# Lawrence County, Mississippi

Lawrence County is a county located in the U.S. state of Mississippi. As of the 2020 census, the population was 12,016. Its county seat is Monticello. The county is named for the naval hero James Lawrence.

## Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 436 square miles (1,130 km$^2$), of which 431 square miles (1,120 km$^2$) is land and 5.1 square miles (13 km$^2$) (1.2%) is water.

### Major highways

* U.S. Route 84
* Mississippi Highway 27
* Mississippi Highway 43
* Mississippi Highway 44

### Adjacent counties

* Simpson County (northeast)
* Jefferson Davis County (east)
* Marion County (southeast)
* Walthall County (south)
* Lincoln County (west)
* Copiah County (northwest)

## Demographics

Lawrence County racial composition as of 2020 :
| Race | Num. | Perc. |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 7,807 | 64.97% |
| Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 3,690 | 30.71% |
| Native American | 17 | 0.14% |
| Asian | 33 | 0.27% |
| Pacific Islander | 4 | 0.03% |
| Other/Mixed | 258 | 2.15% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 207 | 1.72% |
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 12,016 people, 4,849 households, and 3,385 families residing in the county.

## Communities
### Towns

* Monticello
* New Hebron
* Silver Creek

### Unincorporated communities

* Arm
* Jayess
* Oak Vale (partly in Jefferson Davis County)
* Sontag
* Topeka

## Education

Public education is governed by the Lawrence County School District, which encompasses the entire county.
It is in the district of Copiah–Lincoln Community College, and has been since 1965.

## Notable people

* Earl W. Bascom (1906-1995), rodeo champion, cowboy artist, inventor, Mississippi Rodeo Hall of Fame inductee, "Father of Modern Rodeo" "Father of Mississippi Rodeo"
* Edgar Godbold (1872-1952), president of two Southern Baptist colleges, was a school principal in Lawrence County from 1905 to 1906.
* Rod Paige, Secretary of Education from 2001 to 2004 under President George W. Bush. Rod Paige was born and raised in Lawrence County.

## Politics

United States presidential election results for Lawrence County, Mississippi :
| Year | Republican | Republican | Democratic | Democratic | Third party(ies) | Third party(ies) |
| Year | No. | % | No. | % | No. | % |
| 2024 | 4,113 | 67.95% | 1,899 | 31.37% | 41 | 0.68% |
| 2020 | 4,285 | 64.80% | 2,260 | 34.18% | 68 | 1.03% |
| 2016 | 4,091 | 64.28% | 2,195 | 34.49% | 78 | 1.23% |
| 2012 | 4,192 | 62.59% | 2,468 | 36.85% | 38 | 0.57% |
| 2008 | 4,369 | 62.33% | 2,587 | 36.91% | 53 | 0.76% |
| 2004 | 3,956 | 62.73% | 2,308 | 36.60% | 42 | 0.67% |
| 2000 | 3,674 | 55.78% | 2,841 | 43.13% | 72 | 1.09% |
| 1996 | 2,392 | 44.54% | 2,481 | 46.19% | 498 | 9.27% |
| 1992 | 2,689 | 44.12% | 2,582 | 42.36% | 824 | 13.52% |
| 1988 | 3,682 | 59.17% | 2,517 | 40.45% | 24 | 0.39% |
| 1984 | 3,970 | 63.49% | 2,274 | 36.37% | 9 | 0.14% |
| 1980 | 2,781 | 50.02% | 2,692 | 48.42% | 87 | 1.56% |
| 1976 | 2,109 | 47.54% | 2,242 | 50.54% | 85 | 1.92% |
| 1972 | 3,394 | 81.70% | 709 | 17.07% | 51 | 1.23% |
| 1968 | 329 | 8.45% | 740 | 19.00% | 2,825 | 72.55% |
| 1964 | 2,373 | 90.95% | 236 | 9.05% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1960 | 259 | 15.69% | 469 | 28.41% | 923 | 55.91% |
| 1956 | 276 | 18.17% | 1,025 | 67.48% | 218 | 14.35% |
| 1952 | 556 | 33.23% | 1,117 | 66.77% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1948 | 13 | 0.97% | 66 | 4.92% | 1,262 | 94.11% |
| 1944 | 45 | 2.85% | 1,535 | 97.15% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1940 | 37 | 2.95% | 1,218 | 97.05% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1936 | 34 | 2.57% | 1,286 | 97.35% | 1 | 0.08% |
| 1932 | 31 | 3.21% | 933 | 96.68% | 1 | 0.10% |
| 1928 | 210 | 21.67% | 759 | 78.33% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1924 | 55 | 7.54% | 674 | 92.46% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1920 | 131 | 19.88% | 526 | 79.82% | 2 | 0.30% |
| 1916 | 18 | 2.41% | 725 | 97.18% | 3 | 0.40% |
| 1912 | 9 | 2.43% | 332 | 89.49% | 30 | 8.09% |