Mississippi Population and Demographics

In this article, we'll explore the population statistics for Mississippi, including popular demographics data like median age, number of households, household income, gender, employment and unemployment rates, occupations, religion, and more.

We are using the latest American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year survey data from the US Census Bureau, which is accurate up to 2021.

Table of Contents

Population

There is a lot of data that lets us see how many people live in Mississippi. The most basic data is the total population, which is the total number of people living in Mississippi. The estimated population of Mississippi is 2,967,023 people, with a median age of 37.8.

We can look at the total population in Mississippi over the last 5 years to see how much it has changed.

Year Population Change 5-Year Change
2021
2,967,023
 -0.5% -0.64%
2020
2,981,835
 -0.09% -
2019
2,984,418
 -0.15% -
2018
2,988,762
+0.09%
-
2017
2,986,220
 - -

Population of Mississippi by Race and Ethnicity

We can also look at how the population has changed over the last 5 years by each of the race/ethnicity types as defined by the US Census Bureau.

Race 2021 2017 Change
White
56%
57%
 -1.75%
Black/African American
37.4%
37.5%
 -0.27%
Native
0.4%
0.4%
 0.00%
Hispanic
3.2%
3%
 +6.67%
Asian
1%
1%
 0.00%
Hawaiian/Pacific Islander
0%
0%
 0.00%
Two Or More Races
1.7%
1.1%
 +54.55%
Other
0.2%
0.1%
 +100.00%

This data can be very important for a number of reasons, including social and economic research, planning and development, and marketing to a multi-cultural population.

Note that the Native group includes both Native American and Alaskan Native people.

Population of Mississippi by Age and Gender

The age and gender of a population is another interesting demographic statistic because it lets us track trends in the population over time. For example, we can see how the population has changed over the last 5 years by median age as a total, and also by male and female.

Year Total Male Female
2021 37.8 +0.27% 36.5 +0.55% 39 0%
2020 37.7 +0.53% 36.3 +1.11% 39 +0.52%
2019 37.5 +0.81% 35.9 +0.84% 38.8 +0.52%
2018 37.2 +0.81% 35.6 +0.56% 38.6 +0.52%
2017 36.9 - 35.4 - 38.4 -

The median age of Mississippi gives you an idea of the age distribution, with half of the population being older than the median age and half being younger.

This can then be used to infer and compare against birth rates, parent ages, and more metrics to understand the population. For example, an increasing median age indicates an aging population, which can be a sign of a declining population in terms of birth rates and workforce participation.

Age 2021 2017
(Years) Male Female Male Female
0 to 9 201,791 -7.45% 193,638 -5.54% 187,137 183,106
10 to 19 213,348 +2.17% 205,995 -0.28% 217,930 205,411
20 to 29 208,635 -4.86% 206,089 -4.62% 198,618 196,687
30 to 39 181,755 +1.59% 192,754 +0.87% 184,633 194,442
40 to 49 179,756 -2.95% 190,380 -3.52% 174,492 183,753
50 to 59 189,968 -4.46% 207,247 -6.41% 181,599 194,268
60 to 69 154,978 +6.8% 171,742 +8.08% 165,792 186,004
70+ 118,486 +12.56% 169,658 +5.52% 134,054 179,097

Median Household Income

The latest median household income of Mississippi is $49,111.00.

In simple terms, the median income is the middle income of a group of people. Half of the people in the group make more than the median income, and half make less. The median income is a good indicator of the overall income of a group of people, and can be used to compare against other metrics such as the average income, per capita income, and more.

Median Income by Age

We can also look at the median income by age to see how the median income varies by age, and how it compares to the overall median income for Mississippi.

  • Under 25
    $27,906.00
  • 25 to 44
    $53,708.00
  • 45 to 64
    $57,121.00
  • 65 and over
    $38,478.00

Average Household Income

Whenever we ask what is the average household income in Mississippi, we are actually talking about the mean household income.

This is calculated by adding up all the incomes of all the households in Mississippi, and then dividing that number by the total number of households. This is a good way to get a general idea of the average income of a group of people, but it can be skewed by a very high or very low incomes.

