The first settler in the area was Benjamin Crowley, who arrived from Kentucky in 1821 and made his home about 12 miles (19 km) west of Paragould.

In 1848 a national highway was made through the area, and the county seat was moved to Gainesville, which had a reputation as rather lawless.

The people in Gainesville opposed the move, and shots reportedly were fired, since tempers were high.

In the early 20th century, Clay, Greene, and Craighead counties had sundown town policies forbidding African Americans from living in the area.

[4] As of the 2020 United States census, there were 45,736 people, 17,254 households, and 12,280 families residing in the city.

Over the past few election cycles, Greene County has swung hard towards the GOP.

Each township includes unincorporated areas; some may have incorporated cities or towns within part of their boundaries.

However, the United States census does list Arkansas population based on townships (sometimes referred to as "county subdivisions" or "minor civil divisions").

Each town or city is within one or more townships in an Arkansas county based on census maps and publications.