Sharkey County, Mississippi Demographics 2026

Population Overview

Sharkey County is located in Mississippi with a total population of 3,848. It is the 81st most populous county out of 82 in Mississippi. The county encompasses 4 Census-designated places.

Age Demographics

The median age in Sharkey County is 36.6 years. This is 5% lower than the state median of 38.4 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Sharkey County is $35,741. This is 35% 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 31.9%. This is 67% 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 10.5%. This is 74% higher than the state rate of 6.0%. The median home value is $108,000. Housing costs are 33% lower than the state median of $161,400. The home-value-to-income ratio is 3.0x. 62.9% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 9% lower than the state average of 69.5%.

Race & Ethnicity

The largest racial or ethnic group in Sharkey County is Black or African American, making up 73.7% of the population. White (non-Hispanic) residents account for 25.6%. The White (non-Hispanic) population (25.6%) is well below the state average of 55.4%. The Black or African American population is significantly higher than the state average (73.7% vs 36.9%). The Hispanic or Latino population (0.5%) is well below the state average of 3.6%.

Education

15.4% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 36% 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 81.0%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All figures for Sharkey 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.