The Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments counts 9 local governments in Lafayette 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)
3
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 Lafayette County
58,327people
30.7median ageU.S.: 38.9
$67,185 household incomeU.S.: $80,734
18.5%below the U.S.: 12.5%
46.5%of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degreeU.S.: 35.7%
$315,400median home valueU.S.: $332,700
2.1%unemployed (of the labor force)U.S.: 5.2%
3.3%born outside the U.S.U.S.: 14.1%
4.5%of adults are veteransU.S.: 6.2%
9.3%U.S.: 8.4%
54.4%of renting households pay of income on rentU.S.: 51.1%
28.9%of homeowners with a mortgage pay of income on housing costsU.S.: 28.1%
Race and Hispanic origin: Hispanic or Latino 3.7% · White 68.5% · Black 22.6% · Asian 2.2% · Other or more than one race 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 Lafayette County
2.4%September 2026, preliminary. A year earlier: 2.7%. Mississippi: 3.3%.
739people unemployedSeptember 2026, preliminary.
29,797people employedSeptember 2026, preliminary. Counted where they live, not where they work.
30,536in the September 2026, preliminary.
Yearly average unemployment rate, 2016–2025.
Every month, last two years
Month
Rate
Unemployed
Employed
Labor force
September 2026 (preliminary)
2.4%
739
29,797
30,536
August 2026
2.6%
753
28,654
29,407
July 2026
3.4%
981
28,073
29,054
June 2026
3.2%
951
28,512
29,463
May 2026
2.8%
851
29,345
30,196
April 2026
2.4%
728
29,715
30,443
March 2026
3.3%
1,007
29,652
30,659
February 2026
3.5%
1,061
29,474
30,535
January 2026
2.9%
849
28,250
29,099
December 2025
2.2%
642
29,212
29,854
November 2025
2.7%
822
29,799
30,621
October 2025
not collected (2025 federal shutdown)
September 2025
2.7%
835
29,763
30,598
August 2025
3.7%
1,049
27,462
28,511
July 2025
4.3%
1,183
26,346
27,529
June 2025
4.0%
1,122
26,915
28,037
May 2025
3.0%
871
27,743
28,614
April 2025
2.4%
715
28,806
29,521
March 2025
3.2%
952
28,883
29,835
February 2025
3.3%
983
28,847
29,830
January 2025
3.4%
969
27,173
28,142
December 2024
2.8%
798
27,841
28,639
November 2024
2.8%
847
28,907
29,754
October 2024
3.0%
896
28,654
29,550
Yearly averages
Year
Rate
Unemployed
Employed
Labor force
2025 (11 months)
3.2%
922
28,268
29,190
2024
2.8%
796
27,332
28,128
2023
2.8%
774
26,492
27,266
2022
3.5%
959
26,243
27,202
2021
4.5%
1,216
25,519
26,735
2020
6.4%
1,624
23,647
25,271
2019
4.9%
1,319
25,571
26,890
2018
4.2%
1,128
25,613
26,741
2017
4.4%
1,148
24,911
26,059
2016
5.2%
1,264
23,229
24,493
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 Lafayette County
102.5 per 100,0002024. Mississippi: 226.9.
1,019.7 per 100,0002024. Mississippi: 1,508.6.
1murders2024, 61 violent crimes in all.
2024 is the latest year with complete reporting here: at least one of the county's police agencies didn't send the FBI a full year of figures since, so later totals would be undercounts.
Earlier years
Year
Violent
Rate
Property
Rate
2024
61
102.5
607
1,019.7
2023
56
95.5
613
1,045.2
2022
54
93.4
598
1,034.4
2021
63
114.9
660
1,204.0
2020
79
144.7
762
1,396.0
By police agency (2)
Agency
Year
Violent
Property
People served
Lafayette County Sheriff's Office
2024
25
97
31,996
Oxford Police Department
2025
38
345
27,137
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
2.53 per 1,000 residents2025, 2 agencies serving 61,161 people.
155sworn officers2025, full-time, as of October 31.
25civilian staff2025, full-time.
Agencies counted (2), 2025
Agency
Officers
Civilians
People served
Oxford Police Department
106
23
27,137
Lafayette County Sheriff's Office
49
2
34,024
Earlier years
Year
Officers
Per 1,000
Civilians
Agencies
2025
155
2.53
25
2
2024
143
2.40
26
2
2023
133
2.27
23
2
2022
135
2.34
24
2
2021
122
2.23
21
2
2020
123
2.25
58
2
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 Lafayette County Chancery Clerk?
James M. Roberts is the Chancery Clerk of Lafayette County, Mississippi.
Who is the Lafayette County Circuit Clerk?
Jeff Busby is the Circuit Clerk of Lafayette County, Mississippi.
Who is the Lafayette County Coroner?
Glenn Coleman is the Coroner of Lafayette County, Mississippi.
Who is the Lafayette County County Prosecuting Attorney?
Bela J. Chain III is the County Prosecuting Attorney of Lafayette County, Mississippi.
Who is the Lafayette County Election Commissioner, District 1?
Faye Phillips is the Election Commissioner, District 1 of Lafayette County, Mississippi.
Who is the Lafayette County Election Commissioner, District 2?
Lisa Barber is the Election Commissioner, District 2 of Lafayette County, Mississippi.
Who is the Lafayette County Election Commissioner, District 3?
Lola M. Pearson is the Election Commissioner, District 3 of Lafayette County, Mississippi.
Who is the Lafayette County Election Commissioner, District 4?
Laura Antonow is the Election Commissioner, District 4 of Lafayette County, Mississippi.
Who is the Lafayette County Election Commissioner, District 5?
Tiffany Babb is the Election Commissioner, District 5 of Lafayette County, Mississippi.
Who is the Lafayette County Sheriff?
Joey East is the Sheriff of Lafayette County, Mississippi.
Who is the Lafayette County Tax Assessor?
"Rocky" Kennedy II is the Tax Assessor of Lafayette County, Mississippi.
Who is the Lafayette County Tax Collector?
"Rocky" Kennedy II is the Tax Collector of Lafayette County, Mississippi.
Who are the Lafayette County commissioners?
Brent Larson (Supervisor, District 1); John Morgan (Supervisor, District 2); Dale T. Gordon (Supervisor, District 3); Scott Allen (Supervisor, District 4); Greg Bynum (Supervisor, District 5).
What is the population of Lafayette County?
About 58,327 people, with a median age of 30.7; the median household income is $67,185 and 18.5% live below the poverty line (Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).
What is the unemployment rate in Lafayette County?
2.4% in September 2026 (preliminary): 739 people unemployed in a labor force of 30,536, against 2.7% a year earlier (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted).
How many local governments are there in Lafayette County?
9 in the Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments: 1 county, 3 municipal, 2 school district and 3 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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