Rankin County, Mississippi Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Rankin 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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B
Health Around averageAmong the top 5 healthiest counties in Mississippi
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B
Income Around averageAmong the top 3 wealthiest counties in Mississippi
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C
Education Below averageAmong the top 5 best educated counties in Mississippi
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Rankin County | Mississippi Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 158,854 | 2,946,497 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 196.9 | 60.8 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.89% | -0.18% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 38.4 | 36.7 | 37.3 |
| Households | 60,133 | 1,145,227 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Rankin County grew by 15.3% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 158,854 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Rankin County is Millennials, aged 29–44, at 23.2% of residents. That is 2.9 points above Mississippi as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 32,952 20.7% -1.4 pts
- Millennials 29–44 36,914 23.2% +2.9 pts
- Gen X 45–60 32,778 20.6% +1.2 pts
- Boomers 61–79 25,296 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 51.6% of the people living in Rankin County and men 48.4%.
- Women 51.6% Mississippi 51.5%
- Men 48.4% Mississippi 48.5%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Rankin County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Rankin County has a the economy index of B, which means it is quite prosperous.
| Metric | Rankin County | Mississippi Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $79,849 | $56,669 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 3.79% | 4.27% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 4.3% | 5.7% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Rankin County is about 41% higher than in Mississippi.
Housing
| Metric | Rankin County | Mississippi Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $125,446 | $130,069 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,270 | $954 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 76.8% | 70.0% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Rankin County is about 8.2 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,270 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Rankin 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 195 hours, about 8.1 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Rankin County | Mississippi Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 23.4 | 21.5 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 46.8 | 43.0 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 195 | 179 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $6,040 | $5,558 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 7.1% | 5.9% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 10,549 | 6,176 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 1,699 | 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 Rankin County is 23 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
Rankin County has a education index of C, which means it is somewhat educated.
| Metric | Rankin County | Mississippi Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 30.4% | 21.7% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.56 | 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
Rankin County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Rankin County | Mississippi Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 77.8 | 74.7 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 15.1% | 23.5% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 17.8% | 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).
Rankin County, MS Compared With Nearby Counties
Rankin County, MS is the 2nd largest of the 5 counties compared here, 158,854 residents against a local median of 69,679. Rankin County, MS's median household income, at $79,849, runs 52% above the $52,557 typical of the counties around it. That is the better end of the local range on this measure.
Median home price tells the same story from another angle: $125,446 against a local median of $157,228, 20% below it. The counties themselves spread $34,415 on median household income, so Rankin County, MS sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Rankin County, MS has the 2nd highest median household income of the 5 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rankin County, MS | 158,854 | $79,849 #2/5 | $125,446 #3/5 | 23.4 min #5/5 |
| Simpson County, MS | 25,691 | $55,766 | $450,000 | 22.8 min |
| Madison County, MS | 111,640 | $83,146 | $212,500 | 21.8 min |
| Scott County, MS | 27,718 | $48,730 | $34,321 | 21.9 min |
| Hinds County, MS | 218,428 | $49,348 | $101,955 | 21.5 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Rankin County, Mississippi.
What is the population of Rankin County, Mississippi?
About 158,854 people live in Rankin County, Mississippi, in 60,133 households of 2.6 people on average. The median age is 38.4, close to the U.S. median of 37.3.
Is Rankin County, Mississippi urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Rankin County, Mississippi has 197 people per square mile, a density typical of a mix of suburbs, small towns and farmland. That is about 2.3 times the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Rankin County, Mississippi?
The median home costs 1.6 times the median household income ($125,446 against $79,849), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $1,270 a month takes about 19% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
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