Sharkey County, Mississippi

MS · FIPS 28125 Democrat

Located in Mississippi, Sharkey County has a population of 3,872 residents and a median age of 38.4 years, making it the #2,974 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 30.9%. The median home value is $98,000, and the median household income is $40,000, which is 47% below the national median.

3,872
Population
#2,974 of 3,222
$40,000
Median Income
-46.8% #3,074 of 3,222
38.4 years
Median Age
-1.3% #2,507 of 3,222
30.9%
Poverty Rate
+144.8% #3,094 of 3,222

Demographics

Sharkey County has a population of 3,872, making it the #2,974 most populous county in the US. The median age is 38.4 years, which is 1.3% below the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

99.8%
Native Born
0.2%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Sharkey County is $40,000, ranking #3,074 out of 3,222 counties — 46.8% below the national median. The poverty rate is 30.9% and unemployment stands at 9.1%.

Income#3,074
$40,000
-46.8%
vs nation
5th percentile
Per Capita#3,093
$21,927
-46.9%
vs nation
4th percentile
Poverty#3,094
30.9%
+144.8%
vs nation
4th percentile
Unemployment#3,036
9.1%
+70.8%
vs nation
6th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Sharkey County is $98,000 (-65.2% vs national). Renters pay a median of $623/mo and the homeownership rate is 66.5%.

Home Value#3,015
$98,000
-65.2%
vs nation
6th percentile
Rent#3,007
$623
-46.4%
vs nation
6th percentile
Homeownership#2,617
66.5%
+3.3%
vs nation
19th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Sharkey County, 16.1% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 52.3% below the national average, ranking #2,655 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
16.1% −52.3% vs nation
Rank #2,655 of 3,222
18th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Sharkey County is 66.7 years. 34.7% of adults report poor or fair health and 13.6% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#3,024
66.7
-11.3%
vs nation
1th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#3,124
34.7%
+77.4%
vs nation
1th percentile
Diabetes#3,123
18.9%
+69.8%
vs nation
1th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#3,107
46.1%
+23.6%
vs nation
1th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#1,386
5.5
-1.6%
vs nation
56th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#2,532
5.0
+12.8%
vs nation
20th percentile
Uninsured Rate#2,443
13.6%
+30.1%
vs nation
22th percentile
Physical Inactivity#3,138
43.1%
+63.4%
vs nation
0th percentile
Food Insecurity#3,006
20.7%
+43.7%
vs nation
4th percentile

Substance Use

24.9% of adults in Sharkey County smoke , 49.8% are obese , and 12.5% report excessive drinking.

Adult Smoking#3,003
24.9%
+38.7%
vs nation
5th percentile
Adult Obesity#3,132
49.8%
+31.4%
vs nation
0th percentile
Excessive Drinking#17
12.5%
-37.0%
vs nation
100th percentile

Safety

The homicide rate in Sharkey County is 37.9 per 100,000 . Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 44.8 per 100,000.

Homicide Rate#1,521
37.9
+374.2%
vs nation
1th percentile
Firearm Fatalities#2,452
50.0
+179.6%
vs nation
1th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#2,760
44.8
+121.4%
vs nation
2th percentile

Families & Children

51.5% of children in Sharkey County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 65.9 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Teen Birth Rate#2,994
65.9
+201.9%
vs nation
0th percentile
Child Poverty#3,138
51.5%
+171.2%
vs nation
0th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Sharkey County is 64.9%. The mean commute time is 22.6 min, which is 18.3% below the national average.

Voter Turnout
64.9% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
22.6 min −18.3% vs nation
Rank #2,428 of 3,222
25th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Sharkey County voted Democratic with a margin of 36.8%. The vote was 68% Dem / 31.2% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted +1.2 toward Democrats .

2024 DEM +36.8%
68% 31.2%
Dem 1,766 votes Rep
2020 DEM +35.6%
67.1% 31.5%
Dem 2,183 votes Rep
2016 DEM +34.9%
67% 32.1%
Dem 1,926 votes Rep
2012 DEM +39.7%
69.6% 29.9%
Dem 2,258 votes Rep
2008 DEM +37.0%
68.2% 31.2%
Dem 2,795 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Sharkey County, Mississippi

Sharkey County, Mississippi has a total population of 3,872, making it the 2,974th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Sharkey County is 38.4 years, which is 1.3% below the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Sharkey County is $40,000, which ranks #3,074 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 46.8% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 30.9%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 9.1%.

The median home value in Sharkey County is $98,000, 65.2% below the national median. Renters in Sharkey County pay a median gross rent of $623 per month. The homeownership rate is 66.5%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Sharkey County, 16.1% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 52.3% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 83.1% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 22.6 min.

Sharkey County is a community. The largest racial or ethnic group is Black (non-Hispanic) at 75.7% of the population, followed by White (non-Hispanic) (23.3%).

All data for Sharkey 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.