Leake County, Mississippi Demographics 2026

Population Overview

Leake County is located in Mississippi with a total population of 21,288. It is the 43rd most populous county out of 82 in Mississippi. The county encompasses 5 Census-designated places.

Age Demographics

The median age in Leake County is 40.0 years. This is 4% higher than the state median of 38.4 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Leake County is $48,418. This is 12% lower than the state median of $54,915. It is also 38% lower than the national median of $78,538. The poverty rate stands at 19.9%. This is 4% higher than the state poverty rate of 19.1%. The unemployment rate is 6.7%. This is 12% higher than the state rate of 6.0%. The median home value is $114,600. Housing costs are 29% lower than the state median of $161,400. With a home-value-to-income ratio of just 2.4x, Leake County is one of the most affordable housing markets in the area. 75.8% 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 Leake County is White (non-Hispanic), making up 46.7% of the population. Black or African American residents account for 39.1%. The Hispanic or Latino population is significantly higher than the state average (5.9% vs 3.6%). The Asian population (0.4%) 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 27% 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 82.2%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All figures for Leake 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.