The Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments counts 8 local governments in Smith 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
5
0
School districts (school boards)
1
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 Smith County
14,132people
43.5median ageU.S.: 38.9
$60,916 household incomeU.S.: $80,734
17%below the U.S.: 12.5%
15.6%of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degreeU.S.: 35.7%
$112,600median home valueU.S.: $332,700
4.4%unemployed (of the labor force)U.S.: 5.2%
1.3%born outside the U.S.U.S.: 14.1%
4.7%of adults are veteransU.S.: 6.2%
11.4%U.S.: 8.4%
48.1%of renting households pay of income on rentU.S.: 51.1%
17.3%of homeowners with a mortgage pay of income on housing costsU.S.: 28.1%
Race and Hispanic origin: Hispanic or Latino 1.7% · White 73.3% · Black 23% · Asian 0.3% · Other or more than one race 1.7% (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 Smith County
3.3%September 2026, preliminary. A year earlier: 3.4%. Mississippi: 3.3%.
178people unemployedSeptember 2026, preliminary.
5,287people employedSeptember 2026, preliminary. Counted where they live, not where they work.
5,465in the September 2026, preliminary.
Yearly average unemployment rate, 2016–2025.
Every month, last two years
Month
Rate
Unemployed
Employed
Labor force
September 2026 (preliminary)
3.3%
178
5,287
5,465
August 2026
3.0%
165
5,312
5,477
July 2026
3.5%
194
5,341
5,535
June 2026
4.2%
230
5,258
5,488
May 2026
3.4%
188
5,347
5,535
April 2026
3.0%
168
5,347
5,515
March 2026
3.7%
210
5,398
5,608
February 2026
4.2%
238
5,373
5,611
January 2026
3.6%
200
5,365
5,565
December 2025
3.2%
178
5,405
5,583
November 2025
3.4%
189
5,371
5,560
October 2025
not collected (2025 federal shutdown)
September 2025
3.4%
189
5,429
5,618
August 2025
3.9%
218
5,433
5,651
July 2025
3.8%
217
5,484
5,701
June 2025
4.2%
239
5,477
5,716
May 2025
3.3%
186
5,387
5,573
April 2025
3.0%
170
5,422
5,592
March 2025
3.3%
187
5,425
5,612
February 2025
3.8%
211
5,372
5,583
January 2025
3.7%
206
5,386
5,592
December 2024
3.6%
198
5,373
5,571
November 2024
3.4%
186
5,307
5,493
October 2024
3.2%
178
5,372
5,550
Yearly averages
Year
Rate
Unemployed
Employed
Labor force
2025 (11 months)
3.5%
199
5,417
5,616
2024
3.2%
176
5,363
5,539
2023
3.0%
163
5,322
5,485
2022
3.8%
213
5,367
5,580
2021
4.9%
273
5,309
5,582
2020
6.4%
355
5,151
5,506
2019
5.8%
332
5,369
5,701
2018
5.0%
287
5,404
5,691
2017
5.4%
310
5,409
5,719
2016
6.1%
346
5,341
5,687
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 Smith County
14.2 per 100,0002025. Mississippi: 226.9.
142.0 per 100,0002025. Mississippi: 1,263.8.
0murders2025, 2 violent crimes in all.
Earlier years
Year
Violent
Rate
Property
Rate
2025
2
14.2
20
142.0
2024
5
35.4
23
163.0
2023
3
21.3
35
248.6
2022
5
35.3
46
324.8
2021
6
38.4
67
429.1
2020
6
38.0
33
209.0
By police agency (2)
Agency
Year
Violent
Property
People served
Smith County Sheriff's Office
2025
2
19
13,011
Raleigh Police Department
2025
0
1
1,069
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
0.92 per 1,000 residents2025, 2 agencies serving 14,080 people.
13sworn officers2025, full-time, as of October 31.
13civilian staff2025, full-time.
Agencies counted (2), 2025
Agency
Officers
Civilians
People served
Smith County Sheriff's Office
10
12
13,011
Raleigh Police Department
3
1
1,069
Earlier years
Year
Officers
Per 1,000
Civilians
Agencies
2025
13
0.92
13
2
2023
14
0.99
14
1
2022
12
0.85
11
1
2021
14
0.90
5
1
2020
13
0.82
10
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 Smith County Chancery Clerk?
Cindy Austin is the Chancery Clerk of Smith County, Mississippi.
Who is the Smith County Circuit Clerk?
Anthony Grayson is the Circuit Clerk of Smith County, Mississippi.
Who is the Smith County Coroner?
Sammy Houston is the Coroner of Smith County, Mississippi.
Who is the Smith County County Prosecuting Attorney?
Laban Blakeney is the County Prosecuting Attorney of Smith County, Mississippi.
Who is the Smith County Election Commissioner, District 1?
Willie Grace Myatt is the Election Commissioner, District 1 of Smith County, Mississippi.
Who is the Smith County Election Commissioner, District 2?
Perry E. Duckworth is the Election Commissioner, District 2 of Smith County, Mississippi.
Who is the Smith County Election Commissioner, District 3?
Sherri H. Darden is the Election Commissioner, District 3 of Smith County, Mississippi.
Who is the Smith County Election Commissioner, District 4?
Jimmy Burns is the Election Commissioner, District 4 of Smith County, Mississippi.
Who is the Smith County Election Commissioner, District 5?
Glendell O. Webb is the Election Commissioner, District 5 of Smith County, Mississippi.
Who is the Smith County Sheriff?
Joel Houston is the Sheriff of Smith County, Mississippi.
Who is the Smith County Tax Assessor?
Mary Lou Powell is the Tax Assessor of Smith County, Mississippi.
Who is the Smith County Tax Collector?
Mary Lou Powell is the Tax Collector of Smith County, Mississippi.
Who are the Smith County commissioners?
Jerry Fields (Supervisor, District 1); Darron Keyes (Supervisor, District 2); Benjie Ford (Supervisor, District 3); Danny Arender (Supervisor, District 4); Howard Hammons (Supervisor, District 5).
What is the population of Smith County?
About 14,132 people, with a median age of 43.5; the median household income is $60,916 and 17% live below the poverty line (Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).
What is the unemployment rate in Smith County?
3.3% in September 2026 (preliminary): 178 people unemployed in a labor force of 5,465, against 3.4% a year earlier (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted).
How many local governments are there in Smith County?
8 in the Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments: 1 county, 5 municipal, 1 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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