The Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments counts 11 local governments in Oktibbeha 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)
6
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 Oktibbeha County
51,771people
25.5median ageU.S.: 38.9
$46,695 household incomeU.S.: $80,734
25.5%below the U.S.: 12.5%
47%of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degreeU.S.: 35.7%
$237,700median home valueU.S.: $332,700
5.8%unemployed (of the labor force)U.S.: 5.2%
4.9%born outside the U.S.U.S.: 14.1%
5.1%of adults are veteransU.S.: 6.2%
7%U.S.: 8.4%
59.9%of renting households pay of income on rentU.S.: 51.1%
19.7%of homeowners with a mortgage pay of income on housing costsU.S.: 28.1%
Race and Hispanic origin: Hispanic or Latino 2.4% · White 54.7% · Black 35.4% · Asian 3.2% · 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 Oktibbeha County
3.2%September 2026, preliminary. A year earlier: 3.7%. Mississippi: 3.3%.
718people unemployedSeptember 2026, preliminary.
22,038people employedSeptember 2026, preliminary. Counted where they live, not where they work.
22,756in the September 2026, preliminary.
Yearly average unemployment rate, 2016–2025.
Every month, last two years
Month
Rate
Unemployed
Employed
Labor force
September 2026 (preliminary)
3.2%
718
22,038
22,756
August 2026
3.4%
747
21,305
22,052
July 2026
4.4%
981
21,143
22,124
June 2026
4.4%
966
21,143
22,109
May 2026
3.7%
830
21,861
22,691
April 2026
3.3%
755
22,143
22,898
March 2026
4.2%
972
21,973
22,945
February 2026
4.5%
1,046
21,956
23,002
January 2026
4.0%
875
21,271
22,146
December 2025
3.1%
706
21,797
22,503
November 2025
3.6%
847
22,384
23,231
October 2025
not collected (2025 federal shutdown)
September 2025
3.7%
867
22,445
23,312
August 2025
4.6%
1,030
21,584
22,614
July 2025
5.2%
1,173
21,285
22,458
June 2025
5.2%
1,149
21,144
22,293
May 2025
4.0%
889
21,489
22,378
April 2025
3.4%
773
22,182
22,955
March 2025
4.1%
933
21,809
22,742
February 2025
4.3%
990
21,849
22,839
January 2025
4.3%
951
21,051
22,002
December 2024
3.7%
809
21,203
22,012
November 2024
3.7%
849
22,321
23,170
October 2024
3.8%
883
22,068
22,951
Yearly averages
Year
Rate
Unemployed
Employed
Labor force
2025 (11 months)
4.1%
937
21,729
22,666
2024
3.5%
782
21,643
22,425
2023
3.4%
740
21,028
21,768
2022
4.1%
916
21,177
22,093
2021
5.6%
1,252
21,010
22,262
2020
7.8%
1,689
20,052
21,741
2019
6.0%
1,360
21,323
22,683
2018
5.1%
1,123
21,026
22,149
2017
5.2%
1,150
20,814
21,964
2016
5.7%
1,289
21,377
22,666
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 Oktibbeha County
136.7 per 100,0002024. Mississippi: 226.9.
1,420.2 per 100,0002024. Mississippi: 1,508.6.
5murders2024, 70 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
70
136.7
727
1,420.2
2023
74
143.9
836
1,625.4
2022
102
196.5
943
1,816.4
2021
107
215.3
916
1,842.9
2020
93
187.5
1,197
2,412.7
2019
88
177.4
1,351
2,723.0
2018
91
181.7
1,289
2,573.2
2017
81
161.8
1,507
3,010.7
By police agency (2)
Agency
Year
Violent
Property
People served
Starkville Police Department
2025
15
474
25,881
Oktibbeha County Sheriff's Office
2024
49
211
25,847
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
2.01 per 1,000 residents2024, 2 agencies serving 51,191 people.
103sworn officers2024, full-time, as of October 31.
18civilian staff2024, full-time.
2024 is the latest year every agency here sent the FBI its staff count.
