Lafayette County, Mississippi Income Statistics
Lafayette County Wealth Score
The wealth index reflects the overall economic prosperity and financial well-being of a county's residents based on income levels, employment rates, and income inequality metrics.
-
D
Lafayette County Well below averageWealthier than 80% of counties in Mississippi
Source: Map AI Methodology
Income Statistics Overview
| Metric | Lafayette County | Mississippi Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Household Income | $70,279 | $56,669 | $80,455 |
| Median Personal Income | $53,215 | $48,086 | $60,758 |
| Average Yearly Income Growth | 6.1% | 4.3% | 4.8% |
| Six-Figure Earners | 9.9% | 7.4% | 13.9% |
| $200k+ Households | 10.1% | 5.8% | 13.2% |
The median household income in Lafayette County is about 24% higher than in Mississippi. Income has been growing faster in Lafayette County (6.1%/yr) than in Mississippi (4.3%/yr).
About 10% of adults in Lafayette County earn six figures ($100,000 or more) a year, higher than the Mississippi average of 7%.
Median Household Income 2009–2024 Trend
Median Household Income Over Time
Median household income in Lafayette County, Mississippi grew by 74.8% from 2009 to 2024, reaching $70,279 in 2024. That's an average of about 6.1% per year.
Income Inequality and the Gender Pay Gap in Lafayette County
| Metric | Lafayette County | Mississippi Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gini Coefficient | 0.624 | 0.566 | 0.552 |
| Male Median Income | $66,161 | $56,525 | $69,667 |
| Female Median Income | $50,619 | $43,645 | $56,850 |
| Gender Pay Gap | 23.5% | 22.8% | 18.4% |
The Gini coefficient measures how evenly income is shared between richer and poorer households, from 0 (everyone earns the same) to 1 (one household earns nearly everything). The lower the number, the more equally income is distributed. In Lafayette County, it is 0.624, higher than Mississippi's 0.566, so income is less evenly distributed here than there, and higher than the US's 0.552, so income is less evenly distributed here than there.
Men's income is about 31% more than women's income in Lafayette County, Mississippi. Over a 35-year career, a 31% wage gap accumulates to roughly $543,970 in unearned income for female workers in the area.
Income by Sex Over Time
Since 2009, the income gap between men and women in Lafayette County, Mississippi has narrowed from about 28% to 23% in 2024. Over that period the gap was widest at 29% in 2019, and was narrowest at 18% in 2014. In dollar terms, the gap has widened by $3,415 since 2009.
Employment
| Metric | Lafayette County | Mississippi Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unemployment Rate | 2.1% | 5.7% | 5.2% |
| Working from Home | 8.6% | 5.9% | 15.0% |
| Commute time (minutes) | 16 | 21 | 22 |
Approximately 567 people are unemployed in Lafayette County, Mississippi.
The average commute time in Lafayette County is 16 minutes, shorter than the 21 minutes in Mississippi.
Unemployment Rate Over Time
Since 2011, the unemployment rate in Lafayette County, Mississippi has fallen from 8.5% to 2.1% in 2024. Over that period the rate peaked at 9.8% in 2014 and fell as low as 1.8% in 2023.
Lafayette County, MS Wealth Compared With Nearby Counties
Lafayette County, MS is the largest of the 6 counties compared here, 58,327 residents against a local median of 31,525. Lafayette County, MS's income growth, at 6.1%/yr, runs 71% above the 3.6%/yr typical of the counties around it. That is the better end of the local range on this measure.
Unemployment tells the same story from another angle: 2.1% against a local median of 4.7%, 55% below it. Every measure here with a clear better direction points the same way, so Lafayette County, MS is not trading one advantage for another, it reads stronger than its neighbours across the board. The counties themselves sit within 1.5%/yr of each other on income growth, a tighter band than the gap between any of them and Lafayette County, MS, which makes it a genuine outlier here rather than one end of a wide local spread. Lafayette County, MS has the highest income growth of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Income growthAverage yearly change in median household income since 2016. Each year is measured in its own dollars, so this is growth before inflation. | Unemployment | Income inequalityGini coefficient: 0 would mean every household earns the same, 1 that a single household earns everything. The lower the number, the more equally income is shared here. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lafayette County, MS | 58,327 | $70,279 #1/6 | 6.1%/yr #1/6 | 2.1% #1/6 | 0.624 #6/6 |
| Yalobusha County, MS | 12,419 | $49,079 | 4.5%/yr | 5.8% | 0.545 |
| Marshall County, MS | 33,979 | $53,460 | 3.6%/yr | 4.4% | 0.569 |
| Calhoun County, MS | 12,852 | $43,716 | 4.4%/yr | 4.7% | 0.510 |
| Panola County, MS | 32,808 | $46,208 | 2.9%/yr | 6.6% | 0.578 |
| Pontotoc County, MS | 31,525 | $52,298 | 3.6%/yr | 3.1% | 0.531 |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Lafayette County, Mississippi has an overall wealth index grade of D, making it somewhat better than Mississippi, and somewhat worse than the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about income and wealth in Lafayette County, Mississippi.
How Rich Is Lafayette County, Mississippi?
Lafayette County has a wealth index grade of D. The wealth index grades areas from A+ (best) to F- by combining income levels, employment rates, and income inequality; a D grade means residents are somewhat worse off than the U.S. average. The median household income is $70,279, about 24% higher than the Mississippi average of $56,669.
Are incomes growing in Lafayette County, Mississippi?
Between 2009 and 2024, the median household income in Lafayette County, Mississippi rose 75%, from $40,202 to $70,279. Over the same years, income here outpaced Mississippi as a whole: +75% against +54%.
What was the median household income in Lafayette County in 2023?
In 2023, the median household income in Lafayette County, Mississippi was $65,311, up 9% from $59,662 in 2022. The Mississippi median that year was $55,083.
What was the median household income in Lafayette County in 2020?
In 2020, the median household income in Lafayette County, Mississippi was $53,782. By 2024 it had risen 31% to $70,279.
Is it hard to find a job in Lafayette County, Mississippi?
Unemployment in Lafayette County, Mississippi is only 2.1%, well below the Mississippi rate of 5.7%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
What is the Gini coefficient in Lafayette County, Mississippi?
The Gini coefficient in Lafayette County is 0.624. It measures income inequality on a scale from 0 (everyone earns the same) to 1 (one household earns everything). That is higher than the US average of 0.552, so income is distributed less equally than in the country overall.
How has the income gap between men and women changed in Lafayette County, Mississippi?
Since 2009, the income gap between men and women in Lafayette County, Mississippi has narrowed from about 28% to 23% in 2024. Over that period the gap was widest at 29% in 2019, and was narrowest at 18% in 2014. In dollar terms, the gap has widened by $3,415 since 2009.
Analyze any area in the US
Get local demographics for any address, aggregated by drive time or radius, on the interactive map.
Explore the map →