How many people live in DeSoto County, MS?
Updated Apr. 6, 2026Refreshed annually
In 2024, there were about 195,900 people living in DeSoto County, MS. That makes DeSoto County the third-most populous county in Mississippi. It is home to 6.6% of people living in the state.
196K
population of DeSoto County, MS (2024)
6.6%
County share of the Mississippi population (2024)
About 195,900 people lived in DeSoto County, MS in 2024.
Population estimates, 2000–2024
What are DeSoto County, MS’s age demographics?
About 27,200 DeSoto County residents are aged 65 and older in 2024. That represents 13.9% of its population. For comparison, the age group represents 18% of Mississippi’s population and 18% in the US overall.
Another 47,700 DeSoto County residents, or 24.3% of the population, were children under 18. For comparison, the age group represents 23% of Mississippi’s population and 21.6% in the US overall.
A lower share of DeSoto County, MS's population is aged 65 or older than the US as a whole.
Population estimates by age group, (2024)
What are DeSoto County, MS’s racial and ethnic demographics?
Non-Hispanic Black or African American residents make up 35.8% of the DeSoto County, MS population, higher than the national share of 12.6%.
In contrast, DeSoto County’s Hispanic population accounts for 6.1%, below the 20% nationwide, and the non-Hispanic Asian population makes up 1.9% of the county, compared with 6.5% nationally.
Racial and ethnic make up differ based on location. These figures reflect how people identified their race alone (not in combination with other races), and separate out Hispanic or Latino ethnicity, following Census reporting standards.
DeSoto County, MS has a higher share of a Hispanic population than Mississippi as a whole.
Population estimates by race and ethnicity, (2024)
The largest city or town in DeSoto County, MS is Southaven with about 57,500 residents in 2024.
Cities and towns in DeSoto County, MS ranked by population
Population (2024), includes only portions within county
| City or town | Population | |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Southaven | 57,493 |
| 2. | Olive Branch | 47,365 |
| 3. | Horn Lake | 26,574 |
| 4. | Hernando | 18,542 |
| 5. | Walls | 1,412 |
| 6. | Balance of DeSoto County | 44,485 |
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Methodology
USAFacts standardizes data, in areas such as time and demographics, to make it easier to understand and compare.
The analysis was generated with the help of AI and reviewed by USAFacts for accuracy.
Page sources
USAFacts endeavors to share the most up-to-date information available. We sourced the data on this page directly from government agencies; however, the intervals at which agencies publish updated data vary.
