Lamar County, Mississippi
Lamar County, Mississippi | |
|---|---|
Lamar County Courthouse in Purvis | |
Location within the U.S. state of Mississippi | |
| Coordinates: 31°13′N 89°31′W / 31.21°N 89.51°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Mississippi |
| Founded | 1904 |
| Named after | Lucius Quintus Cincinnatus Lamar |
| Seat | Purvis |
| Largest community | West Hattiesburg |
| Area | |
• Total | 500 sq mi (1,300 km2) |
| • Land | 497 sq mi (1,290 km2) |
| • Water | 3.4 sq mi (8.8 km2) 0.7% |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 64,222 |
| • Density | 129/sq mi (49.9/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| Congressional district | 4th |
| Website | www |
Lamar County is a county located in the U.S. state of Mississippi. As of the 2020 census, the population was 64,222.[1] Its county seat is Purvis.[2] Named for Confederate Lucius Quintus Cincinnatus Lamar, the county was carved out of Marion County to the west in 1904.
Lamar County is part of the Hattiesburg metropolitan area. It is largely a rural county, except for its northeast quarter.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 500 square miles (1,300 km2), of which 497 square miles (1,290 km2) is land and 3.4 square miles (8.8 km2) (0.7%) is water.[3]
Major highways
- Interstate 59
- U.S. Highway 11
- U.S. Highway 98
- Mississippi Highway 13
- Mississippi Highway 42
- Mississippi Highway 44
Adjacent counties
- Covington County (north)
- Forrest County (east)
- Pearl River County (south)
- Marion County (west)
- Jefferson Davis County (northwest)
Demographics
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1910 | 11,741 | — | |
| 1920 | 12,869 | 9.6% | |
| 1930 | 12,848 | −0.2% | |
| 1940 | 12,096 | −5.9% | |
| 1950 | 13,225 | 9.3% | |
| 1960 | 13,675 | 3.4% | |
| 1970 | 15,209 | 11.2% | |
| 1980 | 23,821 | 56.6% | |
| 1990 | 30,424 | 27.7% | |
| 2000 | 39,070 | 28.4% | |
| 2010 | 55,658 | 42.5% | |
| 2020 | 64,222 | 15.4% | |
| 2024 (est.) | 66,734 | [4] | 3.9% |
| U.S. Decennial Census[5] 1790-1960[6] 1900-1990[7] 1990-2000[8] 2010-2013[9] | |||
| Race | Num. | Perc. |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 43,865 | 68.3% |
| Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 14,296 | 22.26% |
| Native American | 108 | 0.17% |
| Asian | 1,091 | 1.7% |
| Pacific Islander | 50 | 0.08% |
| Other/Mixed | 2,450 | 3.81% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 2,362 | 3.68% |
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 64,222. The median age was 34.8 years. 25.8% of residents were under the age of 18 and 13.8% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 90.0 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 86.8 males age 18 and over.[11][12]
The racial makeup of the county was 69.2% White, 22.4% Black or African American, 0.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.7% Asian, 0.1% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 1.9% from some other race, and 4.5% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 3.7% of the population.[12]
46.3% of residents lived in urban areas, while 53.7% lived in rural areas.[13]
There were 25,001 households in the county, of which 35.4% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 48.3% were married-couple households, 16.4% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 29.7% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 26.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[11]
There were 27,434 housing units, of which 8.9% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 65.5% were owner-occupied and 34.5% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.6% and the rental vacancy rate was 9.3%.[11]
Politics
Lamar County, historically, is one of the most conservative counties in Mississippi. The county has voted for Republican presidential candidates with 60 percent or more of the vote in the past twelve elections.
