Mississippi County, Arkansas Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Mississippi County, AR Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
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C
Health Below averageLess healthy than 76% of counties in Arkansas
-
D
Income Well below average
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F
Education Well below averageLess educated than 72% of counties in Arkansas
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Mississippi County | Arkansas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 39,080 | 3,049,066 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 42.0 | 57.3 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -1.62% | 0.32% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 35.4 | 36.8 | 37.3 |
| Households | 15,449 | 1,205,703 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Mississippi County declined by 17.0% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 39,080 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Mississippi County is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 21.7% of residents. That is 0.2 points above Arkansas as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 8,483 21.7% +0.2 pts
- Millennials 29–44 7,582 19.4% -1.5 pts
- Gen X 45–60 7,905 20.2% +1.0 pts
- Boomers 61–79 6,388 16.3% -1.8 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below Arkansas, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 51.8% of the people living in Mississippi County and men 48.2%.
- Women 51.8% Arkansas 50.6%
- Men 48.2% Arkansas 49.4%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Mississippi County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Mississippi County has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Mississippi County | Arkansas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $52,315 | $60,940 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 5.17% | 4.58% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 6.9% | 4.9% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Mississippi County is about 14% lower than in Arkansas.
Housing
| Metric | Mississippi County | Arkansas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $51,419 | $111,957 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $830 | $947 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 59.9% | 66.4% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Mississippi County is about 5.2 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $830 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Mississippi County spend about 32 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 133 hours, about 5.6 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Mississippi County | Arkansas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 16.0 | 18.6 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 32.0 | 37.2 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 133 | 155 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,138 | $4,807 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 2.9% | 8.8% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 4,504 | 6,306 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 605 | 912 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
Arkansas:
Arkansas County (11.9 min), Phillips County (13.2 min), Howard County (13.4 min).
Slowest:
Perry County (32.2 min), Newton County (31.6 min), Madison County (31.1 min).
The average commute time in Mississippi County is 16 minutes, shorter than the 19 minutes in Arkansas.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Mississippi County has a education index of F, which means it scores poorly in education.
| Metric | Mississippi County | Arkansas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 13.6% | 22.8% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.48 | 2.46 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
Arkansas:
Pulaski County (0.3), Benton County (0.3), Washington County (0.3).
Lowest:
Lee County (0.2), Lincoln County (0.2), Scott County (0.2).
Health
Mississippi County has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Mississippi County | Arkansas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 74.4 | 75.5 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 25.0% | 22.8% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 25.9% | 23.3% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
Arkansas:
Benton County (0.8), Washington County (0.8), Newton County (0.8).
Lowest:
Phillips County (0.7), Chicot County (0.7), Desha County (0.8).
Mississippi County, AR Compared With Nearby Counties
Mississippi County, AR is typical in size for this group, 39,080 residents against a local median of 42,994, so the measures below are close to a like for like comparison. Where Mississippi County, AR breaks from the counties next to it is median home price, sitting 77% below the local median of $219,673 at $51,419.
Commute tells the same story from another angle: 16.0 min against a local median of 20.0 min, 20% below it. The one measure here that carries a verdict is commute, and at 20% below the local median it puts Mississippi County, AR at the better end of the local range. The counties themselves spread $176,192 on median home price, so Mississippi County, AR sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Mississippi County, AR has the 5th highest median home price of the 5 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mississippi County, AR | 39,080 | $52,315 #3/5 | $51,419 #5/5 | 16.0 min #1/5 |
| Tipton County, TN | 61,301 | $73,641 | $333,403 | 32.6 min |
| Lauderdale County, TN | 24,687 | $49,811 | $217,000 | 21.6 min |
| Dunklin County, MO | 23,538 | $48,339 | $157,211 | 18.4 min |
| Craighead County, AR | 113,245 | $59,696 | $222,346 | 17.3 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Mississippi County, Arkansas.
How big is Mississippi County, Arkansas by population?
About 39,080 people live in Mississippi County, Arkansas, in 15,449 households of 2.5 people on average. The median age is 35.4, so residents are younger than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 2 years.
Is Mississippi County, Arkansas urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Mississippi County, Arkansas has 42 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 49% of the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Mississippi County, Arkansas?
The median home costs 1.0 times the median household income ($51,419 against $52,315), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $830 a month takes about 19% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is it hard to find a job in Mississippi County, Arkansas?
Unemployment in Mississippi County, Arkansas is 6.9%, well above the U.S. rate of 5.2%, so job seekers may face more competition than elsewhere.
How common is a college degree in Mississippi County, Arkansas?
13.6% of adults in Mississippi County, Arkansas hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 7), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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