What is the poverty rate in Mississippi?
Refreshed monthly
The poverty rate was about 18% of Mississippi’s population as of 2025. The poverty rate is the percentage of people whose household income falls below the poverty threshold set by the government. It measures the percentage of people in households that don’t earn enough to pay for basic needs like food, housing, and healthcare. In 2025, 516,600 people in Mississippi were considered in poverty.
18%
of the population (2025)
517K
people living under the poverty line (2025)
Based on data from the American Community Survey dating back to 2010, Mississippi's poverty rate hit a peak in 2012 of 24.2%. Its lowest point was in 2024 at 17.8%. The state's poverty rate was 18% in 2025, 0.2 percentage points higher than the previous year.
In 2025, 18% of Mississippi's population were living under the poverty line.
Poverty rate, 2010–2025
While the poverty rate shows the overall trend, the total number matters because many aid programs and funding decisions are based on how many people are in poverty, not just the percentage. In 2025, 516,600 people living in Mississippi were in poverty — down 26% from the 2012 peak of 698,300.
Get weekly insights
Subscribe for data-driven insights. No spin, just the facts.
In 2025, 516,600 people in Mississippi were in poverty.
People living under poverty line, 2010–2025
Poverty doesn’t affect all groups equally. Rates vary widely by demographic group, family type and location.
What is the child poverty rate in Mississippi?
From 2015 to 2025, the poverty rate for children under 18 in Mississippi decreased from 31.3% to 24.6%. During the same period, the poverty rate for adults under 65 years decreased from 20.5% to 16.9%. For those older than 65, the poverty rate increased from 12.5% to 14%.
In 2025, 24.6% of children in Mississippi were living under the poverty line.
Poverty rate by age group, 2015–2025
How does poverty differ by race in Mississippi?
Among racial or ethnic groups in Mississippi during 2025, two had a higher poverty rate than the state’s overall rate: Black or African American and some other race
Five had a lower than average poverty rate: American Indian and Alaska Native, Asian, Hispanic or Latino origin (of any race), two or more races, White alone, not Hispanic or Latino.
Over the previous ten years, the poverty rate for the American Indian and Alaska Native population shifted the most, decreasing from 28.4% in 2015 to 9.6% in 2025.
In Mississippi, the poverty rate for the American Indian and Alaska Native population decreased from 28.4% in 2015 to 9.6% in 2025.
Poverty rate by race or ethnicity, 2015–2025
What counties in Mississippi have the highest and lowest poverty rates?
In 2020–2024, the poverty rate among Mississippi counties ranged from 9.7% in DeSoto County to 36.4% in Holmes County. The poverty rate in the state’s largest county — Hinds County — was 22.7%
In 2020-2024, the poverty rate among Mississippi counties ranged from 9.7% to 36.4%.
Poverty rate
Poverty rate, by county (2024)
| 1. | Holmes County | 36.4% |
| 2. | Coahoma County | 35.5% |
| 3. | Bolivar County | 32.6% |
| 4. | Jefferson County | 32.5% |
| 5. | Leflore County | 31.5% |
| 6. | Tunica County | 31.1% |
| 7. | Sharkey County | 30.9% |
| 8. | Yazoo County | 30.8% |
| 9. | Claiborne County | 30.7% |
| 10. | Quitman County | 29.6% |
Keep exploring
Methodology
USAFacts standardizes data, in areas such as time and demographics, to make it easier to understand and compare.
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.
