Oktibbeha County, MS

County

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2024 Population

51,771

US Senator

Roger Wicker

Republican Party

US Senator

Cindy Hyde-Smith

Republican Party

2024 Poverty Rate

25.5%

10.6% 1-year decrease

2024 Median Household Income

$46,695

7.39% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

$237,700

8.29% 1-year growth

2024 Employed Population

23,460

4.83% 1-year growth

About

None of the households in Oktibbeha 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.

96.6% of the residents in Oktibbeha County, MS are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Oktibbeha County, MS are Mississippi State University (6,044 degrees awarded in 2023).

In 2024, the median property value in Oktibbeha County, MS was $237,700, and the homeownership rate was 48%.

Most people in Oktibbeha County, MS drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 20.7 minutes. The average car ownership in Oktibbeha County, MS was 2 cars per household.

Oktibbeha County, MS borders Choctaw County, MS, Clay County, MS, Lowndes County, MS, Noxubee County, MS, Webster County, MS, and Winston County, MS.

United States Mississippi Starkville, MS

Population & Diversity

Oktibbeha County, MS is home to a population of 51.8k people, from which 96.6% are citizens. As of 2024, 4.86% of Oktibbeha County, MS residents were born outside of the country (2.52k people).

In 2024, there were 1.55 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (28.3k people) in Oktibbeha County, MS than any other race or ethnicity. There were 18.3k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 1.81k Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

96.6%

2024 Citizenship

96.6%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 96.6% of Oktibbeha County, MS residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Oktibbeha County, MS was 96.6%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been increasing.

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

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Oktibbeha County, MS

White (Non-Hispanic)
28.3k ± 239
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
18.3k ± 503
Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic)
1.81k ± 508

2.42%

Hispanic Population

1.25k people

2.42% of the people in Oktibbeha County, MS are hispanic (1.25k people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Oktibbeha 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

4.86%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

2.52k people

4.75%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

2.44k people

As of 2024, 4.86% of Oktibbeha County, MS residents (2.52k 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 Oktibbeha County, MS was 4.75%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

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

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Gulf War (2001-)
1,263 ± 517
Gulf War (1990s)
285 ± 153
Vietnam
280 ± 99

Oktibbeha County, MS has a large population of military personnel who served in Gulf War (2001-), 4.43 times greater than any other conflict.

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

Economy

The economy of Oktibbeha County, MS employs 23.5k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Oktibbeha County, MS were Educational Services (6,142 people), Retail Trade (3,261 people), and Manufacturing (3,049 people), and the highest paying industries were Mining, Quarrying, & Oil & Gas Extraction ($86,838), Wholesale Trade ($65,450), and Utilities ($51,115).

Employment

Occupations

23.5k

2024 Value

± 1,569

4.83%

1 Year growth

± 8.86%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Oktibbeha County, MS grew at a rate of 4.83%, from 22.4k employees to 23.5k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Oktibbeha County, MS, are Sales & Related Occupations (3,260 people), Education Instruction, & Library Occupations (3,203 people), and Office & Administrative Support Occupations (2,259 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Oktibbeha 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

23.5k

2024 Value

± 1,569

4.83%

1 Year growth

± 8.86%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Oktibbeha County, MS grew at a rate of 4.83%, from 22.4k employees to 23.5k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Oktibbeha County, MS, are Educational Services (6,142 people), Retail Trade (3,261 people), and Manufacturing (3,049 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Oktibbeha County, MS, though some of these residents may live in Oktibbeha County, MS and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$41,719

Median earning men ± $3,770

$27,956

Median earning women ± $3,100

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting, & Mining ($85,074), Wholesale Trade ($66,363), and Public Administration ($61,439).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($58,000), Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($36,004), and Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($35,697).

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

89
Retail Trade
69
Other Services (except Public Administration)
51
Real Estate and Rental and Leasing

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

$86.7k
Health Care and Social Assistance
$66k
Accommodation and Food Services
$63.8k
Retail Trade

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 Oktibbeha 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.

Education

In 2023, universities in Oktibbeha County, MS awarded 6,044 degrees. The student population of Oktibbeha County, MS in 2023 is skewed towards women, with 10,903 male students and 11,754 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Oktibbeha County, MS are White (4,483 and 76.9%), Black or African American (883 and 15.2%), Hispanic or Latino (179 and 3.07%), and Two or More Races (125 and 2.14%).

The largest universities in Oktibbeha County, MS by number of degrees awarded are Mississippi State University (6,044 and 100%).

The most popular majors in Oktibbeha County, MS are General Business Administration & Management (615 and 10.2%), Kinesiology & Exercise Science (290 and 4.8%), and General Psychology (269 and 4.45%).

The median tuition cost for a public four year colleges is $9,665 for in-state students and $26,430 for out-of-state students.

Admissions & Enrollments

Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

University

Measure

In 2023 in Oktibbeha County, MS, the percentage of applicants admitted was 76.3%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 23.5%. The number of students enrolled in 2023 was 22,657 (48.1% men and 51.9% women).

The line chart shows the evolution of the percentage of applicants admitted, admitted who enrolled or the number of students enrolled according to the option selected in the upper button.

Enrollments by Gender and Races

Universities

In 2023 there were 22,657 students enrolled in Oktibbeha County, MS, 48.1% men and 51.9% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 16,212 records, of which 51.7% were women and 48.3% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

General Business Administration & Management
350 degrees awarded
Kinesiology & Exercise Science
268 degrees awarded
General Psychology
258 degrees awarded

In 2023, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in Oktibbeha County, MS was General Business Administration & Management with 350 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Bachelors Degree from schools in Oktibbeha County, MS according to their major.

Universities

Gender

Race

Mississippi State University

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

6,044 degrees awarded

In 2023, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Mississippi State University with 6,044 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

University

In 2023, 2,821 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Oktibbeha County, MS, which is 0.875 times less than the 3,223 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2023, the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was White students. These 4,483 degrees mean that there were 5.08 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Black or African American, with 883 degrees awarded.

Awarded Degrees over Time

The graph shows the evolution of awarded degrees by degrees. Under the paragraphs, the average number of awarded degrees by university in each degree is shown.

Tuition

Average Net Price by Sector

Universities

Public, 4-year or above ($9,665) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2023.

Public, 4-year or above ($150) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2023.

Public, 4-year or above ($1,200) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

The graph shows the average net price by sector and year.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Oktibbeha County, MS was $237,700 in 2024, which is 0.714 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $219,500 to $237,700, a 8.29% increase. The homeownership rate in Oktibbeha County, MS is 48%, which is lower than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Oktibbeha County, MS have an average commute time of 20.7 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Oktibbeha County, MS is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

In 2025, 21.4% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Oktibbeha County, MS. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 2.28%.

Housing

Property

$237,700

Median Property Value 2024

±$19,848

$10,478

Median Property Taxes

±$808

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 Oktibbeha County, MS the largest share of households pay taxes in the $3k+ range.

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

Rent vs Own

48%

Homeownership

2024

66.8%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 48% of the housing units in Oktibbeha County, MS were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 47.5%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Oktibbeha 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.

$46,695

Median Household Income

± $4,149

21.8k

Number of Households

± 1,422

In 2024, the median household income of the 21.8k households in Oktibbeha County, MS grew to $46,695 from the previous year's value of $43,482.

The following chart displays the households in Oktibbeha 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 < $10k range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Oktibbeha 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 (81.6%)
Worked At Home (7.39%)
Carpooled (6.28%)

In 2024, 81.6% of workers in Oktibbeha County, MS drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (7.39%) and those who carpooled to work (6.28%).

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

20.7 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Oktibbeha County, MS have a shorter commute time (20.7 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 2.45% of the workforce in Oktibbeha County, MS have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Oktibbeha 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 Oktibbeha County, MS distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Oktibbeha County, MS have 2 cars.

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2025, 21.4% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Oktibbeha County, MS. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 2.28%.

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

Poverty & Diversity

25.5% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Oktibbeha County, MS (11.7k out of 46k 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 Males 18 - 24, followed by Females 18 - 24 and then Females 25 - 34.

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

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, 25.4% of the children was living in poverty in Oktibbeha County, MS. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 13.1%.

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 176 in Oktibbeha County, MS. From 2014 to 2022, the indicator declined 25.3 per 100,000 population.

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

Health

93% of the population of Oktibbeha County, MS has health coverage, with 48.5% on employee plans, 15.2% on Medicaid, 7.76% on Medicare, 19.6% on non-group plans, and 1.9% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Oktibbeha County, MS see 2,469 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (2,469 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 2449 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 397 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.2% were men and 50.8% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

2,469 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Oktibbeha County, MS

Primary care physicians in Oktibbeha County, MS see an average of 2,469 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (2,469 patients).

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

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 22.8% under 18 years, 39.8% between 18 and 34 years, 25.6% between 35 and 64 years, and 11.9% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.2% were men and 50.8% were women.

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

Uninsured People

7.04%

Uninsured

48.5%

Employer Coverage

15.2%

Medicaid

7.76%

Medicare

19.6%

Non-Group

1.9%

Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Oktibbeha County, MS declined by 13% from 8.09% to 7.04%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Oktibbeha 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 68.4 in Oktibbeha County, MS.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Oktibbeha 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 41.1% in Oktibbeha County, MS.

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