Hancock County, Mississippi

MS · FIPS 28045 Republican

Located in Mississippi, Hancock County has a population of 46,167 residents and a median age of 46.6 years, making it the #1,077 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 13.8%. The median home value is $224,200, and the median household income is $67,708, which is 10% below the national median.

46,167
Population
#1,077 of 3,222
$67,708
Median Income
-9.9% #1,365 of 3,222
46.6 years
Median Age
+19.8% #526 of 3,222
13.8%
Poverty Rate
+9.6% #1,709 of 3,222

Demographics

Hancock County has a population of 46,167, making it the #1,077 most populous county in the US. The median age is 46.6 years, which is 19.8% above the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

97.5%
Native Born
2.5%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Hancock County is $67,708, ranking #1,365 out of 3,222 counties — 9.9% below the national median. The poverty rate is 13.8% and unemployment stands at 5.0%.

Income#1,365
$67,708
-9.9%
vs nation
58th percentile
Per Capita#848
$39,800
-3.5%
vs nation
74th percentile
Poverty#1,709
13.8%
+9.6%
vs nation
47th percentile
Unemployment#1,984
5.0%
-6.5%
vs nation
38th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Hancock County is $224,200 (-20.5% vs national). Renters pay a median of $977/mo and the homeownership rate is 79.2%.

Home Value#1,138
$224,200
-20.5%
vs nation
65th percentile
Rent#1,071
$977
-16.0%
vs nation
67th percentile
Homeownership#755
79.2%
+23.0%
vs nation
77th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Hancock County, 26.8% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 20.6% below the national average, ranking #1,033 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
26.8% −20.6% vs nation
Rank #1,033 of 3,222
68th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Hancock County is 74.3 years. 21.8% of adults report poor or fair health and 12.4% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#1,843
74.3
-1.1%
vs nation
40th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#2,203
21.8%
+11.4%
vs nation
30th percentile
Diabetes#1,775
11.2%
+0.6%
vs nation
44th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#1,268
36.4%
-2.4%
vs nation
60th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#539
5.1
-10.1%
vs nation
83th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#674
3.9
-12.7%
vs nation
79th percentile
Uninsured Rate#2,217
12.4%
+18.9%
vs nation
30th percentile
Physical Inactivity#2,567
31.1%
+17.9%
vs nation
18th percentile
Food Insecurity#2,699
18.2%
+26.3%
vs nation
14th percentile

Substance Use

19.8% of adults in Hancock County smoke , 36.3% are obese , and 19.8% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 43.5 per 100,000.

Adult Smoking#2,227
19.8%
+10.3%
vs nation
29th percentile
Adult Obesity#977
36.3%
-4.2%
vs nation
69th percentile
Excessive Drinking#1,500
19.8%
-0.4%
vs nation
52th percentile
Drug Overdose Deaths#1,693
43.5
+34.6%
vs nation
20th percentile

Safety

The homicide rate in Hancock County is 9.1 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 20.4 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 16.1 per 100,000.

Homicide Rate#1,099
9.1
+14.0%
vs nation
29th percentile
Suicide Rate#1,607
20.4
+3.5%
vs nation
37th percentile
Firearm Fatalities#2,119
25.9
+45.1%
vs nation
14th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#1,106
16.1
-20.4%
vs nation
61th percentile

Families & Children

20.3% of children in Hancock County live in poverty and the infant mortality rate is 7.7 per 1,000 live births. The teen birth rate is 20.2 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Infant Mortality#956
7.7
+12.7%
vs nation
30th percentile
Teen Birth Rate#1,490
20.2
-7.5%
vs nation
50th percentile
Child Poverty#1,950
20.3%
+6.9%
vs nation
38th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Hancock County is 56.0%. The mean commute time is 35.3 min, which is 28.0% above the national average.

Voter Turnout
56.0% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
35.3 min +28.0% vs nation
Rank #260 of 3,222
92th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Hancock County voted Republican with a margin of 58.7%. The vote was 20.1% Dem / 78.8% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 3.2 toward Republicans .

2024 REP +58.7%
20.1% 78.8%
Dem 21,175 votes Rep
2020 REP +55.5%
21.5% 77%
Dem 20,957 votes Rep
2016 REP +59.3%
19% 78.3%
Dem 17,517 votes Rep
2012 REP +52.7%
22.8% 75.5%
Dem 17,023 votes Rep
2008 REP +54.2%
22.1% 76.3%
Dem 17,056 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Hancock County, Mississippi

Hancock County, Mississippi has a total population of 46,167, making it the 1,077th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Hancock County is 46.6 years, which is 19.8% above the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Hancock County is $67,708, which ranks #1,365 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 9.9% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 13.8%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 5.0%.

The median home value in Hancock County is $224,200, 20.5% below the national median. Renters in Hancock County pay a median gross rent of $977 per month. The homeownership rate is 79.2%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Hancock County, 26.8% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 20.6% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 90.7% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 35.3 min.

Hancock County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 83.4% of the population, followed by Black (non-Hispanic) (7.1%) and Hispanic or Latino (4.2%).

All data for Hancock 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.