Panola County, Mississippi Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Panola 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 average
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D
Income Well below averageLess wealthy than 72% of counties in Mississippi
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F
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Panola County | Mississippi Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 32,808 | 2,946,497 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 46.5 | 60.8 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.56% | -0.18% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 37.1 | 36.7 | 37.3 |
| Households | 12,312 | 1,145,227 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Panola County declined by 6.7% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 32,808 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Panola County is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 21.7% of residents. That is 0.4 points below Mississippi as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 7,129 21.7% -0.4 pts
- Millennials 29–44 6,262 19.1% -1.3 pts
- Gen X 45–60 6,451 19.7% +0.3 pts
- Boomers 61–79 5,801 17.7% -0.1 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 52.2% of the people living in Panola County and men 47.8%.
- Women 52.2% Mississippi 51.5%
- Men 47.8% Mississippi 48.5%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Panola County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Panola County has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Panola County | Mississippi Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $46,208 | $56,669 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 2.95% | 4.27% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 6.6% | 5.7% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Panola County is about 18% lower than in Mississippi.
Housing
| Metric | Panola County | Mississippi Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $34,404 | $130,069 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $874 | $954 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 71.1% | 70.0% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Panola County is about 3.3 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $874 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Panola County spend about 60 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 252 hours, about 10.5 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Panola County | Mississippi Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 30.2 | 21.5 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 60.4 | 43.0 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 252 | 179 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $7,803 | $5,558 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 4.6% | 5.9% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 4,710 | 6,176 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 435 | 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 Panola County is 30 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
Panola County has a education index of F, which means it scores poorly in education.
| Metric | Panola County | Mississippi Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 15.0% | 21.7% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.63 | 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
Panola County has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Panola County | Mississippi Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 73.3 | 74.7 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 23.7% | 23.5% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 22.4% | 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).
Panola County, MS Compared With Nearby Counties
How Panola County, MS compares with the 2 counties closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Panola County, MS | 32,808 | $46,208 #3/3 | $34,404 #2/3 | 30.2 min #2/3 |
| Tate County, MS | 28,321 | $68,865 | $22,500 | 32.8 min |
| Lafayette County, MS | 58,327 | $70,279 | $217,605 | 16.2 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Panola County, Mississippi.
How many people live in Panola County, Mississippi?
About 32,808 people live in Panola County, Mississippi, in 12,312 households of 2.6 people on average. The median age is 37.1, close to the U.S. median of 37.3.
Is Panola County, Mississippi urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Panola County, Mississippi has 46 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 54% of the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Panola County, Mississippi?
The median home costs 0.7 times the median household income ($34,404 against $46,208), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $874 a month takes about 23% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is unemployment high in Panola County, Mississippi?
Unemployment in Panola 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 Panola County, Mississippi have a college degree?
15.0% of adults in Panola 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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