HomeMississippiLamar County
Lamar County, Mississippi: commercial real estate data.
Lamar County, Mississippi has a population of 65,713 across 497 square miles, up 3.9 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $2.78 bn in 2024, 1,505 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 39 7(a) approvals worth $18.3 m.
123 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Lamar County
How many people live in Lamar County
- Population65,713
- Households25,381
- Average household size2.59
- Median household income$70,909
- Median age37.7
- Median gross rent$1,126 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$224,700
- Home value to household income3.2 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income19.1 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher34.5 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree13.0 percent
- Adults 25 and over44,293
- Population under 1815,975
- Share under 1824.3 percent
- Population 65 and over10,062
- Share 65 and over15.3 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6439,676
- Civilian labor force32,847
- Unemployment rate4.8 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over66.0 percent
- Rank by population among Mississippi counties11th of 82
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents835th
Lamar County is the 11th largest of 82 Mississippi counties by population. A median home costs 3.2 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 24.3 percent against 15.3 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Lamar County
Is Lamar County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base3.92 percent
- Census 2020 base population64,219
- Births, 2024734
- Deaths, 2024585
- Natural change, 2024149
- Net domestic migration, 2024307
- Net international migration, 202470
- Total net migration, 2024377
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 20241,460
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents702nd
The county has grown 3.92 percent since the 2020 census base. Migration contributed more to 2024 change than births over deaths, so demand here follows people arriving rather than families forming.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Lamar County
Where people moving to Lamar County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving2,277
- People arriving, from those returns4,283
- Adjusted gross income arriving$125.0 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$54,886
- Largest single originLamar County Non-migrants (19,749 households)
- Largest single destination (19,749 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lamar County Non-migrants | 19,749 | 44,120 | $1.72 bn |
| Forrest County | 736 | 1,338 | $33.8 m |
| Other flows - Different State | 684 | 1,341 | $49.7 m |
| Other flows - South | 459 | 913 | $34.5 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 246 | 445 | $11.2 m |
| Other flows - West | 109 | 221 | $9.0 m |
| Jones County | 91 | 177 | $4.2 m |
| Marion County | 84 | 160 | $3.4 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Lamar County Non-migrants, which is the catchment a retail or multifamily study should look at first.
US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Lamar County
What the Lamar County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$2.78 bn
- County GDP, 2023$2.65 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20244.7 percent
- GDP change over five years49.2 percent
- Rank by GDP among Mississippi counties14th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents1031st
- GDP per resident$42,258
Output grew 4.7 percent in the latest year and 49.2 percent over five, which is the trend line a lender will read behind any single year figure.
US Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional, table CAGDP2, CAGDP2, through 2024.
Lamar County
Who employs people in Lamar County
- Covered employment, annual average20,129
- Establishments reporting1,576
- Average annual pay$44,276
- Average weekly wage$851
- Sector 44-45, employment4,728
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$32,876
- Sector 72, employment3,212
- Sector 72, average annual pay$21,140
- Sector 56, employment1,047
- Sector 56, average annual pay$35,337
- Sector 23, employment897
- Sector 23, average annual pay$58,684
- Sector 52, employment738
- Sector 54, employment666
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 44-45 | 4,728 | 308 | $32,876 |
| Sector 72 | 3,212 | 150 | $21,140 |
| Sector 56 | 1,047 | 86 | $35,337 |
| Sector 23 | 897 | 154 | $58,684 |
| Sector 52 | 738 | 122 | $84,273 |
| Sector 54 | 666 | 135 | $60,893 |
| Sector 31-33 | 461 | 35 | $73,969 |
| Sector 81 | 452 | 102 | $42,578 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 4,728 jobs, 23.5 percent of covered employment. Average pay per job sits below median household income, so households here typically need more than one earner.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Lamar County
What businesses operate in Lamar County
- Establishments, all industries1,505
- Employment at those establishments19,611
- Annual payroll$852.0 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents22.9
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Lamar County
What is being built in Lamar County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 202445
- Declared construction value permitted$7.1 m
- Single family units authorised45
- Multifamily units authorised0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$156,681
- Units authorised per 1,000 households1.8
Multifamily is 0.0 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Lamar County
How much SBA lending happens in Lamar County
- 7(a) approvals recorded39
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$18.3 m
- Average 7(a) approval$470,169
- Median 7(a) approval$113,800
- 10th percentile approval$15,000
- 90th percentile approval$1,366,000
- Largest single approval$3,934,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)344
- Jobs per approval8.8
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active16
- Distinct industries receiving approvals30
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer10.3 percent
- Loans on real estate terms4
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter30
