Covington County, Mississippi Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Covington 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.
-
C
Health Below average
-
D
Income Well below average
-
F
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Covington County | Mississippi Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 18,148 | 2,946,497 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 43.7 | 60.8 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.89% | -0.18% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 35.4 | 36.7 | 37.3 |
| Households | 7,323 | 1,145,227 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Covington County declined by 10.7% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 18,148 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Covington County is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 21.2% of residents. That is 1.0 points below Mississippi as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 3,847 21.2% -1.0 pts
- Millennials 29–44 3,612 19.9% -0.4 pts
- Gen X 45–60 3,542 19.5% +0.1 pts
- Boomers 61–79 3,204 17.7% -0.1 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 50.0% of the people living in Covington County and men 50.0%.
- Women 50.0% Mississippi 51.5%
- Men 50.0% Mississippi 48.5%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Covington County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Covington County has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Covington County | Mississippi Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $45,024 | $56,669 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.97% | 4.27% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 3.5% | 5.7% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Covington County is about 21% lower than in Mississippi.
Housing
| Metric | Covington County | Mississippi Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $5,000 | $130,069 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $662 | $954 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 77.5% | 70.0% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Covington County is about 0.6 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $662 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Covington County spend about 44 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 183 hours, about 7.6 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Covington County | Mississippi Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 21.9 | 21.5 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 43.8 | 43.0 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 183 | 179 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $5,663 | $5,558 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 5.8% | 5.9% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 7,527 | 6,176 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 714 | 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 Covington County is about the same as 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
Covington County has a education index of F, which means it scores poorly in education.
| Metric | Covington County | Mississippi Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 14.2% | 21.7% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.44 | 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
Covington County has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Covington County | Mississippi Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 74.9 | 74.7 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 25.0% | 23.5% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 22.6% | 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).
Covington County, MS Compared With Nearby Counties
Covington County, MS is the smallest of the 4 counties compared here, 18,148 residents against a local median of 65,698. Where Covington County, MS breaks from the counties next to it is median home price, sitting 97% below the local median of $167,954 at $5,000.
Median household income tells the same story from another angle: $45,024 against a local median of $55,766, 19% below it. The one measure here that carries a verdict is median household income, and at 19% below the local median it puts Covington County, MS at the weaker end of the local range. The counties themselves spread $406,632 on median home price, so Covington County, MS sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Covington County, MS has the 4th highest median home price of the 4 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Covington County, MS | 18,148 | $45,024 #4/4 | $5,000 #4/4 | 21.9 min #3/4 |
| Jones County, MS | 66,472 | $52,902 | $43,367 | 18.6 min |
| Lamar County, MS | 65,698 | $70,466 | $167,954 | 21.6 min |
| Simpson County, MS | 25,691 | $55,766 | $450,000 | 22.8 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Covington County, Mississippi.
How many people live in Covington County, Mississippi?
About 18,148 people live in Covington County, Mississippi, in 7,323 households of 2.4 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 Covington County, Mississippi urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Covington County, Mississippi has 44 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 51% of the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Covington County, Mississippi?
The median home costs 0.1 times the median household income ($5,000 against $45,024), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $662 a month takes about 18% 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 Covington County, Mississippi?
Unemployment in Covington County, Mississippi is only 3.5%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
How educated are people in Covington County, Mississippi?
14.2% of adults in Covington County, Mississippi hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 7), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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