Sunflower County, Mississippi

County in MS, US

By Neilsberg Research

Last updated May 1, 2026

Key Indicators

A quick look at key numbers

Population

24,333

Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates

Median Age

37.1

years ∙ half population younger than 37.1, half older

Diversity Index

41.8%

chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity

Nativity

1.8%

foreign-born population

98.2%Native

1.8% Foreign-born

Geographic Context

Location, size, and surroundings

About

Sunflower County is a county in Mississippi, United States.

Location

County in MS, US

Co-ordinates

DEC33.605529° N, 90.595090° W

DMS33° 36′ 19.90″ N, 90° 35′ 42.32″ W

Population Density & area

34.87/sq mi (13.46/km²)

Total Area

707 sq mi (1,830.9 km²)

Land Area

697.8 sq mi (1,807.2 km²) · 98.7%

Water Area

9.2 sq mi (23.7 km²) · 1.3%

Demographics & Living

Who lives here, how households are formed, and community composition

Population Composition

Key characteristics of the population

Sex Distribution

52.4% male

Male 52.4%

Female 47.6%

males per 100 females

Sunflower County 109.9

Mississippi 94.2

United States 98

Nativity

1.8%

foreign-born population

98.2%Native

1.8% Foreign-born

% Foreign-born

Sunflower County 1.8%

Mississippi 2.4%

United States 14.1%

Age Distribution

How the population is spread across age groups

Median Age

37.1

years ∙ half population younger than 37.1, half older

Sunflower County

37.1

Mississippi

38.6

United States

38.9

Dependency ratio

58.1

dependents per 100 working-age adults

Sunflower County 58.1

Mississippi 68

United States 64.4

AGE DISTRIBUTION

Distribution of age group

Median age

	Sunflower County	Mississippi	United States
Age Group
Children (Under 18)	21.4%	23.3%	22%
Working age (18-64)	63.2%	59.5%	60.8%
Senior (65+)	15.4%	17.2%	17.2%
Dependency ratio
Total dependency ratio	58.1	68	64.4
Child dependency ratio	33.8	39.2	36.1
Old-age dependency ratio	24.3	28.8	28.3

Racial & Ethnic Composition

Racial and ethnic makeup and how it compares

Race & Ethnicity

White

22.9%

Black

72.7%

Asian

0.2%

Hispanic

2.8%

Other

1.4%

Note: White, Black, and Asian refer to individuals belonging to a single race and not of Hispanic origin. Hispanics may be of any race.

Diversity Index

41.8%

chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity

Sunflower County 41.8%

Mississippi 56.1%

United States 61.4%

Note: The Diversity Index (DI), based on the Blau Index, measures the probability that two randomly selected individuals differ in race and ethnicity. Values range from 0 (no diversity) to 1 (high diversity) and are shown as percentages.

RACIAL & ETHNIC COMPOSITION

Race & Ethnicity

Percentage of Sunflower County population

Racial and ethnic composition — Sunflower County vs Mississippi vs United States. Source: ACS 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates.
	Sunflower County	Mississippi	United States
Hispanic or Latino	2.8%	3.7%	19.3%
Mexican	1.6%	2%	11.3%
Puerto Rican	0.3%	0.3%	1.8%
Cuban	0.1%	0.1%	0.8%
Other Hispanic / Latino	0.8%	1.3%	5.5%
Not Hispanic or Latino	97.2%	96.3%	80.7%
One race	96.1%	93.3%	76.4%
White	22.9%	55.2%	57.4%
Black or African American	72.7%	36.3%	11.9%
American Indian and Alaska Native	0.1%	0.4%	0.5%
Asian	0.2%	1%	5.9%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander	0%	0%	0.2%
Some Other Race	0.2%	0.3%	0.6%
Two or more races (Multiracial)	1.1%	3%	4.3%

Household & Families Composition

Household size, type, and family structure

Household structure

64.9% family

Family 64.9%

Non family 35.1%

% family households

Sunflower County 64.9%

Mississippi 65.3%

United States 64.2%

Average household size

2.64

persons per household

Sunflower County

2.64

Mississippi

2.49

United States

2.53

Household & Family COMPOSITION

Households

Percentage of Sunflower County population

	Sunflower County	Mississippi	United States
Total households	8,034	1,145,431	129,227,496
Average houshold size	2.64	2.49	2.53
Family households	5,218	747,604	82,990,528
Average family size	3.34	3.12	3.14
Married couple family	2,448	498,140	60,637,388
Other families	2,770	249,464	22,353,140
Male householder	572	54,654	6,572,819
Female householder	2,198	194,810	15,780,321
Non-family households	2,816	397,827	46,236,968
One-person households	2,475	346,124	37,140,836
Male householder	1,047	158,618	16,871,444
Senior (65+) living alone	327	50,989	5,225,110
Female householder	1,428	187,506	20,269,392
Senior (65+) living alone	712	95,927	10,089,070
Other living arrangements	341	51,703	9,096,132

