Pearl River County is a county in Mississippi, United States, on the Louisiana state line along the Pearl River. It had a population of 56,145 at the 2020 census and covers 819 square miles (2,120 km2), centred near 30°45′N 89°35′W.
Poplarville is the county seat, and its postal code is 39470. The county has three incorporated cities, two census-designated places, and dozens of unincorporated communities, plus one civil parish (in the Louisiana sense, north of St. Tammany) just across the state line. Pearl River County runs on Central time and is a dry county outside Picayune and Poplarville, meaning alcohol sales are otherwise restricted.
Towns & Villages in Pearl River County
Pearl River County has three incorporated cities (Poplarville, Picayune, and Lumberton, the last mostly across the line in Lamar County), two census-designated places (Nicholson and Hide-A-Way Lake), and a long list of unincorporated crossroads communities scattered through the county’s pine woods and river bottoms. “CDP” below marks a Census Bureau statistical area with no city government; “Unincorp.” marks a place name with no formal municipal boundary at all.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poplarville | City · seat | 2,833 | 39470 |
| Picayune | City | 11,885 | 39466 |
| Lumberton | City | — | 39455 |
| Nicholson | CDP | — | 39457 |
| Hide-A-Way Lake | CDP | — | — |
| Carriere | Unincorp. | — | 39426 |
| McNeill | Unincorp. | — | 39457 |
| Caesar | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Barth | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Beaver Wood Estates | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Chinquapin | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Crossroads | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Cybur | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Derby | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Fords Creek | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Hawthorne | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Henleyfield | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Hickory Grove | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Hillsdale | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Industrial | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Juniper Grove | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Liberty Road MH Park | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Mill Creek | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Millard | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Nortac | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Orvisburg | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Ozona | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Palestine | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Red Top | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Richardson | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Rowlands | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Savannah | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Sellers | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Silver Run | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Tyler | Unincorp. | — | — |
| West Poplarville | Unincorp. | — | — |
| White Sand | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Willow Bend MH Park | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Young | Unincorp. | — | — |
Lumberton’s city limits sit mostly in Lamar County; only a slice of the city and its ETV extend into Pearl River County, so its population is counted with Lamar County, not listed here.
ZIP Codes
- 39470 — Poplarville
- 39466 — Picayune
- 39455 — Lumberton (also serves the county’s south-central edge)
- 39457 — Nicholson (also serves McNeill)
- 39426 — Carriere
The county’s smaller unincorporated communities generally use the ZIP code of the nearest post office town rather than one of their own.
Geography
Pearl River County sits in Mississippi’s Piney Woods, on rolling, forested terrain drained by the Pearl River along its eastern edge and by Hobolochitto Creek through the middle of the county. Of its 819 square miles, 811 square miles are land and 8.0 square miles are water — it is Mississippi’s fourth-largest county by land area. Pine plantation and cutover timberland cover most of the rural landscape between the two population centers.
Lamar County borders it to the north, Forrest County to the northeast, Stone County to the east, Hancock County to the south, St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana to the southwest, Washington Parish, Louisiana to the west, and Marion County to the northwest.
Demographics
The 2020 census counted 56,145 residents, a density of about 69 people per square mile. Picayune, with 11,885 residents, is the county’s largest community; Poplarville, the seat, follows with 2,833. Median household income runs below the Mississippi median of $54,203, consistent with the county’s rural, timber- and services-based economy. The population is about four-fifths White and roughly one-eighth Black or African American, with a median age of 41.6.
Economy & Local Life
Timber and forest products remain a mainstay industry, alongside poultry farming and small manufacturing around Picayune. Pearl River Community College, headquartered in Poplarville, is the county’s largest public employer outside local government and anchors the town’s economy and culture. Picayune’s proximity to the New Orleans metro area (it anchors its own micropolitan statistical area within the larger New Orleans-Metairie-Hammond combined statistical area) draws commuters and retail traffic north from Louisiana.
History
Pearl River County was organized in 1890, carved from parts of Marion and Hancock counties (an earlier, short-lived Pearl County had existed from 1872 to 1878 over the same ground before being dissolved). It takes its name from the Pearl River, which forms much of its eastern boundary. The county was the site of the 1959 lynching of Mack Charles Parker in Poplarville, a case that drew national attention and an FBI investigation. Hurricane Katrina struck the county hard in 2005, and long recovery and rebuilding followed in both Picayune and Poplarville.
Getting There
U.S. Route 11 and Interstate 59 run north-south through the county, linking Picayune and Poplarville to Hattiesburg and to New Orleans.
- Hattiesburg — 35 miles north
- New Orleans — 55 miles south
- Gulfport — 40 miles southeast
- Bogalusa, Louisiana — 20 miles west
Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport is the nearest major commercial airport, roughly an hour’s drive south of Picayune.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Pearl River County?
Southern Mississippi, on the Louisiana state line, between Hattiesburg and New Orleans.
What is the population of Pearl River County?
56,145 at the 2020 census.
How big is Pearl River County?
819 square miles (2,120 km2), 811 of which are land.
What is the Pearl River County seat?
Poplarville is the county seat.
How many towns are in Pearl River County?
Three incorporated cities (Poplarville, Picayune, and part of Lumberton), two census-designated places, and dozens of unincorporated communities.
What ZIP codes are in Pearl River County?
Mainly 39470 (Poplarville), 39466 (Picayune), 39455 (Lumberton), 39457 (Nicholson/McNeill), and 39426 (Carriere).
Is Pearl River County a dry county?
Yes — alcohol sales are restricted countywide except within the city limits of Picayune and Poplarville.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Mississippi.