How many people live in Forrest County, MS?
Updated Apr. 6, 2026Refreshed annually
In 2024, there were about 78,400 people living in Forrest County, MS. That makes Forrest County the eighth-most populous county in Mississippi. It is home to 2.7% of people living in the state.
78.4K
population of Forrest County, MS (2024)
2.7%
County share of the Mississippi population (2024)
About 78,400 people lived in Forrest County, MS in 2024.
Population estimates, 2000–2024
What are Forrest County, MS’s age demographics?
About 11,200 Forrest County residents are aged 65 and older in 2024. That represents 14.3% of its population. For comparison, the age group represents 18% of Mississippi’s population and 18% in the US overall.
Another 17,600 Forrest County residents, or 22.5% 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 higher share of Forrest County, MS's population is aged 18–24 than the US as a whole.
Population estimates by age group, (2024)
What are Forrest County, MS’s racial and ethnic demographics?
Non-Hispanic Black or African American residents make up 36.3% of the Forrest County, MS population, higher than the national share of 12.6%.
In contrast, Forrest County’s Hispanic population accounts for 4.6%, below the 20% nationwide, and the non-Hispanic Asian population makes up 1.1% 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.
Forrest County, MS has a higher share of a non-Hispanic white population than Mississippi as a whole.
Population estimates by race and ethnicity, (2024)
The largest city or town in Forrest County, MS is Hattiesburg with about 41,800 residents in 2024.
Cities and towns in Forrest County, MS ranked by population
Population (2024), includes only portions within county
| City or town | Population | |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Hattiesburg (pt.) | 41,762 |
| 2. | Petal | 11,538 |
| 3. | Balance of Forrest County | 25,135 |
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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.
