The Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments counts 6 local governments in Kemper 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
2
0
School districts (school boards)
2
0
Special districts (elected boards)
1
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 Kemper County
8,729people
40.6median ageU.S.: 38.9
$46,431 household incomeU.S.: $80,734
24.8%below the U.S.: 12.5%
18.6%of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degreeU.S.: 35.7%
$99,600median home valueU.S.: $332,700
10.8%unemployed (of the labor force)U.S.: 5.2%
0.5%born outside the U.S.U.S.: 14.1%
7.5%of adults are veteransU.S.: 6.2%
15.4%U.S.: 8.4%
33.2%of renting households pay of income on rentU.S.: 51.1%
40%of homeowners with a mortgage pay of income on housing costsU.S.: 28.1%
Race and Hispanic origin: Hispanic or Latino 1.2% · White 33.2% · Black 59.4% · Asian 0% · Other or more than one race 6.1% (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 Kemper County
4.2%September 2026, preliminary. A year earlier: 4.5%. Mississippi: 3.3%.
138people unemployedSeptember 2026, preliminary.
3,147people employedSeptember 2026, preliminary. Counted where they live, not where they work.
3,285in the September 2026, preliminary.
Yearly average unemployment rate, 2016–2025.
Every month, last two years
Month
Rate
Unemployed
Employed
Labor force
September 2026 (preliminary)
4.2%
138
3,147
3,285
August 2026
4.2%
136
3,113
3,249
July 2026
5.7%
187
3,110
3,297
June 2026
5.8%
191
3,127
3,318
May 2026
4.9%
162
3,170
3,332
April 2026
4.1%
135
3,197
3,332
March 2026
4.7%
157
3,163
3,320
February 2026
5.4%
178
3,141
3,319
January 2026
5.0%
162
3,107
3,269
December 2025
4.2%
138
3,165
3,303
November 2025
5.1%
169
3,156
3,325
October 2025
not collected (2025 federal shutdown)
September 2025
4.5%
149
3,156
3,305
August 2025
5.3%
174
3,118
3,292
July 2025
6.1%
203
3,127
3,330
June 2025
6.4%
216
3,149
3,365
May 2025
4.8%
157
3,131
3,288
April 2025
4.2%
142
3,234
3,376
March 2025
4.9%
161
3,140
3,301
February 2025
5.1%
169
3,130
3,299
January 2025
4.9%
158
3,099
3,257
December 2024
4.6%
154
3,161
3,315
November 2024
4.7%
156
3,157
3,313
October 2024
4.3%
143
3,170
3,313
Yearly averages
Year
Rate
Unemployed
Employed
Labor force
2025 (11 months)
5.0%
167
3,146
3,313
2024
4.2%
138
3,119
3,257
2023
4.3%
135
3,030
3,165
2022
5.5%
180
3,073
3,253
2021
7.0%
231
3,059
3,290
2020
9.4%
311
2,985
3,296
2019
7.6%
269
3,285
3,554
2018
7.0%
258
3,419
3,677
2017
7.4%
283
3,549
3,832
2016
7.7%
313
3,776
4,089
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 Kemper County
182.3 per 100,0002025. Mississippi: 226.9.
386.0 per 100,0002025. Mississippi: 1,263.8.
0murders2025, 17 violent crimes in all.
Earlier years
Year
Violent
Rate
Property
Rate
2025
17
182.3
36
386.0
2024
14
150.3
33
354.3
2023
16
170.9
56
598.3
2022
15
157.5
27
283.5
2021
9
86.8
20
192.8
By police agency (1)
Agency
Year
Violent
Property
People served
Kemper County Sheriff's Office
2025
17
36
8,506
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
1.76 per 1,000 residents2025, 1 agency serving 8,506 people.
15sworn officers2025, full-time, as of October 31.
3civilian staff2025, full-time.
Agencies counted (1), 2025
Agency
Officers
Civilians
People served
Kemper County Sheriff's Office
15
3
8,506
Earlier years
Year
Officers
Per 1,000
Civilians
Agencies
2025
15
1.76
3
1
2024
17
2.00
3
1
2023
14
1.64
3
1
2022
14
1.62
4
1
2021
15
1.60
5
1
2020
12
1.25
3
1
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 Kemper County Chancery Clerk?
Sherline (Dee) Watkins is the Chancery Clerk of Kemper County, Mississippi.
Who is the Kemper County Circuit Clerk?
Shirley Steele Jackson is the Circuit Clerk of Kemper County, Mississippi.
Who is the Kemper County Coroner?
Carla Dansby is the Coroner of Kemper County, Mississippi.
Who is the Kemper County County Prosecuting Attorney?
Robert Thomas is the County Prosecuting Attorney of Kemper County, Mississippi.
Who is the Kemper County Election Commissioner, District 1?
Roy Boyd is the Election Commissioner, District 1 of Kemper County, Mississippi.
Who is the Kemper County Election Commissioner, District 2?
Charles Hollingsworth, Jr is the Election Commissioner, District 2 of Kemper County, Mississippi.
Who is the Kemper County Election Commissioner, District 3?
Zac Clay is the Election Commissioner, District 3 of Kemper County, Mississippi.
Who is the Kemper County Election Commissioner, District 4?
Kathy W. Clemons is the Election Commissioner, District 4 of Kemper County, Mississippi.
Who is the Kemper County Election Commissioner, District 5?
Mary L. Bennamon is the Election Commissioner, District 5 of Kemper County, Mississippi.
Who is the Kemper County Sheriff?
James Moore, Sr is the Sheriff of Kemper County, Mississippi.
Who is the Kemper County Tax Assessor?
Jocelyn T. Robertson is the Tax Assessor of Kemper County, Mississippi.
Who is the Kemper County Tax Collector?
Jocelyn T. Robertson is the Tax Collector of Kemper County, Mississippi.
Who are the Kemper County commissioners?
Roy Vandevender (Supervisor, District 1); Johnny B. Whitsett (Supervisor, District 2); Scott Johnson (Supervisor, District 3); Lee McDonald (Supervisor, District 4); Chris Cole (Supervisor, District 5).
What is the population of Kemper County?
About 8,729 people, with a median age of 40.6; the median household income is $46,431 and 24.8% live below the poverty line (Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).
What is the unemployment rate in Kemper County?
4.2% in September 2026 (preliminary): 138 people unemployed in a labor force of 3,285, against 4.5% a year earlier (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted).
How many local governments are there in Kemper County?
6 in the Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments: 1 county, 2 municipal, 2 school district and 1 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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