County profile

Holmes County

Mississippi · ACS 2020–2024

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Latest estimates

At a glance

U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates.

Total population
16,191
Median household income
$32,538
People below poverty
36.4%
Median home value
$80,400

Income

The median income of households in Holmes County, Mississippi was $32,538. An estimated 17.6% of households had income below $10,000 a year and 4% had income of $200,000 or more.

Household Income in Holmes County, Mississippi in 2020-2024

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Percent
Less than $10,000 17.6
$10,000 to $14,999 11.9
$15,000 to $24,999 11.1
$25,000 to $34,999 11
$35,000 to $49,999 13.7
$50,000 to $74,999 13.7
$75,000 to $99,999 8
$100,000 to $149,999 5.3
$150,000 to $199,999 3.7
$200,000 or more 4

Median Earnings for Full-Time Year-Round Workers by Sex in Holmes County, Mississippi in 2020-2024

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Dollars
Male 42288
Female 37854

An estimated 58.5% of households received earnings. An estimated 34.7% of households received Social Security and an estimated 22.1 % of households received retirement income other than Social Security. The average income from Social Security was $19,078. These income sources are not mutually exclusive; that is, some households received income from more than one source.

Proportion of Households with Various Income Sources in Holmes County, Mississippi in 2020-2024

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Percent
Earnings 58.5
Social Security 34.7
Retirement income 22.1
Supplemental Security Income (SSI) 22.6
Cash public assistance income 7.4

Poverty and Participation in Government Programs

In 2020-2024, 36.4 % of people were in poverty. An estimated 48.5% of children under 18 were below the poverty level, compared with 30% of people 65 years old and over. An estimated 32.9% of people 18 to 64 years were below the poverty level.

Poverty Rates in Holmes County, Mississippi in 2020-2024

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Percent
People in poverty 36.4
Children under 18 years below poverty 48.5
People 65 years old and over below poverty 30
People 18 to 64 years below poverty 32.9

In 2020-2024, 33 % of households received SNAP (the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program). An estimated 54.2% of households that received SNAP had children under 18, and 32.4% of households that received SNAP had one or more people 60 years and over. An estimated 45.5% of all households receiving SNAP were families with a female householder and no spouse present.


Among the civilian noninstitutionalized population in Holmes County, Mississippi in 2020-2024, 89.1% had health insurance coverage and 10.9% did not have health insurance coverage. Private coverage was 45.6% and public coverage was 57.1%, respectively. The percentage of children under the age of 19 with no health insurance coverage was 3.3%.


In 2020-2024, Holmes County, Mississippi had a total population of 16,191 - 8,496 (52.5%) females and 7,695 (47.5%) males. The median age was 36.3 years. An estimated 24.5% of the population was under 18 years, 31.2% was 19 to 44 years, 23.7% was 45 to 64 years, and 16.8 % was 65 years and older.

Population by Age and Sex for Holmes County, Mississippi in 2020-2024

Male Female
Under 5 508 521
5 to 9 559 394
10 to 14 533 676
15 to 19 707 683
20 to 24 562 550
25 to 29 531 566
30 to 34 490 509
35 to 39 449 507
40 to 44 470 426
45 to 49 398 437
50 to 54 397 514
55 to 59 419 565
60 to 64 508 597
65 to 69 383 530
70 to 74 340 375
75 to 79 224 307
80 to 84 105 179
85 and over 112 160

Hispanic Origin and Race

For people reporting one race alone, 14.6% were White; 81% were Black or African American; 2.2% were American Indian and Alaska Native; 0.3% were Asian; 37.9% were Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander, and 0% were Some Other Race. An estimated 3.9% reported Two or More Races. An estimated 0.4% of the people in Holmes County, Mississippi were Hispanic or Latino. An estimated 14.6% of the people in Holmes County, Mississippi were White alone, non-Hispanic. People of Hispanic origin may be of any race.


Households and Families

In 2020-2024, there were 6,157 households in Holmes County, Mississippi. The average household size was 2.49 people.

