Purvis, MS

City in Lamar County, MS, US

By Neilsberg Research

Last updated May 1, 2026

Key Indicators

A quick look at key numbers

Population

1,914

Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates

Median Age

31.6

years ∙ half population younger than 31.6, half older

Diversity Index

47.9%

chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity

Nativity

4.7%

foreign-born population

95.3%Native

4.7% Foreign-born

Geographic Context

Location, size, and surroundings

About

Purvis is a city within Lamar County, Mississippi, United States.

Location

City in Lamar County, MS, US

Co-ordinates

DEC31.146366° N, 89.406281° W

DMS31° 08′ 46.92″ N, 89° 24′ 22.61″ W

Population Density & area

456.8/sq mi (176.4/km²)

Total Area

4.2 sq mi (10.88 km²)

Land Area

4.19 sq mi (10.85 km²) · 99.71%

Water Area

0.01 sq mi (0.03 km²) · 0.29%

Demographics & Living

Who lives here, how households are formed, and community composition

Population Composition

Key characteristics of the population

Sex Distribution

47.2% male

Male 47.2%

Female 52.8%

males per 100 females

Purvis 89.3

Lamar County 92.2

Mississippi 94.2

Nativity

4.7%

foreign-born population

95.3%Native

4.7% Foreign-born

% Foreign-born

Purvis 4.7%

Lamar County 2.5%

Mississippi 2.4%

Age Distribution

How the population is spread across age groups

Median Age

31.6

years ∙ half population younger than 31.6, half older

Purvis

31.6

Lamar County

37.7

Mississippi

38.6

Dependency ratio

88.8

dependents per 100 working-age adults

Purvis 88.8

Lamar County 65.6

Mississippi 68

AGE DISTRIBUTION

Distribution of age group

Median age

	Purvis	Lamar County	Mississippi
Age Group
Children (Under 18)	29.5%	24.3%	23.3%
Working age (18-64)	53%	60.4%	59.5%
Senior (65+)	17.5%	15.3%	17.2%
Dependency ratio
Total dependency ratio	88.8	65.6	68
Child dependency ratio	55.7	40.3	39.2
Old-age dependency ratio	33	25.4	28.8

Racial & Ethnic Composition

Racial and ethnic makeup and how it compares

Race & Ethnicity

White

68%

Black

23.3%

Asian

Hispanic

6.6%

Other

2.1%

Note: White, Black, and Asian refer to individuals belonging to a single race and not of Hispanic origin. Hispanics may be of any race.

Diversity Index

47.9%

chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity

Purvis 47.9%

Lamar County 45.2%

Mississippi 56.1%

Note: The Diversity Index (DI), based on the Blau Index, measures the probability that two randomly selected individuals differ in race and ethnicity. Values range from 0 (no diversity) to 1 (high diversity) and are shown as percentages.

RACIAL & ETHNIC COMPOSITION

Race & Ethnicity

Percentage of Purvis population

Racial and ethnic composition — Purvis vs Lamar County vs Mississippi. Source: ACS 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates.
	Purvis	Lamar County	Mississippi
Hispanic or Latino	6.6%	3.7%	3.7%
Mexican	3%	1.8%	2%
Puerto Rican	0%	0.3%	0.3%
Cuban	0%	0%	0.1%
Other Hispanic / Latino	3.6%	1.6%	1.3%
Not Hispanic or Latino	93.4%	96.3%	96.3%
One race	92.7%	93.7%	93.3%
White	68%	70.6%	55.2%
Black or African American	23.3%	21.7%	36.3%
American Indian and Alaska Native	0.2%	0.1%	0.4%
Asian	0%	0.9%	1%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander	0%	0%	0%
Some Other Race	1.2%	0.4%	0.3%
Two or more races (Multiracial)	0.7%	2.6%	3%

Household & Families Composition

Household size, type, and family structure

Household structure

67.3% family

Family 67.3%

Non family 32.7%

% family households

Purvis 67.3%

Lamar County 69.8%

Mississippi 65.3%

Average household size

2.75

persons per household

Purvis

2.75

Lamar County

2.58

Mississippi

2.49

Household & Family COMPOSITION

Households

Percentage of Purvis population

	Purvis	Lamar County	Mississippi
Total households	670	25,381	1,145,431
Average houshold size	2.75	2.58	2.49
Family households	451	17,705	747,604
Average family size	3.18	3.06	3.12
Married couple family	204	13,447	498,140
Other families	247	4,258	249,464
Male householder	86	1,045	54,654
Female householder	161	3,213	194,810
Non-family households	219	7,676	397,827
One-person households	175	6,237	346,124
Male householder	45	2,856	158,618
Senior (65+) living alone	35	772	50,989
Female householder	130	3,381	187,506
Senior (65+) living alone	88	1,481	95,927
Other living arrangements	44	1,439	51,703

Housing Profile

Housing stock, ownership, rentals, and cost burdens

Total housing units

781

housing units

Purvis 781

Lamar County 27,685

Mississippi 1,341,114

Occupancy status

85.8% occupied

Occupied 85.8%

Vacant 14.2%

vacancy rate

Purvis 14.2%

Lamar County 8.3%

Mississippi 14.6%

Housing Characteristics

How the housing supply is structured and used

Types of Housing unit

83.6%

Single family houses

83.6%

Apartments in multi-unit structures

12.5%

Mobile homes

3.8%

Boat, RV, van, etc

Median Year Built

1981

Half of houses were built before 1981, and half after.

