south route, connecting the Gulf of Mexico to the Great Lakes. The ...

Interstate 20 Interstate 20 (I‑20) is a major east–west Interstate Highway in the Southern United States. I-20 runs beginning at an interchange with I-10 in Reeves County, Texas, and ending at an interchange with I-95 in Florence, South Carolina. B ...

* U.S. Highway 49 * U.S. Highway 80 - the main corridor through Pearl *

Mississippi Highway 25 Mississippi Highway 25 (MS 25) runs from I-55 in Jackson, Mississippi to the Tennessee state line north of Iuka. The largely controlled-access part from Jackson to Starkville connects the state capital with the main campus of Mississippi Stat ...

- also known as Lakeland Drive * Mississippi Highway 475

Public safety

Law enforcement within the city limits of Pearl is handled by the Pearl Police Department. The City has no jail facilities and instead uses the Rankin County Jail, which is operated by the Rankin County Sheriff's Department. 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.

Notable people

Tommy Aldridge Tommy Aldridge (born August 15, 1950) is an American heavy metal and hard rock drummer. He is noted for his work with numerous bands and artists since the 1970s, such as Black Oak Arkansas, Pat Travers Band, Ozzy Osbourne, Gary Moore, Whitesn ...

- drummer for

Black Oak Arkansas Black Oak Arkansas is an American Southern rock band named after the band's hometown of Black Oak, Arkansas. The band reached the height of its fame in the 1970s, charting ten albums. Their style is notable for multiple guitar players and ...

Ozzy Osbourne John Michael "Ozzy" Osbourne (born 3 December 1948) is an English singer, songwriter, and media personality. He rose to prominence during the 1970s as the lead singer of the heavy metal music, heavy metal band Black Sabbath, during which per ...

Whitesnake Whitesnake are an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1978. The group were originally put together as the backing band for singer David Coverdale, who had recently left Deep Purple. Though the band quickly developed into their ow ...

and others * Jimmy "Soybean" Henderson – guitarist for

Justin Jenkins Justin Jenkins (born December 10, 1980) is a former American football wide receiver. He was signed by the Philadelphia Eagles as an undrafted free agent in 2004. He played college football at Mississippi State. Jenkins also played for the Hambu ...

, former

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a Professional gridiron football, professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National ...

wide receiver A wide receiver (WR), also referred to as a wideout, and historically known as a split end (SE) or flanker (FL), is an eligible receiver in gridiron football. A key skill position of the offense (American football), offense, WR gets its name ...

George Kersh George Kersh (born July 3, 1968) is a former world-class runner and current high school running coach. High school While running for Pearl High School (Mississippi), Pearl High School, Kersh broke the United States high school national records i ...

, sprinter *

Bianca Knight Bianca Knight (born January 2, 1989) is an American former track and field athlete who competed in the 100 and 200 meters. At the 2012 Summer Olympics she won a team event gold medal in the 4 × 100 metres relay team. In the final, the quartet o ...

, gold medal sprinter at the

2012 Summer Olympics The 2012 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the XXX Olympiad and also known as London 2012, were an international multi-sport event held from 27 July to 12 August 2012 in London, England, United Kingdom. The first event, the ...

LeAnn Rimes Margaret LeAnn Rimes Cibrian (born August 28, 1982) is an American singer, songwriter and actress. She originally rose to success as a country music artist at the age of 13 and has since crossed over into pop, contemporary Christian, and o ...

- singer * Ray Rogers former member of the

Mississippi House of Representatives The Mississippi House of Representatives is the lower house of the Mississippi Legislature, the lawmaking body of the U.S. state of Mississippi. According to the state constitution of 1890, it is to comprise no more than 122 members elected for ...

Ty Tabor Ty Tabor ( ; born September 17, 1961) is an American musician. He is the lead guitarist, songwriter, and co-lead vocalist for the hard rock band King's X. Tabor has a wide-ranging guitar style, from big guitar riffs to middling melodic passages ...

- singer, guitarist for

King's X King's X is an American Rock music, rock band formed in Springfield, Missouri, in 1979. They were first called the Edge and later became Sneak Preview before settling on its current name in 1985. The band's current lineup has remained intact fo ...

* Eric Washington, former

National Basketball Association The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada). The NBA is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Ca ...

player

References

External links

City of Pearl official web site

Pearl Chamber of Commerce
{{authority control Cities in Mississippi Cities in Rankin County, Mississippi Cities in Jackson metropolitan area, Mississippi Populated places established in 1868