The Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments counts 20 local governments in Hancock County. This page lists the ones whose offices are elected.
Kind of government
Census count (2022)
Listed on this page
County government
1
1
Cities, towns, villages and townships
3
0
School districts (school boards)
2
0
Special districts (elected boards)
14
0
Census Bureau, 2022 Census of Governments: Government Units Listing (census.gov).
About these counts
The Census Bureau counts every independent local government once, in the county it assigns it to: the one it mostly serves or where it's based. A city or district that crosses county lines is counted in only one county, so it may be listed on this page but counted elsewhere, or the other way around. Many special districts, such as housing authorities, have appointed boards, and some places have more than one elected body, so the two columns measure different things. School systems run by a county, city or the state aren't counted as separate governments, though their boards may be listed here; in some states the Bureau counts community or state colleges as school districts. The counts are as of 2022.
Who lives in Hancock County
46,167people
46.6median ageU.S.: 38.9
$67,708 household incomeU.S.: $80,734
13.8%below the U.S.: 12.5%
26.8%of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degreeU.S.: 35.7%
$224,200median home valueU.S.: $332,700
5%unemployed (of the labor force)U.S.: 5.2%
2.5%born outside the U.S.U.S.: 14.1%
10.2%of adults are veteransU.S.: 6.2%
9.3%U.S.: 8.4%
50.2%of renting households pay of income on rentU.S.: 51.1%
24.5%of homeowners with a mortgage pay of income on housing costsU.S.: 28.1%
Race and Hispanic origin: Hispanic or Latino 4.2% · White 83.4% · Black 7.1% · Asian 1% · Other or more than one race 4.3% (Hispanic or Latino people can be of any race; the other groups are non-Hispanic.)
Census Bureau, 2020–2024 5-year estimates (data.census.gov).
About these figures
The American Community Survey asks about 3.5 million households a year about who lives there, their work, income, schooling and housing. The 5-year estimates pool 2020–2024 answers so that every county and district has enough of them. They're estimates with a (larger for smaller places), and they're different from the once-a-decade census count. "Median" means half are above and half below. Household income is before taxes and includes everyone in the household. The unemployment share here is the survey's five-year average, so it differs from the monthly rate in the BLS jobs report. Race and Hispanic origin are as people describe themselves.
Health insurance means any coverage, private or public (such as Medicaid or Medicare), when people answered; the share is of everyone except people on active military duty and people living in institutions such as prisons and nursing homes. The housing shares are of renting households, and of homeowners with a mortgage, for whom the Census Bureau can compute them (households with no income, or renters who pay no cash rent, are left out). Rent here is gross rent, rent plus utilities; owner costs include the mortgage, property taxes, insurance, utilities and fees.
Jobs in Hancock County
2.9%September 2026, preliminary. A year earlier: 3.1%. Mississippi: 3.3%.
634people unemployedSeptember 2026, preliminary.
21,242people employedSeptember 2026, preliminary. Counted where they live, not where they work.
21,876in the September 2026, preliminary.
Yearly average unemployment rate, 2016–2025.
Every month, last two years
Month
Rate
Unemployed
Employed
Labor force
September 2026 (preliminary)
2.9%
634
21,242
21,876
August 2026
2.6%
578
21,296
21,874
July 2026
3.0%
671
21,650
22,321
June 2026
3.4%
758
21,488
22,246
May 2026
2.8%
624
21,718
22,342
April 2026
2.5%
545
21,519
22,064
March 2026
3.2%
704
21,436
22,140
February 2026
3.7%
817
21,329
22,146
January 2026
3.2%
690
21,096
21,786
December 2025
2.7%
603
21,721
22,324
November 2025
3.0%
670
21,642
22,312
October 2025
not collected (2025 federal shutdown)
September 2025
3.1%
686
21,722
22,408
August 2025
3.4%
769
21,640
22,409
July 2025
3.5%
804
21,924
22,728
June 2025
3.6%
818
21,728
22,546
May 2025
3.2%
705
21,667
22,372
April 2025
2.7%
608
21,731
22,339
March 2025
3.1%
682
21,573
22,255
February 2025
3.5%
765
21,374
22,139
January 2025
3.3%
732
21,257
21,989
December 2024
3.2%
707
21,565
22,272
November 2024
3.0%
664
21,480
22,144
October 2024
2.8%
621
21,476
22,097
Yearly averages
Year
Rate
Unemployed
Employed
Labor force
2025 (11 months)
3.2%
713
21,634
22,347
2024
2.8%
607
21,372
21,979
2023
2.7%
590
20,936
21,526
2022
3.4%
724
20,806
21,530
2021
4.9%
1,055
20,554
21,609
2020
7.2%
1,516
19,569
21,085
2019
4.8%
1,035
20,446
21,481
2018
4.5%
947
20,305
21,252
2017
4.8%
1,036
20,332
21,368
2016
5.3%
1,146
20,371
21,517
Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, : BLS publishes county figures only that way, so they rise and fall with the seasons; compare a month with the same month a year earlier rather than with the month before. Mississippi's figure above is on the same basis; seasonally adjusted, as in BLS's monthly state release, it was 3.3% in September 2026. The latest month is preliminary and is revised the next month, and BLS revises earlier years each spring. People are counted where they live. October 2025 wasn't collected during the 2025 federal government shutdown, so 2025's yearly average covers 11 months.
