Photo: The diva777 · Public domainHow is Purvis run?
Purvis’ city government spent $1.3 million on day-to-day services in the year to September 30, 2022, about $562 per resident.
What stands out about how Purvis is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
Lamar County School District
Purvis’ K–12 school district, shared with Lumberton, Sumrall. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $10,838 per pupil, $6,822 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.
Mississippi districts overall: 33% local, 45% state, 23% federal.
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
About $562 per resident a year, or $1.54 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 39%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
$562 per resident in 2022, close to the middle of similar cities
Purvis’ day-to-day spending in 2022 ($562 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 98 Mississippi cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $453, and the middle half spent $216–$850. Purvis spent more than 57% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($151,000), as the Census Bureau counts them. Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
Mississippi cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Purvis itself left out).
No trend yet
Purvis reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $1,395 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.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Purvis’ 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. In a town this small the estimate has a wide margin.
Tax bills are one input to Purvis’ Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Purvis →
Who’s in charge in Purvis
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
One full-time city employee for every 75 residents
On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2022 finance file (2,398).
By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2022
The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.
Purvis’ votes are counted by county
Mississippi reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Purvis alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Lamar County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican73.7%20,775 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat25.0%7,038 votesOthers: 1.3% (358 votes).
Most votes in Lamar County: Donald J Trump
Mississippi: Trump 60.9%, Harris 38.0%
100% of Purvis lies in Lamar County. Every 2024 race in Lamar County is on the county’s page.
Lamar County’s 2024 results →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.
From town hall to Washington
Every level of government that speaks for Purvis.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilLocal officials aren’t on record yet.
- 2Mississippi HousePurvis is split between 2 districts
- 3Mississippi SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Mississippi
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
Reach Purvis’ government
Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.
Questions about Purvis’ government
How much does Purvis spend per resident?
About $562 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to September 30, 2022, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $562 was more than 57% of 98 Mississippi cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Purvis?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,395 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 the city’s assessor.
Who runs Purvis’ government?
We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Purvis yet.
How did Purvis vote in 2024?
Mississippi counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Purvis alone. Lamar County, where 100% of Purvis lies, voted Trump 73.7%, Harris 25.0% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Purvis?
32 full-time and 0 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $90,971 (about $1.1M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Purvis in the state legislature?
Purvis is split among 2 State House districts, so your address decides. The Mississippi Legislature’s lookup finds yours. Its State Senate district is District 44 (Chris Johnson). Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Purvis’ government
Neighbors who’ve been to the meetings can help.
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; 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 →