Winston County, Mississippi Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Winston 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.
-
C
Health Below average
-
D
Income Well below average
-
F
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Winston County | Mississippi Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 17,536 | 2,946,497 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 28.7 | 60.8 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.68% | -0.18% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 43.4 | 36.7 | 37.3 |
| Households | 7,141 | 1,145,227 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Winston County declined by 10.3% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 17,536 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Winston County is Boomers, aged 61–79, at 21.0% of residents. That is 3.2 points above Mississippi as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 3,461 19.7% -2.4 pts
- Millennials 29–44 3,304 18.8% -1.5 pts
- Gen X 45–60 3,484 19.9% +0.5 pts
- Boomers 61–79 3,690 21.0% +3.2 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 52.1% of the people living in Winston County and men 47.9%.
- Women 52.1% Mississippi 51.5%
- Men 47.9% Mississippi 48.5%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Winston County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Winston County has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Winston County | Mississippi Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $53,252 | $56,669 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 6.28% | 4.27% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 6.7% | 5.7% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Winston County is about 6% lower than in Mississippi.
Housing
| Metric | Winston County | Mississippi Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $7,777 | $130,069 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $720 | $954 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 73.0% | 70.0% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Winston County is about 0.9 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $720 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Winston County spend about 41 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 169 hours, about 7.1 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Winston County | Mississippi Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 20.3 | 21.5 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 40.7 | 43.0 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 169 | 179 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $5,252 | $5,558 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 3.5% | 5.9% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 1,823 | 6,176 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 385 | 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 Winston County is 20 minutes, shorter 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
Winston County has a education index of F, which means it scores poorly in education.
| Metric | Winston County | Mississippi Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 15.7% | 21.7% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.40 | 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
Winston County has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Winston County | Mississippi Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 75.5 | 74.7 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 23.8% | 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).
Winston County, MS Compared With Nearby Counties
How Winston County, MS compares with the 2 counties closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winston County, MS | 17,536 | $53,252 #2/3 | $7,777 #2/3 | 20.3 min #3/3 |
| Neshoba County, MS | 28,932 | $57,703 | $152,027 | 20.0 min |
| Oktibbeha County, MS | 51,791 | $46,668 | $7,499 | 17.1 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Winston County, Mississippi.
What is the population of Winston County, Mississippi?
About 17,536 people live in Winston County, Mississippi, in 7,141 households of 2.4 people on average. The median age is 43.4, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 6 years.
How densely populated is Winston County, Mississippi?
Averaged over its land area, Winston County, Mississippi has 29 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 33% of the U.S. average of 86.
Is Winston County, Mississippi an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 0.1 times the median household income ($7,777 against $53,252), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $720 a month takes about 16% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is unemployment high in Winston County, Mississippi?
Unemployment in Winston County, Mississippi is 6.7%, well above the U.S. rate of 5.2%, so job seekers may face more competition than elsewhere.
What share of adults in Winston County, Mississippi have a college degree?
15.7% of adults in Winston 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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