Lafayette County, Mississippi Demographics 2026

Name: Lafayette County, Mississippi Demographics
Creator: U.S. Census Bureau
License: https://www.census.gov/data/developers/about/terms-of-service.html

Lafayette County, Mississippi has a population of 58,327, the 12th most populous county in Mississippi. The median household income is $67,185 and the median home value is $315,400. The poverty rate is 18.5%.

Data vintage: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 5-Year Estimates · refreshed July 2026 · Methodology & source notes

Lafayette County Quick Facts

Population 58,327

Median Household Income $67,185

Median Home Value $315,400

Poverty Rate 18.5%

Unemployment Rate 2.1%

Median Age 30.7 years

Homeownership Rate 63.8%

Affordability Ratio 4.7x

Bachelor's Degree+ 46.5%

High School Graduation 92.5%

Cities/Places 6

Population 58,327 12th of 82

Median Income $67,185 19% higher than state

Poverty Rate 18.5%

Unemployment 2.1%

How Lafayette County Changed

Change from the 2019–2023 ACS period to 2020–2024. These are rolling five-year estimates, not year-over-year measurements.

Metric	2019–2023	2020–2024	Change
Population	56,920	58,327	+2.5%
Median household income	$64,334	$67,185	+4.4%
Median home value	$260,500	$315,400	+21.1%

Median Household Income

Lafayette

$67,185

$56,447

National

$80,734

Median Home Value

Lafayette

$315,400

$169,800

National

$332,700

Economy & Housing

Household Income Distribution

Under $25K 19.9%

$25K-$50K 17.8%

$50K-$100K 27.7%

$100K+ 34.6%

Detailed income brackets

Under $10K

7.3%

$10K-$15K

4.3%

$15K-$20K

3.7%

$20K-$25K

4.5%

$25K-$30K

4.9%

$30K-$35K

3.0%

$35K-$40K

3.9%

$40K-$45K

2.9%

$45K-$50K

3.1%

$50K-$60K

5.5%

$60K-$75K

10.0%

$75K-$100K

12.3%

$100K-$125K

10.3%

$125K-$150K

5.5%

$150K-$200K

8.6%

$200K+

10.1%

Employment

2.1% Unemployment Rate State: 5.8%|National: 5.2%

55.1% Labor Force Participation

Housing Overview

Owner 63.8%

Renter 36.2%

Affordability Index Moderate

4.7x home value to income ratio

Median gross rent $1,085/mo 19.4% of median household income annually

People & Demographics

Age Distribution

Under 18

18.1%

18-34

37.0%

35-54

21.6%

55-74

18.2%

75+

5.1%

Race & Ethnicity

Diversity Index

Moderate Diversity

Moderate diversity with one or two groups making up the majority.

State average: 56 | National average: 61

Education

Educational Attainment (Adults 25+)

Cities & Places in Lafayette County

City	Population	Median Income	Poverty	Home Value
Oxford	26,411	$64,451	25.4%	$385,700
University	5,315	N/A	N/A	N/A
Abbeville	311	$61,250	8.0%	$161,500
Paris	302	N/A	100.0%	N/A
Taylor	245	$80,208	11.0%	$283,900
Tula	123	N/A	0.0%	N/A

Explore Mississippi Rankings

Cities by Population All cities ranked by size Richest Cities Ranked by median income Most Educated By bachelor's degree rate Most Affordable By housing affordability

Population Overview

Lafayette County is located in Mississippi with a total population of 58,327. It is the 12th most populous county out of 82 in Mississippi. The county encompasses 6 Census-designated places.

Age Demographics

The median age in Lafayette County is 30.7 years. This is 20% lower than the state median of 38.6 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Lafayette County is $67,185. This is 19% higher than the state median of $56,447. It is also 17% lower than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 18.5%. This is 2% lower than the state poverty rate of 18.9%. The unemployment rate is 2.1%. This is 63% lower than the state rate of 5.8%. The median home value is $315,400. Housing costs are 86% higher than the state median of $169,800. The home-value-to-income ratio is 4.7x. 63.8% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 9% lower than the state average of 70.0%.

Race & Ethnicity

The largest racial or ethnic group in Lafayette County is White (non-Hispanic), making up 68.5% of the population. Black or African American residents account for 22.6%. The Asian population is significantly higher than the state average (2.2% vs 1.0%).

Education

46.5% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This places Lafayette County in the top 10% of all counties in the state for educational attainment. This is 85% higher than the state rate of 25.1%. Nationally, 35.7% of adults hold at least a bachelor's degree. The high school graduation rate (or equivalent) is 92.5%. Notably, 22.7% of adults hold a graduate or professional degree, indicating a highly educated workforce.

Data Sources & Methodology

All figures for Lafayette County come from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 2020–2024 5-Year Estimates, with comparisons drawn against Mississippi and national averages from the same dataset. See our methodology page for how each metric is defined, or data.census.gov for official tables with margins of error.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the population of Lafayette County, Mississippi?

Lafayette County has a population of 58,327, making it the 12th most populous county in Mississippi.

What is the median income in Lafayette County?

The median household income in Lafayette County is $67,185 with a poverty rate of 18.5%.

How many cities are in Lafayette County, Mississippi?

Lafayette County contains 6 Census-designated places.