Winston County, Mississippi
Located in Mississippi, Winston County has a population of 17,536 residents and a median age of 42.8 years, making it the #2,009 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 26.9%. The median home value is $124,600, and the median household income is $53,031, which is 29% below the national median.
Demographics
Winston County has a population of 17,536, making it the #2,009 most populous county in the US. The median age is 42.8 years, which is 10.0% above the national median.
Population Trend
Rankings →Year-over-Year Population Growth
Age & Sex Distribution
Race & Ethnicity
Nativity
Geographic Mobility (Past Year)
Economy
The median household income in Winston County is $53,031, ranking #2,597 out of 3,222 counties — 29.4% below the national median. The poverty rate is 26.9% and unemployment stands at 6.7%.
Median Household Income Trend
Rankings →Income Distribution
Industry of Employment
Occupation
Housing
The median home value in Winston County is $124,600 (-55.8% vs national). Renters pay a median of $721/mo and the homeownership rate is 73.0%.
Median Home Value Trend
Rankings →Household Type
Education
In Winston County, 19.7% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 41.6% below the national average, ranking #2,052 out of 3,222 counties.
Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend
Rankings →Health & Wellbeing
Life expectancy in Winston County is 72.3 years. 26.9% of adults report poor or fair health and 13.9% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).
Life Expectancy Trend
Substance Use
21.9% of adults in Winston County smoke , 45.3% are obese , and 15.0% report excessive drinking.
Adult Smoking Trend
Safety
The homicide rate in Winston County is 15.1 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 16.5 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 27.1 per 100,000.
Homicide Rate Trend
Families & Children
42.1% of children in Winston County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 33.4 per 1,000 females age 15–19.
Teen Birth Rate Trend
Civic & Transportation
Voter turnout in Winston County is 66.0%. The mean commute time is 28.6 min, which is 3.6% above the national average.
Voter Turnout Trend
Mean Commute Time Trend
Rankings →Elections
In the 2024 presidential election, Winston County voted Republican with a margin of 18.2%. The vote was 40.5% Dem / 58.7% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 6.6 toward Republicans .
Vote Share Over Time
About Winston County, Mississippi
Winston County, Mississippi has a total population of 17,536, making it the 2,009th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Winston County is 42.8 years, which is 10.0% above the national median of 38.9 years.
The median household income in Winston County is $53,031, which ranks #2,597 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 29.4% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 26.9%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 6.7%.
The median home value in Winston County is $124,600, 55.8% below the national median. Renters in Winston County pay a median gross rent of $721 per month. The homeownership rate is 73.0%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.
In Winston County, 19.7% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 41.6% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 89.5% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 28.6 min.
Winston County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 49.4% of the population, followed by Black (non-Hispanic) (47.1%) and Two or More Races (1.7%).
All data for Winston 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.