COUNTY
Forrest County
Mississippi · 79,034 residents (2025 est.) · 466 sq mi
Time machine
VIEWING
COMPARE TO
Part of the Hattiesburg metro area
Notable rankings
#93Youngest by median ageof 3,14432.0The short version
Forrest County is home to 78,272 people in Mississippi. The median age is 32.0, younger than the US median of 38.9. Home values have more than doubled since 2000, reaching $168,000. 3% of locals were born outside the United States. 21.0% of locals live below the federal poverty line. Owners hold 57% of the housing stock.
At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $82,259
Younger
median age 32.0
US median: 38.9
Average education
31% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 42%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Section 01
Population & growth
78,272
+8%since 2000
from 72,604 in 2000
79,034 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
1990 – 2025
Land area
466 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
202478K
Age distribution, 2024
Under 56.2%(4,837)
5 to 96%(4,669)
10 to 146.7%(5,246)
15 to 198.3%(6,510)
20 to 2412.2%(9,521)
25 to 3414.2%(11,091)
35 to 4411.7%(9,147)
45 to 5410.5%(8,197)
55 to 6410.6%(8,303)
65 to 747.9%(6,157)
75 to 844.7%(3,663)
85 and over1.2%(931)
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02
Income & economy
$53,640
+7%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $27,420 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Households earning $100K+
36.3%
+17.9 ptssince 2009
from 18.3% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Workforce by industry, 2024
Information13.8%
Retail trade9%
Wholesale trade6.8%
Other services4.8%
Finance & insurance4.7%
Professional, scientific, technical4%
Public administration2.8%
Transportation & warehousing1.9%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing1.5%
Manufacturing1%
Arts, entertainment, food0.9%
Education & health services0.8%
Construction0.5%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03
Housing
$168,000
+42%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $64,800 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
3.1
+6%since 2009
from 2.9 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
40
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04
Race & ethnicity
2000
White, non-Hispanic63.7%(46,225)
Black33.4%(24,225)
Hispanic / Latino1.3%(912)
Asian0.7%(535)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic55.8%(43,656)
Black35.5%(27,783)
Hispanic / Latino4.4%(3,428)
Asian0.9%(691)
Other3.5%(2,714)
70
+9%since 2009
from 64 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
46
−12%since 2020
from 52 in 2020
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means White and non-White residents are more separated across neighborhoods.
Section 04 · Origins
Detailed origins & ancestry
Hispanic origin
Mexican2.1%(1,659)
Central American0.7%(539)
Puerto Rican0.5%(406)
Honduran0.4%(296)
South American0.3%(253)
Salvadoran0.2%(184)
Spaniard0.2%(174)
Cuban0.2%(125)
Colombian0.1%(108)
Peruvian0.1%(71)
Guatemalan0.1%(59)
Ecuadorian0.1%(51)
+ 3 more hispanic origin groups with data
Asian origin
Chinese0.5%(356)
Vietnamese0.2%(166)
Korean0.1%(69)
Nepalese0.1%(66)
Filipino0.1%(56)
Japanese0%(31)
Asian Indian0%(2)
Ancestry
American12.2%(9,541)
English10.6%(8,319)
Irish8.5%(6,614)
German7.3%(5,680)
French2.7%(2,129)
Scottish2.3%(1,810)
Italian1.6%(1,283)
Scotch-Irish1.6%(1,237)
British0.7%(525)
Subsaharan African0.5%(426)
Polish0.5%(420)
Norwegian0.3%(212)
+ 28 more ancestry groups with data
Greek0.2%(190)
Welsh0.2%(184)
French Canadian0.2%(180)
Dutch0.2%(166)
Swedish0.2%(121)
Nigerian0.1%(95)
Danish0.1%(87)
Arab0.1%(74)
West Indian0.1%(72)
Austrian0.1%(70)
Hungarian0.1%(58)
Croatian0.1%(45)
Iranian0.1%(44)
Portuguese0.1%(44)
Czech0.1%(42)
Brazilian0.1%(41)
Egyptian0.1%(40)
Finnish0.1%(40)
Swiss0.1%(40)
Ghanaian0%(26)
Jamaican0%(26)
Lebanese0%(19)
Belgian0%(19)
Palestinian0%(15)
Israeli0%(12)
Trinidadian & Tobagonian0%(10)
Ukrainian0%(9)
Guyanese0%(6)
Section 05
Education
High school or higher
91.8%
+12.5 ptssince 2000
from 79.3% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Section 06
Commute & transportation
Section 07
Work & employment
Women 20-64 in the labor force
70.3%
+1.8 ptssince 2020
from 68.5% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
Section 08
People & community
Computer in household
94.7%
+6.7 ptssince 2020
from 88.0% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married41.3%(12,040)
Married46.5%(13,555)
Widowed2.4%(701)
Divorced9.8%(2,843)
Women 15+
Never married41.1%(14,123)
Married41.2%(14,157)
Widowed6.7%(2,293)
Divorced11.1%(3,808)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09
Health coverage
Direct-purchase
15.6%
+1.2 ptssince 2020
from 14.4% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
VA health care
2.3%
−0.1 ptssince 2020
from 2.4% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
62.0%
+2.3 ptssince 2020
from 59.7% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
38.5%
+0.8 ptssince 2020
from 37.7% in 2020
US average: 36.7%
Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.
Section 09 · Service history
Veterans
Veterans by period of service, 2024
Gulf War (2001 or later)25.3%(978)
Gulf War (1990s)27.8%(1,076)
Vietnam era36.4%(1,405)
Korean War2.6%(101)
World War II0%(0)
Share of the 3,864 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Drill deeper
Places similar to Forrest County
White County
Pop 80,085
DeKalb County
Pop 74,085
Grant County
Pop 66,524
Talladega County
Pop 81,603
Places similar to Forrest CountyHead to head
Compare Forrest County to nearby counties
FORREST COUNTY VS
Lamar County
Income$70,909+32%
Home value$224,700+34%
Population67,403−15%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
FORREST COUNTY VS
Perry County
Income$49,634−7%
Home value$124,000−26%
Population11,577−85%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
FORREST COUNTY VS
Stone County
Income$61,413+14%
Home value$161,100−4%
Population19,654−75%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
FORREST COUNTY VS
Jones County
Income$52,216−3%
Home value$143,100−15%
Population66,496−16%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked
How many people live in Forrest County, Mississippi?
Forrest County, Mississippi has about 78,272 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.
What is the median household income in Forrest County, Mississippi?
The typical household in Forrest County, Mississippi earns about $53,640 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.
Is Forrest County, Mississippi expensive?
In Forrest County, Mississippi, the median home is worth about $168,000, and the typical rent is about $972 a month.
How educated are people in Forrest County, Mississippi?
About 30.6% of adults age 25 and over in Forrest County, Mississippi hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
What is the poverty rate in Forrest County, Mississippi?
About 21.0% of people in Forrest County, Mississippi live below the federal poverty line.
Has Forrest County, Mississippi grown since 1990?
Yes, Forrest County, Mississippi has grown since 1990. The population has added about 9,958 residents, a change of about 15 percent over that period.
Keep going
Explore from here
21 census tracts (top 20 by population)
Census Tract 101.01Census Tract 8Census Tract 105Census Tract 9Census Tract 106.02Census Tract 104Census Tract 10Census Tract 106.01Census Tract 11Census Tract 101.04Census Tract 6.02Census Tract 103Census Tract 102.01Census Tract 7Census Tract 102.02Census Tract 3Census Tract 101.03Census Tract 2Census Tract 6.01Census Tract 5Up the hierarchy
All counties in MississippiDATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024