Pontotoc County, Mississippi Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Pontotoc 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 88% of counties in Mississippi
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D
Income Well below averageWealthier than 70% of counties in Mississippi
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D
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Pontotoc County | Mississippi Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 31,525 | 2,946,497 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 62.9 | 60.8 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.28% | -0.18% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 36.9 | 36.7 | 37.3 |
| Households | 11,810 | 1,145,227 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Pontotoc County grew by 9.6% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 31,525 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Pontotoc County is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 21.6% of residents. That is 0.6 points below Mississippi as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 6,800 21.6% -0.6 pts
- Millennials 29–44 6,486 20.6% +0.2 pts
- Gen X 45–60 6,229 19.8% +0.4 pts
- Boomers 61–79 5,027 15.9% -1.9 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 51.8% of the people living in Pontotoc County and men 48.2%.
- Women 51.8% Mississippi 51.5%
- Men 48.2% Mississippi 48.5%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Pontotoc County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Pontotoc County has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Pontotoc County | Mississippi Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $52,298 | $56,669 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 3.56% | 4.27% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 3.1% | 5.7% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Pontotoc County is about 8% lower than in Mississippi.
Housing
| Metric | Pontotoc County | Mississippi Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $95,972 | $130,069 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $863 | $954 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 69.8% | 70.0% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Pontotoc County is about 9.3 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $863 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Pontotoc County spend about 47 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 198 hours, about 8.2 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Pontotoc County | Mississippi Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 23.7 | 21.5 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 47.5 | 43.0 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 198 | 179 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $6,134 | $5,558 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 2.5% | 5.9% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 5,469 | 6,176 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 813 | 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 Pontotoc County is 24 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
Pontotoc County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Pontotoc County | Mississippi Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 16.9% | 21.7% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.65 | 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
Pontotoc County has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Pontotoc County | Mississippi Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 77.8 | 74.7 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 20.0% | 23.5% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 20.8% | 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).
Pontotoc County, MS Compared With Nearby Counties
Pontotoc County, MS is the 3rd largest of the 4 counties compared here, 31,525 residents against a local median of 58,327. Pontotoc County, MS's median home price, at $95,972, runs 56% below the $217,605 typical of the counties around it.
Commute tells the same story from another angle: 23.7 min against a local median of 18.4 min, 29% above it. Every measure here with a clear better direction points the same way, and it is the wrong way: Pontotoc County, MS reads weaker than its neighbours on all of them. The counties themselves spread $94,311 on median home price, so Pontotoc County, MS sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Pontotoc County, MS has the 4th highest median home price of the 4 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pontotoc County, MS | 31,525 | $52,298 #4/4 | $95,972 #4/4 | 23.7 min #4/4 |
| Union County, MS | 28,122 | $56,904 | $257,292 | 21.5 min |
| Lee County, MS | 83,034 | $68,266 | $162,980 | 18.4 min |
| Lafayette County, MS | 58,327 | $70,279 | $217,605 | 16.2 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Pontotoc County, Mississippi.
What is the population of Pontotoc County, Mississippi?
About 31,525 people live in Pontotoc County, Mississippi, in 11,810 households of 2.6 people on average. The median age is 36.9, close to the U.S. median of 37.3.
Is Pontotoc County, Mississippi mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Pontotoc County, Mississippi has 63 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is close to the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Pontotoc County, Mississippi?
The median home costs 1.8 times the median household income ($95,972 against $52,298), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $863 a month takes about 20% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How strong is the job market in Pontotoc County, Mississippi?
Unemployment in Pontotoc County, Mississippi is only 3.1%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
What share of adults in Pontotoc County, Mississippi have a college degree?
16.9% of adults in Pontotoc 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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