Pearl River County, Mississippi Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Pearl River 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 84% of counties in Mississippi
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D
Income Well below averageWealthier than 86% of counties in Mississippi
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D
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Pearl River County | Mississippi Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 57,458 | 2,946,497 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 70.1 | 60.8 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.51% | -0.18% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 42.7 | 36.7 | 37.3 |
| Households | 21,880 | 1,145,227 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Pearl River County grew by 2.3% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 57,458 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Pearl River County is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 20.7% of residents. That is 1.4 points below Mississippi as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 11,907 20.7% -1.4 pts
- Millennials 29–44 10,907 19.0% -1.4 pts
- Gen X 45–60 11,512 20.0% +0.6 pts
- Boomers 61–79 11,460 19.9% +2.1 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 51.0% of the people living in Pearl River County and men 49.0%.
- Women 51.0% Mississippi 51.5%
- Men 49.0% Mississippi 48.5%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Pearl River County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Pearl River County has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Pearl River County | Mississippi Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $58,730 | $56,669 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.24% | 4.27% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 6.1% | 5.7% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Pearl River County is about 4% higher than in Mississippi.
Housing
| Metric | Pearl River County | Mississippi Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $207,108 | $130,069 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $906 | $954 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 80.4% | 70.0% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Pearl River County is about 19.0 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $906 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Pearl River County spend about 57 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 236 hours, about 9.8 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Pearl River County | Mississippi Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 28.3 | 21.5 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 56.7 | 43.0 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 236 | 179 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $7,323 | $5,558 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 8.8% | 5.9% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 7,631 | 6,176 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 731 | 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 Pearl River County is 28 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
Pearl River County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Pearl River County | Mississippi Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 14.4% | 21.7% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.57 | 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
Pearl River County has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Pearl River County | Mississippi Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 74.5 | 74.7 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 19.0% | 23.5% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 21.0% | 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).
Pearl River County, MS Compared With Nearby Counties
Pearl River County, MS is typical in size for this group, 57,458 residents against a local median of 55,932, so the measures below are close to a like for like comparison. Pearl River County, MS's median home price, at $207,108, runs 23% above the $168,128 typical of the counties around it.
Median household income tells the same story from another angle: $58,730 against a local median of $69,322, 15% below it. The one measure here that carries a verdict is median household income, and at 15% below the local median it puts Pearl River County, MS at the weaker end of the local range. The counties themselves spread $103,587 on median home price, so Pearl River County, MS sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Pearl River County, MS has the 2nd highest median home price of the 5 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pearl River County, MS | 57,458 | $58,730 #4/5 | $207,108 #2/5 | 28.3 min #4/5 |
| Hancock County, MS | 46,167 | $68,178 | $168,303 | 30.7 min |
| Lamar County, MS | 65,698 | $70,466 | $167,954 | 21.6 min |
| Washington Parish, LA | 45,116 | $45,367 | $118,749 | 22.8 min |
| St. Tammany Parish, LA | 272,409 | $82,063 | $222,336 | 26.8 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Pearl River County, Mississippi.
What is the population of Pearl River County, Mississippi?
About 57,458 people live in Pearl River County, Mississippi, in 21,880 households of 2.6 people on average. The median age is 42.7, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 5 years.
How densely populated is Pearl River County, Mississippi?
Averaged over its land area, Pearl River County, Mississippi has 70 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is close to the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Pearl River County, Mississippi?
The median home costs 3.5 times the median household income ($207,108 against $58,730), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $906 a month takes about 19% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How educated are people in Pearl River County, Mississippi?
14.4% of adults in Pearl River 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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