Married-couple households made up 28.4% of the households in Holmes County, Mississippi while cohabiting couple households made up 4.8% of households. Female householders with no spouse or partner present were 47.3% of all households, while 19.4% of households had male householders with no spouse or partner present. Some households had one person, as 12.2% of households were male householders living alone, and 20.9% were female householders living alone, for a total of 33.1% of all households.

In Holmes County, Mississippi, 33% of all households had one or more people under the age of 18; 35.4% of all households had one or more people 65 years and over.

Types of Households in Holmes County, Mississippi in 2020-2024

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Percent
Married-couple households 28.4
Cohabiting Couples 4.8
Male Householder
No spouse/partner present
19.4
Female Householder
No spouse/partner present
47.3

Marital Status

Among persons 15 and older, 34.3% of males and 26.3% of females were currently married.

Population 15 years and over Percent
Males
Percent
Females
Never married 45.9 47.1
Now married, except separated 34.3 26.3
Separated 5.9 6
Widowed 3.2 9.1
Divorced 10.6 11.5

Grandparents and Grandchildren

In Holmes County, Mississippi, 663 grandparents lived with their grandchildren under 18 years old. Of those grandparents, 65.8% were responsible for the basic needs of their grandchildren.


Nativity and Foreign-Born

In 2020-2024, an estimated 99.6% of the people living in Holmes County, Mississippi were U.S. natives. 89.5% of the Holmes County, Mississippi population were living in the state where they were born.

Approximately 0.4% of Holmes County, Mississippi residents in 2020-2024 were foreign-born. 62.9% of foreign-born were naturalized U.S. citizens and an estimated 62.9 % entered the country before the year 2010.

Foreign-born residents of Holmes County, Mississippi come from different parts of the world. The bar graph below displays the percentage of foreign-born from each world region of birth in 2020-2024 for Holmes County, Mississippi.

Region of Birth for the Foreign-Born Population in Holmes County, Mississippi in 2020-2024

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Percent
Latin America 19.4
Asia 69.4
Europe 0
Africa 11.3
Northern America 0
Oceania 0

Language

Among people at least five years old living in Holmes County, Mississippi in 2020-2024, 0.7 % spoke a language other than English at home. Spanish was spoken by 0.3% of people at least five years old; 0.3% reported that they did not speak English "very well."

Percentage of the Population 5 years and over who Speak a Language other than English in Holmes County, Mississippi in 2020-2024

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Percent
Spanish 0.3
Other Indo-European languages 0.3
Asian and Pacific Islander languages 0
Other languages 0

Geographic Mobility

In 2020-2024, 93 % of the people at least one year old living in Holmes County, Mississippi were living in the same house one year earlier.

Geographic Mobility of Residents of Holmes County, Mississippi in 2020-2024

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Percent
Same house 93
Different house, same county 3.4
Different county, same state 2.8
Different state 0.7
Abroad 0.2

Education

In 2020-2024, 83.8 % of people 25 years and over had at least graduated from high school and 13.9% had a bachelor's degree or higher. An estimated 16.1% did not complete high school.

The total school enrollment in Holmes County, Mississippi was 4,461 in 2020-2024. Nursery school enrollment was 381 and kindergarten through 12th grade enrollment was 2,900. College or graduate school enrollment was 1,180.

Educational Attainment of People in Holmes County, Mississippi in 2020-2024

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Percent
Less than high school diploma 16.1
High school diploma or equivalency 39.3
Some college, no degree 24.1
Associate's degree 6.5
Bachelor's degree 9.1
Graduate or professional degree 4.9

Disability

In Holmes County, Mississippi, among the civilian noninstitutionalized population in 2020-2024, 30.1 % reported a disability. The likelihood of having a disability varied by age - from 13.6% of people under 18 years old, to 32.4% of people 18 to 64 years old, and to 46.9% of those 65 and over.


Employment Status and Type of Employer

In Holmes County, Mississippi, 40.5 % of the population 16 and over were employed; 55.3% were not currently in the labor force.

An estimated 72.7% of the people employed were private wage and salary workers; 23% were federal, state, or local government workers; and 4.3 % were self-employed in their own (not incorporated) business.