Agencies counted (2), 2024
Agency
Officers
Civilians
People served
Starkville Police Department
68
15
25,344
Oktibbeha County Sheriff's Office
35
3
25,847
Earlier years
Year
Officers
Per 1,000
Civilians
Agencies
2024
103
2.01
18
2
2023
92
1.79
37
2
2022
87
1.68
14
2
2021
90
1.81
16
2
2020
89
1.79
11
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 Oktibbeha County Chancery Clerk?
Sharon Livingston is the Chancery Clerk of Oktibbeha County, Mississippi.
Who is the Oktibbeha County Circuit Clerk?
Tony Rook is the Circuit Clerk of Oktibbeha County, Mississippi.
Who is the Oktibbeha County Constable, District 1?
Kenneth Watkins is the Constable, District 1 of Oktibbeha County, Mississippi.
Who is the Oktibbeha County Constable, District 2?
Curtis D. Randle is the Constable, District 2 of Oktibbeha County, Mississippi.
Who is the Oktibbeha County Constable, District 3?
James E. Lindsey is the Constable, District 3 of Oktibbeha County, Mississippi.
Who is the Oktibbeha County Coroner?
Michael Hunt is the Coroner of Oktibbeha County, Mississippi.
Who is the Oktibbeha County County Prosecuting Attorney?
Haley M. Brown is the County Prosecuting Attorney of Oktibbeha County, Mississippi.
Who is the Oktibbeha County County Surveyor?
Tom Gregory is the County Surveyor of Oktibbeha County, Mississippi.
Who is the Oktibbeha County Election Commissioner, District 1?
Sheryl Elmore is the Election Commissioner, District 1 of Oktibbeha County, Mississippi.
Who is the Oktibbeha County Election Commissioner, District 2?
Sissy Smitherman is the Election Commissioner, District 2 of Oktibbeha County, Mississippi.
Who is the Oktibbeha County Election Commissioner, District 3?
Dennis Daniels is the Election Commissioner, District 3 of Oktibbeha County, Mississippi.
Who is the Oktibbeha County Election Commissioner, District 4?
Dave Holley is the Election Commissioner, District 4 of Oktibbeha County, Mississippi.
Who is the Oktibbeha County Election Commissioner, District 5?
Ernest Rogers, Jr is the Election Commissioner, District 5 of Oktibbeha County, Mississippi.
Who is the Oktibbeha County Justice Court Judge, District 1?
William A. Boykin, Jr is the Justice Court Judge, District 1 of Oktibbeha County, Mississippi.
Who is the Oktibbeha County Justice Court Judge, District 2?
Larnzy Carpenter, Jr is the Justice Court Judge, District 2 of Oktibbeha County, Mississippi.
Who is the Oktibbeha County Justice Court Judge, District 3?
C. Marty Haug is the Justice Court Judge, District 3 of Oktibbeha County, Mississippi.
Who is the Oktibbeha County Sheriff?
Shank Phelps is the Sheriff of Oktibbeha County, Mississippi.
Who is the Oktibbeha County Tax Assessor?
JoHellen "Joey" Walker is the Tax Assessor of Oktibbeha County, Mississippi.
Who is the Oktibbeha County Tax Collector?
JoHellen "Joey" Walker is the Tax Collector of Oktibbeha County, Mississippi.
Who are the Oktibbeha County commissioners?
Ben Carver (Supervisor, District 1); Orlando Trainer (Supervisor, District 2); Marvell Howard (Supervisor, District 3); Patricia "Pattie" Little (Supervisor, District 4); Joe Williams (Supervisor, District 5).
What is the population of Oktibbeha County?
About 51,771 people, with a median age of 25.5; the median household income is $46,695 and 25.5% live below the poverty line (Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).
What is the unemployment rate in Oktibbeha County?
3.2% in September 2026 (preliminary): 718 people unemployed in a labor force of 22,756, against 3.7% a year earlier (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted).
How many local governments are there in Oktibbeha County?
11 in the Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments: 1 county, 3 municipal, 1 school district and 6 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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