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 1912 | 16 | 3.17% | 399 | 79.01% | 90 | 17.82% |
| 1916 | 89 | 10.09% | 744 | 84.35% | 49 | 5.56% |
| 1920 | 192 | 21.74% | 672 | 76.10% | 19 | 2.15% |
| 1924 | 80 | 8.78% | 795 | 87.27% | 36 | 3.95% |
| 1928 | 410 | 36.35% | 718 | 63.65% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1932 | 31 | 2.90% | 1,033 | 96.63% | 5 | 0.47% |
| 1936 | 91 | 6.97% | 1,210 | 92.65% | 5 | 0.38% |
| 1940 | 55 | 4.57% | 1,148 | 95.43% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1944 | 93 | 8.03% | 1,065 | 91.97% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1948 | 36 | 2.45% | 91 | 6.19% | 1,342 | 91.35% |
| 1952 | 1,034 | 45.07% | 1,260 | 54.93% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1956 | 429 | 24.97% | 805 | 46.86% | 484 | 28.17% |
| 1960 | 636 | 27.26% | 651 | 27.90% | 1,046 | 44.83% |
| 1964 | 3,372 | 90.99% | 334 | 9.01% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1968 | 546 | 10.27% | 351 | 6.60% | 4,422 | 83.14% |
| 1972 | 5,022 | 88.38% | 493 | 8.68% | 167 | 2.94% |
| 1976 | 4,056 | 54.71% | 3,109 | 41.93% | 249 | 3.36% |
| 1980 | 5,395 | 63.13% | 3,005 | 35.16% | 146 | 1.71% |
| 1984 | 7,929 | 79.85% | 1,964 | 19.78% | 37 | 0.37% |
| 1988 | 9,145 | 77.86% | 2,535 | 21.58% | 66 | 0.56% |
| 1992 | 8,259 | 63.37% | 3,208 | 24.62% | 1,565 | 12.01% |
| 1996 | 8,609 | 67.39% | 3,169 | 24.81% | 996 | 7.80% |
| 2000 | 12,795 | 77.07% | 3,478 | 20.95% | 329 | 1.98% |
| 2004 | 16,410 | 80.19% | 3,923 | 19.17% | 132 | 0.65% |
| 2008 | 18,497 | 77.36% | 5,159 | 21.58% | 254 | 1.06% |
| 2012 | 19,101 | 76.74% | 5,494 | 22.07% | 294 | 1.18% |
| 2016 | 18,751 | 76.25% | 5,190 | 21.10% | 651 | 2.65% |
| 2020 | 20,704 | 72.68% | 7,340 | 25.77% | 441 | 1.55% |
| 2024 | 20,775 | 73.75% | 7,038 | 24.98% | 358 | 1.27% |
Government and infrastructure
The Mississippi Department of Mental Health operates the South Mississippi State Hospital in unincorporated Lamar County, near Purvis.[17]
Communities
Cities
- Hattiesburg (mostly in Forrest County)
- Lumberton (partly in Pearl River County)
- Purvis (county seat)
Town
Census-designated places
Other unincorporated communities
Education
School districts include:[18]
Former school districts:[19]
- Lumberton Public School District - Merged into the Lamar County district in 2018.[20]
The county is in the service area of Pearl River Community College.[21]
See also
- Salmon Site, nuclear tests site
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Lamar County, Mississippi
References
- ^ "Census - Geography Profile: Lamar County, Mississippi". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 14, 2023.
- ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
- ^ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Archived from the original on September 28, 2013. Retrieved November 6, 2014.
- ^ "County Population Totals and Components of Change: 2020-2024". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved September 3, 2025.
- ^ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved November 6, 2014.
- ^ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Archived from the original on August 11, 2012. Retrieved November 6, 2014.
- ^ "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved November 6, 2014.
- ^ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 27, 2010. Retrieved November 6, 2014.
- ^ "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on June 7, 2011. Retrieved September 4, 2013.
- ^ "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved December 16, 2021.
- ^ a b c "2020 Decennial Census Demographic Profile (DP1)". United States Census Bureau. 2021. Retrieved December 24, 2025.
- ^ a b "2020 Decennial Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171)". United States Census Bureau. 2021. Retrieved December 24, 2025.
- ^ "2020 Decennial Census Demographic and Housing Characteristics (DHC)". United States Census Bureau. 2023. Retrieved December 24, 2025.
- ^ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved March 3, 2018.
- ^ Watson, Michael (November 3, 2020). "Statewide Recapitulation Report" (PDF). Secretary of State of Mississippi. Archived (PDF) from the original on July 27, 2025. Retrieved August 28, 2025.
- ^ Watson, Michael (November 5, 2024). "Statewide Recapitulation Report" (PDF). Secretary of State of Mississippi. Archived (PDF) from the original on June 11, 2025. Retrieved August 28, 2025.
- ^ "Contact Us Archived 2012-03-14 at the Wayback Machine." South Mississippi State Hospital. Retrieved on November 1, 2010. "South Mississippi State Hospital 823 Highway 589 Purvis, MS 39475."
- ^ "2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Lamar County, MS" (PDF). U.S. Census Bureau. Archived (PDF) from the original on April 13, 2022. Retrieved July 18, 2022. - Text list - In 2020 there were two school districts
- ^ "SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP (2010 CENSUS): Lamar County, MS" (PDF). U.S. Census Bureau. Archived (PDF) from the original on April 13, 2022. Retrieved July 18, 2022. - Text list - In 2010 there were three school districts
- ^ Ciurzak, Ellen (June 8, 2018). "Lawsuit fails to derail Lumberton schools consolidation". Hattiesburg American. Retrieved October 19, 2019.
- ^ "2014-2016 Catalog" (PDF). Pearl River Community College. Archived (PDF) from the original on August 7, 2015. Retrieved April 13, 2022.
External links
- Official City of Lumberton Business Website
- Media related to Lamar County, Mississippi at Wikimedia Commons
- Mississippi Courthouses – Lamar County