Overview
Hinds County is the most populous county in Mississippi, with 222,494 residents (Census ACS 5-Year, 2023). It's home to Jackson, the state capital, and ranks larger than 99% of counties in the state by population. That size comes with complexity. The county has a young population, a high poverty rate, significant educational institutions, and an economy shaped by government and services.
The median household income sits at $49,966 (Census ACS 5-Year, 2023), lower than roughly 86% of U.S. counties. The poverty rate is 20.8% (Census ACS 5-Year, 2023), higher than about 89% of counties nationally. These two numbers frame most of what follows.
Demographics
Hinds County's median age is 36.6 years (Census ACS 5-Year, 2023), younger than 86% of U.S. counties. This tracks with the presence of several colleges and universities in the Jackson metro area, plus a labor force that skews working-age.
The county is 72.2% Black, 23.2% white, 2.0% Hispanic, 0.8% Asian, and 0.1% Native American (Census ACS 5-Year, 2023). The Black population share is higher than virtually every other county in the nation, ranking at the very top nationally.
Educational attainment is a bright spot. 31.1% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher (Census ACS 5-Year, 2023), placing the county above 80% of U.S. counties and 93% of Mississippi counties. For a state that often ranks near the bottom in education metrics, Hinds County is an outlier. The capital's concentration of state agencies, universities, and professional services pulls that number up.
Education
Public school enrollment totals 33,344 students (Education Data Portal, 2021), one of the largest systems in Mississippi. Per-pupil spending was $12,921 (Education Data Portal, 2020), below the national average of roughly $15,000. The student-teacher ratio is 14:1 (Education Data Portal, 2021), slightly better than the national average of about 15.5:1.
The graduation rate is 80.8% (Education Data Portal, 2019), below the national average of approximately 87%. It also ranks lower than 86% of Mississippi counties, which is notable given the county's relatively high adult education attainment. The gap between who graduates high school locally and who holds degrees in the adult population suggests that many college-educated residents moved to Hinds County after completing their education elsewhere.
Economy & Employment
The unemployment rate is 3.2% (BLS LAUS, 2025), with 97,046 employed and a total labor force of 100,223. That rate is lower than about 71% of U.S. counties, a reasonable number that doesn't tell the full story.
Median household income is $49,966 (Census ACS 5-Year, 2023). Per capita income is $29,336 (Census ACS 5-Year, 2023). Both rank in the bottom quarter nationally. IRS data shows the average adjusted gross income per return was $52,530 (IRS Statistics of Income, 2021), with average total income at $53,085. The total AGI across 99,010 tax returns was $5.2 billion (IRS Statistics of Income, 2021).
The poverty rate of 20.8% (Census ACS 5-Year, 2023) means roughly one in five residents lives below the federal poverty line. That's higher than 89% of U.S. counties but sits near the middle for Mississippi, where the state poverty rate consistently runs among the highest in the country.
The mean commute time is 21.1 minutes (Census ACS 5-Year, 2023), shorter than 59% of U.S. counties. As a county centered on a state capital, most jobs are relatively close to where people live.
Housing & Cost of Living
The median home value is $151,200 (Census ACS 5-Year, 2023), higher than 37% of U.S. counties but in the top quarter within Mississippi. Median gross rent is $1,032 (Census ACS 5-Year, 2023), which ranks above 75% of counties nationally and 90% of Mississippi counties. For a county with a median income below $50,000, that rent figure takes a real bite.
Fair market rent data from HUD (2026) is available for the county, though specific bedroom-level breakdowns were not provided.
The total housing stock is 106,225 units (Census ACS 5-Year, 2023), with 16,505 vacant, putting the vacancy rate at 15.5% (Census ACS 5-Year, 2023). That's above the national midpoint. A 15.5% vacancy rate in a county this large points to structural issues: population loss in some neighborhoods, aging housing stock, and uneven demand across the county.
Health & Wellness
Hinds County's health data shows a population under considerable strain. The obesity rate is 44.6% (CDC PLACES, 2023), higher than 95% of U.S. counties. The diabetes rate is 15.3% (CDC PLACES, 2023), also above 95% of counties nationally. High blood pressure affects 45.7% of adults (CDC PLACES, 2023), a figure higher than 98% of U.S. counties.
Preventive care numbers tell a different story. Annual checkup rates hit 82.6% (CDC PLACES, 2023), higher than virtually every other county in the country. Cholesterol screening is at 86.6% (CDC PLACES, 2023), above 94% of counties. People are seeing doctors. The chronic disease burden persists anyway.
