The Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments counts 12 local governments in Pearl River 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)
4
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 Pearl River County
57,458people
41.6median ageU.S.: 38.9
$58,135 household incomeU.S.: $80,734
16.5%below the U.S.: 12.5%
17%of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degreeU.S.: 35.7%
$182,300median home valueU.S.: $332,700
6.1%unemployed (of the labor force)U.S.: 5.2%
1.9%born outside the U.S.U.S.: 14.1%
8.2%of adults are veteransU.S.: 6.2%
12.9%U.S.: 8.4%
47.9%of renting households pay of income on rentU.S.: 51.1%
22.2%of homeowners with a mortgage pay of income on housing costsU.S.: 28.1%
Race and Hispanic origin: Hispanic or Latino 4.3% · White 79.1% · Black 12% · Asian 0.3% · Other or more than one race 4.2% (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 Pearl River County
3.2%September 2026, preliminary. A year earlier: 3.6%. Mississippi: 3.3%.
778people unemployedSeptember 2026, preliminary.
23,766people employedSeptember 2026, preliminary. Counted where they live, not where they work.
24,544in 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%
778
23,766
24,544
August 2026
3.1%
749
23,666
24,415
July 2026
3.6%
884
23,973
24,857
June 2026
3.8%
951
23,945
24,896
May 2026
3.3%
823
24,297
25,120
April 2026
2.8%
709
24,406
25,115
March 2026
3.6%
924
24,427
25,351
February 2026
4.1%
1,039
24,345
25,384
January 2026
3.5%
872
23,796
24,668
December 2025
3.0%
744
24,245
24,989
November 2025
3.5%
886
24,098
24,984
October 2025
not collected (2025 federal shutdown)
September 2025
3.6%
893
24,209
25,102
August 2025
4.0%
1,004
24,045
25,049
July 2025
4.3%
1,102
24,286
25,388
June 2025
4.3%
1,084
24,062
25,146
May 2025
3.6%
904
23,992
24,896
April 2025
3.2%
795
24,192
24,987
March 2025
3.6%
900
24,029
24,929
February 2025
3.9%
965
24,061
25,026
January 2025
3.8%
939
23,912
24,851
December 2024
3.4%
843
24,070
24,913
November 2024
3.3%
828
23,898
24,726
October 2024
3.3%
812
23,890
24,702
Yearly averages
Year
Rate
Unemployed
Employed
Labor force
2025 (11 months)
3.7%
929
24,103
25,032
2024
3.1%
754
23,678
24,432
2023
3.1%
738
23,003
23,741
2022
3.9%
903
22,537
23,440
2021
5.6%
1,298
21,873
23,171
2020
7.2%
1,643
21,037
22,680
2019
5.5%
1,277
22,077
23,354
2018
5.0%
1,152
21,877
23,029
2017
5.5%
1,264
21,646
22,910
2016
6.2%
1,410
21,195
22,605
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 Pearl River County
119.9 per 100,0002025. Mississippi: 226.9.
656.3 per 100,0002025. Mississippi: 1,263.8.
3murders2025, 72 violent crimes in all.
Earlier years
Year
Violent
Rate
Property
Rate
2025
72
119.9
394
656.3
2024
68
115.8
523
890.3
2023
80
138.1
601
1,037.2
2022
139
244.8
616
1,084.7
By police agency (3)
Agency
Year
Violent
Property
People served
Pearl River County Sheriff's Office
2025
32
110
45,061
Picayune Police Department
2025
38
220
12,053
Poplarville Police Department
2025
2
64
2,919
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
1.15 per 1,000 residents2025, 3 agencies serving 60,033 people.
69sworn officers2025, full-time, as of October 31.
14civilian staff2025, full-time.
Agencies counted (3), 2025
Agency
Officers
Civilians
People served
Pearl River County Sheriff's Office
30
7
45,061
Picayune Police Department
29
6
12,053
Poplarville Police Department
10
1
2,919
Earlier years
Year
Officers
Per 1,000
Civilians
Agencies
2025
69
1.15
14
3
2024
66
1.12
14
3
2022
73
1.29
6
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 Pearl River County Chancery Clerk?
Melinda Smith-Bowman . P.O. Box 431, Poplarville 39470 is the Chancery Clerk of Pearl River County, Mississippi.
Who is the Pearl River County Circuit Clerk?
Nance Fitzpatrick Stokes.. P.O. Box 530, Poplarville 39470 is the Circuit Clerk of Pearl River County, Mississippi.
Who is the Pearl River County Coroner?
Derek Turnage is the Coroner of Pearl River County, Mississippi.
Who is the Pearl River County County Prosecuting Attorney?
Michael E. Patten is the County Prosecuting Attorney of Pearl River County, Mississippi.
Who is the Pearl River County Election Commissioner, District 1?
Katrina Brown is the Election Commissioner, District 1 of Pearl River County, Mississippi.
Who is the Pearl River County Election Commissioner, District 2?
Jamie Garner is the Election Commissioner, District 2 of Pearl River County, Mississippi.
Who is the Pearl River County Election Commissioner, District 3?
Tommy Breland is the Election Commissioner, District 3 of Pearl River County, Mississippi.
Who is the Pearl River County Election Commissioner, District 4?
Reggie W. Hanberry is the Election Commissioner, District 4 of Pearl River County, Mississippi.
Who is the Pearl River County Election Commissioner, District 5?
Alana Campo is the Election Commissioner, District 5 of Pearl River County, Mississippi.
Who is the Pearl River County Sheriff?
David Allison is the Sheriff of Pearl River County, Mississippi.
Who is the Pearl River County Tax Assessor?
Sandy Cane Smith is the Tax Assessor of Pearl River County, Mississippi.
Who is the Pearl River County Tax Collector?
Sandy Cane Smith is the Tax Collector of Pearl River County, Mississippi.
Who are the Pearl River County commissioners?
Donald Hart (Supervisor, District 1); Malcolm Perry (Supervisor, District 2); Cruz Russell (Supervisor, District 3); Jason Spence (Supervisor, District 4); Bryce Lott (Supervisor, District 5).
What is the population of Pearl River County?
About 57,458 people, with a median age of 41.6; the median household income is $58,135 and 16.5% live below the poverty line (Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).
What is the unemployment rate in Pearl River County?
3.2% in September 2026 (preliminary): 778 people unemployed in a labor force of 24,544, against 3.6% a year earlier (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted).
How many local governments are there in Pearl River County?
12 in the Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments: 1 county, 2 municipal, 4 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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