Rebuilt after the war , the city entered a " Golden Age " it become the largest city in Mississippi between 1890 and 1930 , and a leading center for manufacturing in the South , with 44 trains arriving and departing daily . Union Station , built in 1906 , is now a multi @-@ modal center , giving access to the Meridian Transit System , Greyhound Buses , and Trailways , averaging 242 @,@ 360 passengers per year . Although the economy slowed with the decline of the railroad industry , the city has diversified , with healthcare , military , and manufacturing employing the most people in 2010 . The population within the city limits , according to 2008 census estimates , is 38 @,@ 232 , but a population of 232 @,@ 900 in a 45 @-@ mile ( 72 km ) radius and 526 @,@ 500 in a 65 @-@ mile ( 105 km ) radius , of which 104 @,@ 600 and 234 @,@ 200 people respectively are in the labor force , feed the economy of the city .