CensusEasy
STATE · ADMITTED 1817

Mississippi

2,946,779 residents · 82 counties · 427 cities · 46,923 sq mi · 878 census tracts
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The short version

Mississippi is home to 2,946,779 people. The typical home is worth $169,800, having more than doubled since 2000. The foreign-born share is 2%. About 25% of adults have finished a four-year degree. 18.9% of residents live below the federal poverty line. Households take in $56,447 at the median, 31% less than the US figure.

MS
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
2,946,779
+4%since 2000
from 2,844,658 in 2000
1990 – 2024
Population density
63 / sq mi
+1%since 2009
from 62 / sq mi in 2009
US average: 281
Median age
38.6
+14%since 2000
from 33.8 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Land area
46,923 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
2.5M2.7M2.8M2.9M3.0M19902000201020202024Mississippi
20242.9M
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2024
Under 56%(175,445)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 96.1%(180,797)
US avg: 6%
10 to 146.9%(204,084)
US avg: 6.4%
15 to 197.3%(213,930)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 246.8%(200,257)
US avg: 6.5%
25 to 3412.6%(370,591)
US avg: 13.7%
35 to 4412.6%(370,484)
US avg: 13.2%
45 to 5412%(353,387)
US avg: 12.2%
55 to 6412.6%(371,965)
US avg: 12.7%
65 to 7410.4%(305,731)
US avg: 10.2%
75 to 845.1%(151,120)
US avg: 5.1%
85 and over1.7%(48,988)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$56,447
−1%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $31,330 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$31,549
+99%since 2000
from $15,853 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
38.3%
+17.7 ptssince 2009
from 20.6% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Poverty rate
18.9%
−1.0 ptssince 2000
from 19.9% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.482
+2%since 2010
from 0.474 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Retail trade13%
US avg: 9.9%
Information11.4%
US avg: 10.8%
Finance & insurance7.4%
US avg: 5.9%
Wholesale trade6.8%
US avg: 6.9%
Professional, scientific, technical6.1%
US avg: 5.1%
Other services4.7%
US avg: 6.7%
Public administration3.5%
US avg: 4.8%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing2.2%
US avg: 1.6%
Transportation & warehousing2%
US avg: 2.2%
Construction1.5%
US avg: 1.2%
Education & health services1.3%
US avg: 0.9%
Arts, entertainment, food1%
US avg: 1.9%
Manufacturing0.7%
US avg: 0.4%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$169,800
+44%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $64,700 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$954
+19%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $439 in 2000
US average: $1,442
Owner-occupied
70.0%
−2.3 ptssince 2000
from 72.3% in 2000
30.0% rent
Vacancy rate
14.6%
+1.1 ptssince 2009
from 13.5% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
Persons per household
2.49 people
−4%since 2009
from 2.60 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
Owner cost-burdened
19.3%
−5.7 ptssince 2009
from 24.9% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
Renter cost-burdened
43.6%
+0.7 ptssince 2009
from 42.9% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
Afford Score
3.0
+21%since 2009
from 2.5 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.
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic60.7%(1,727,908)
Black36.2%(1,028,473)
Hispanic / Latino1.4%(39,569)
Asian0.6%(18,349)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic55.2%(1,626,438)
Black36.3%(1,070,561)
Hispanic / Latino3.7%(109,956)
Asian1%(29,512)
Other3.7%(110,312)
Diversity Score