The average household income of Mississippi is currently $68,636.00.

In terms of accurately summarizing income at a geographic level, the median income is a better metric than the average income because it isn't affected by a small number of very high or very low incomes.

If you had an area where the average income was greater than the median, it can mean that there is significant income inequality, with income being concentrated in a small number of wealthy households.

3.79% of households in Mississippi are classed as high income households (making $200,000+ per year).

Household Income Tiers

The US Census Bureau divides households into income tiers based on the median income for the area. This is a good way to compare the income of Mississippi against other areas.

  • Less than $24,999
    26.80%
  • $25,000 to $49,999
    23.90%
  • $50,000 to $74,999
    16.95%
  • $75,000 to $99,999
    11.81%
  • $100,000 to $149,999
    12.18%
  • $150,000 to $199,999
    4.56%
  • $200,000 or more
    3.79%

Per Capita Income

The per capita income in Mississippi is $26,807.00.

Per capita income is the average income of a person in a given area. It is calculated by dividing the total income of Mississippi by the total population of Mississippi.

This is different from the average or mean income because it includes and accounts for all people in Mississippi, including people like children, the elderly, unemployed people, retired people, and more.

Education Levels

We can also look at the education levels in Mississippi to see how many people have a high school degree, a bachelor's degree, or a graduate degree.

Educational attainment is a good indicator of the overall education level of a population, and can be used to compare against other metrics such as the average income, per capita income, and more to see how education levels affect income, unemployment rates, and more.

  • Master's degree or higher
    12.29%
  • Bachelor's degree
    27.02%
  • Some college or associate's degree
    11.74%
  • High school diploma or equivalent
    45.23%
  • Less than high school diploma
    3.72%

Employment

Employment rates are all based around the total population in Mississippi that are over the age of 16.

The total population of Mississippi over the age of 16 is 2,344,417.

Of those people, a total of 57.40% are working or actively looking for work. This is called the labor force participation rate.

The participation rate is a useful market measure because it shows the relative amount of labor resources available to the economy.

The employment to total population rate in Mississippi is 52.90%.

Employment by Age

We can look at the employment rates by age to see how it compares to the overall employment rate.

Age Population Participation Unemployment Rate
16 to 19 years 170,978 31.10% 20.90%
20 to 24 years 199,334 67.40% 13.20%
25 to 29 years 195,971 78.20% 9.00%
30 to 34 years 184,656 79.10% 7.80%
35 to 44 years 372,406 78.30% 6.00%
45 to 54 years 364,118 74.90% 4.20%
55 to 59 years 192,007 63.50% 3.30%
60 to 64 years 192,016 49.50% 2.80%
65 to 74 years 288,178 22.60% 3.90%
75 years and over 184,753 6.40% 3.00%

Employment by Race

Another very interesting employment statistic we can look at is the employment and unemployment rates by race in Mississippi. The table below shows the rates for each of the ethnicity groups types defined by the US Census Bureau.

Age Population Participation Unemployment Rate
White 1,386,628 57.40% 4.90%
Black or African American 854,287 56.70% 10.00%
American Indian and Alaska Native 10,145 56.20% 10.70%
Asian 23,904 64.00% 4.70%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander 974 69.10% 15.20%
Other 25,597 62.10% 5.20%
Two or more races 42,882 63.00% 8.00%
Hispanic or Latino 64,771 64.90% 6.80%
Not Hispanic or Latino 1,359,455 57.30% 4.80%

Occupations

In this section we can look at the most common occupations in Mississippi as well as the gender breakdown and earnings of them.

The total population of civilian employees that are 16 years old or older in Mississippi is 1,240,790, with median earnings of $34,222.00.

Women in Mississippi earning approximately 70.10% of the men's earnings.

Population Earnings
Total 1,240,790 $34,222.00
Male 630,184 $41,319.00
Female 610,606 $28,957.00

Occupations by Category

In the table below, we can break down the population and earnings even further by occupation. The list of occupation categories below will show you how many people are employed in each category and the median earnings of each profession.

