Pontotoc County, Mississippi

MS · FIPS 28115 Republican

Located in Mississippi, Pontotoc County has a population of 31,550 residents and a median age of 35.9 years, making it the #1,430 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 16.7%. The median home value is $157,100, and the median household income is $51,484, which is 31% below the national median.

31,550
Population
#1,430 of 3,222
$51,484
Median Income
-31.5% #2,691 of 3,222
35.9 years
Median Age
-7.7% #2,889 of 3,222
16.7%
Poverty Rate
+32.6% #2,253 of 3,222

Demographics

Pontotoc County has a population of 31,550, making it the #1,430 most populous county in the US. The median age is 35.9 years, which is 7.7% below 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 Pontotoc County is $51,484, ranking #2,691 out of 3,222 counties — 31.5% below the national median. The poverty rate is 16.7% and unemployment stands at 3.1%.

Income#2,691
$51,484
-31.5%
vs nation
16th percentile
Per Capita#2,722
$27,826
-32.6%
vs nation
16th percentile
Poverty#2,253
16.7%
+32.6%
vs nation
30th percentile
Unemployment#733
3.1%
-41.5%
vs nation
77th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Pontotoc County is $157,100 (-44.3% vs national). Renters pay a median of $864/mo and the homeownership rate is 69.8%.

Home Value#2,098
$157,100
-44.3%
vs nation
35th percentile
Rent#1,644
$864
-25.7%
vs nation
49th percentile
Homeownership#2,321
69.8%
+8.3%
vs nation
28th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Pontotoc County, 18.5% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 45.1% below the national average, ranking #2,261 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
18.5% −45.1% vs nation
Rank #2,261 of 3,222
30th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Pontotoc County is 72.7 years. 21.3% of adults report poor or fair health and 15.0% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#2,311
72.7
-3.2%
vs nation
25th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#2,105
21.3%
+8.9%
vs nation
33th percentile
Diabetes#2,077
11.9%
+6.9%
vs nation
34th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#1,125
35.8%
-4.0%
vs nation
64th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#1,359
5.5
-1.8%
vs nation
57th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#1,469
4.4
-2.0%
vs nation
53th percentile
Uninsured Rate#2,650
15.0%
+43.3%
vs nation
16th percentile
Physical Inactivity#2,185
28.9%
+9.5%
vs nation
31th percentile
Food Insecurity#2,798
18.8%
+30.5%
vs nation
11th percentile

Substance Use

17.8% of adults in Pontotoc County smoke , 43.4% are obese , and 17.3% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 22.0 per 100,000.

Adult Smoking#1,599
17.8%
-0.9%
vs nation
49th percentile
Adult Obesity#2,862
43.4%
+14.5%
vs nation
9th percentile
Excessive Drinking#626
17.3%
-13.1%
vs nation
80th percentile
Drug Overdose Deaths#704
22.0
-31.8%
vs nation
67th percentile

Safety

The homicide rate in Pontotoc County is 5.4 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 14.0 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 27.9 per 100,000.

Homicide Rate#670
5.4
-32.6%
vs nation
56th percentile
Suicide Rate#566
14.0
-29.1%
vs nation
78th percentile
Firearm Fatalities#1,005
15.1
-15.7%
vs nation
59th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#2,269
27.9
+37.6%
vs nation
20th percentile

Families & Children

18.7% of children in Pontotoc County live in poverty and the infant mortality rate is 6.8 per 1,000 live births. The teen birth rate is 31.7 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Infant Mortality#786
6.8
+0.4%
vs nation
42th percentile
Teen Birth Rate#2,439
31.7
+45.2%
vs nation
19th percentile
Child Poverty#1,709
18.7%
-1.5%
vs nation
46th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Pontotoc County is 63.4%. The mean commute time is 28.5 min, which is 3.2% above the national average.

Voter Turnout
63.4% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
28.5 min +3.2% vs nation
Rank #1,162 of 3,222
64th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Pontotoc County voted Republican with a margin of 67.8%. The vote was 15.7% Dem / 83.5% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 5.7 toward Republicans .

2024 REP +67.8%
15.7% 83.5%
Dem 14,068 votes Rep
2020 REP +62.1%
18.2% 80.3%
Dem 14,377 votes Rep
2016 REP +61.9%
18% 79.9%
Dem 11,811 votes Rep
2012 REP +53.5%
22.6% 76.1%
Dem 12,348 votes Rep
2008 REP +52.4%
23.2% 75.6%
Dem 12,868 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Pontotoc County, Mississippi

Pontotoc County, Mississippi has a total population of 31,550, making it the 1,430th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Pontotoc County is 35.9 years, which is 7.7% below the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Pontotoc County is $51,484, which ranks #2,691 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 31.5% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 16.7%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 3.1%.

The median home value in Pontotoc County is $157,100, 44.3% below the national median. Renters in Pontotoc County pay a median gross rent of $864 per month. The homeownership rate is 69.8%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Pontotoc County, 18.5% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 45.1% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 87.8% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 28.5 min.

Pontotoc County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 74.0% of the population, followed by Black (non-Hispanic) (14.7%) and Hispanic or Latino (7.1%).

All data for Pontotoc 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.