Sunflower County, Mississippi

MS · FIPS 28133 Democrat

Located in Mississippi, Sunflower County has a population of 24,333 residents and a median age of 37.1 years, making it the #1,688 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 28.9%. The median home value is $100,300, and the median household income is $39,956, which is 47% below the national median.

24,333
Population
#1,688 of 3,222
$39,956
Median Income
-46.8% #3,076 of 3,222
37.1 years
Median Age
-4.6% #2,734 of 3,222
28.9%
Poverty Rate
+129.1% #3,074 of 3,222

Demographics

Sunflower County has a population of 24,333, making it the #1,688 most populous county in the US. The median age is 37.1 years, which is 4.6% below the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

98.2%
Native Born
1.8%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Sunflower County is $39,956, ranking #3,076 out of 3,222 counties — 46.8% below the national median. The poverty rate is 28.9% and unemployment stands at 11.2%.

Income#3,076
$39,956
-46.8%
vs nation
5th percentile
Per Capita#3,111
$21,138
-48.8%
vs nation
3th percentile
Poverty#3,074
28.9%
+129.1%
vs nation
5th percentile
Unemployment#3,137
11.2%
+111.9%
vs nation
3th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Sunflower County is $100,300 (-64.4% vs national). Renters pay a median of $694/mo and the homeownership rate is 54.9%.

Home Value#2,975
$100,300
-64.4%
vs nation
8th percentile
Rent#2,758
$694
-40.3%
vs nation
14th percentile
Homeownership#3,110
54.9%
-14.7%
vs nation
3th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Sunflower County, 16.0% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 52.4% below the national average, ranking #2,665 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
16.0% −52.4% vs nation
Rank #2,665 of 3,222
17th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Sunflower County is 67.2 years. 29.7% of adults report poor or fair health and 13.3% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#3,014
67.2
-10.6%
vs nation
2th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#3,058
29.7%
+51.8%
vs nation
3th percentile
Diabetes#3,094
17.4%
+56.3%
vs nation
2th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#2,826
42.3%
+13.4%
vs nation
10th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#609
5.1
-9.3%
vs nation
81th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#1,818
4.5
+2.1%
vs nation
42th percentile
Uninsured Rate#2,387
13.3%
+27.3%
vs nation
24th percentile
Physical Inactivity#3,104
38.9%
+47.4%
vs nation
1th percentile
Food Insecurity#2,928
19.7%
+36.7%
vs nation
7th percentile

Substance Use

22.8% of adults in Sunflower County smoke , 47.5% are obese , and 13.4% report excessive drinking.

Adult Smoking#2,802
22.8%
+27.0%
vs nation
11th percentile
Adult Obesity#3,110
47.5%
+25.3%
vs nation
1th percentile
Excessive Drinking#36
13.4%
-32.6%
vs nation
99th percentile

Safety

The homicide rate in Sunflower County is 35.9 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 8.4 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 29.2 per 100,000.

Homicide Rate#1,518
35.9
+349.0%
vs nation
1th percentile
Suicide Rate#53
8.4
-57.5%
vs nation
98th percentile
Firearm Fatalities#2,414
39.8
+122.4%
vs nation
2th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#2,348
29.2
+44.1%
vs nation
17th percentile

Families & Children

39.6% of children in Sunflower County live in poverty and the infant mortality rate is 12.0 per 1,000 live births. The teen birth rate is 34.0 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Infant Mortality#1,322
12.0
+76.5%
vs nation
3th percentile
Teen Birth Rate#2,572
34.0
+55.5%
vs nation
14th percentile
Child Poverty#3,080
39.6%
+108.5%
vs nation
2th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Sunflower County is 48.3%. The mean commute time is 21.8 min, which is 21.1% below the national average.

Voter Turnout
48.3% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
21.8 min −21.1% vs nation
Rank #2,566 of 3,222
20th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Sunflower County voted Democratic with a margin of 35.5%. The vote was 67.4% Dem / 31.9% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 5.6 toward Republicans .

2024 DEM +35.5%
67.4% 31.9%
Dem 7,876 votes Rep
2020 DEM +41.1%
70% 28.9%
Dem 9,683 votes Rep
2016 DEM +40.3%
69.7% 29.4%
Dem 9,406 votes Rep
2012 DEM +46.3%
72.7% 26.4%
Dem 10,995 votes Rep
2008 DEM +41.0%
70% 29%
Dem 11,193 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Sunflower County, Mississippi

Sunflower County, Mississippi has a total population of 24,333, making it the 1,688th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Sunflower County is 37.1 years, which is 4.6% below the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Sunflower County is $39,956, which ranks #3,076 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 46.8% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 28.9%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 11.2%.

The median home value in Sunflower County is $100,300, 64.4% below the national median. Renters in Sunflower County pay a median gross rent of $694 per month. The homeownership rate is 54.9%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Sunflower County, 16.0% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 52.4% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 88.6% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 21.8 min.

Sunflower County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is Black (non-Hispanic) at 72.7% of the population, followed by White (non-Hispanic) (22.9%) and Hispanic or Latino (2.8%).

All data for Sunflower 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.