Depression rates are 17.6% (CDC PLACES, 2023), lower than 98% of U.S. counties. Poor mental health days (17.9%) and poor physical health days (13.7%) both sit near the national middle (CDC PLACES, 2023). The uninsured rate is 11.4% (CDC PLACES, 2023), roughly average nationally.
The combination of very high chronic disease rates with very high preventive care usage suggests that access to care isn't the primary barrier. Diet, environment, and economic stress likely play larger roles.
Climate & Natural Disasters
Hinds County runs hot and wet. The average temperature is 67.5°F (NOAA Climate Data Online, 2025), warmer than 91% of U.S. counties, with highs averaging 78.4°F and lows 56.5°F. Annual rainfall reaches 53.6 inches (NOAA, 2025), more than 87% of counties. Snow is effectively nonexistent, averaging zero inches annually.
The federal disaster record is long. FEMA has declared 27 disasters since 1969 (FEMA OpenFEMA, 2026), more than 79% of U.S. counties. Eight of those declarations involved hurricanes. Hinds County sits well inland from the Gulf, but storms making landfall on the coast routinely carry enough force to trigger federal aid here.
Severe storms account for six more declarations, spanning 1979 to 2024. Winter weather has also proven disruptive. A severe ice storm triggered a declaration in May 2021. Then January and February 2026 both produced winter storm declarations within five weeks of each other.
That's a telling pattern for a county that averages no measurable snow. Two winter storm declarations in a single season reflects infrastructure built for warmth hitting conditions it wasn't designed to handle. As Gulf Coast storm systems grow more variable, that gap between what the county is built for and what it actually gets is the exposure worth watching.
Financial Profile
Total deposits across 190 bank branches in Hinds County are $15.9 billion (FDIC Summary of Deposits, 2023). The branch count ranks above 97% of U.S. counties, reflecting the county's role as Mississippi's financial center. Banking access is not a problem here.
Social Security beneficiaries number 48,420 (SSA OASDI, 2024), representing roughly 22% of the total population. That's a high ratio, ranking above 90% of counties nationally, and partly reflects the county's elevated poverty and disability rates alongside its retiree population.
IRS data shows 99,010 tax returns filed with total income of $5.3 billion (IRS Statistics of Income, 2021). The average AGI of $52,530 sits below about 76% of U.S. counties. The gap between average AGI ($52,530) and median household income ($49,966) is narrow, suggesting the county doesn't have a long tail of extremely high earners pulling the average up, unlike many metro counties of similar size.
Key Comparisons
Hinds County occupies an unusual position. It's Mississippi's largest county and its most educated, yet it ranks below most U.S. counties on income and above most on poverty and chronic disease.
Within Mississippi, the county ranks in the top 10% for population, housing units, labor force, bank deposits, and educational attainment. It ranks near the state median for poverty, suggesting that Hinds County's 20.8% poverty rate, while high nationally, is typical for Mississippi.
Nationally, the sharpest contrasts are in health. The county is above the 95th mark among U.S. counties for obesity, diabetes, and high blood pressure, yet also near the top for annual checkups and cholesterol screening. High engagement with healthcare isn't translating into better outcomes.
Income comparisons are stark. Median household income of $49,966 falls below 86% of U.S. counties. Median rent of $1,032 exceeds 75% of counties. The rent-to-income ratio is tighter here than in many similarly sized counties.
The county's young median age (36.6), combined with its high educational attainment and capital-city economy, gives it a different profile from rural Mississippi. But the income and health data keep it anchored to the same structural challenges facing the rest of the state.
Data Sources
- Census ACS 5-Year, 2023 (population, income, housing, demographics, education attainment, commute, poverty)
- BLS LAUS, 2025 (unemployment, labor force, employment)
- CDC PLACES, 2023 (health metrics, insurance coverage)
- HUD Fair Market Rents, 2026 (fair market rent availability)
- FEMA OpenFEMA, 2026 (disaster declarations and history)
- IRS Statistics of Income, 2021 (tax returns, adjusted gross income, total income)
- FDIC Summary of Deposits, 2023 (bank branches, total deposits)
- NOAA Climate Data Online, 2025 (temperature, precipitation, snowfall)
- SSA OASDI, 2024 (Social Security beneficiaries)
- Education Data Portal, 2019-2021 (enrollment, per-pupil spending, student-teacher ratio, graduation rate)