Lamar County, Mississippi


Lamar County is a county located in the U.S. state of Mississippi. As of the 2020 census, the population was 64,222. Its county seat is Purvis. 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, of which is land and is water.

Major highways

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.
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.
46.3% of residents lived in urban areas, while 53.7% lived in rural areas.
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.
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%.

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.

Government and infrastructure

The Mississippi Department of Mental Health operates the South Mississippi State Hospital in unincorporated Lamar County, near Purvis.

Communities

Cities

School districts include:
Former school districts:
The county is in the service area of Pearl River Community College.