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 | |
|---|---|
 Lamar County Courthouse in Purvis | |
 Location within the U.S. state of Mississippi | |
 Mississippi's location within the U.S. | |
| Coordinates: 31°13′N 89°31′W / 31.21°N 89.51°W | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Mississippi |
| Founded | 1904 |
| Named for | Lucius Quintus Cincinnatus Lamar |
| Seat | Purvis |
| Largest city | West Hattiesburg |
| Area | |
• Total | 500 sq mi (1,000 km2) |
| • Land | 497 sq mi (1,290 km2) |
| • Water | 3.4 sq mi (9 km2) 0.7% |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 64,222 |
| • Density | 130/sq mi (50/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| Congressional district | 4th |
| Website | www |
Lamar County is part of the Hattiesburg, MS Metropolitan Statistical Area. It is largely a rural county, except for its northeast quarter.
Geography
editAccording 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
edit
Interstate 59
U.S. Highway 11
U.S. Highway 98
Mississippi Highway 13
Mississippi Highway 42
Mississippi Highway 44
Adjacent counties
edit- Covington County (north)
- Forrest County (east)
- Pearl River County (south)
- Marion County (west)
- Jefferson Davis County (northwest)
Demographics
edit| 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% | |
| 2023 (est.) | 66,217 | [4] | 3.1% |
| 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% |
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 64,222 people, 22,116 households, and 15,584 families residing in the county.
Politics
editLamar 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 ten elections.
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 2024 | 20,775 | 73.51% | 7,038 | 24.90% | 449 | 1.59% |
| 2020 | 20,704 | 72.57% | 7,340 | 25.73% | 486 | 1.70% |
| 2016 | 18,751 | 76.25% | 5,190 | 21.10% | 651 | 2.65% |
| 2012 | 19,101 | 76.74% | 5,494 | 22.07% | 294 | 1.18% |
| 2008 | 18,497 | 77.36% | 5,159 | 21.58% | 254 | 1.06% |
| 2004 | 16,410 | 80.19% | 3,923 | 19.17% | 132 | 0.65% |
| 2000 | 12,795 | 77.07% | 3,478 | 20.95% | 329 | 1.98% |
| 1996 | 8,609 | 67.39% | 3,169 | 24.81% | 996 | 7.80% |
| 1992 | 8,259 | 63.37% | 3,208 | 24.62% | 1,565 | 12.01% |
| 1988 | 9,145 | 77.86% | 2,535 | 21.58% | 66 | 0.56% |
| 1984 | 7,929 | 79.85% | 1,964 | 19.78% | 37 | 0.37% |
| 1980 | 5,395 | 63.13% | 3,005 | 35.16% | 146 | 1.71% |
| 1976 | 4,056 | 54.71% | 3,109 | 41.93% | 249 | 3.36% |
| 1972 | 5,022 | 88.38% | 493 | 8.68% | 167 | 2.94% |
| 1968 | 546 | 10.27% | 351 | 6.60% | 4,422 | 83.14% |
| 1964 | 3,372 | 90.99% | 334 | 9.01% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1960 | 636 | 27.26% | 651 | 27.90% | 1,046 | 44.83% |
| 1956 | 429 | 24.97% | 805 | 46.86% | 484 | 28.17% |
| 1952 | 1,034 | 45.07% | 1,260 | 54.93% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1948 | 36 | 2.45% | 91 | 6.19% | 1,342 | 91.35% |
| 1944 | 93 | 8.03% | 1,065 | 91.97% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1940 | 55 | 4.57% | 1,148 | 95.43% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1936 | 91 | 6.97% | 1,210 | 92.65% | 5 | 0.38% |
| 1932 | 31 | 2.90% | 1,033 | 96.63% | 5 | 0.47% |
| 1928 | 410 | 36.35% | 718 | 63.65% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1924 | 80 | 8.78% | 795 | 87.27% | 36 | 3.95% |
| 1920 | 192 | 21.74% | 672 | 76.10% | 19 | 2.15% |
| 1916 | 89 | 10.09% | 744 | 84.35% | 49 | 5.56% |
| 1912 | 16 | 3.17% | 399 | 79.01% | 90 | 17.82% |
Government and infrastructure
editThe Mississippi Department of Mental Health operates the South Mississippi State Hospital in unincorporated Lamar County, near Purvis.[12]
Communities
editCities
edit- Hattiesburg (mostly in Forrest County)
- Lumberton (partly in Pearl River County)
- Purvis (county seat)
Town
editCensus-designated places
editOther unincorporated communities
editEducation
editSchool districts include:[13]
Former school districts:[14]
- Lumberton Public School District - Merged into the Lamar County district in 2018.[15]
The county is in the service area of Pearl River Community College.[16]
See also
edit
References
edit- ^ "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.
- ^ "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2023". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved April 5, 2024.
- ^ "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.
- ^ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved March 3, 2018.
- ^ "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
edit- Official City of Lumberton Business Website
Media related to Lamar County, Mississippi at Wikimedia Commons- Mississippi Courthouses – Lamar County
