Covington County, Mississippi Demographics 2026

Population Overview

Covington County is located in Mississippi with a total population of 18,226. It is the 50th most populous county out of 82 in Mississippi. The county encompasses 3 Census-designated places.

Age Demographics

The median age in Covington County is 37.7 years. This is 2% lower than the state median of 38.4 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Covington County is $47,001. This is 14% lower than the state median of $54,915. It is also 40% lower than the national median of $78,538. The poverty rate stands at 17.7%. This is 7% lower than the state poverty rate of 19.1%. The unemployment rate is 4.7%. This is 22% lower than the state rate of 6.0%. The median home value is $98,500. Housing costs are 39% lower than the state median of $161,400. With a home-value-to-income ratio of just 2.1x, Covington County is one of the most affordable housing markets in the area. 76.0% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 9% higher than the state average of 69.5%.

Race & Ethnicity

The largest racial or ethnic group in Covington County is White (non-Hispanic), making up 59.4% of the population. Black or African American residents account for 34.6%. The Asian population (0.3%) is well below the state average of 1.0%.

Education

15.9% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 34% 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 84.7%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All figures for Covington 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.