Forrest County, Mississippi Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Forrest 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 averageHealthier than 83% of counties in Mississippi
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D
Income Well below average
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C
Education Below averageBetter educated than 93% of counties in Mississippi
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Forrest County | Mississippi Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 78,271 | 2,946,497 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 166.4 | 60.8 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.33% | -0.18% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 33.7 | 36.7 | 37.3 |
| Households | 30,127 | 1,145,227 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Forrest County declined by 0.5% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 78,271 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Forrest County is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 29.7% of residents. That is 7.6 points above Mississippi as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 23,260 29.7% +7.6 pts
- Millennials 29–44 15,530 19.8% -0.5 pts
- Gen X 45–60 13,380 17.1% -2.3 pts
- Boomers 61–79 10,917 13.9% -3.9 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 52.7% of the people living in Forrest County and men 47.3%.
- Women 52.7% Mississippi 51.5%
- Men 47.3% Mississippi 48.5%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Forrest County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Forrest County has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Forrest County | Mississippi Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $54,020 | $56,669 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.82% | 4.27% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 6.6% | 5.7% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Forrest County is about 5% lower than in Mississippi.
Housing
| Metric | Forrest County | Mississippi Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $258,536 | $130,069 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $972 | $954 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 57.2% | 70.0% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Forrest County is about 22.2 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $972 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Forrest County spend about 34 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 143 hours, about 6.0 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Forrest County | Mississippi Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 17.2 | 21.5 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 34.3 | 43.0 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 143 | 179 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,435 | $5,558 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 4.0% | 5.9% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 6,535 | 6,176 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 875 | 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 Forrest County is 17 minutes, shorter 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
Forrest County has a education index of C, which means it is somewhat educated.
| Metric | Forrest County | Mississippi Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 24.2% | 21.7% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.45 | 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
Forrest County has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Forrest County | Mississippi Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 73.9 | 74.7 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 19.8% | 23.5% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 20.0% | 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).
Forrest County, MS Compared With Nearby Counties
How Forrest County, MS compares with the 2 counties closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Forrest County, MS | 78,271 | $54,020 #2/3 | $258,536 #1/3 | 17.2 min #1/3 |
| Lamar County, MS | 65,698 | $70,466 | $167,954 | 21.6 min |
| Jones County, MS | 66,472 | $52,902 | $43,367 | 18.6 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Forrest County, Mississippi.
What is the population of Forrest County, Mississippi?
About 78,271 people live in Forrest County, Mississippi, in 30,127 households of 2.5 people on average. The median age is 33.7, so residents are younger than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 4 years.
Is Forrest County, Mississippi mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Forrest County, Mississippi has 166 people per square mile, a density typical of a mix of suburbs, small towns and farmland. That is about 1.9 times the U.S. average of 86.
Is Forrest County, Mississippi an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 4.8 times the median household income ($258,536 against $54,020), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $972 a month takes about 22% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How strong is the job market in Forrest County, Mississippi?
Unemployment in Forrest County, Mississippi is 6.6%, well above the U.S. rate of 5.2%, so job seekers may face more competition than elsewhere.
What share of adults in Forrest County, Mississippi have a college degree?
24.2% of adults in Forrest County, Mississippi hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 4), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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