Smith County, Mississippi Demographics 2026

Population Overview

Smith County is located in Mississippi with a total population of 14,193. It is the 57th most populous county out of 82 in Mississippi. The county encompasses 5 Census-designated places.

Age Demographics

The median age in Smith County is 42.9 years. This is 12% higher than the state median of 38.4 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Smith County is $51,396. This is 6% lower than the state median of $54,915. It is also 35% lower than the national median of $78,538. The poverty rate stands at 19.3%. This is 1% higher than the state poverty rate of 19.1%. The unemployment rate is 4.5%. This is 26% lower than the state rate of 6.0%. The median home value is $114,000. Housing costs are 29% lower than the state median of $161,400. With a home-value-to-income ratio of just 2.2x, Smith County is one of the most affordable housing markets in the area. 86.3% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 24% higher than the state average of 69.5%.

Race & Ethnicity

The largest racial or ethnic group in Smith County is White (non-Hispanic), making up 73.3% of the population. Black or African American residents account for 24.1%. The Hispanic or Latino population (0.7%) is well below the state average of 3.6%. The Asian population (0.2%) is well below the state average of 1.0%.

Education

14.0% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 42% 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 82.3%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All figures for Smith 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.