Kemper County, Mississippi Demographics 2026

Population Overview

Kemper County is located in Mississippi with a total population of 8,855. It is the 73rd most populous county out of 82 in Mississippi. The county encompasses 2 Census-designated places.

Age Demographics

The median age in Kemper County is 40.7 years. This is 6% higher than the state median of 38.4 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Kemper County is $43,595. This is 21% lower than the state median of $54,915. It is also 44% lower than the national median of $78,538. The poverty rate stands at 24.6%. This is 29% 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 11.1%. This is 84% higher than the state rate of 6.0%. The median home value is $90,200. Housing costs are 44% lower than the state median of $161,400. With a home-value-to-income ratio of just 2.1x, Kemper County is one of the most affordable housing markets in the area. 77.6% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 12% higher than the state average of 69.5%.

Race & Ethnicity

The largest racial or ethnic group in Kemper County is Black or African American, making up 60.4% of the population. White (non-Hispanic) residents account for 33.4%. The Black or African American population is significantly higher than the state average (60.4% vs 36.9%). The Hispanic or Latino population (0.7%) is well below the state average of 3.6%. The Asian population (0.0%) is well below the state average of 1.0%.

Education

17.8% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 26% 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 79.6%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All figures for Kemper 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.