Holmes County, Mississippi Demographics 2026

Population Overview

Holmes County is located in Mississippi with a total population of 16,491. It is the 54th most populous county out of 82 in Mississippi. The county encompasses 7 Census-designated places.

Age Demographics

The median age in Holmes County is 35.8 years. This is 7% lower than the state median of 38.4 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Holmes County is $29,434. This is 46% lower than the state median of $54,915. It is also 63% lower than the national median of $78,538. The poverty rate stands at 38.0%. This is 99% 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 8.8%. This is 47% higher than the state rate of 6.0%. The median home value is $76,500. Housing costs are 53% lower than the state median of $161,400. With a home-value-to-income ratio of just 2.6x, Holmes County is one of the most affordable housing markets in the area. 60.6% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 13% lower than the state average of 69.5%.

Race & Ethnicity

The largest racial or ethnic group in Holmes County is Black or African American, making up 82.4% of the population. White (non-Hispanic) residents account for 14.2%. The White (non-Hispanic) population (14.2%) is well below the state average of 55.4%. The Black or African American population is significantly higher than the state average (82.4% vs 36.9%). The Hispanic or Latino population (0.4%) is well below the state average of 3.6%. The Asian population (0.2%) is well below the state average of 1.0%.

Education

13.7% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 43% 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 82.4%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All figures for Holmes 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.