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Main Street in PicayunePhoto: Ente75 · Public domain
Town Hall · Picayune

How is Picayune run?

Picayune’s city government spent $12.3 million on day-to-day services in the year to September 30, 2024, about $1,039 per resident. These are Census Bureau estimates: Picayune didn’t report its figures, so this page shows them without comparisons.

Town website
Election Day

Tomorrow

General election in Mississippi.

Register or check: vote.gov ↗
Day-to-day spending, 2024
$12.3M
year to September 30, 2024 · Census estimate
Per resident, 2024
$1,039
Census estimate · not compared
Long-term debt
Not reported
end of FY2024 · Census estimate
City staff, 2025
145
full-time · 27 part-time · March payroll $658,128 · Census estimate
Typical tax bill
$1,302
0.83% of home value · MS 0.72%

What stands out about how Picayune is run

Read from the city’s budget and official records.

★ What stands out · Your share of the 2024 budget

About $1,039 per resident a year, or $2.85 a day

Day-to-day services only (a Census Bureau estimate). The biggest line: police, at 31%.

Where the money comes from
Utility sales 35%From the state 34%Property taxes 17%Fees & charges 7%Other taxes & licenses 4%Interest, fines & other 3%From the federal government <1%
An estimate

Picayune didn’t report all of its 2024 figures to the Census Bureau, so most of these numbers are the Bureau’s estimates.

Not in the receipt.Building projects $1.2 million; interest on debt $232,000. With these and the enterprises, the whole budget was $22.7 million.
Compared with similar places · Over the years

No comparison or trend for Picayune yet

Every year of Picayune’s figures is a Census Bureau estimate: the city reported none of its dollars for 2022–2024. Estimates are shown above, labeled, but never ranked against places that reported or drawn as a trend.

How Town Hall compares budgets →
City staff
145

full-time in March 2025, up from 143 in 2022. Both are Census estimates.

Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $1,302 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.83% of the home’s value, vs 0.72% across Mississippi.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

Picayune$1,302
Hide-A-Way Lake$1,273
Mississippi$1,215
Nicholson$752
$1,302
typical bill a year
0.83%
effective rate
$157,100
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Picayune’s rate.

Can I afford it? →

The median bill homeowners report to the Census survey (bills of $10,000+ are reported as “$10,000+”). The effective rate is that bill ÷ the median home value: a rough guide, not the official tax rate.

Tax bills are one input to Picayune’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Picayune →

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Picayune

Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.

See picayune.ms.us for Picayune’s current officialsWe name an official only when a public source lists a current term. None does for Picayune yet.picayune.ms.us ↗
Agendas

Picayune’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on picayune.ms.us ↗.

Who works for Picayune

One full-time city employee for every 82 residents

On the payroll in March 2025, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll (a Census estimate). Residents: the Census population in the 2024 finance file (11,826).

By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2025

Police37 + 5 pt
Fire37 + 4 pt
Water & other utilities17 + 1 pt
Administration & buildings11 + 10 pt
Roads & transportation11
Courts, inspections & corrections6 + 2 pt
Parks & libraries3 + 1 pt
Other23 + 4 pt
145
full-time
27
part-time
$658,128
payroll for March 2025
$7.9M
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$49,400
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
30
sworn police officers
36
full-time firefighters
Estimates.Picayune didn’t report its staff figures; these are the Census Bureau’s estimates, so they aren’t compared with other towns.

The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.

The school district

Picayune School District

Picayune’s K–12 school district. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.

Schools in Picayune →
$12,609
per pupil · MS $12,392
3,598
students
$5.7 million
long-term debt

Of the $12,609 per pupil, $6,705 goes to the classroom (teachers, aides, supplies); the rest to buses, buildings, counselors and administration. Building projects and debt payments aren’t in the per-pupil figure.

The district: schools, scores and graduation →

Where the district’s money comes from
Local 22%State 38%Federal 40%

Mississippi districts overall: 33% local, 45% state, 23% federal.

Also serving Picayune

Pearl River County School District · $10,258 per pupil

School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.

Elections · 2024 general election

Picayune’s votes are counted by county

Mississippi reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Picayune alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Pearl River County’s results.

President · Pearl River County’s results24,671 votes · results as certified
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican82.8%20,438 votes
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat16.1%3,982 votes

Others: 1.0% (251 votes).

Most votes in Pearl River County: Donald J Trump

Mississippi: Trump 60.9%, Harris 38.0%

The county’s page

100% of Picayune lies in Pearl River County. Every 2024 race in Pearl River County is on the county’s page.

Pearl River County’s 2024 results →
DemocratRepublicanLibertarianIndependent / other

Official 2024 general election returns, as certified (MIT Election Data + Science Lab). Percentages are of votes for candidates; blank and spoiled ballots aren’t counted. Candidates are listed by votes, and party colors are neutral on purpose.

Portraits: Kamala D Harris: official vice-presidential portrait, Lawrence Jackson, The White House, 2021; Donald J Trump: official portrait, Shealah Craighead, The White House, 2017. All are U.S. government works in the public domain. A race shows photos only when every candidate has an official portrait; otherwise every candidate in it gets initials.

Who represents Picayune

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Picayune.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your cityMayor & council
  2. 2
    Mississippi HousePicayune is split between 2 districts
  3. 3
    Mississippi SenateState senator
  4. 4
    GovernorStatewide
  5. 5
    U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
  6. 6
    U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Mississippi

Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.

Next door

How Picayune compares with the towns next door

Picayune’s own figures are Census estimates, so it isn’t placed among its neighbors. 0 of the 0 towns next door reported 2022 figures. Tap a town to see its page.

Spends the leastSpends the mostEstimate or no figures
TownDay-to-day, per resident (2022)Tax bill
Picayuneestimate$1,302

Day-to-day spending in 2022, the last year every government was counted, for governments that reported it; hospital and utilities left out. Tax bill: the typical homeowner’s bill (Census ACS, 2020–24).

Reach Picayune’s government

The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.

The Handbook →

Questions about Picayune’s government

How much does Picayune spend per resident?

About $1,039 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to September 30, 2024, a Census Bureau estimate (Picayune didn’t report its figures). With building projects and interest, the whole budget was about $22.7 million.

What is the property tax rate in Picayune?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,302 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.83% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.72% across Mississippi. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see picayune.ms.us.

Who runs Picayune’s government?

See picayune.ms.us for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Picayune yet.

How did Picayune vote in 2024?

Mississippi counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Picayune alone. Pearl River County, where 100% of Picayune lies, voted Trump 82.8%, Harris 16.1% for president; its page has every race.

How many people work for Picayune?

145 full-time and 27 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $658,128 (about $7.9M a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.

Who represents Picayune in the state legislature?

Picayune is split among 2 State House districts, so your address decides. The Mississippi Legislature’s lookup finds yours. Its State Senate district is District 40 (Angela Hill). Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

Ask neighbors about Picayune’s government

Neighbors who’ve been to the meetings can help.

Town Square →
Ask neighbors

Budget and staff: U.S. Census Bureau, Census of Governments (2022, every government) and Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances (2023–24, a sample) and the Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll (for Picayune, the Bureau’s estimates); day-to-day spending is current operations, with hospitals, utilities and airports apart. School district: Census school finance survey, 2023–24. Property tax: Census American Community Survey, 2020–24. Elections: official 2024 returns via the MIT Election Data + Science Lab; turnout uses Census citizen voting-age population (CVAP, 2020–24). Officials: Open States, names shown only with a current term (checked October 9, 2026). Districts: Census Bureau (119th Congress, 2024 state districts); legislators: Open States and congress-legislators. How Town Hall works →