Leake County, Mississippi

MS · FIPS 28079 Republican

Located in Mississippi, Leake County has a population of 21,319 residents and a median age of 40.3 years, making it the #1,803 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 20.5%. The median home value is $116,800, and the median household income is $50,728, which is 32% below the national median.

21,319
Population
#1,803 of 3,222
$50,728
Median Income
-32.5% #2,732 of 3,222
40.3 years
Median Age
+3.6% #2,027 of 3,222
20.5%
Poverty Rate
+62.9% #2,717 of 3,222

Demographics

Leake County has a population of 21,319, making it the #1,803 most populous county in the US. The median age is 40.3 years, which is 3.6% above the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

97.3%
Native Born
2.7%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Leake County is $50,728, ranking #2,732 out of 3,222 counties — 32.5% below the national median. The poverty rate is 20.5% and unemployment stands at 6.2%.

Income#2,732
$50,728
-32.5%
vs nation
15th percentile
Per Capita#2,867
$26,316
-36.2%
vs nation
11th percentile
Poverty#2,717
20.5%
+62.9%
vs nation
16th percentile
Unemployment#2,591
6.2%
+16.6%
vs nation
20th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Leake County is $116,800 (-58.6% vs national). Renters pay a median of $765/mo and the homeownership rate is 76.7%.

Home Value#2,735
$116,800
-58.6%
vs nation
15th percentile
Rent#2,376
$765
-34.2%
vs nation
26th percentile
Homeownership#1,214
76.7%
+19.2%
vs nation
62th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Leake County, 15.7% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 53.3% below the national average, ranking #2,712 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
15.7% −53.3% vs nation
Rank #2,712 of 3,222
16th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Leake County is 71.2 years. 27.4% of adults report poor or fair health and 15.8% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#2,665
71.2
-5.2%
vs nation
13th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#2,947
27.4%
+40.1%
vs nation
6th percentile
Diabetes#3,004
15.4%
+38.3%
vs nation
5th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#2,512
40.8%
+9.4%
vs nation
20th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#1,058
5.4
-4.3%
vs nation
66th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#1,526
4.4
-1.3%
vs nation
52th percentile
Uninsured Rate#2,733
15.8%
+50.4%
vs nation
13th percentile
Physical Inactivity#2,908
34.2%
+29.6%
vs nation
8th percentile
Food Insecurity#2,907
19.5%
+35.4%
vs nation
8th percentile

Substance Use

21.4% of adults in Leake County smoke , 45.1% are obese , and 15.5% report excessive drinking.

Adult Smoking#2,599
21.4%
+19.2%
vs nation
17th percentile
Adult Obesity#3,028
45.1%
+19.0%
vs nation
4th percentile
Excessive Drinking#280
15.5%
-21.9%
vs nation
91th percentile

Safety

The homicide rate in Leake County is 19.2 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 16.8 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 30.8 per 100,000.

Homicide Rate#1,441
19.2
+140.5%
vs nation
6th percentile
Suicide Rate#1,036
16.8
-14.6%
vs nation
60th percentile
Firearm Fatalities#2,324
32.5
+82.1%
vs nation
6th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#2,439
30.8
+52.0%
vs nation
14th percentile

Families & Children

29.6% of children in Leake County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 52.9 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Teen Birth Rate#2,970
52.9
+142.3%
vs nation
1th percentile
Child Poverty#2,828
29.6%
+55.8%
vs nation
10th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Leake County is 55.4%. The mean commute time is 36.3 min, which is 31.6% above the national average.

Voter Turnout
55.4% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
36.3 min +31.6% vs nation
Rank #197 of 3,222
94th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Leake County voted Republican with a margin of 23.4%. The vote was 38% Dem / 61.4% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 8.9 toward Republicans .

2024 REP +23.4%
38% 61.4%
Dem 8,380 votes Rep
2020 REP +14.5%
42.3% 56.8%
Dem 9,204 votes Rep
2016 REP +14.2%
42.4% 56.6%
Dem 8,436 votes Rep
2012 REP +8.7%
45.4% 54.1%
Dem 7,921 votes Rep
2008 REP +10.6%
44.4% 55%
Dem 9,359 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Leake County, Mississippi

Leake County, Mississippi has a total population of 21,319, making it the 1,803rd most populous county in the United States. The median age in Leake County is 40.3 years, which is 3.6% above the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Leake County is $50,728, which ranks #2,732 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 32.5% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 20.5%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 6.2%.

The median home value in Leake County is $116,800, 58.6% below the national median. Renters in Leake County pay a median gross rent of $765 per month. The homeownership rate is 76.7%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Leake County, 15.7% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 53.3% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 84.5% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 36.3 min.

Leake County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 46.1% of the population, followed by Black (non-Hispanic) (38.9%) and Hispanic or Latino (6.6%).

All data for Leake 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.