70
+8%since 2009
from 65 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Hispanic origin
Mexican2%(57,760)
Central American0.7%(19,328)
Puerto Rican0.3%(10,017)
Guatemalan0.3%(7,629)
Honduran0.3%(7,383)
South American0.2%(5,485)
Cuban0.1%(3,135)
Spaniard0.1%(2,860)
Dominican0.1%(1,956)
Salvadoran0.1%(1,674)
Colombian0.1%(1,604)
Peruvian0.1%(1,539)
+ 10 more hispanic origin groups with data
Nicaraguan0%(1,276)
Venezuelan0%(1,161)
Panamanian0%(879)
Ecuadorian0%(480)
Chilean0%(259)
Bolivian0%(107)
Argentine0%(82)
Uruguayan0%(23)
Asian origin
Vietnamese0.2%(6,753)
Asian Indian0.2%(6,650)
Chinese0.2%(5,126)
Filipino0.1%(4,395)
Japanese0%(1,189)
Korean0%(976)
Pakistani0%(924)
Thai0%(639)
Nepalese0%(501)
Indonesian0%(262)
Taiwanese0%(246)
+ 9 more asian origin groups with data
Burmese0%(147)
Cambodian0%(120)
Laotian0%(78)
Hmong0%(20)
Mongolian0%(10)
Malaysian0%(10)
Uzbek0%(3)
Pacific Islander origin
Chamorro0%(403)
Samoan0%(342)
Tongan0%(41)
Guamanian0%(37)
Ancestry
English10.6%(312,218)
American10%(295,321)
Irish7.4%(218,954)
German5.1%(150,161)
French1.7%(51,304)
Italian1.7%(50,040)
Scottish1.6%(45,923)
Scotch-Irish1.1%(31,825)
Subsaharan African0.9%(27,759)
Polish0.4%(11,160)
Dutch0.3%(10,088)
Arab0.3%(7,473)
+ 50 more ancestry groups with data
Welsh0.3%(7,406)
British0.2%(7,286)
French Canadian0.2%(6,981)
Norwegian0.2%(6,966)
Swedish0.2%(6,940)
West Indian0.1%(3,967)
Greek0.1%(3,627)
Lebanese0.1%(3,370)
Russian0.1%(2,613)
Nigerian0.1%(2,552)
Jamaican0.1%(2,213)
Swiss0.1%(1,618)
Hungarian0.1%(1,589)
Czech0.1%(1,509)
Croatian0.1%(1,494)
Danish0%(1,405)
Portuguese0%(1,240)
Canadian0%(1,215)
Ukrainian0%(946)
Finnish0%(838)
Austrian0%(830)
Brazilian0%(666)
Haitian0%(652)
Lithuanian0%(623)
Iranian0%(571)
Belgian0%(535)
Ghanaian0%(524)
Guyanese0%(443)
Moroccan0%(439)
Armenian0%(433)
Syrian0%(412)
Slovak0%(403)
Ethiopian0%(366)
Egyptian0%(306)
Romanian0%(267)
Australian0%(258)
Turkish0%(217)
Jordanian0%(207)
Latvian0%(185)
Serbian0%(179)
Kenyan0%(172)
Israeli0%(161)
Slovene0%(145)
Barbadian0%(65)
Bulgarian0%(10)
Somali0%(1)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
25.1%
+8.2 ptssince 2000
from 16.9% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
87.1%
+14.3 ptssince 2000
from 72.9% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Graduate degree
9.9%
+4.0 ptssince 2000
from 5.8% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
25.6 min
+56%since 2000
from 16.4 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
Drive alone to work
81.8%
−0.3 ptssince 2009
from 82.2% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
Carpooled to work
9.2%
−2.7 ptssince 2009
from 11.9% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
Public transit
0.3%
−0.1 ptssince 2009
from 0.4% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
Worked from home
5.9%
+3.5 ptssince 2009
from 2.4% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
Walked to work
1.3%
−0.4 ptssince 2009
from 1.8% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
Biked to work
0.1%
−0.1 ptssince 2009
from 0.2% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
No vehicle available
6.3%
−0.9 ptssince 2009
from 7.2% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
5.8%
−4.3 ptssince 2011
from 10.0% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
Labor force participation
57.4%
−2.0 ptssince 2011
from 59.4% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
69.9%
+1.3 ptssince 2020
from 68.6% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
Self-employed
14.5%
Unchangedsince 2009
from 14.5% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
Management & professional
35.5%
+6.5 ptssince 2009
from 29.1% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08

