Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Vintage 2024 population estimates and 2024 Gazetteer. Rankings among the 50 states.
Historical data
Pick an indicator to see its long-run evolution.
Population
1820–2024U.S. Census (decennial), 1820–2020 + estimates.
Population pyramid
Mississippi's civilian population by sex and five-year age group. Choose a year to see how the age structure has changed.
Tap an age group in the pyramid to see its detail.
Under 15
545,072 (18.6%)
15 to 64
1,858,512 (63.4%)
65 and older
528,787 (18.0%)
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, SC-EST2020 and SC-EST2024 age and sex estimates (civilian population, July 1).
Age, sex and longevity
The main indicators describing Mississippi's age structure, sex distribution and life expectancy.
| Median age | 38.1 years | |
| Female | 51.5% | |
| Male | 48.5% | |
| Under 18 | 23.6% | |
| 65 and older | 17.3% | |
| Life expectancy | 71.9 years | Lowest in the U.S. |
Population, households and density
How many people and households live in Mississippi, how concentrated they are and how the population is changing.
| Total population | 2.94 M | 35th in the U.S. |
| Density | 23.4 /km² | |
| Households | 1.10 M | |
| Urban population | 49.4% | Least urbanized in the U.S. |
| Largest metro | Jackson (≈ 590,000) | |
| Growth | -0.2%/yr | 2020–2024 |
Race, ethnicity and origin
Mississippi has the highest share of Black residents of any U.S. state, a legacy of its cotton-plantation history, with smaller but growing Hispanic and Asian communities.
| Black or African American | 37.8% | Highest share in the U.S. |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 55.4% | |
| Hispanic or Latino | 3.7% | ≈ 109,000 |
| Asian | 1.1% | |
| Two or more races | 1.5% | |
| Native American | 0.5% | |
| Choctaw Nation | ≈ 11,000 | Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians |