Claiborne County, Mississippi Demographics 2026

Population Overview

Claiborne County is located in Mississippi with a total population of 8,908. It is the 72nd most populous county out of 82 in Mississippi. The county encompasses 4 Census-designated places.

Age Demographics

The median age in Claiborne County is 33.8 years. This is 12% lower than the state median of 38.4 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Claiborne County is $34,371. This is 37% lower than the state median of $54,915. It is also 56% lower than the national median of $78,538. The poverty rate stands at 27.2%. This is 43% higher than the state poverty rate of 19.1%. With more than one in five residents living below the poverty line, economic hardship is a significant challenge for the community. The unemployment rate is 8.7%. This is 45% higher than the state rate of 6.0%. The median home value is $80,800. Housing costs are 50% lower than the state median of $161,400. With a home-value-to-income ratio of just 2.4x, Claiborne County is one of the most affordable housing markets in the area. 75.2% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 8% higher than the state average of 69.5%.

Race & Ethnicity

Claiborne County has a predominantly Black or African American population, comprising 86.1% of all residents. White (non-Hispanic) residents account for 10.8%. The White (non-Hispanic) population (10.8%) is well below the state average of 55.4%. The Black or African American population is significantly higher than the state average (86.1% vs 36.9%). The Hispanic or Latino population (0.2%) is well below the state average of 3.6%. The Asian population (0.1%) is well below the state average of 1.0%.

Education

20.6% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 15% lower than the state rate of 24.2%. Nationally, 35.0% of adults hold at least a bachelor's degree. The high school graduation rate (or equivalent) is 83.7%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All figures for Claiborne County come from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates (2019-2023), with comparisons drawn against Mississippi and national averages from the same dataset. See our methodology page for how each metric is defined, or data.census.gov for official tables with margins of error.