The Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments counts 10 local governments in Lamar 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)
1
0
Special districts (elected boards)
5
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 Lamar County
65,713people
37.7median ageU.S.: 38.9
$70,909 household incomeU.S.: $80,734
14.7%below the U.S.: 12.5%
34.5%of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degreeU.S.: 35.7%
$224,700median home valueU.S.: $332,700
4.8%unemployed (of the labor force)U.S.: 5.2%
2.5%born outside the U.S.U.S.: 14.1%
6.9%of adults are veteransU.S.: 6.2%
11.1%U.S.: 8.4%
45.3%of renting households pay of income on rentU.S.: 51.1%
23.6%of homeowners with a mortgage pay of income on housing costsU.S.: 28.1%
Race and Hispanic origin: Hispanic or Latino 3.7% · White 70.6% · Black 21.7% · Asian 0.9% · 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 Lamar County
2.9%September 2026, preliminary. A year earlier: 3.1%. Mississippi: 3.3%.
871people unemployedSeptember 2026, preliminary.
29,196people employedSeptember 2026, preliminary. Counted where they live, not where they work.
30,067in 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%
871
29,196
30,067
August 2026
2.8%
826
28,902
29,728
July 2026
3.3%
991
29,433
30,424
June 2026
3.5%
1,071
29,208
30,279
May 2026
3.0%
900
29,468
30,368
April 2026
2.6%
790
29,595
30,385
March 2026
3.3%
1,000
29,528
30,528
February 2026
3.7%
1,143
29,435
30,578
January 2026
3.2%
960
29,072
30,032
December 2025
2.6%
806
29,942
30,748
November 2025
3.0%
937
29,906
30,843
October 2025
not collected (2025 federal shutdown)
September 2025
3.1%
966
29,833
30,799
August 2025
3.6%
1,102
29,452
30,554
July 2025
3.8%
1,175
29,664
30,839
June 2025
3.9%
1,198
29,654
30,852
May 2025
3.3%
1,005
29,703
30,708
April 2025
2.7%
849
30,147
30,996
March 2025
3.1%
955
29,926
30,881
February 2025
3.4%
1,054
29,927
30,981
January 2025
3.4%
1,024
29,358
30,382
December 2024
3.1%
943
29,787
30,730
November 2024
3.0%
910
29,833
30,743
October 2024
2.9%
905
29,853
30,758
Yearly averages
Year
Rate
Unemployed
Employed
Labor force
2025 (11 months)
3.3%
1,006
29,774
30,780
2024
2.8%
849
29,533
30,382
2023
2.7%
797
29,224
30,021
2022
3.2%
965
29,123
30,088
2021
4.3%
1,287
28,404
29,691
2020
6.3%
1,805
26,624
28,429
2019
4.6%
1,332
27,678
29,010
2018
4.1%
1,161
27,420
28,581
2017
4.2%
1,181
26,950
28,131
2016
5.0%
1,377
26,292
27,669
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 Lamar County
58.1 per 100,0002024. Mississippi: 226.9.
645.3 per 100,0002024. Mississippi: 1,508.6.
2murders2024, 35 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
35
58.1
389
645.3
2023
39
65.1
405
675.8
2022
69
115.9
562
944.1
By police agency (4)
Agency
Year
Violent
Property
People served
Lamar County Sheriff's Office
2025
34
308
54,957
Sumrall Police Department
2025
3
25
2,285
Purvis Police Department
2024
1
19
1,958
Lumberton Police Department
2025
4
31
1,652
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
1.23 per 1,000 residents2025, 4 agencies serving 60,863 people.
75sworn officers2025, full-time, as of October 31.
54civilian staff2025, full-time.
Agencies counted (4), 2025
Agency
Officers
Civilians
People served
Lamar County Sheriff's Office
51
51
54,957
Purvis Police Department
11
3
1,969
Sumrall Police Department
7
0
2,285
Lumberton Police Department
6
0
1,652
Earlier years
Year
Officers
Per 1,000
Civilians
Agencies
2025
75
1.23
54
4
2023
67
1.12
57
4
2022
72
1.21
55
4
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 Lamar County Chancery Clerk?
Jamie Aultman is the Chancery Clerk of Lamar County, Mississippi.
Who is the Lamar County Circuit Clerk?
Martin Hankins is the Circuit Clerk of Lamar County, Mississippi.
Who is the Lamar County Constable, District 1?
Jason Ashley is the Constable, District 1 of Lamar County, Mississippi.
Who is the Lamar County Constable, District 2?
Chance Curry is the Constable, District 2 of Lamar County, Mississippi.
Who is the Lamar County Constable, District 3?
Mike Byrd is the Constable, District 3 of Lamar County, Mississippi.
Who is the Lamar County Coroner?
Blake J. Matherne is the Coroner of Lamar County, Mississippi.
Who is the Lamar County County Prosecuting Attorney?
Scotty Chabert is the County Prosecuting Attorney of Lamar County, Mississippi.
Who is the Lamar County Election Commissioner, District 1?
Misty Hood is the Election Commissioner, District 1 of Lamar County, Mississippi.
Who is the Lamar County Election Commissioner, District 2?
Carrie Humphries is the Election Commissioner, District 2 of Lamar County, Mississippi.
Who is the Lamar County Election Commissioner, District 3?
Melissa Love is the Election Commissioner, District 3 of Lamar County, Mississippi.
Who is the Lamar County Election Commissioner, District 4?
Fleetwood Loustalot is the Election Commissioner, District 4 of Lamar County, Mississippi.
Who is the Lamar County Election Commissioner, District 5?
Shirley Haddox is the Election Commissioner, District 5 of Lamar County, Mississippi.
Who is the Lamar County Sheriff?
Danny Rigel is the Sheriff of Lamar County, Mississippi.
Who is the Lamar County Tax Assessor?
Jack Smith is the Tax Assessor of Lamar County, Mississippi.
Who is the Lamar County Tax Collector?
Jack Smith is the Tax Collector of Lamar County, Mississippi.
Who are the Lamar County commissioners?
Steve Lampton (Supervisor, District 1); Warren Byrd (Supervisor, District 2); Terry Bass (Supervisor, District 3); Mitch Brent (Supervisor, District 4); Dale Lucus (Supervisor, District 5).
What is the population of Lamar County?
About 65,713 people, with a median age of 37.7; the median household income is $70,909 and 14.7% live below the poverty line (Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).
What is the unemployment rate in Lamar County?
2.9% in September 2026 (preliminary): 871 people unemployed in a labor force of 30,067, against 3.1% a year earlier (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted).
How many local governments are there in Lamar County?
10 in the Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments: 1 county, 3 municipal, 1 school district and 5 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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