Housing Profile

Housing stock, ownership, rentals, and cost burdens

Total housing units

9,423

housing units

Sunflower County 9,423

Mississippi 1,341,114

United States 143,775,355

Occupancy status

85.3% occupied

Occupied 85.3%

Vacant 14.7%

vacancy rate

Sunflower County 14.7%

Mississippi 14.6%

United States 10.1%

Housing Characteristics

How the housing supply is structured and used

Types of Housing unit

75.1%

Single family houses

75.1%

Apartments in multi-unit structures

19.7%

Mobile homes

5.2%

Boat, RV, van, etc

Median Year Built

1977

Half of houses were built before 1977, and half after.

Historic ∙ 1939 or earlier

7.1%

Postwar & mid-century ∙ 1940 - 1969

29.9%

Late 20th century ∙ 1970 - 1999

51.1%

Modern ∙ 2000 or later

11.8%

Note: Median year built reflects occupied units only; distribution includes all units.

Housing Characteristics

Units, rooms & bedrooms

Physical characteristics of housing units

	Sunflower County	Mississippi	United States
Rooms per unit
Median rooms	5.8	5.7	5.5
1–3 rooms	11%	9.4%	15.1%
4–6 rooms	53.5%	56.6%	51.6%
7+ rooms	35.4%	34%	33.4%
Bedrooms
No bedroom / studio	4.5%	1.6%	2.9%
1 bedroom	3.9%	6.1%	10.9%
2 bedrooms	21.3%	20.8%	25%
3 bedrooms	49.2%	51.6%	38.7%
4+ bedrooms	21.1%	19.9%	22.4%
At a glance
Median year built	1977	1987	1981
Total housing units	9,423	1,341,114	143,775,355

Occupancy Profile

Who is inside and how they use it

Homeownership

54.9% owners

Renter-occupied 45.1%

Owner-occupied 54.9%

homeownership rate

Sunflower County 54.9%

Mississippi 70%

United States 65.2%

Average household size

2.83

Owner-occupied

2.41

Renter-occupied

owner-occupied average size

Sunflower County 2.83

Mississippi 2.55

United States 2.64

Housing Characteristics

Occupied unit characteristics

Tenure, crowding, and utilities

	Sunflower County	Mississippi	United States
Total occupied units	8,034	1,145,431	129,227,496
Year moved in
2020 or later	21.4%	21.6%	24.8%
2010 to 2019	31.7%	37.9%	39.6%
2000 to 2009	18.2%	17.6%	16.4%
1999 or earlier	28.7%	22.9%	19.1%
Occupants per room
1.00 or fewer	98.7%	97.8%	96.6%
1.01 to 1.50	1.2%	1.6%	2.2%
1.51 or more	0%	0.6%	1.2%
Vehicles availability
No vehicles	8.9%	6.3%	8.4%
1 vehicle	39.6%	32.1%	33.1%
2 vehicles	30.8%	36.1%	36.6%
3 or more vehicles	20.7%	25.4%	21.9%
House heating fuel used
Gas	66%	39.2%	51.4%
Electricity	33.6%	58.9%	41.3%
Solar	0%	0%	0.3%
Fuel oil, kerosene etc	0%	0.1%	3.9%
All other fuels	0%	1%	2%
No fuel used	0.3%	0.7%	1.2%
Selected characteristics
Lacking complete plumbing	0.6%	0.5%	0.4%
Lacking complete kitchen	0.7%	0.7%	0.8%
No telephone service available	1.7%	1.2%	0.9%

Housing Value

What owner-occupied units are worth

Median home value

$100,300

owner-occupied units

Median value(USD)

Sunflower County

$100,300

Mississippi

$169,800

United States

$332,700

Housing Cost Burden

22.4%

of homeowners with a mortgage are cost-burdened

% Cost-Burdened Households

Owners with a mortgage

22.4%

Owners without a mortgage

8.6%

Renters

59.4%

Note: Households spending 30% or more of their income on housing costs are considered cost-burdened.

Financial characteristics

Property value and housing costs

Tenure, crowding, and utilities

	Sunflower County	Mississippi	United States
Property value
Median Value	$100,300	$169,800	$332,700
Under $100,000	49.8%	29.9%	11.4%
$100,000 - $200,000	31.6%	27.9%	15.8%
$200,000 - $300,000	13.1%	20.3%	17.8%
$300,000 - $500,000	4.5%	16.3%	26.9%
$500,000 - $1,000,000	0.9%	4.6%	20.9%
$1,000,000 and more	0.1%	0.9%	7.1%
Owner-occupied households
With a mortgage	43%	49.4%	60.6%
Without a mortgage	57%	50.6%	39.4%
Median monthly owner costs
With a mortgage	$1,100	$1,394	$1,963
Without a mortgage	$425	$432	$638
Gross rent
Median rent	$694	$954	$1,413