People & community

Male
48.5%
Unchangedsince 2009
from 48.5% in 2009
Female
51.5%
Unchangedsince 2009
from 51.5% in 2009
Foreign born
2.4%
+0.5 ptssince 2009
from 1.9% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
Veterans
6.8%
−3.2 ptssince 2009
from 9.9% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
With a disability
17.8%
+1.5 ptssince 2012
from 16.3% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
Uninsured
11.0%
−6.4 ptssince 2013
from 17.4% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Broadband at home
84.1%
+19.8 ptssince 2017
from 64.3% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
92.7%
+6.2 ptssince 2020
from 86.5% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
Same house as last year
89.1%
+1.6 ptssince 2020
from 87.5% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
English only at home
95.7%
−0.4 ptssince 2016
from 96.1% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
Spanish at home
2.7%
+0.3 ptssince 2016
from 2.4% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married36.8%(419,872)
Married49%(560,037)
Widowed3.5%(40,304)
Divorced10.7%(121,810)
Women 15+
Never married31.9%(397,309)
Married45.2%(562,565)
Widowed10.3%(127,818)
Divorced12.6%(156,738)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09

Health coverage

Uninsured
11.0%
−6.4 ptssince 2013
from 17.4% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Employer-based
47.2%
−0.2 ptssince 2020
from 47.4% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
14.8%
+1.6 ptssince 2020
from 13.2% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
Medicare
20.3%
+0.9 ptssince 2020
from 19.4% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
Medicaid
24.1%
+0.5 ptssince 2020
from 23.6% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
2.7%
+0.1 ptssince 2020
from 2.6% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
61.0%
+0.4 ptssince 2020
from 60.6% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
40.2%
+1.2 ptssince 2020
from 39.0% 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)27.5%(41,773)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)27.9%(42,363)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era31.6%(47,904)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War3.6%(5,514)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II0.7%(1,086)
US avg: 1%

Share of the 151,757 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
Section 02

Largest cities

See all cities in Mississippi →
1.Jackson141,196
2.Gulfport76,506
3.Southaven57,819
4.Hattiesburg48,802
5.Biloxi48,516
6.Olive Branch47,563
7.Tupelo38,087
8.Meridian33,370
9.Pearl28,864
10.Madison28,575
11.Oxford26,773
12.Horn Lake26,741
13.Clinton26,640
14.Greenville26,530
15.Brandon26,122
16.Starkville25,754
17.Ridgeland24,750
18.Columbus22,792
19.Pascagoula21,409
20.Vicksburg19,830
21.Gautier19,069
22.Ocean Springs18,993
23.Hernando18,824
24.Laurel17,662
25.Long Beach17,309
26.Natchez14,880
27.Corinth14,345
28.Clarksdale13,643
29.D'Iberville13,557
30.Greenwood13,429
31.Byram12,707
32.Grenada12,088
33.Picayune12,019
34.Moss Point11,743
35.McComb11,697
36.Petal11,694
37.Brookhaven11,646
38.Flowood11,003
39.Canton10,873
40.Bay St. Louis10,634
41.Cleveland10,138
42.Yazoo City9,867
43.West Point9,743
44.Diamondhead9,441
45.Booneville9,257
Section 03

Metropolitan & micropolitan areas

Metropolitan areas (3)
1.Jackson609,847
2.Gulfport431,329
3.Hattiesburg158,014
Micropolitan areas (17)
1.Tupelo133,167
2.Meridian85,419
3.Laurel82,281
4.Oxford71,972
5.Columbus67,144
6.Starkville62,063
7.Picayune59,363
8.Natchez54,722
9.McComb52,640
10.Vicksburg41,759
11.Greenville40,446
12.Brookhaven35,012
13.Greenwood34,912
14.Corinth34,569
15.Grenada30,222
16.Cleveland28,262
17.Clarksdale19,849

Metropolitan areas are built around an urban core of 50,000 or more people; micropolitan areas around a core of 10,000 to 50,000. A statistical area can cross state lines, so each is listed under its primary state.

Frequently asked

How many people live in Mississippi?

Mississippi has about 2,946,779 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.

What is the median household income in Mississippi?

The typical household in Mississippi earns about $56,447 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Mississippi expensive?

In Mississippi, the median home is worth about $169,800, and the typical rent is about $954 a month.

How educated are people in Mississippi?

About 25.1% of adults age 25 and over in Mississippi hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Mississippi?

About 18.9% of people in Mississippi live below the federal poverty line.

Has Mississippi grown since 1990?

Yes, Mississippi has grown since 1990. The population has added about 373,563 residents, a change of about 15 percent over that period.

Keep going

Explore from here

All 82 counties
Harrison CountyHinds CountyDeSoto CountyRankin CountyJackson CountyMadison CountyLee CountyForrest CountyLauderdale CountyLamar CountyJones CountyLafayette CountyPearl River CountyLowndes CountyOktibbeha CountyHancock CountyWarren CountyWashington CountyPike CountyLincoln CountyMarshall CountyAlcorn CountyMonroe CountyPanola CountyPontotoc CountyAdams CountyNeshoba CountyTate CountyUnion CountyBolivar CountyScott CountyCopiah CountyGeorge CountyLeflore CountySimpson CountyPrentiss CountyItawamba CountyMarion CountyYazoo CountySunflower CountyLeake CountyTippah CountyNewton CountyGrenada CountyCoahoma CountyWayne CountyStone CountyTishomingo CountyClay CountyCovington CountyWinston CountyAttala CountyChickasaw CountyJasper CountyHolmes CountyClarke CountySmith CountyWalthall CountyGreene CountyCalhoun CountyAmite CountyYalobusha CountyLawrence CountyPerry CountyJefferson Davis CountyTallahatchie CountyWebster CountyNoxubee CountyMontgomery CountyCarroll CountyTunica CountyKemper CountyClaiborne CountyChoctaw CountyWilkinson CountyBenton CountyFranklin CountyHumphreys CountyJefferson CountyQuitman CountySharkey CountyIssaquena County

DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →