Holmes County, Mississippi

MS · FIPS 28051 Democrat

Located in Mississippi, Holmes County has a population of 16,191 residents and a median age of 36.3 years, making it the #2,085 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 36.4%. The median home value is $80,400, and the median household income is $32,538, which is 57% below the national median.

16,191
Population
#2,085 of 3,222
$32,538
Median Income
-56.7% #3,136 of 3,222
36.3 years
Median Age
-6.7% #2,832 of 3,222
36.4%
Poverty Rate
+188.6% #3,144 of 3,222

Demographics

Holmes County has a population of 16,191, making it the #2,085 most populous county in the US. The median age is 36.3 years, which is 6.7% below the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

99.6%
Native Born
0.4%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Holmes County is $32,538, ranking #3,136 out of 3,222 counties — 56.7% below the national median. The poverty rate is 36.4% and unemployment stands at 9.5%.

Income#3,136
$32,538
-56.7%
vs nation
3th percentile
Per Capita#3,068
$22,845
-44.6%
vs nation
5th percentile
Poverty#3,144
36.4%
+188.6%
vs nation
2th percentile
Unemployment#3,070
9.5%
+79.9%
vs nation
5th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Holmes County is $80,400 (-71.5% vs national). Renters pay a median of $590/mo and the homeownership rate is 61.0%.

Home Value#3,167
$80,400
-71.5%
vs nation
2th percentile
Rent#3,064
$590
-49.3%
vs nation
5th percentile
Homeownership#2,973
61.0%
-5.2%
vs nation
8th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Holmes County, 13.9% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 58.6% below the national average, ranking #2,940 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
13.9% −58.6% vs nation
Rank #2,940 of 3,222
9th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Holmes County is 65.8 years. 34.0% of adults report poor or fair health and 13.7% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#3,035
65.8
-12.5%
vs nation
1th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#3,116
34.0%
+73.8%
vs nation
1th percentile
Diabetes#3,130
19.6%
+76.1%
vs nation
0th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#3,032
44.2%
+18.5%
vs nation
4th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#1,385
5.5
-1.6%
vs nation
56th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#2,489
5.0
+12.2%
vs nation
21th percentile
Uninsured Rate#2,457
13.7%
+31.1%
vs nation
22th percentile
Physical Inactivity#3,128
41.7%
+58.1%
vs nation
1th percentile
Food Insecurity#3,130
24.6%
+70.8%
vs nation
0th percentile

Substance Use

24.0% of adults in Holmes County smoke , 53.0% are obese , and 12.3% report excessive drinking.

Adult Smoking#2,940
24.0%
+33.6%
vs nation
7th percentile
Adult Obesity#3,144
53.0%
+39.8%
vs nation
0th percentile
Excessive Drinking#11
12.3%
-38.3%
vs nation
100th percentile

Safety

The homicide rate in Holmes County is 44.3 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 11.7 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 47.6 per 100,000.

Homicide Rate#1,528
44.3
+453.3%
vs nation
1th percentile
Suicide Rate#250
11.7
-40.8%
vs nation
90th percentile
Firearm Fatalities#2,453
51.2
+186.5%
vs nation
1th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#2,775
47.6
+135.1%
vs nation
2th percentile

Families & Children

45.7% of children in Holmes County live in poverty and the infant mortality rate is 12.2 per 1,000 live births. The teen birth rate is 30.6 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Infant Mortality#1,332
12.2
+79.6%
vs nation
2th percentile
Teen Birth Rate#2,367
30.6
+40.1%
vs nation
21th percentile
Child Poverty#3,126
45.7%
+140.6%
vs nation
1th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Holmes County is 62.6%. The mean commute time is 38.2 min, which is 38.5% above the national average.

Voter Turnout
62.6% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
38.2 min +38.5% vs nation
Rank #115 of 3,222
96th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Holmes County voted Democratic with a margin of 62.0%. The vote was 80.5% Dem / 18.5% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 2.3 toward Republicans .

2024 DEM +62.0%
80.5% 18.5%
Dem 6,730 votes Rep
2020 DEM +64.3%
81.2% 16.9%
Dem 8,115 votes Rep
2016 DEM +66.3%
82.6% 16.3%
Dem 7,045 votes Rep
2012 DEM +68.2%
83.9% 15.7%
Dem 8,076 votes Rep
2008 DEM +63.4%
81.4% 18%
Dem 9,543 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Holmes County, Mississippi

Holmes County, Mississippi has a total population of 16,191, making it the 2,085th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Holmes County is 36.3 years, which is 6.7% below the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Holmes County is $32,538, which ranks #3,136 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 56.7% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 36.4%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 9.5%.

The median home value in Holmes County is $80,400, 71.5% below the national median. Renters in Holmes County pay a median gross rent of $590 per month. The homeownership rate is 61.0%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Holmes County, 13.9% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 58.6% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 89.1% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 38.2 min.

Holmes County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is Black (non-Hispanic) at 81.0% of the population, followed by White (non-Hispanic) (14.6%) and Two or More Races (3.6%).

All data for Holmes 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.