Occupation Employed Earnings
Management 103,459 $60,187.00
Business and Financial 46,135 $53,165.00
Computer and Mathematical 15,379 $64,238.00
Architecture and Engineering 18,260 $71,342.00
Life, Physical, and Social Science 8,803 $59,708.00
Community and Social Service 23,143 $39,406.00
Legal 9,538 $69,277.00
Educational and Library 84,705 $40,397.00
Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media 13,717 $33,714.00
Healthcare Practitioners 97,659 $53,908.00
Healthcare Support 37,538 $21,201.00
Firefighters and Protective Service 15,546 $30,762.00
Law Enforcement 14,574 $41,986.00
Food Preparation and Serving 69,443 $13,604.00
Building and Grounds Cleaning 46,680 $18,602.00
Personal Care and Service 30,821 $18,529.00
Sales 123,004 $24,987.00
Office and Administrative Support 133,748 $30,426.00
Farming, Fishing, and Forestry 8,063 $24,114.00
Construction and Extraction 66,899 $35,384.00
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair 51,295 $44,176.00
Production 103,773 $34,547.00
Transportation and Material Moving 62,139 $39,356.00

Occupations by Gender

The table below shows the same occupations from the list above, but we have split them by male and female to see how many male and females work in each occupation, the median earnings, and the male to female ratio of earnings.

That last metric is important because it can be used to look at the gender pay gap between men and women.

Occupation Male Female
Population Earnings Population Earnings
Management 59,871 $71,292.00 43,588 $48,224.00
Business and Financial 19,279 $63,957.00 26,856 $47,116.00
Computer and Mathematical 10,662 $66,638.00 4,717 $55,599.00
Architecture and Engineering 15,912 $73,710.00 2,348 $51,329.00
Life, Physical, and Social Science 5,620 $62,573.00 3,183 $54,843.00
Community and Social Service 8,196 $44,922.00 14,947 $37,986.00
Legal 4,542 $102,584.00 4,996 $51,120.00
Educational and Library 18,831 $49,862.00 65,874 $38,172.00
Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media 7,451 $42,024.00 6,266 $25,436.00
Healthcare Practitioners 19,809 $75,564.00 77,850 $49,758.00
Healthcare Support 3,429 $24,840.00 34,109 $20,930.00
Firefighters and Protective Service 11,622 $33,465.00 3,924 $23,476.00
Law Enforcement 11,603 $44,357.00 2,971 $32,749.00
Food Preparation and Serving 27,361 $13,811.00 42,082 $13,530.00
Building and Grounds Cleaning 27,376 $23,064.00 19,304 $14,768.00
Personal Care and Service 7,599 $27,155.00 23,222 $17,262.00
Sales 54,416 $42,651.00 68,588 $17,007.00
Office and Administrative Support 26,871 $34,359.00 106,877 $29,729.00
Farming, Fishing, and Forestry 6,805 $26,235.00 1,258 $20,580.00
Construction and Extraction 64,364 $36,079.00 2,535 $28,412.00
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair 49,900 $44,551.00 1,395 $38,458.00
Production 70,650 $40,997.00 33,123 $25,938.00
Transportation and Material Moving 54,494 $42,165.00 7,645 $18,891.00

Households and Family Size

A household defined bu the US Census Bureau is a group of people who occupy a housing unit. A housing unit is a house, apartment, mobile home, group of rooms, or single room occupied as separate living quarters.

There are currently 1,108,670 households in Mississippi, with an average household size of 2.6 people.

A family is defined as a group of two or more people related by birth, marriage, or adoption who live together in the same household.

There are 732,575 families in Mississippi with an average family size of 3.23 people.

Households by Marital Status

The four categories of household by marital status are:

  • Married-couple family
  • Male householder with no spouse present
  • Female household with no spouse present
  • Nonfamily household

The table below shows the total number of households and families, with the average sizes of each.

Married Male Female Nonfamily
Total Households 493,573 51,832 187,170 376,095
Average Household Size 3.2 3.36 3.6 1.2
Total Families 493,573 51,832 187,170 0
Average Household Size 3.18 3.01 3.44 0

Poverty

Of the 732,575 families in Mississippi, 14.50% are considered to be below the poverty threshold.