Historic ∙ 1939 or earlier

5.5%

Postwar & mid-century ∙ 1940 - 1969

23.1%

Late 20th century ∙ 1970 - 1999

48.6%

Modern ∙ 2000 or later

22.8%

Note: Median year built reflects occupied units only; distribution includes all units.

Housing Characteristics

Units, rooms & bedrooms

Physical characteristics of housing units

	Purvis	Lamar County	Mississippi
Rooms per unit
Median rooms	5.8	5.7	5.7
1–3 rooms	5.5%	10.3%	9.4%
4–6 rooms	66.4%	53.4%	56.6%
7+ rooms	28.1%	36.2%	34%
Bedrooms
No bedroom / studio	0.9%	0.6%	1.6%
1 bedroom	2.3%	6.5%	6.1%
2 bedrooms	20%	22.9%	20.8%
3 bedrooms	47.1%	47%	51.6%
4+ bedrooms	29.7%	23%	19.9%
At a glance
Median year built	1981	1999	1987
Total housing units	781	27,685	1,341,114

Occupancy Profile

Who is inside and how they use it

Homeownership

63.7% owners

Renter-occupied 36.3%

Owner-occupied 63.7%

homeownership rate

Purvis 63.7%

Lamar County 69.5%

Mississippi 70%

Average household size

2.6

Owner-occupied

Renter-occupied

owner-occupied average size

Purvis 2.6

Lamar County 2.7

Mississippi 2.55

Housing Characteristics

Occupied unit characteristics

Tenure, crowding, and utilities

	Purvis	Lamar County	Mississippi
Total occupied units	670	25,381	1,145,431
Year moved in
2020 or later	27.7%	26.4%	21.6%
2010 to 2019	31.3%	40.5%	37.9%
2000 to 2009	11.3%	16.9%	17.6%
1999 or earlier	29.5%	16.1%	22.9%
Occupants per room
1.00 or fewer	93.3%	97.9%	97.8%
1.01 to 1.50	5.7%	1.4%	1.6%
1.51 or more	1%	0.7%	0.6%
Vehicles availability
No vehicles	7.3%	4.4%	6.3%
1 vehicle	34.3%	31.2%	32.1%
2 vehicles	35.1%	40.2%	36.1%
3 or more vehicles	23.3%	24.3%	25.4%
House heating fuel used
Gas	27.3%	17.3%	39.2%
Electricity	71.9%	81.5%	58.9%
Solar	0%	0%	0%
Fuel oil, kerosene etc	0%	0.1%	0.1%
All other fuels	0%	0.5%	1%
No fuel used	0.7%	0.6%	0.7%
Selected characteristics
Lacking complete plumbing	0%	0.2%	0.5%
Lacking complete kitchen	0%	0.5%	0.7%
No telephone service available	0.3%	0.4%	1.2%

Housing Value

What owner-occupied units are worth

Median home value

$168,100

owner-occupied units

Median value(USD)

Purvis

$168,100

Lamar County

$224,700

Mississippi

$169,800

Housing Cost Burden

40.4%

of homeowners with a mortgage are cost-burdened

% Cost-Burdened Households

Owners with a mortgage

40.4%

Owners without a mortgage

10.9%

Renters

60.8%

Note: Households spending 30% or more of their income on housing costs are considered cost-burdened.

Financial characteristics

Property value and housing costs

Tenure, crowding, and utilities

	Purvis	Lamar County	Mississippi
Property value
Median Value	$168,100	$224,700	$169,800
Under $100,000	27.9%	18.8%	29.9%
$100,000 - $200,000	31.9%	23.6%	27.9%
$200,000 - $300,000	36.8%	28.3%	20.3%
$300,000 - $500,000	2.1%	23.7%	16.3%
$500,000 - $1,000,000	1.4%	4.9%	4.6%
$1,000,000 and more	0%	0.7%	0.9%
Owner-occupied households
With a mortgage	46.4%	56.7%	49.4%
Without a mortgage	53.6%	43.3%	50.6%
Median monthly owner costs
With a mortgage	$1,074	$1,507	$1,394
Without a mortgage	$394	$464	$432
Gross rent
Median rent	$939	$1,126	$954

Education Profile

How educated is the community and how education pays off

Adults with a college degree

22.4%

of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher

Purvis 22.4%

Lamar County 34.5%

Mississippi 25.1%

Adults without a high school diploma

15.8%

of adults (25+) without a high school diploma

Purvis 15.8%

Lamar County 8%

Mississippi 12.8%

School Enrollment

Who is enrolled in school and at what level

School enrollment

508

population (age 3+) enrolled in school

Nursery / Preschool

7.5%

K–12

76.8%

College / Undergraduate

14.4%

Graduate / Professional

1.4%

College-going rate (18-24 yr olds)

2.5%

of 18-24-year-olds in college or graduate school

Purvis

2.5%

Lamar County

45.6%

Mississippi

39.5%

Enrollment & school type

Enrollment levels, college-going rate, and public vs private school split

Population 3+ currently enrolled in a school

	Purvis	Lamar County	Mississippi
Total enrolled (age 3+)	508	16,936	726,919
Nursery / preschool	7.5%	6.5%	5.9%
K–12	76.8%	68.7%	69.3%
Kindergarten	4.9%	4.3%	5%
Elementary: Grades 1–4	22.4%	22.8%	20.8%
Elementary: Grades 5–8	29.1%	21.2%	21.7%
High School: Grades 9–12	20.3%	20.5%	21.8%
College or graduate school	15.7%	24.7%	24.8%
College, undergraduate	14.4%	18.7%	19.9%
Graduate, professional school	1.4%	6.1%	4.9%
College-going rate · 18-24 yr olds	2.5%	45.6%	39.5%
School type
Public school	84.4%	79.2%	83.5%
Private school	15.6%	20.8%	16.5%

Education Attainment by Level & Gender

What is the highest level of education completed among adults

Education attainment

1,187

population 25 years and over

Total adults (25+)

Less than 9th grade

8.7%

9th-12th, no diploma

7.1%

HS graduate

28%

Some college no degree

23.3%

Associates degree

10.5%

Bachelors degree

16.3%

Graduate or professional degree

6.1%

Attainment by gender

Male vs Female

Adults (25+) · Share within each education level

% male · % female

Less than 9th grade

79.6% · 20.4%

9th-12th, no diploma

31% · 69%

HS graduate

39.8% · 60.2%

Some college no degree

57.8% · 42.2%

Associates degree

16% · 84%

Bachelors degree

61.7% · 38.3%

Graduate or professional degree

35.6% · 64.4%

Educational Attainment Overview

Distribution and key education attainment rates for adults (25+)

Highest credential completed · adults 25+

	Purvis	Lamar County	Mississippi
Population (25+)	1,187	44,293	1,972,266
Less than 9th grade	8.7%	2.7%	4.3%
9th–12th, no diploma	7.1%	5.3%	8.5%
High school diploma or GED	28%	26%	29.9%
Some college, no degree	23.3%	21.7%	21.2%
Associate's degree	10.5%	9.8%	10.9%
Bachelor's degree or higher	22.4%	34.5%	25.1%
Bachelor's degree	16.3%	21.5%	15.3%
Graduate or professional	6.1%	13%	9.9%
High School or higher	84.2%	92%	87.1%

Earnings by education level

percentage as applicable

Median Earnings

$42,813

Median earnings for adults 25+, by level

Less than HS graduate

$31,203

HS graduate

$32,250

Some college or associates

$38,688

Bachelors degree

$—

Graduate or professional degree

$48,897

Poverty Rate

for ages 25+, with bachelors degree or higher

Less than HS graduate

45.9%

HS graduate

13.5%

Some college or associates

21.6%

Bachelors degree or higher

Outcomes by Education Level

Earnings and poverty rates across education levels (25+)

Adults 25+

	Purvis	Lamar County	Mississippi
Median earnings
Population 25+, with earnings	$42,813	$48,958	$42,912
Less than high school graduate	$31,203	$29,692	$29,259
High school graduate (includes equivalency)	$32,250	$30,525	$35,321
Some college or associate's degree	$38,688	$46,163	$40,529
Bachelor's degree	$—	$60,168	$53,681
Graduate or professional degree	$48,897	$64,080	$65,353
Poverty rates
Less than high school graduate	45.9%	35.3%	32.8%
High school graduate (includes equivalency)	13.5%	16.9%	20%
Some college or associate's degree	21.6%	9.7%	13.2%
Bachelor's degree or higher	0%	4.1%	5.7%

Insights for Purvis, by topic

Income By year By race By age By gender

Population By year By race By age By gender

About Neilsberg Research

Neilsberg Research team are data scientists with expertise in processing, analysis and visualization of big data helping small businesses make right decisions.

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