What are the fastest-growing counties in Mississippi?
George County is the fastest-growing county in Mississippi: its population grew 1.56% a year from 2020 to 2025, to 26,331 residents (Census PEP Vintage 2025). Stone County (1.40%) and Lafayette County (1.28%) follow. Mississippi as a whole grew -0.03% a year to 2,954,160 residents.
Data as of 2026-09-23. Population, growth and migration: PEP Vintage 2025 · 2020–2025. Income migration: IRS SOI 2022–2023 (2-yr lag).
Top 10 counties in Mississippi by population growth, 2020 to 2025
| Rank | County | Population | Growth (% per year) | Net domestic migration | Net international migration | IRS net AGI migration |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | George County | 26,331 | 1.56% | +1,880 | +164 | +$9.8M |
| 2 | Stone County | 19,654 | 1.40% | +1,549 | +67 | +$6.6M |
| 3 | Lafayette County | 59,597 | 1.28% | +2,233 | +1,104 | +$25.2M |
| 4 | Madison County | 116,298 | 1.26% | +2,926 | +3,050 | +$44.5M |
| 5 | DeSoto County | 197,918 | 1.24% | +9,373 | +1,491 | +$23.4M |
| 6 | Pearl River County | 59,363 | 1.10% | +3,642 | +437 | +$18.6M |
| 7 | Lamar County | 67,403 | 0.92% | +1,625 | +390 | +$3.5M |
| 8 | Harrison County | 217,136 | 0.78% | +3,996 | +4,619 | +$22.8M |
| 9 | Rankin County | 162,181 | 0.63% | +2,161 | +1,636 | -$37.4M |
| 10 | Jackson County | 147,666 | 0.59% | +3,680 | +1,693 | +$31.0M |
Where are people moving in Mississippi?
DeSoto County gained the most people from elsewhere in the United States: net domestic migration of +9,373 from 2020 to 2025 (Census PEP Vintage 2025). The table ranks every Mississippi place with 10,000 or more residents by that figure; the IRS column shows net adjusted gross income migration for 2022 to 2023.
| Rank | County | Population | Growth (% per year) | Net domestic migration | Net international migration | IRS net AGI migration |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | DeSoto County | 197,918 | 1.24% | +9,373 | +1,491 | +$23.4M |
| 2 | Harrison County | 217,136 | 0.78% | +3,996 | +4,619 | +$22.8M |
| 3 | Jackson County | 147,666 | 0.59% | +3,680 | +1,693 | +$31.0M |
| 4 | Pearl River County | 59,363 | 1.10% | +3,642 | +437 | +$18.6M |
| 5 | Madison County | 116,298 | 1.26% | +2,926 | +3,050 | +$44.5M |
| 6 | Lafayette County | 59,597 | 1.28% | +2,233 | +1,104 | +$25.2M |
| 7 | Rankin County | 162,181 | 0.63% | +2,161 | +1,636 | -$37.4M |
| 8 | George County | 26,331 | 1.56% | +1,880 | +164 | +$9.8M |
| 9 | Lamar County | 67,403 | 0.92% | +1,625 | +390 | +$3.5M |
| 10 | Marshall County | 34,654 | 0.51% | +1,559 | +76 | +$21.2M |
Go past the headline numbers
The interactive Demographics map layer and the full report for a single place are part of paid plans.
Get the Demographics Report for George CountyFrequently asked questions
- What are the fastest-growing counties in Mississippi?
- By population growth from 2020 to 2025, the fastest are George County (1.56% a year), Stone County (1.40% a year), Lafayette County (1.28% a year), Madison County (1.26% a year) and DeSoto County (1.24% a year) (Census PEP Vintage 2025). Only places with 10,000 or more residents are ranked.
- Where are people moving in Mississippi?
- By net domestic migration from 2020 to 2025, the largest gains are DeSoto County (+9,373), Harrison County (+3,996) and Jackson County (+3,680) (Census PEP Vintage 2025).
- How fast is Mississippi growing overall?
- Mississippi grew -0.03% a year from 2020 to 2025, to 2,954,160 residents, with net migration of +13,357 people (Census PEP Vintage 2025).
- Where does this Mississippi data come from, and how current is it?
- Population, growth and migration come from the U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP Vintage 2025 · 2020–2025). Income migration comes from IRS Statistics of Income (IRS SOI 2022–2023 (2-yr lag)). Counties with fewer than 10,000 residents are not ranked (15 of 82 in Mississippi). Data last loaded 2026-09-23.
Data as of 2026-09-23: sources and periods
- Population, growth and migration
- U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program: PEP Vintage 2025 · 2020–2025. census.gov/programs-surveys/popest
- Income migration (net AGI)
- Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income migration data: IRS SOI 2022–2023 (2-yr lag). irs.gov/statistics/soi-tax-stats-migration-data
How to read the table
- Population is the Census July 1 estimate of the latest vintage.
- Growth is the compound annual rate over 2020 to 2025.
- Net domestic and international migration are cumulative people over 2020 to 2025.
- IRS net AGI migration is adjusted gross income that moved in, less what moved out, for 2022 to 2023. A plus sign means a net inflow.
- Places with fewer than 10,000 residents are left out of the rankings.