The Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments counts 7 local governments in Wayne 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)
1
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 Wayne County
19,718people
39.4median ageU.S.: 38.9
$37,619 household incomeU.S.: $80,734
22.8%below the U.S.: 12.5%
16%of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degreeU.S.: 35.7%
$91,100median home valueU.S.: $332,700
7%unemployed (of the labor force)U.S.: 5.2%
3.1%born outside the U.S.U.S.: 14.1%
4.6%of adults are veteransU.S.: 6.2%
15.2%U.S.: 8.4%
72.9%of renting households pay of income on rentU.S.: 51.1%
33.5%of homeowners with a mortgage pay of income on housing costsU.S.: 28.1%
Race and Hispanic origin: Hispanic or Latino 2.2% · White 56.5% · Black 37.9% · Asian 0.6% · Other or more than one race 2.8% (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 Wayne County
3.6%September 2026, preliminary. A year earlier: 3.9%. Mississippi: 3.3%.
270people unemployedSeptember 2026, preliminary.
7,213people employedSeptember 2026, preliminary. Counted where they live, not where they work.
7,483in the September 2026, preliminary.
Yearly average unemployment rate, 2016–2025.
Every month, last two years
Month
Rate
Unemployed
Employed
Labor force
September 2026 (preliminary)
3.6%
270
7,213
7,483
August 2026
3.4%
254
7,168
7,422
July 2026
3.9%
293
7,258
7,551
June 2026
4.5%
335
7,177
7,512
May 2026
3.8%
283
7,262
7,545
April 2026
3.3%
250
7,299
7,549
March 2026
4.1%
316
7,347
7,663
February 2026
4.5%
349
7,336
7,685
January 2026
4.1%
307
7,263
7,570
December 2025
3.4%
261
7,373
7,634
November 2025
3.8%
284
7,286
7,570
October 2025
not collected (2025 federal shutdown)
September 2025
3.9%
295
7,349
7,644
August 2025
4.2%
324
7,343
7,667
July 2025
4.6%
355
7,420
7,775
June 2025
5.0%
387
7,305
7,692
May 2025
4.2%
313
7,218
7,531
April 2025
3.7%
278
7,258
7,536
March 2025
4.2%
321
7,258
7,579
February 2025
4.6%
346
7,222
7,568
January 2025
4.4%
335
7,241
7,576
December 2024
4.0%
301
7,255
7,556
November 2024
4.0%
289
7,014
7,303
October 2024
3.6%
265
7,061
7,326
Yearly averages
Year
Rate
Unemployed
Employed
Labor force
2025 (11 months)
4.2%
318
7,298
7,616
2024
3.5%
259
7,068
7,327
2023
3.5%
246
6,878
7,124
2022
4.5%
327
6,944
7,271
2021
6.3%
470
6,978
7,448
2020
8.4%
628
6,891
7,519
2019
5.9%
455
7,239
7,694
2018
5.4%
406
7,060
7,466
2017
6.3%
473
7,047
7,520
2016
7.3%
555
7,095
7,650
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 Wayne County
476.5 per 100,0002024. Mississippi: 226.9.
1,135.4 per 100,0002024. Mississippi: 1,508.6.
5murders2024, 94 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
94
476.5
224
1,135.4
2023
51
259.2
138
701.4
2022
74
377.2
184
937.9
2021
48
238.2
193
957.8
By police agency (2)
Agency
Year
Violent
Property
People served
Wayne County Sheriff's Office
2025
28
81
15,337
Waynesboro Police Department
2024
46
74
4,521
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
1.37 per 1,000 residents2024, 2 agencies serving 19,728 people.
27sworn officers2024, full-time, as of October 31.
11civilian 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
Wayne County Sheriff's Office
14
11
15,207
Waynesboro Police Department
13
0
4,521
Earlier years
Year
Officers
Per 1,000
Civilians
Agencies
2024
27
1.37
11
2
2023
27
1.37
10
2
2022
24
1.22
15
2
2021
25
1.24
11
2
2020
24
1.20
13
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 Wayne County Chancery Clerk?
William "Jeremy" Carr is the Chancery Clerk of Wayne County, Mississippi.
Who is the Wayne County Circuit Clerk?
Kathyrn Revette is the Circuit Clerk of Wayne County, Mississippi.
Who is the Wayne County Coroner?
Phillip Brewer is the Coroner of Wayne County, Mississippi.
Who is the Wayne County County Prosecuting Attorney?
Curtis Bates is the County Prosecuting Attorney of Wayne County, Mississippi.
Who is the Wayne County Election Commissioner, District 1?
Katrina Bender is the Election Commissioner, District 1 of Wayne County, Mississippi.
Who is the Wayne County Election Commissioner, District 2?
Dennis McRae is the Election Commissioner, District 2 of Wayne County, Mississippi.
Who is the Wayne County Election Commissioner, District 3?
Kathy McInnis Odom is the Election Commissioner, District 3 of Wayne County, Mississippi.
Who is the Wayne County Election Commissioner, District 4?
Avangelia Davis is the Election Commissioner, District 4 of Wayne County, Mississippi.
Who is the Wayne County Election Commissioner, District 5?
Imogene Walley is the Election Commissioner, District 5 of Wayne County, Mississippi.
Who is the Wayne County Sheriff?
Jerry "Juice" Mosley is the Sheriff of Wayne County, Mississippi.
Who is the Wayne County Tax Assessor?
Debbie J. Richards is the Tax Assessor of Wayne County, Mississippi.
Who is the Wayne County Tax Collector?
Debbie J. Richards is the Tax Collector of Wayne County, Mississippi.
Who are the Wayne County commissioners?
Hal Hayes (Supervisor, District 1); Joe Dyess (Supervisor, District 2); Andrew Chapman (Supervisor, District 3); Keith Clay (Supervisor, District 4); Henry J. Cooley (Supervisor, District 5).
What is the population of Wayne County?
About 19,718 people, with a median age of 39.4; the median household income is $37,619 and 22.8% live below the poverty line (Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).
What is the unemployment rate in Wayne County?
3.6% in September 2026 (preliminary): 270 people unemployed in a labor force of 7,483, against 3.9% a year earlier (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted).
How many local governments are there in Wayne County?
7 in the Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments: 1 county, 2 municipal, 1 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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