Tax collections up for the city and surrounding areas
The sales economy of Bolivar County, and Cleveland in particular, is looking very healthy. While swings and dips are always inevitable in retail and other such sectors, the area has shown positive consistency when it comes to the actual numbers.
According to the Mississippi Department of Revenue website—under the category “Diversions to Cities from Sales Tax Collections”—the most recent data for Cleveland shows the amount of those diversions, through July 1 of 2025, was $464,534.32. This figure is substantially up from $386,713.03 during the same time frame last year.
In surrounding cities in the Delta, the following represents the sales tax collections for the month of July: Clarksdale: $246,581. 12; Greenville: $543,783.66; Greenwood: $465,942.50; Indianola: $179,782.30 and Tunica, $39,822.51.
For Bolivar County communites, the sales tax collection diversions to cities for July were as follows: Rosedale: $10,046.16; Boyle: $46,511.32; Shaw: $7809.23; Merigold: $9052.36; Shelby: $10,222.58 and Mound Bayou, $3,232.98. All cities showed an increase from July of last year, with the exceptions of Rosedale and Mound Bayou, which had slight decreases.
“According to State Department of Revenue data, Cleveland’s retail sector generated over $304 million in gross sales from January through July 2025, with April and May showing the strongest months,” said Crista Cooper, Director of Main Street and Community Development for the Cleveland-Bolivar County Chamber of Commerce.
“While those figures reflect the city as a whole, our downtown plays a large role in that activity. Thanks to local shopping, community support, and events that bring people together, our downtown businesses have stayed busy and vibrant, even during the slower summer months,” she added.
Danny Abraham, owner of Abraham’s in downtown Cleveland, said “Traditionally, in the heat of the summer, retail business slows for many of us here in the Delta. However, here in Cleveland, we draw from such a large area that retail business remains consistent, even during these really hot months.”
He continued, “At Abraham’s specifically, we see an uptick in summer sales. On a daily basis, we draw customers from, not only throughout the Delta, but also all of Arkansas and even Jackson.”
Below are total retail Trade Statistics for Cleveland from the Mississippi Department of Revenue for 2025 through July:
January
Activity: 246
Gross Sales: $41,463,596
Deductions: $13,783,542
Calculated Tax: $1,777,772;
February
Activity: 229
Gross Sales: $43,432,454
Deductions: $22,725,264
Calculated Tax: $1,308,900;
March
Activity: 226
Gross Sales: $39,880,937
Deductions: $17,959,454
Calculated Tax: $1,382,009;
April
Activity: 232
Gross Sales: $51,420,904
Deductions: $27,127,862
Calculated Tax: $1,540,149;
May
Activity: 238
Gross Sales: $47,965,193
Deductions: $23,705,615
Calculated Tax: $1,527,241;
June
Activity: 232
Gross Sales: $40,622,762
Deductions: $16,574,351
Calculated Tax: $1,511,898;
July
Activity: 239
Gross Sales: $39,870,753
Deductions: $16,348,106
Calculated Tax: $1,457,206
The City of Cleveland also benefits greatly from a Economic Development or Tourism tax which is placed within the 38732 Zip Code, which brings in six figure amounts on a monthly basis. This was enacted in the 1996 Legislative session through Senate Bill 3151 which stated: “A 2% tax is imposed on the gross sales of bars, hotels, motels and restaurants. This tax is in addition to all other taxes imposed. Effective December 1, 1996. No repeal date.
‘Hotel’ or ‘motel’ means any establishment engaged in the business of furnishing or providing rooms intended or designed for dwelling, lodging or sleeping purposes to transient guests, where such establishment consists of 6 or more guest rooms and does not include any hospital, convalescent or nursing home or sanitarium, or hotel-like facility operated by or in connection with a hospital or medical clinic providing rooms exclusively for patients and their families.
‘Restaurant’ means all places where prepared food and beverages (including beer and alcoholic beverages) are sold for consumption whether such food is consumed on the premises or not. ‘Restaurant’ does not include any school, hospital, convalescent or nursing home, or any restaurant-like facility operated by or in connection with a school, hospital, medical clinic, convalescent or nursing home providing food for students, patients, visitors, or their families. Prior to June 1, 1998, restaurants and bars were 1%.”