Population 14,132 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Smith County
Household size in Smith County
| Period | Smith County | Mississippi | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.72 | 2.66 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.66 | 2.67 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.77 | 2.64 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.66 | 2.57 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.06 | −0.09 | −0.03 |
At 2.66 people per household, Smith County sits close to the national average of 2.65. The typical household here is bigger than in Mississippi as a whole, where it has 2.57 people. Since 2006–10, household size has edged down from 2.72, as it has nationally.
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 Smith County
| Period | Smith County | Mississippi | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 38.3 | 36.7 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 41.2 | 37.5 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 41.8 | 38.8 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 42.0 | 39.4 | 40.1 |
| Change | +3.8 | +2.6 | +2.3 |
The median resident of Smith County is 42.0 years old, a bit older than the national median of 40.1. The median age has climbed from 38.3 in 2006–10, in line with the national trend. Residents skew youngest in the south and oldest in the north.
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 Smith County
| Period | Smith County | Mississippi | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 13.9% | 15.8% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 16.3% | 15.8% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 8.6% | 14.7% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 13.4% | 14.6% | 11.6% |
| Change | −0.5 pts | −1.1 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head nearly one in seven households in Smith County (13.4%), a bit above the national share of 11.6%. Still, single parents are less common here than in Mississippi as a whole (14.6%).
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 Smith County
Renters in Smith County
| Period | Smith County | Mississippi | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 13.2% | 29.2% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 17.6% | 31.1% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 17.0% | 31.8% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 12.6% | 30.0% | 34.8% |
| Change | −0.6 pts | +0.8 pts | +1.5 pts |
Only 12.6% of households in Smith County rent their homes, far below the national share of 34.8%, so most residents are owners who tend to stay put. Nearly two-thirds of owners (63.7%) have paid off their mortgages, well above the national share of 39.8%. The renter share is down 0.6 points from 2006–10, even as the national share rose. No other Mississippi county has a lower share of renters.
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 Smith County
| Period | Smith County | Mississippi | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 16.0% | 13.6% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 15.3% | 14.6% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 21.5% | 16.1% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 16.1% | 14.1% | 9.6% |
| Change | +0.1 pts | +0.5 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacant homes make up 16.1% of the housing in Smith County, 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.
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 Smith County
| Period | Smith County | Mississippi | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1978 | 1981 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1983 | 1983 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1984 | 1984 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1988 | 1987 | 1980 |
| Change | +10 | +5 | +6 |
Smith County has newer housing than the country as a whole: the median home was built in 1988, versus 1980 nationally. The median year built has moved up from 1978 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. The newest homes are mostly in the east, the oldest in the north.
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 Smith County
| Period | Smith County | Mississippi | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $547 | $703 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $594 | $758 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $662 | $819 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $671 | $1,018 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$123 | +$315 | +$606 |
Rent in Smith County runs $671 a month at the median, utilities included, well below the U.S. median of $1,571. Rent has climbed $123 a month since 2006–10, up 23%, a slower climb than the nation's. The typical renter here spends 30.0% of household income on rent, just under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent.
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 Smith County
Bachelor's degrees in Smith County
| Period | Smith County | Mississippi | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 15.2% | 20.8% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 13.5% | 21.4% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 12.6% | 22.8% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 16.1% | 25.8% | 35.6% |
| Change | +0.9 pts | +5.0 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Smith County have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 16.1%, against 35.6% nationally. The share with a degree has edged up 0.9 points since 2006–10, a smaller shift than nationally. College graduates are most concentrated in the west and least in the southeast.
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 Smith County
| Period | Smith County | Mississippi | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 77.4% | 80.5% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 80.7% | 82.5% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 79.4% | 84.8% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 85.6% | 87.3% | 89.3% |
| Change | +8.2 pts | +6.9 pts | +4.3 pts |
About one in seven adults in Smith County never finished high school, more than nationally: 85.6% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% across the U.S. The share with a diploma has risen 8.2 points since 2006–10, as it has nationally.
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 Smith County
| Period | Smith County | Mississippi | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 5.3% | 9.5% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 4.6% | 11.0% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 4.4% | 7.6% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 4.5% | 5.8% | 5.4% |
| Change | −0.9 pts | −3.6 pts | −2.7 pts |
Jobs have been a little easier to find in Smith County than nationally: unemployment was 4.5%, against 5.4%. Unemployment has edged down 0.9 points since 2006–10, a smaller shift than nationally. Each figure pools five years of surveys (2020–24), so it describes that whole stretch rather than today's 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).
Smith 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Smith County | 2.66 | 42.0 | 13.4% | 12.6% | 16.1% | 1988 | $671 | 16.1% | 85.6% | 4.5% |
| Simpson County | 2.67 | 41.7 | 13.9% | 18.6% | 18.7% | 1988 | $877 | 16.0% | 83.0% | 4.1% |
| Jasper County | 2.42 | 42.2 | 13.3% | 17.9% | 17.9% | 1989 | $705 | 13.5% | 90.5% | 8.2% |
| Clarke County | 2.63 | 42.7 | 13.6% | 17.7% | 20.3% | 1985 | $789 | 17.3% | 88.7% | 7.4% |
| Copiah County | 2.74 | 40.9 | 12.8% | 25.6% | 19.0% | 1985 | $794 | 18.9% | 86.5% | 5.6% |
| Choctaw County | 2.42 | 45.8 | 9.8% | 17.6% | 25.5% | 1984 | $586 | 15.7% | 86.5% | 4.7% |
| Claiborne County | 2.57 | 37.0 | 13.2% | 23.5% | 31.6% | 1983 | $601 | 17.5% | 83.4% | 5.4% |
| Tensas Parish | 2.36 | 51.8 | 10.5% | 25.8% | 43.4% | 1972 | $566 | 14.6% | 80.9% | 10.3% |
| Wilcox County | 2.63 | 41.7 | 16.0% | 22.6% | 26.4% | 1984 | $761 | 12.6% | 79.7% | 12.0% |
| Caldwell Parish | 2.49 | 40.2 | 17.4% | 31.1% | 19.6% | 1987 | $983 | 11.7% | 81.6% | 10.1% |
| Winn Parish | 2.53 | 41.0 | 15.7% | 28.8% | 25.1% | 1977 | $767 | 14.9% | 84.0% | 6.2% |
All figures 2020–24.
Counties with similar populations: Douglas County, IL · Seminole County, OK · Scurry County, TX · Screven County, GA · Scott County, VA · Scott County, TN · Schuyler County, NY · Sawyer County, WI · Santa Isabel Municipio, PR · San Juan County, WA
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 Smith 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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