Class of worker Number Percent
Private wage and salary workers 3,759 72.7
Federal, state, or local government workers 1,188 23
Self-employed workers in own not incorporated business 223 4.3

Industries

In 2020-2024, the civilian employed population 16 years and older in Holmes County, Mississippi worked in the following industries:

Percent by Industry in Holmes County, Mississippi in 2020-2024

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Percent
Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting, and mining 1.1
Construction 7
Manufacturing 18
Wholesale trade 2.8
Retail trade 10.4
Transportation and warehousing, and utilities 9.1
Information 0.1
Finance and insurance, and real estate and rental and leasing 2.5
Professional, scientific, and management, and administrative and waste management services 6.7
Educational services, and health care and social assistance 27.6
Arts, entertainment, and recreation, and accommodation, and food services 6.4
Other Services, except public administration 2.2
Public administration 6.3

Occupations

Occupations for the Civilian Employed Population 16 Years and over in Holmes County, Mississippi in 2020-2024

Civilian employed population 16 years and over Number Percent
Management, business, sciences, and arts occupations 1,210 23.4
Service occupations 1,277 24.7
Sales and office occupations 710 13.7
Natural resources, construction, and maintenance occupations 527 10.2
Production, transportation, and material moving occupations 1,446 28

Commuting to Work

An estimated 84.5% of Holmes County, Mississippi workers drove to work alone in 2020-2024, and 6.8% carpooled. Among those who commuted to work, it took them on average 36 minutes to get to work.

Percent of Workers 16 and over Commuting by Mode in Holmes County, Mississippi in 2020-2024

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Percent
Car, truck, van -- drove alone 84.5
Car, truck, van -- carpooled 6.8
Public transportation (excluding taxicab) 0.8
Walked 2
Other means 3.2
Worked from home 2.7

In 2020-2024, Holmes County, Mississippi had a total of 7,595 housing units. Of these housing units, 61.3% were single-family houses either not attached to any other structure or attached to one or more structures (commonly referred to as "townhouses" or "row houses"). 13.2% of the housing units were located in multi-unit structures, or those buildings that contained two or more apartments. 25.5% were mobile homes, while any remaining housing units were classified as "other," which included boats, recreational vehicles, vans, etc.

Types of Housing Units in Holmes County, Mississippi in 2020-2024

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Percent
Single-family houses 61.3
Apartments in multi-unit structures 13.2
Mobile homes 25.5
Boat, RV, van, etc 0

6.3% of the housing inventory was comprised of houses built since 2010, while 7.1% of the houses were first built in 1939 or earlier. The median number of rooms in all housing units in Holmes County, Mississippi was 5.4 rooms, and of these housing units 66.4% had three or more bedrooms.


In 2020-2024, Holmes County, Mississippi had 6,157 housing units that were occupied or had people living in them, while the remaining 1,438 were vacant. Of the occupied housing units, the percentage of these houses occupied by owners (also known as the homeownership rate) was 61% while renters occupied 39%. The average household size of owner-occupied houses was 2.66 and in renter-occupied houses it was 2.23.

2.3% of householders of these occupied houses had moved into their house since 2021, while 15.6% moved into their house in 1989 or earlier. Households without a vehicle available for personal use comprised 15.9% and another 20.3% had three or more vehicles available for use.

The following chart provides the primary fuel used to heat houses in Holmes County, Mississippi:

House Heating Fuel Used in Holmes County, Mississippi in 2020-2024

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Percent
Gas 45.3
Electricity 51.6
Fuel oil, kerosene, etc 0
All other fuels 2
No fuel used 1.2

In 2020-2024, the median property value for owner-occupied houses in Holmes County, Mississippi was $80,400.

Of the owner-occupied households, 29.2 % had a mortgage. 70.8% owned their houses "free and clear," that is without a primary mortgage or loan on the house. The median monthly housing costs for owners with a mortgage was $979 and for owners without a mortgage it was $460.

For renter-occupied houses, the median gross rent for Holmes County, Mississippi was $590. Gross rent includes the monthly contract rent and any monthly payments made for electricity, gas, water and sewer, and any other fuels to heat the house.