Hancock County, MS

County

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2024 Population

46,167

US Senator

Roger Wicker

Republican Party

US Senator

Cindy Hyde-Smith

Republican Party

2024 Median Age

46.6

1.97% 1-year increase

2024 Poverty Rate

13.8%

3.56% 1-year increase

2024 Median Household Income

$67,708

0.0295% 1-year decline

2024 Median Property Value

$224,200

8.52% 1-year growth

2024 Employed Population

20,715

1.85% 1-year decline

About

None of the households in Hancock County, MS reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

98.9% of the residents in Hancock County, MS are U.S. citizens.

In 2024, the median property value in Hancock County, MS was $224,200, and the homeownership rate was 79.2%.

Most people in Hancock County, MS drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 32.5 minutes. The average car ownership in Hancock County, MS was 2 cars per household.

Hancock County, MS borders St. Bernard Parish, LA, St. Tammany Parish, LA, Harrison County, MS, Pearl River County, MS, and Stone County, MS.

United States Mississippi Gulfport-Biloxi-Pascagoula, MS

Population & Diversity

Hancock County, MS is home to a population of 46.2k people, from which 98.9% are citizens. As of 2024, 2.47% of Hancock County, MS residents were born outside of the country (1.14k people).

In 2024, there were 11.7 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (38.5k people) in Hancock County, MS than any other race or ethnicity. There were 3.29k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 1.36k Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

98.9%

2024 Citizenship

99.1%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 98.9% of Hancock County, MS residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Hancock County, MS was 99.1%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Hancock County, MS compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Hancock County, MS

White (Non-Hispanic)
38.5k ± 156
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
3.29k ± 427
Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic)
1.36k ± 363

4.21%

Hispanic Population

1.94k people

4.21% of the people in Hancock County, MS are hispanic (1.94k people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Hancock County, MS as a share of the total population.

Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the County level, so we are showing data for Mississippi.

Most Common Origin

Mexico
17,149 ± 3,206 people
Honduras
5,066 ± 1,746 people
India
4,341 ± 1,616 people

In 2023, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Mississippi was Mexico, the natal country of 17,149 Mississippi residents, followed by Honduras with 5,066 and India with 4,341.

Foreign-Born Population

2.47%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

1.14k people

2.47%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

1.14k people

As of 2024, 2.47% of Hancock County, MS residents (1.14k people) were born outside of the United States, which is approximately the same as the national average of 14%. In 2023, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Hancock County, MS was 2.47%, meaning that the rate has been decreasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Hancock County, MS compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Gulf War (2001-)
1,421 ± 387
Vietnam
1,144 ± 223
Gulf War (1990s)
567 ± 189

Hancock County, MS has a large population of military personnel who served in Gulf War (2001-), 1.24 times greater than any other conflict.

The chart shows the distribution of veterans by conflict in Hancock County, MS.

Economy

The economy of Hancock County, MS employs 20.7k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Hancock County, MS were Health Care & Social Assistance (2,820 people), Construction (2,130 people), and Retail Trade (1,982 people), and the highest paying industries were Wholesale Trade ($102,083), Mining, Quarrying, & Oil & Gas Extraction ($91,163), and Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting, & Mining ($87,000).

Employment

Occupations

20.7k

2024 Value

± 1,345

−1.85%

1 Year decline

± 9.51%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Hancock County, MS declined at a rate of −1.85%, from 21.1k employees to 20.7k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Hancock County, MS, are Management Occupations (2,607 people), Sales & Related Occupations (2,227 people), and Office & Administrative Support Occupations (1,751 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Hancock County, MS.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Mississippi.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in Mississippi (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

Industries

Employment by Industries

20.7k

2024 Value

± 1,345

−1.85%

1 Year decline

± 9.51%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Hancock County, MS declined at a rate of −1.85%, from 21.1k employees to 20.7k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Hancock County, MS, are Health Care & Social Assistance (2,820 people), Construction (2,130 people), and Retail Trade (1,982 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Hancock County, MS, though some of these residents may live in Hancock County, MS and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$59,263

Median earning men ± $7,497

$35,986

Median earning women ± $1,848

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Wholesale Trade ($121,833), Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting, & Mining ($90,015), and Information ($87,639).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($61,771), Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($54,750), and Public Administration ($47,344).

Employment by Industry Sector

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Mississippi.

Y-Axis

1.38%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 1.17M people employed in Mississippi. This represents a 1.38% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

Right after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, during April 2020, a general dip can be seen across industry sectors, resulting in an overall decline in employment by 12.5%.

The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in Mississippi.

Establishments by Size

The industries with the most establishments

62
Retail Trade
56
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
56
Finance and Insurance

The visualization shows the distribution of establishments by industry and by size according to the number of employees.

The visualization shows the number of establishments and its share across establishment sizes.

Payroll by Industry Sector

The industries with the highest total annual payroll

$97.3k
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
$70.6k
Manufacturing
$65.9k
Accommodation and Food Services

The chart shows the total annual payroll and the average annual payroll by industry.

Civics

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Mississippi went to Donald J. Trump with 60.9% of the vote. The runner-up was Kamala Harris (38%), followed by Robert Kennedy (0.439%).

Roger Wicker and Cindy Hyde-Smith are the senators currently representing the state of Mississippi. In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

Mississippi is currently represented by 4 members in the U.S. house, and members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms.

Presidential Elections

Presidential Popular Vote Over Time

Voting results are not available for Hancock County, MS. Showing the available data for Mississippi.

2024 Election Results

Donald J. Trump (60.9%)
Republican Party
Kamala Harris (38%)
Democratic Party
Robert Kennedy (0.439%)
Independent Party

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Mississippi went to Donald J. Trump with 60.9% of the vote. The runner-up was Kamala Harris (38%), followed by Robert Kennedy (0.439%).

The following chart shows the popular vote results in Mississippi for each registered party from 1976 to 2024.

Senator Elections

US Senators from Mississippi

Senatorial voting results are only available at the state level. Showing data for Mississippi.

Roger Wicker

Senator from Mississippi

Assumed office on December 31, 2007
Appointed to the seat following the resignation of Trent Lott.

Cindy Hyde-Smith

Senator from Mississippi

Assumed office on April 9, 2018
Appointed to the seat following the resignation of Thad Cochran.

Roger Wicker and Cindy Hyde-Smith are the senators currently representing Mississippi.

In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

The following chart shows elected senators in Mississippi over time, excluding special elections, colored by their political party.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Hancock County, MS was $224,200 in 2024, which is 0.674 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $206,600 to $224,200, a 8.52% increase. The homeownership rate in Hancock County, MS is 79.2%, which is higher than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Hancock County, MS have an average commute time of 32.5 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Hancock County, MS is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

In 2025, 13.6% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Hancock County, MS. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 4.45%.

Housing

Property

$224,200

Median Property Value 2024

±$10,369

$16,035

Median Property Taxes

±$1,143

The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Hancock County, MS the largest share of households pay taxes in the $800 - $1,499 range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Hancock County, MS compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

Rent vs Own

79.2%

Homeownership

2024

65%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 79.2% of the housing units in Hancock County, MS were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 78.7%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Hancock County, MS compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

Equity

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$67,708

Median Household Income

± $4,805

20.2k

Number of Households

± 1,305

In 2024, the median household income of the 20.2k households in Hancock County, MS declined from $67,708 from the previous year's value of $67,728.

The following chart displays the households in Hancock County, MS distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the $75k - $100k range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Hancock County, MS is from Mississippi.

0.45

2023 Wage GINI in Mississippi

0.452

2022 Wage GINI in Mississippi

In 2023, the income inequality in Mississippi was 0.45 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.442% decline from 2022 to 2023, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for Mississippi was lower than than the national average of 0.476. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in Mississippi in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in Mississippi across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024

Drove Alone (77.5%)
Worked At Home (11.4%)
Carpooled (8.76%)

In 2024, 77.5% of workers in Hancock County, MS drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (11.4%) and those who carpooled to work (8.76%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

Commute Time

32.5 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Hancock County, MS have a longer commute time (32.5 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 3.61% of the workforce in Hancock County, MS have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Hancock County, MS compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Hancock County, MS distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Hancock County, MS have 2 cars.

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2025, 13.6% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Hancock County, MS. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 4.45%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the population living with severe housing problems.

Poverty & Diversity

13.8% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Hancock County, MS (6.33k out of 45.8k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 35 - 44, followed by Females 45 - 54 and then Males 55 - 64.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Hancock County, MS is White, followed by Black and Hispanic.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

Children in Poverty

In 2025, 20.3% of the children was living in poverty in Hancock County, MS. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 10.5%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the children living in poverty.

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals
Florida
4,915 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798. New York has the second highest (5,087), followed by Florida (4,915).

The following map shows the estimated number of chronically homeless individuals by state over multiple years.

Security

Crimes & Accidents

Indicator

In 2022, the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population was 124 in Hancock County, MS. From 2017 to 2022, the indicator grew 30 per 100,000 population.

The graph shows the trend in the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population.

Health

90.7% of the population of Hancock County, MS has health coverage, with 40.2% on employee plans, 14.1% on Medicaid, 16.6% on Medicare, 16.6% on non-group plans, and 3.14% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Hancock County, MS see 2,303 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (2,303 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 3841 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 2098 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 48.8% were men and 51.2% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

2,303 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Hancock County, MS

Primary care physicians in Hancock County, MS see an average of 2,303 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (2,303 patients).

The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in Hancock County, MS in comparison to its neighboring geographies.

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 20.5% under 18 years, 17.1% between 18 and 34 years, 40% between 35 and 64 years, and 22.5% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 48.8% were men and 51.2% were women.

The following chart shows the number of people with health coverage by gender.

Uninsured People

9.29%

Uninsured

40.2%

Employer Coverage

14.1%

Medicaid

16.6%

Medicare

16.6%

Non-Group

3.14%

Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Hancock County, MS grew by 0.768% from 9.22% to 9.29%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Hancock County, MS changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.

Health Indicators

Health Outcomes

Indicator

In 2025, the number of deaths among residents under age 18 per 100,000 population was 64.8 in Hancock County, MS.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Hancock County, MS.

Health Behaviors

Indicator

In 2025, the percentage of the adult population (age 18 and older) that reports a body mass index (BMI) greater than or equal to 30 kg/m2 (age-adjusted) was 36.3% in Hancock County, MS.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Hancock County, MS.