Jefferson County, Mississippi Demographics 2026

Population Overview

Jefferson County is located in Mississippi with a total population of 7,127. It is the 79th most populous county out of 82 in Mississippi. The county encompasses 1 Census-designated place.

Age Demographics

The median age in Jefferson County is 43.0 years. This is 12% higher than the state median of 38.4 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Jefferson County is $36,207. This is 34% lower than the state median of $54,915. It is also 54% lower than the national median of $78,538. The poverty rate stands at 28.5%. This is 50% 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 5.0%. This is 16% lower than the state rate of 6.0%. The median home value is $81,400. Housing costs are 50% lower than the state median of $161,400. With a home-value-to-income ratio of just 2.2x, Jefferson County is one of the most affordable housing markets in the area. 78.8% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 13% higher than the state average of 69.5%.

Race & Ethnicity

The largest racial or ethnic group in Jefferson County is Black or African American, making up 81.0% of the population. White (non-Hispanic) residents account for 13.2%. The White (non-Hispanic) population (13.2%) is well below the state average of 55.4%. The Black or African American population is significantly higher than the state average (81.0% vs 36.9%).

Education

19.9% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 18% 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 80.8%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All figures for Jefferson 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.