Pontotoc County, Mississippi Demographics 2026

Population Overview

Pontotoc County is located in Mississippi with a total population of 31,550. It is the 25th most populous county out of 82 in Mississippi. The county encompasses 6 Census-designated places.

Age Demographics

The median age in Pontotoc County is 35.9 years. This is 7% lower than the state median of 38.6 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Pontotoc County is $51,484. This is 9% lower than the state median of $56,447. It is also 36% lower than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 16.7%. This is 12% lower than the state poverty rate of 18.9%. The unemployment rate is 3.1%. This is 46% lower than the state rate of 5.8%. The median home value is $157,100. Housing costs are 7% lower than the state median of $169,800. The home-value-to-income ratio is 3.1x. 69.8% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied.

Race & Ethnicity

The largest racial or ethnic group in Pontotoc County is White (non-Hispanic), making up 74.0% of the population. Black or African American residents account for 14.7%. The Black or African American population (14.7%) is well below the state average of 36.3%. The Hispanic or Latino population is significantly higher than the state average (7.1% vs 3.7%).

Education

18.5% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 26% lower than the state rate of 25.1%. Nationally, 35.7% of adults hold at least a bachelor's degree. The high school graduation rate (or equivalent) is 78.5%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All figures for Pontotoc County come from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 2020–2024 5-Year Estimates, 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.