Hancock County, Mississippi Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Hancock 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 93% of counties in Mississippi
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C
Income Below averageWealthier than 93% of counties in Mississippi
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D
Education Well below averageBetter educated than 90% of counties in Mississippi
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Hancock County | Mississippi Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 46,167 | 2,946,497 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 83.5 | 60.8 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.04% | -0.18% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 47.4 | 36.7 | 37.3 |
| Households | 20,237 | 1,145,227 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Hancock County grew by 12.2% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 46,167 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Hancock County is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 22.4% of residents. That is 3.0 points above Mississippi as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 8,313 18.0% -4.2 pts
- Millennials 29–44 8,446 18.3% -2.0 pts
- Gen X 45–60 10,349 22.4% +3.0 pts
- Boomers 61–79 10,320 22.4% +4.6 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 50.6% of the people living in Hancock County and men 49.4%.
- Women 50.6% Mississippi 51.5%
- Men 49.4% Mississippi 48.5%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Hancock County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Hancock County has a the economy index of C, which means it is somewhat prosperous.
| Metric | Hancock County | Mississippi Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $68,178 | $56,669 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 5.07% | 4.27% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 5.0% | 5.7% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Hancock County is about 20% higher than in Mississippi.
Housing
| Metric | Hancock County | Mississippi Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $168,303 | $130,069 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $976 | $954 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 79.2% | 70.0% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Hancock County is about 14.4 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $976 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Hancock 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 256 hours, about 10.7 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Hancock County | Mississippi Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 30.7 | 21.5 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 61.4 | 43.0 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 256 | 179 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $7,932 | $5,558 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 11.4% | 5.9% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 11,364 | 6,176 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 1,933 | 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 Hancock County is 31 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
Hancock County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Hancock County | Mississippi Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 22.5% | 21.7% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.27 | 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
Hancock County has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Hancock County | Mississippi Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 76.2 | 74.7 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 17.9% | 23.5% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 19.4% | 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).
Hancock County, MS Compared With Nearby Counties
Hancock County, MS is the 4th largest of the 5 counties compared here, 46,167 residents against a local median of 134,172. The measure that sets Hancock County, MS apart most is median home price: $168,303, 22% below the local median of $214,722.
Median household income tells the same story from another angle: $68,178 against a local median of $59,208, 15% above it. The one measure here that carries a verdict is median household income, and at 15% above the local median it puts Hancock County, MS at the better end of the local range. The counties themselves spread $100,181 on median home price, so Hancock County, MS sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Hancock County, MS has the 5th highest median home price of the 5 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hancock County, MS | 46,167 | $68,178 #2/5 | $168,303 #5/5 | 30.7 min #5/5 |
| Pearl River County, MS | 57,458 | $58,730 | $207,108 | 28.3 min |
| Harrison County, MS | 210,887 | $59,588 | $194,049 | 21.0 min |
| St. Tammany Parish, LA | 272,409 | $82,063 | $222,336 | 26.8 min |
| St. Bernard Parish, LA | 44,403 | $58,829 | $294,230 | 30.6 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Hancock County, Mississippi.
How big is Hancock County, Mississippi by population?
About 46,167 people live in Hancock County, Mississippi, in 20,237 households of 2.3 people on average. The median age is 47.4, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 10 years.
Is Hancock County, Mississippi mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Hancock County, Mississippi has 83 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is close to the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Hancock County, Mississippi?
The median home costs 2.5 times the median household income ($168,303 against $68,178), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $976 a month takes about 17% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
What share of adults in Hancock County, Mississippi have a college degree?
22.5% of adults in Hancock 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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