- Franchise loans6
- Franchise share of approvals15.4 percent
- Leading industry by approval countLimited-Service Restaurants (3)
- Most active lenderPeoples Bank (8)
- 504 approvals recorded2
- 504 gross approval dollars$2.4 m
- Average 504 approval$1,218,000
- Median 504 approval$1,277,000
- Distinct CDCs active2
- 504 jobs per approval15.0
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved12.3
- Most active CDCCentral Mississippi Development Company, Inc. (1)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals95.1 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$20.8 m
The average approval of $470,169 sits well above the median of $113,800, so a small number of large deals is pulling the mean up. The median is the better guide to what a typical borrower here actually gets. Only 10.3 percent of approvals run on real estate terms, so SBA credit here is mostly working capital and equipment rather than property acquisition.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30. US Small Business Administration, 504 FOIA release, FY2010 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Lamar County
Do SBA loans in Lamar County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded12
- Paid in full10
- Charged off2
- Charge off rate on resolved loans16.7 percent
- Status: Exempt from disclosure23
- Status: Charged off2
- Status: Paid in full10
- Status: Cancelled2
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed2
Of the 12 loans that have reached a final outcome, 16.7 percent were charged off. This is computed only over resolved loans, because a loan still running has not yet succeeded or failed and counting it either way would be wrong.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Lamar County
Which parts of Lamar County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending6
- HATTIESBURG, approvals20
- Sumrall, approvals8
- PURVIS, approvals6
- LUMBERTON, approvals3
- PRENTISS, approvals1
- SEMINARY, approvals1
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| HATTIESBURG | 20 | $11,302,700 |
| Sumrall | 8 | $913,100 |
| PURVIS | 6 | $1,939,500 |
| LUMBERTON | 3 | $147,300 |
| PRENTISS | 1 | $100,000 |
| SEMINARY | 1 | $3,934,000 |
HATTIESBURG accounts for 20 approvals against 8 in Sumrall. County level figures average over that gap, which is why a site decision is made at the submarket rather than the county.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Lamar County
How big is Lamar County
- Land area497 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Mississippi counties50th of 82
- Width, east to west18.1 mi
- Height, north to south31.2 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary5
- Residents per square mile of land132
- Establishments per square mile3.03
US Census Bureau county boundary geometry, TIGER, adjacency computed from shared boundary vertices, TIGER county boundaries. US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year. US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Every item below could be filled with a plausible figure. None of them is. On a page a lender may read, a number that cannot be traced is worse than an absence, so the absences are named.
- No NFIP communities are listed for this county in the FEMA Community Status Book.
- Flood zone record counts are not held. The flood coverage export has not landed, so no count is shown rather than an estimated one.
- Traffic counts resolve in the platform, not in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here.
- Zoning is in build. Parcel level zoning is not published on this page.
Feasibility studies
When a Lamar County site needs a document a lender will accept.
The same data layer behind this page is the one the studies are written from. A study for a Lamar County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population65,713
- Households25,381
- Average household size2.59
- Median household income$70,909
- Median age37.7
Common questions
Lamar County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Lamar County, Mississippi?
65,713, in 25,381 households, ranking 11th of 82 Mississippi counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Lamar County growing?
The population has grown 3.92 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 734 births against 585 deaths, with net migration of 377. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Lamar County?
$70,909. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $224,700, which is 3.2 times income, and median gross rent is $1,126 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Lamar County?
1,505 establishments, employing 19,611 people with an annual payroll of $852.0 m. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is the average wage in Lamar County?
Average annual pay is $44,276, or $851 a week, across 20,129 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Lamar County?
39 7(a) approvals totalling $18.3 m since FY2020, across 16 lenders, with a median approval of $113,800, plus 2 504 approvals worth $2.4 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
Do SBA loans in Lamar County get paid back?
Of the 12 loans that have reached a final outcome, 10 were paid in full and 2 charged off, a charge off rate of 16.7 percent. Loans still running are excluded, because they have not yet succeeded or failed.
What is being built in Lamar County?
45 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $7.1 m. Multifamily was 0.0 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Lamar County?
Zone 3, a predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/L. Source: US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Where do people moving to Lamar County come from?
The largest single origin is Lamar County Non-migrants, with 19,749 households. Arriving households report an average income of $54,886 against null for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Lamar County on this page?
No. Annual average daily traffic resolves in the platform rather than in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here. It is a gap we know about rather than a figure we estimated.
Is zoning published for Lamar County?
Not yet. The zoning layer is in build. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame with confirm locally attached.