Bolivar County, Mississippi
Located in Mississippi, Bolivar County has a population of 29,534 residents and a median age of 37.5 years, making it the #1,489 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 32.6%. The median home value is $130,000, and the median household income is $39,585, which is 47% below the national median.
Demographics
Bolivar County has a population of 29,534, making it the #1,489 most populous county in the US. The median age is 37.5 years, which is 3.6% below the national median.
Population Trend
Rankings →Year-over-Year Population Growth
Age & Sex Distribution
Race & Ethnicity
Nativity
Geographic Mobility (Past Year)
Economy
The median household income in Bolivar County is $39,585, ranking #3,079 out of 3,222 counties — 47.3% below the national median. The poverty rate is 32.6% and unemployment stands at 7.1%.
Median Household Income Trend
Rankings →Income Distribution
Industry of Employment
Occupation
Housing
The median home value in Bolivar County is $130,000 (-53.9% vs national). Renters pay a median of $685/mo and the homeownership rate is 62.6%.
Median Home Value Trend
Rankings →Household Type
Education
In Bolivar County, 28.0% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 17.0% below the national average, ranking #924 out of 3,222 counties.
Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend
Rankings →Health & Wellbeing
Life expectancy in Bolivar County is 67.0 years. 24.6% of adults report poor or fair health and 14.2% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).
Life Expectancy Trend
Substance Use
16.9% of adults in Bolivar County smoke , 45.6% are obese , and 14.0% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 15.6 per 100,000.
Adult Smoking Trend
Safety
The homicide rate in Bolivar County is 27.3 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 11.0 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 29.1 per 100,000.
Homicide Rate Trend
Families & Children
45.4% of children in Bolivar County live in poverty and the infant mortality rate is 10.4 per 1,000 live births. The teen birth rate is 36.4 per 1,000 females age 15–19.
Infant Mortality Trend
Civic & Transportation
Voter turnout in Bolivar County is 59.3%. The mean commute time is 22.0 min, which is 20.4% below the national average.
Voter Turnout Trend
Mean Commute Time Trend
Rankings →Elections
In the 2024 presidential election, Bolivar County voted Democratic with a margin of 23.7%. The vote was 61.5% Dem / 37.8% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 7.0 toward Republicans .
Vote Share Over Time
About Bolivar County, Mississippi
Bolivar County, Mississippi has a total population of 29,534, making it the 1,489th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Bolivar County is 37.5 years, which is 3.6% below the national median of 38.9 years.
The median household income in Bolivar County is $39,585, which ranks #3,079 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 47.3% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 32.6%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 7.1%.
The median home value in Bolivar County is $130,000, 53.9% below the national median. Renters in Bolivar County pay a median gross rent of $685 per month. The homeownership rate is 62.6%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.
In Bolivar County, 28.0% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 17.0% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 88.8% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 22.0 min.
Bolivar County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is Black (non-Hispanic) at 63.2% of the population, followed by White (non-Hispanic) (31.0%) and Hispanic or Latino (2.7%).
All data for Bolivar County, Mississippi comes from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates. These figures are estimates based on survey sampling and are subject to margin of error. For the most detailed and up-to-date data, visit the Census Bureau's official data portal.