Crime reported in Hancock County
64.1 per 100,0002025. Mississippi: 226.9.
1,217.8 per 100,0002025. Mississippi: 1,263.8.
1murders2025, 30 violent crimes in all.
Earlier years
Year
Violent
Rate
Property
Rate
2025
30
64.1
570
1,217.8
2024
35
75.6
738
1,593.5
2023
24
51.9
806
1,744.2
2022
57
124.0
955
2,076.9
2021
57
118.5
992
2,061.6
2020
64
133.7
1,150
2,402.7
By police agency (3)
Agency
Year
Violent
Property
People served
Hancock County Sheriff's Office
2025
15
225
28,979
Bay St. Louis Police Department
2025
12
207
10,822
Waveland Police Department
2025
3
138
7,005
Crimes to the county's city and county police agencies (FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, Return A), per 100,000 people they serve. Years with incomplete reporting are left out. Crime in Mississippi · the U.S.
Police staffing
2.50 per 1,000 residents2025, 3 agencies serving 46,806 people.
117sworn officers2025, full-time, as of October 31.
51civilian staff2025, full-time.
Agencies counted (3), 2025
Agency
Officers
Civilians
People served
Hancock County Sheriff's Office
69
48
28,979
Bay St. Louis Police Department
30
2
10,822
Waveland Police Department
18
1
7,005
Earlier years
Year
Officers
Per 1,000
Civilians
Agencies
2025
117
2.50
51
3
2024
121
2.61
77
3
2023
119
2.58
17
3
2022
114
2.48
62
3
Full-time employees of the county's city police departments and sheriff's office, as each reported them to the FBI (Uniform Crime Reporting, Law Enforcement Employees), per 1,000 people in the areas those agencies serve (the FBI's population figures). A year is shown only when every one of these agencies sent a count; a count under half or over double the agency's own counts in nearby years is treated as not sent. Towns policed under contract by another agency are counted through that agency. State police, campus and other agencies aren't included. Sheriffs' offices often also run the county jail and courthouse security, so their staff counts include those jobs.
Quick answers
Who is the Hancock County Chancery Clerk?
Tiffany Lee Cowman is the Chancery Clerk of Hancock County, Mississippi.
Who is the Hancock County Circuit Clerk?
Kendra Ladner Necaise is the Circuit Clerk of Hancock County, Mississippi.
Who is the Hancock County Coroner?
Jeff Hair is the Coroner of Hancock County, Mississippi.
Who is the Hancock County County Prosecuting Attorney?
Olen Anderson is the County Prosecuting Attorney of Hancock County, Mississippi.
Who is the Hancock County Election Commissioner, District 1?
Reba McCaleb is the Election Commissioner, District 1 of Hancock County, Mississippi.
Who is the Hancock County Election Commissioner, District 2?
Tad Shaw is the Election Commissioner, District 2 of Hancock County, Mississippi.
Who is the Hancock County Election Commissioner, District 3?
Eugene “E.J.” Bice is the Election Commissioner, District 3 of Hancock County, Mississippi.
Who is the Hancock County Election Commissioner, District 4?
Donna Henry is the Election Commissioner, District 4 of Hancock County, Mississippi.
Who is the Hancock County Election Commissioner, District 5?
Breezy Bice is the Election Commissioner, District 5 of Hancock County, Mississippi.
Who is the Hancock County Sheriff?
Johnny Alison is the Sheriff of Hancock County, Mississippi.
Who is the Hancock County Tax Assessor?
Jimmie Ladner is the Tax Assessor of Hancock County, Mississippi.
Who is the Hancock County Tax Collector?
Jimmie Ladner is the Tax Collector of Hancock County, Mississippi.
Who are the Hancock County commissioners?
Donald Graham (Supervisor, District 1); Greg Shaw (Supervisor, District 2); Chuck Clark (Supervisor, District 3); Scotty Adam (Supervisor, District 4); Darrin Ladner (Supervisor, District 5).
What is the population of Hancock County?
About 46,167 people, with a median age of 46.6; the median household income is $67,708 and 13.8% live below the poverty line (Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).
What is the unemployment rate in Hancock County?
2.9% in September 2026 (preliminary): 634 people unemployed in a labor force of 21,876, against 3.1% a year earlier (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted).
How many local governments are there in Hancock County?
20 in the Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments: 1 county, 3 municipal, 2 school district and 14 special district governments.
Officeholders as of May 6, 2026, from the Mississippi Secretary of State's County Offices and Directory; each name links to its source. Officials change between elections (appointments, resignations), and the body's own website is the authority. Party is shown only for offices elected on a partisan ballot.
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