Population 3,872 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Sharkey County
Household size in Sharkey County
| Period | Sharkey County | Mississippi | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.91 | 2.66 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.72 | 2.67 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.38 | 2.64 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.62 | 2.57 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.29 | −0.09 | −0.03 |
Households in Sharkey County average 2.62 people, about the same as the country as a whole (2.65). Household size has dropped from 2.91 in 2006–10, but in a place this small, much of that may be survey noise rather than real change.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Sharkey County
| Period | Sharkey County | Mississippi | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 38.1 | 36.7 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 40.5 | 37.5 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 41.6 | 38.8 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 41.1 | 39.4 | 40.1 |
| Change | +3.0 | +2.6 | +2.3 |
At 41.1, the median age in Sharkey County is close to the national median of 40.1, so its age mix looks much like the country's. The population here is older than in Mississippi overall, where the median age is 39.4.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Sharkey County
| Period | Sharkey County | Mississippi | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 17.2% | 15.8% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 24.1% | 15.8% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 15.6% | 14.7% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 23.6% | 14.6% | 11.6% |
| Change | +6.5 pts | −1.1 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are common in Sharkey County: 23.6% of all households, against 11.6% nationally. Only five of Mississippi's 82 counties have a higher share of single-parent households.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Sharkey County
Renters in Sharkey County
| Period | Sharkey County | Mississippi | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 33.0% | 29.2% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 40.2% | 31.1% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 35.9% | 31.8% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 33.5% | 30.0% | 34.8% |
| Change | +0.5 pts | +0.8 pts | +1.5 pts |
About a third of households in Sharkey County rent their homes (33.5%), close to the national share of 34.8%. Renters make up a bigger share here than in Mississippi as a whole (30.0%). Among homeowners, 69.4% have no mortgage at all, well above the national share of 39.8%.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Sharkey County
| Period | Sharkey County | Mississippi | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 18.3% | 13.6% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 14.4% | 14.6% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 17.9% | 16.1% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 13.9% | 14.1% | 9.6% |
| Change | −4.4 pts | +0.5 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is high in Sharkey County: 13.9% of homes are empty, far above the national rate of 9.6%. In resort and lake areas that usually means seasonal and vacation homes; elsewhere it can point to weak demand. The picture is much the same across Mississippi.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Sharkey County
| Period | Sharkey County | Mississippi | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1973 | 1981 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1973 | 1983 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1979 | 1984 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1977 | 1987 | 1980 |
| Change | +5 | +5 | +6 |
Homes in Sharkey County are about the same age as the nation's housing: the median home was built in 1977, versus 1980 nationally. Homes here are older than in Mississippi overall, where the median home dates to 1987. Only six of Mississippi's 82 counties have older homes.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Sharkey County
| Period | Sharkey County | Mississippi | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $481 | $703 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $563 | $758 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $570 | $819 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $643 | $1,018 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$162 | +$315 | +$606 |
The median renter in Sharkey County pays $643 a month for rent and utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. The typical renter here spends 29.2% of household income on rent, just under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, and a smaller share than renters pay nationally. Only five of Mississippi's 82 counties have lower rents.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Sharkey County
Bachelor's degrees in Sharkey County
| Period | Sharkey County | Mississippi | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 19.1% | 20.8% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 23.4% | 21.4% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 20.7% | 22.8% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 17.5% | 25.8% | 35.6% |
| Change | −1.6 pts | +5.0 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Sharkey County have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 17.5%, against 35.6% nationally.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Sharkey County
| Period | Sharkey County | Mississippi | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 70.8% | 80.5% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 79.4% | 82.5% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 77.4% | 84.8% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 80.8% | 87.3% | 89.3% |
| Change | +10.1 pts | +6.9 pts | +4.3 pts |
Nearly one in five adults in Sharkey County never finished high school, well above the national share: only 80.8% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% nationally. Sharkey County has a lower share of high school graduates than the great majority of Mississippi counties.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Sharkey County
| Period | Sharkey County | Mississippi | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 20.7% | 9.5% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 21.3% | 11.0% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 15.7% | 7.6% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 8.5% | 5.8% | 5.4% |
| Change | −12.2 pts | −3.6 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Sharkey County runs well above the national rate: 8.5% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4%. Sharkey County has higher unemployment than at least four in five Mississippi counties. Because the Census pools five years of responses (2020–24), these rates smooth over short swings and lag the current job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Sharkey County compared with nearby counties
| County | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sharkey County | 2.62 | 41.1 | 23.6% | 33.5% | 13.9% | 1977 | $643 | 17.5% | 80.8% | 8.5% |
| Issaquena County | 1.74 | 50.1 | 10.3% | 34.0% | 16.9% | 1983 | $274 | 9.0% | 72.4% | 2.8% |
| Yazoo County | 2.68 | 39.7 | 17.3% | 44.7% | 16.8% | 1987 | $891 | 17.1% | 79.4% | 8.7% |
| West Carroll Parish | 2.43 | 44.3 | 11.4% | 23.9% | 17.5% | 1978 | $747 | 16.1% | 82.3% | 5.5% |
| Holmes County | 2.61 | 37.6 | 22.4% | 39.0% | 16.3% | 1982 | $641 | 14.0% | 83.9% | 8.7% |
| Attala County | 2.62 | 39.0 | 16.5% | 24.7% | 19.7% | 1981 | $831 | 19.4% | 89.3% | 5.6% |
| Winston County | 2.42 | 43.3 | 17.6% | 27.0% | 13.0% | 1980 | $862 | 21.2% | 84.9% | 6.7% |
| Claiborne Parish | 2.27 | 44.1 | 13.2% | 31.2% | 22.7% | 1977 | $728 | 11.7% | 79.4% | 4.8% |
| Greene County | 2.38 | 44.5 | 24.0% | 38.4% | 21.7% | 1979 | $495 | 16.3% | 85.5% | 4.1% |
| Cass County | 2.48 | 44.0 | 14.5% | 23.4% | 16.5% | 1983 | $832 | 18.2% | 87.5% | 6.4% |
| Bibb County | 2.75 | 40.8 | 13.2% | 20.8% | 14.8% | 1990 | $859 | 11.6% | 84.5% | 13.1% |
All figures 2020–24.
Counties with similar populations: Sargent County, ND · Greer County, OK · Gregory County, SD · Griggs County, ND · Hanson County, SD · Hartley County, TX · Haskell County, KS · Sanborn County, SD · Sanders County, MT · Greenwood County, KS
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Sharkey County. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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