Wilkinson County, Mississippi Demographics 2026

Population Overview

Wilkinson County is located in Mississippi with a total population of 8,376. It is the 74th most populous county out of 82 in Mississippi. The county encompasses 1 Census-designated place.

Age Demographics

The median age in Wilkinson County is 39.1 years. This is 2% higher than the state median of 38.4 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Wilkinson County is $35,930. 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 28.2%. This is 48% 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 7.5%. This is 25% higher than the state rate of 6.0%. The median home value is $80,200. Housing costs are 50% lower than the state median of $161,400. With a home-value-to-income ratio of just 2.2x, Wilkinson County is one of the most affordable housing markets in the area. 79.0% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 14% higher than the state average of 69.5%.

Race & Ethnicity

The largest racial or ethnic group in Wilkinson County is Black or African American, making up 67.2% of the population. White (non-Hispanic) residents account for 27.8%. The Black or African American population is significantly higher than the state average (67.2% vs 36.9%). The Hispanic or Latino population (0.9%) is well below the state average of 3.6%.

Education

11.6% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is among the lowest rates in the state, which may correlate with employment and income patterns. This is 52% 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 87.5%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All figures for Wilkinson 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.