Kemper County, Mississippi Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Kemper 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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D
Health Well below averageLess healthy than 75% of counties in Mississippi
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F
Income Well below averageLess wealthy than 83% of counties in Mississippi
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F
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Kemper County | Mississippi Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 8,729 | 2,946,497 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 11.4 | 60.8 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -1.82% | -0.18% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 41.4 | 36.7 | 37.3 |
| Households | 3,223 | 1,145,227 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Kemper County declined by 12.7% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 8,729 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Kemper County is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 23.1% of residents. That is 1.0 points above Mississippi as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 2,020 23.1% +1.0 pts
- Millennials 29–44 1,566 17.9% -2.4 pts
- Gen X 45–60 1,793 20.5% +1.1 pts
- Boomers 61–79 1,560 17.9% on par
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 50.3% of the people living in Kemper County and men 49.7%.
- Women 50.3% Mississippi 51.5%
- Men 49.7% Mississippi 48.5%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Kemper County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Kemper County has a the economy index of F, which means it scores poorly in the economy.
| Metric | Kemper County | Mississippi Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $46,505 | $56,669 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 6.00% | 4.27% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 10.8% | 5.7% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Kemper County is about 18% lower than in Mississippi.
Housing
| Metric | Kemper County | Mississippi Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $64,500 | $130,069 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $676 | $954 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 79.0% | 70.0% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Kemper County is about 7.9 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $676 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Kemper County spend about 62 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 258 hours, about 10.7 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Kemper County | Mississippi Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 30.9 | 21.5 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 61.8 | 43.0 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 258 | 179 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $7,983 | $5,558 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 0.8% | 5.9% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 4,206 | 6,176 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 360 | 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 Kemper 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
Kemper County has a education index of F, which means it scores poorly in education.
| Metric | Kemper County | Mississippi Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 17.6% | 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
Kemper County has a health index of D, which means it is barely healthy.
| Metric | Kemper County | Mississippi Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 75.8 | 74.7 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 27.4% | 23.5% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 24.3% | 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).
Kemper County, MS Compared With Nearby Counties
How Kemper County, MS compares with the 2 counties closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kemper County, MS | 8,729 | $46,505 #3/3 | $64,500 #3/3 | 30.9 min #3/3 |
| Lauderdale County, MS | 71,502 | $50,967 | $120,425 | 18.7 min |
| Neshoba County, MS | 28,932 | $57,703 | $152,027 | 20.0 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Kemper County, Mississippi.
How big is Kemper County, Mississippi by population?
About 8,729 people live in Kemper County, Mississippi, in 3,223 households of 2.5 people on average. The median age is 41.4, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 4 years.
How densely populated is Kemper County, Mississippi?
Averaged over its land area, Kemper County, Mississippi has 11 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 13% of the U.S. average of 86.
Is Kemper County, Mississippi an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 1.4 times the median household income ($64,500 against $46,505), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $676 a month takes about 17% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is unemployment high in Kemper County, Mississippi?
Unemployment in Kemper County, Mississippi is 10.8%, well above the U.S. rate of 5.2%, so job seekers may face more competition than elsewhere.
How common is a college degree in Kemper County, Mississippi?
17.6% of adults in Kemper County, Mississippi hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 6), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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