Smith County, Mississippi Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Smith 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 78% of counties in Mississippi
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D
Income Well below averageWealthier than 75% of counties in Mississippi
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F
Education Well below averageLess educated than 79% of counties in Mississippi
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Smith County | Mississippi Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 14,132 | 2,946,497 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 22.2 | 60.8 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -1.60% | -0.18% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 42.9 | 36.7 | 37.3 |
| Households | 5,592 | 1,145,227 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Smith County declined by 11.1% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 14,132 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Smith County is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 21.2% of residents. That is 1.8 points above Mississippi as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 2,813 19.9% -2.3 pts
- Millennials 29–44 2,588 18.3% -2.0 pts
- Gen X 45–60 3,001 21.2% +1.8 pts
- Boomers 61–79 2,644 18.7% +0.9 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 51.7% of the people living in Smith County and men 48.3%.
- Women 51.7% Mississippi 51.5%
- Men 48.3% Mississippi 48.5%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Smith County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Smith County has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Smith County | Mississippi Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $62,346 | $56,669 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 8.07% | 4.27% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 4.4% | 5.7% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Smith County is about 10% higher than in Mississippi.
Housing
| Metric | Smith County | Mississippi Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $415,000 | $130,069 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $663 | $954 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 87.4% | 70.0% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Smith County is about 52.1 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $663 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Smith County spend about 54 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 223 hours, about 9.3 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Smith County | Mississippi Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 26.8 | 21.5 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 53.5 | 43.0 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 223 | 179 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $6,913 | $5,558 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 3.8% | 5.9% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 5,333 | 6,176 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 313 | 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 Smith County is 27 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
Smith County has a education index of F, which means it scores poorly in education.
| Metric | Smith County | Mississippi Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 13.1% | 21.7% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.50 | 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
Smith County has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Smith County | Mississippi Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 79.2 | 74.7 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 22.0% | 23.5% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 21.5% | 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).
Smith County, MS Compared With Nearby Counties
Smith County, MS is the smallest of the 4 counties compared here, 14,132 residents against a local median of 27,718. The measure that sets Smith County, MS apart most is median home price: $415,000, 231% above the local median of $125,446.
Commute tells the same story from another angle: 26.8 min against a local median of 22.8 min, 17% above it. The one measure here that carries a verdict is commute, and at 17% above the local median it puts Smith County, MS at the weaker end of the local range. The counties themselves spread $415,679 on median home price, so Smith County, MS sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Smith County, MS has the 2nd highest median home price of the 4 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Smith County, MS | 14,132 | $62,346 #2/4 | $415,000 #2/4 | 26.8 min #4/4 |
| Scott County, MS | 27,718 | $48,730 | $34,321 | 21.9 min |
| Simpson County, MS | 25,691 | $55,766 | $450,000 | 22.8 min |
| Rankin County, MS | 158,854 | $79,849 | $125,446 | 23.4 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Smith County, Mississippi.
How big is Smith County, Mississippi by population?
About 14,132 people live in Smith County, Mississippi, in 5,592 households of 2.5 people on average. The median age is 42.9, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 6 years.
Is Smith County, Mississippi mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Smith County, Mississippi has 22 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 26% of the U.S. average of 86.
Is Smith County, Mississippi an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 6.7 times the median household income ($415,000 against $62,346), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $663 a month takes about 13% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How educated are people in Smith County, Mississippi?
13.1% of adults in Smith County, Mississippi hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 8), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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