Clarke County, Mississippi Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Clarke County, MS 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 average
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D
Income Well below averageWealthier than 89% of counties in Mississippi
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F
Education Well below averageLess educated than 72% of counties in Mississippi
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Clarke County | Mississippi Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 15,314 | 2,946,497 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 22.1 | 60.8 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.70% | -0.18% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 41.1 | 36.7 | 37.3 |
| Households | 5,945 | 1,145,227 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Clarke County declined by 11.7% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 15,314 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Clarke County is Boomers, aged 61–79, at 21.2% of residents. That is 3.4 points above Mississippi as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 3,000 19.6% -2.6 pts
- Millennials 29–44 2,860 18.7% -1.7 pts
- Gen X 45–60 3,092 20.2% +0.8 pts
- Boomers 61–79 3,246 21.2% +3.4 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 Mississippi, 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 52.3% of the people living in Clarke County and men 47.7%.
- Women 52.3% Mississippi 51.5%
- Men 47.7% Mississippi 48.5%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Clarke County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Clarke County has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Clarke County | Mississippi Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $46,100 | $56,669 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 3.23% | 4.27% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 6.9% | 5.7% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Clarke County is about 19% lower than in Mississippi.
Housing
| Metric | Clarke County | Mississippi Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $313,333 | $130,069 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $801 | $954 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 82.3% | 70.0% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Clarke County is about 32.6 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $801 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Clarke County spend about 61 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 253 hours, about 10.5 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Clarke County | Mississippi Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 30.3 | 21.5 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 60.6 | 43.0 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 253 | 179 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $7,833 | $5,558 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 2.3% | 5.9% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 3,232 | 6,176 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 365 | 914 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
Mississippi:
Sharkey County (11.9 min), Coahoma County (13.2 min), Leflore County (15.2 min).
Slowest:
Wilkinson County (36.8 min), Tate County (32.8 min), Greene County (32.7 min).
The average commute time in Clarke County is 30 minutes, longer than the 22 minutes in Mississippi.
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
Clarke County has a education index of F, which means it scores poorly in education.
| Metric | Clarke County | Mississippi Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 11.5% | 21.7% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.55 | 2.49 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
Mississippi:
Madison County (0.4), Lafayette County (0.3), Oktibbeha County (0.3).
Lowest:
Issaquena County (0.1), Tallahatchie County (0.2), Greene County (0.2).
Health
Clarke County has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Clarke County | Mississippi Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 73.1 | 74.7 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 21.7% | 23.5% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 20.5% | 22.1% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
Mississippi:
Madison County (0.8), Lafayette County (0.8), Oktibbeha County (0.8).
Lowest:
Holmes County (0.7), Quitman County (0.7), Sharkey County (0.7).
Clarke County, MS Compared With Nearby Counties
How Clarke County, MS compares with the 2 counties closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clarke County, MS | 15,314 | $46,100 #3/3 | $313,333 #1/3 | 30.3 min #3/3 |
| Lauderdale County, MS | 71,502 | $50,967 | $120,425 | 18.7 min |
| Newton County, MS | 21,093 | $50,437 | $98,332 | 28.1 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Clarke County, Mississippi.
What is the population of Clarke County, Mississippi?
About 15,314 people live in Clarke County, Mississippi, in 5,945 households of 2.6 people on average. The median age is 41.1, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 4 years.
Is Clarke County, Mississippi mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Clarke County, Mississippi has 22 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 26% of the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Clarke County, Mississippi?
The median home costs 6.8 times the median household income ($313,333 against $46,100), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $801 a month takes about 21% 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 Clarke County, Mississippi?
Unemployment in Clarke County, Mississippi is 6.9%, well above the U.S. rate of 5.2%, so job seekers may face more competition than elsewhere.
How educated are people in Clarke County, Mississippi?
11.5% of adults in Clarke County, Mississippi hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 9), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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