Harrison County, Mississippi Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Harrison 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 81% of counties in Mississippi
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D
Income Well below averageWealthier than 84% of counties in Mississippi
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D
Education Well below averageBetter educated than 88% of counties in Mississippi
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Harrison County | Mississippi Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 210,887 | 2,946,497 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 214.1 | 60.8 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.73% | -0.18% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 36.5 | 36.7 | 37.3 |
| Households | 83,325 | 1,145,227 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Harrison County grew by 13.5% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 210,887 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Harrison County is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 22.0% of residents. That is 0.1 points below Mississippi as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 46,490 22.0% -0.1 pts
- Millennials 29–44 45,604 21.6% +1.3 pts
- Gen X 45–60 41,181 19.5% +0.1 pts
- Boomers 61–79 34,731 16.5% -1.3 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 51.3% of the people living in Harrison County and men 48.7%.
- Women 51.3% Mississippi 51.5%
- Men 48.7% Mississippi 48.5%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Harrison County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Harrison County has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Harrison County | Mississippi Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $59,588 | $56,669 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.12% | 4.27% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 6.7% | 5.7% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Harrison County is about 5% higher than in Mississippi.
Housing
| Metric | Harrison County | Mississippi Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $194,049 | $130,069 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,115 | $954 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 62.2% | 70.0% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Harrison County is about 14.5 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,115 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Harrison County spend about 42 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 175 hours, about 7.3 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Harrison County | Mississippi Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 21.0 | 21.5 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 41.9 | 43.0 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 175 | 179 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $5,413 | $5,558 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 7.1% | 5.9% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 16,883 | 6,176 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 3,516 | 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 Harrison County is 21 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
Harrison County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Harrison County | Mississippi Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 22.8% | 21.7% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.47 | 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
Harrison County has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Harrison County | Mississippi Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 73.9 | 74.7 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 18.9% | 23.5% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 20.4% | 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).
Harrison County, MS Compared With Nearby Counties
Harrison County, MS is the largest of the 5 counties compared here, 210,887 residents against a local median of 51,813. Harrison County, MS's commute, at 21.0 min, runs 29% below the 29.5 min typical of the counties around it. That is the better end of the local range on this measure.
The counties themselves spread 8.6 min on commute, so Harrison County, MS sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Harrison County, MS has the lowest commute of the 5 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harrison County, MS | 210,887 | $59,588 #3/5 | $194,049 #3/5 | 21.0 min #1/5 |
| Hancock County, MS | 46,167 | $68,178 | $168,303 | 30.7 min |
| Jackson County, MS | 145,249 | $66,191 | $147,902 | 22.2 min |
| St. Bernard Parish, LA | 44,403 | $58,829 | $294,230 | 30.6 min |
| Pearl River County, MS | 57,458 | $58,730 | $207,108 | 28.3 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Harrison County, Mississippi.
What is the population of Harrison County, Mississippi?
About 210,887 people live in Harrison County, Mississippi, in 83,325 households of 2.5 people on average. The median age is 36.5, close to the U.S. median of 37.3.
Is Harrison County, Mississippi mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Harrison County, Mississippi has 214 people per square mile, a density typical of a mix of suburbs, small towns and farmland. That is about 2.5 times the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Harrison County, Mississippi?
The median home costs 3.3 times the median household income ($194,049 against $59,588), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $1,115 a month takes about 22% 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 Harrison County, Mississippi?
Unemployment in Harrison County, Mississippi is 6.7%, well above the U.S. rate of 5.2%, so job seekers may face more competition than elsewhere.
What share of adults in Harrison County, Mississippi have a college degree?
22.8% of adults in Harrison 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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