Sunflower County, Mississippi Demographics 2026

Population Overview

Sunflower County is located in Mississippi with a total population of 25,328. It is the 36th most populous county out of 82 in Mississippi. The county encompasses 7 Census-designated places.

Age Demographics

The median age in Sunflower County is 37.6 years. This is 2% lower than the state median of 38.4 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Sunflower County is $40,265. This is 27% lower than the state median of $54,915. It is also 49% lower than the national median of $78,538. The poverty rate stands at 29.9%. This is 57% 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 10.9%. This is 82% higher than the state rate of 6.0%. The median home value is $103,400. Housing costs are 36% lower than the state median of $161,400. With a home-value-to-income ratio of just 2.6x, Sunflower County is one of the most affordable housing markets in the area. 56.3% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 19% lower than the state average of 69.5%.

Race & Ethnicity

The largest racial or ethnic group in Sunflower County is Black or African American, making up 73.0% of the population. White (non-Hispanic) residents account for 23.3%. The White (non-Hispanic) population (23.3%) is well below the state average of 55.4%. The Black or African American population is significantly higher than the state average (73.0% vs 36.9%). The Asian population (0.2%) is well below the state average of 1.0%.

Education

16.9% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 30% 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 75.8%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All figures for Sunflower 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.