Education Profile

How educated is the community and how education pays off

Adults with a college degree

16%

of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher

Sunflower County 16%

Mississippi 25.1%

United States 35.7%

Adults without a high school diploma

24.5%

of adults (25+) without a high school diploma

Sunflower County 24.5%

Mississippi 12.8%

United States 10.4%

School Enrollment

Who is enrolled in school and at what level

School enrollment

5,544

population (age 3+) enrolled in school

Nursery / Preschool

8.2%

K–12

70.3%

College / Undergraduate

18.4%

Graduate / Professional

3.2%

College-going rate (18-24 yr olds)

32.6%

of 18-24-year-olds in college or graduate school

Sunflower County

32.6%

Mississippi

39.5%

United States

40.9%

Enrollment & school type

Enrollment levels, college-going rate, and public vs private school split

Population 3+ currently enrolled in a school

	Sunflower County	Mississippi	United States
Total enrolled (age 3+)	5,544	726,919	80,089,790
Nursery / preschool	8.2%	5.9%	5.7%
K–12	70.3%	69.3%	67.6%
Kindergarten	7%	5%	5%
Elementary: Grades 1–4	18%	20.8%	19.8%
Elementary: Grades 5–8	22.3%	21.7%	21%
High School: Grades 9–12	23%	21.8%	21.7%
College or graduate school	21.5%	24.8%	26.7%
College, undergraduate	18.4%	19.9%	21%
Graduate, professional school	3.2%	4.9%	5.8%
College-going rate · 18-24 yr olds	32.6%	39.5%	40.9%
School type
Public school	82.5%	83.5%	82%
Private school	17.5%	16.5%	18%

Education Attainment by Level & Gender

What is the highest level of education completed among adults

Education attainment

16,645

population 25 years and over

Total adults (25+)

Less than 9th grade

7.9%

9th-12th, no diploma

16.6%

HS graduate

29.2%

Some college no degree

19.1%

Associates degree

11.1%

Bachelors degree

9.6%

Graduate or professional degree

6.4%

Attainment by gender

Male vs Female

Adults (25+) · Share within each education level

% male · % female

Less than 9th grade

51.6% · 48.4%

9th-12th, no diploma

62.8% · 37.2%

HS graduate

56.5% · 43.5%

Some college no degree

55.6% · 44.4%

Associates degree

50.8% · 49.2%

Bachelors degree

38.9% · 61.1%

Graduate or professional degree

18.7% · 81.3%

Educational Attainment Overview

Distribution and key education attainment rates for adults (25+)

Highest credential completed · adults 25+

	Sunflower County	Mississippi	United States
Population (25+)	16,645	1,972,266	230,807,303
Less than 9th grade	7.9%	4.3%	4.7%
9th–12th, no diploma	16.6%	8.5%	5.7%
High school diploma or GED	29.2%	29.9%	26%
Some college, no degree	19.1%	21.2%	19.1%
Associate's degree	11.1%	10.9%	8.8%
Bachelor's degree or higher	16%	25.1%	35.7%
Bachelor's degree	9.6%	15.3%	21.6%
Graduate or professional	6.4%	9.9%	14.1%
High School or higher	75.5%	87.1%	89.6%

Earnings by education level

percentage as applicable

Median Earnings

$33,645

Median earnings for adults 25+, by level

Less than HS graduate

$24,631

HS graduate

$24,167

Some college or associates

$33,676

Bachelors degree

$51,125

Graduate or professional degree

$54,556

Poverty Rate

5.8%

for ages 25+, with bachelors degree or higher

Less than HS graduate

43.9%

HS graduate

30.1%

Some college or associates

17.9%

Bachelors degree or higher

5.8%

Outcomes by Education Level

Earnings and poverty rates across education levels (25+)

Adults 25+

	Sunflower County	Mississippi	United States
Median earnings
Population 25+, with earnings	$33,645	$42,912	$52,696
Less than high school graduate	$24,631	$29,259	$32,485
High school graduate (includes equivalency)	$24,167	$35,321	$40,153
Some college or associate's degree	$33,676	$40,529	$47,260
Bachelor's degree	$51,125	$53,681	$70,044
Graduate or professional degree	$54,556	$65,353	$90,720
Poverty rates
Less than high school graduate	43.9%	32.8%	24.2%
High school graduate (includes equivalency)	30.1%	20%	14.4%
Some college or associate's degree	17.9%	13.2%	9.8%
Bachelor's degree or higher	5.8%	5.7%	4.5%

Insights for Sunflower County, by topic

Income By year By race By age By gender

Population By year By race By age By gender

About Neilsberg Research

Neilsberg Research team are data scientists with expertise in processing, analysis and visualization of big data helping small businesses make right decisions.

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