The table below shows the latest poverty thresholds in Mississippi:

Household Size Poverty Threshold
1 Person $14,580.00
2 People $19,720.00
3 People $24,860.00
4 People $30,000.00
5 People $35,140.00
6 People $40,280.00
7 People $45,420.00
8 People $50,560.00

Housing

There are 1,317,375 housing units in Mississippi.

The table below shows the split between occupied and vacant units:

Total Percentage
Occupied 1,108,670 84.16%
Vacant 208,705 15.84%

23.01% of the total 1,317,375 housing units in Mississippi are rental units. This is approximately 303,124 properties.

For owner-occupied housing units, a total of 764,115 are occupied by the owner - or 58.00% of the total.

Rental Rates

The median rent for a property in Mississippi is $830.00.

In the chart below, we can look at the number of rental properties in Mississippi that fall into a particular rent range. These can then be used to compare with other areas, or to see how they have changed over time.

  • No rent paid
    41,431
  • Less than $500
    48,192
  • $500 to $999
    161,702
  • $1,000 to $1,499
    76,460
  • $1,500 to $1,999
    13,235
  • $2,000 to $2,499
    2,384
  • $2,500 to $2,999
    508
  • $3,000 or more
    643

Property Value

The median value of a property in Mississippi is $133,000.00.

Just like with rental rates, we can look at the number of properties in Mississippi that fall into a particular value range.

  • Less than $50,000
    118,149
  • $50,000 to $99,999
    173,991
  • $100,000 to $149,999
    130,381
  • $150,000 to $199,999
    125,157
  • $200,000 to $299,999
    127,356
  • $300,000 to $499,999
    64,019
  • $500,000 to $999,999
    20,244
  • $1,000,000 or more
    4,818

Property Age

We can also look at the age of properties in Mississippi. The chart below shows the number of properties in Mississippi that fall into a particular age range.

  • 1939 or earlier
    57,905
  • 1940 to 1949
    42,251
  • 1950 to 1959
    94,799
  • 1960 to 1969
    147,679
  • 1970 to 1979
    232,929
  • 1980 to 1989
    187,126
  • 1990 to 1999
    224,569
  • 2000 to 2009
    220,837
  • 2010 to 2013
    107,625
  • 2014 or later
    1,655

Vehicles per Household

The number of vehicles available per household can be a good indicator of the level of affluence in an area. The chart below shows the number of households in Mississippi that have a particular number of vehicles available.

  • No vehicles available
    69,181
  • 1 vehicle available
    357,499
  • 2 vehicles available
    404,393
  • 3 or more vehicles available
    277,597

Commuting to Work

In this section, we can also look at how people in Mississippi get to work. The chart below shows the number of people in Mississippi that commute to work in a particular way.

25.4 minutes is the average travel time to work for people in Mississippi.

These commute times can be compared to other date like income and educational levels to see how they relate to each other and if there are any trends in the data that might suggest a correlation.

  • Less than 5 minutes
    36,665
  • 5 to 9 minutes
    127,565
  • 10 to 14 minutes
    177,652
  • 15 to 19 minutes
    192,880
  • 20 to 24 minutes
    171,895
  • 25 to 29 minutes
    76,854
  • 30 to 34 minutes
    159,171
  • 35 to 39 minutes
    35,625
  • 40 to 44 minutes
    37,632
  • 45 to 59 minutes
    77,613
  • 60 to 89 minutes
    53,315
  • 90 or more minutes
    34,448

Summary

We've covered a LOT of demographic and population data for Mississippi in this article! Hopefully you have found it very useful in your research of the area.

If you use any of the data found on this page, please consider linking back to USPopulation.org as the source and if you have any feedback or data requests, click here to contact us.

Counties in Mississippi

We have data for 82 counties in Mississippi. Click on a county below to see more information about the demographics of that county, with links to cities and towns within that county.

Zip Codes in Mississippi

If you want to find out more about the population and demographics of specific zip codes in Mississippi, click on the links below.