Holmes County, Mississippi Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Holmes 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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F
Health Well below averageLeast healthy county in Mississippi
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F
Income Well below averageAmong the 3 least wealthy counties in Mississippi
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F
Education Well below averageAmong the 5 least educated counties in Mississippi
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Holmes County | Mississippi Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 16,191 | 2,946,497 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 21.2 | 60.8 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -1.68% | -0.18% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 37.7 | 36.7 | 37.3 |
| Households | 6,157 | 1,145,227 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Holmes County declined by 20.9% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 16,191 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Holmes County is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 24.7% of residents. That is 2.6 points above Mississippi as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 4,002 24.7% +2.6 pts
- Millennials 29–44 2,975 18.4% -2.0 pts
- Gen X 45–60 3,026 18.7% -0.7 pts
- Boomers 61–79 2,587 16.0% -1.8 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 51.9% of the people living in Holmes County and men 48.1%.
- Women 51.9% Mississippi 51.5%
- Men 48.1% Mississippi 48.5%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Holmes County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Holmes County has a the economy index of F, which means it scores poorly in the economy.
| Metric | Holmes County | Mississippi Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $33,880 | $56,669 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 6.27% | 4.27% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 9.5% | 5.7% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Holmes County is about 40% lower than in Mississippi.
Housing
| Metric | Holmes County | Mississippi Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $158,125 | $130,069 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $589 | $954 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 61.0% | 70.0% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Holmes County is about 22.4 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $589 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Holmes County spend about 65 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 271 hours, about 11.3 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Holmes County | Mississippi Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 32.5 | 21.5 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 65.0 | 43.0 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 271 | 179 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $8,392 | $5,558 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 2.7% | 5.9% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 3,278 | 6,176 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 227 | 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 Holmes County is 32 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
Holmes County has a education index of F, which means it scores poorly in education.
| Metric | Holmes County | Mississippi Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 13.4% | 21.7% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.49 | 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
Holmes County has a health index of F, which means it scores poorly in health.
| Metric | Holmes County | Mississippi Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 73.6 | 74.7 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 33.2% | 23.5% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 27.8% | 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).
Holmes County, MS Compared With Nearby Counties
Holmes County, MS is the smallest of the 4 counties compared here, 16,191 residents against a local median of 27,141. Where Holmes County, MS breaks from the counties next to it is commute, sitting 74% above the local median of 18.7 min at 32.5 min. That is the weaker end of the local range on this measure.
Median home price tells the same story from another angle: $158,125 against a local median of $212,500, 26% below it. The counties themselves sit within 6.6 min of each other on commute, a tighter band than the gap between any of them and Holmes County, MS, which makes it a genuine outlier here rather than one end of a wide local spread. Holmes County, MS has the 4th lowest commute of the 4 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Holmes County, MS | 16,191 | $33,880 #4/4 | $158,125 #3/4 | 32.5 min #4/4 |
| Yazoo County, MS | 24,832 | $39,375 | $317,924 | 18.7 min |
| Leflore County, MS | 27,141 | $35,350 | $45,000 | 15.2 min |
| Madison County, MS | 111,640 | $83,146 | $212,500 | 21.8 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Holmes County, Mississippi.
How many people live in Holmes County, Mississippi?
About 16,191 people live in Holmes County, Mississippi, in 6,157 households of 2.5 people on average. The median age is 37.7, close to the U.S. median of 37.3.
Is Holmes County, Mississippi urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Holmes County, Mississippi has 21 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 24% of the U.S. average of 86.
Is Holmes County, Mississippi an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 4.7 times the median household income ($158,125 against $33,880), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $589 a month takes about 21% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is unemployment high in Holmes County, Mississippi?
Unemployment in Holmes County, Mississippi is 9.5%, well above the U.S. rate of 5.2%, so job seekers may face more competition than elsewhere.
How educated are people in Holmes County, Mississippi?
13.4% of adults in Holmes 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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