Bolivar County Demographics

A map of Bolivar County's Population by Race

Race	2024 Pop	2020 Pop	2024 %	2020 %
Black	18,671	19,257	63.2%	62.1%
White	9,160	9,946	31.0%	32.1%
Hispanic	787	794	2.7%	2.6%
Multiracial	541	652	1.8%	2.1%
Asian	282	262	1.0%	0.8%
Native American/Other	93	74	0.3%	0.2%

Bolivar County, Mississippi has an estimated population of 29,534, a decrease from the 30,985 recorded in the 2020 Census. The population is 63.2% Black, 31.0% White, 2.7% Hispanic, 1.8% Multiracial, 1.0% Asian, and 0.3% Native American/Other. This demographic dot map shows the population of Bolivar County, with one dot drawn for each person counted by the Census, color-coded by race.

Bolivar has become slightly less racially diverse since the 2020 Census. It is considerably less diverse than Mississippi overall. Demographers use a diversity index to measure the probability that two randomly selected individuals belong to different racial or ethnic groups. In Bolivar County, that probability was 50.9% in 2020 and 50.3% in the most recent ACS estimates.

Bolivar County is ranked the 26th most populous county in Mississippi, out of 82 counties. Bolivar County was ranked the 26th most populous county in the 2020 Census.

Bolivar County's White Population

9,160 residents of Bolivar County, or 31.0% of the population, identify as White. The share of White residents in Bolivar County is significantly lower than in Mississippi overall, where 55.2% of the population is White. Bolivar County ranks 67th statewide in terms of White residents as a share of the population, out of 82 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Bolivar County's White population has declined by an estimated 7.9%. White residents' share of Bolivar County's population has decreased from 32.1% to 31.0%.

Bolivar County is more White than neighboring Sunflower County (22.9% White), Coahoma County (18.9% White), Washington County (23.9% White), and Leflore County (20.9% White). Bolivar County is less White than neighboring Desha County (42.5% White).

Bolivar County's Black Population

18,671 residents of Bolivar County, or 63.2% of the population, identify as Black. The share of Black residents in Bolivar County is significantly higher than in Mississippi overall, where 36.3% of the population is Black. Bolivar County ranks 15th statewide in terms of Black residents as a share of the population, out of 82 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Bolivar County's Black population has declined by an estimated 3.0%. Black residents' share of Bolivar County's population has increased from 62.1% to 63.2%.

Bolivar County is more Black than neighboring Desha County (49% Black). Bolivar County is less Black than neighboring Sunflower County (72.7% Black), Coahoma County (74.4% Black), Washington County (71.4% Black), and Leflore County (74.3% Black).

Bolivar County's Asian Population

282 residents of Bolivar County, or 1.0% of the population, identify as Asian. The share of Asian residents in Bolivar County is comparable to the share in Mississippi overall, where 1% of the population is Asian. Bolivar County ranks 14th statewide in terms of Asian residents as a share of the population, out of 82 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Bolivar County's Asian population has grown by an estimated 7.6%. Asian residents' share of Bolivar County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 1.0%.

Bolivar County is more Asian than neighboring Sunflower County (0.2% Asian), Desha County (0% Asian), Coahoma County (0.3% Asian), Washington County (0.8% Asian), and Leflore County (0.2% Asian).

Bolivar County's Hispanic Population

787 residents of Bolivar County, or 2.7% of the population, identify as Hispanic. The share of Hispanic residents in Bolivar County is comparable to the share in Mississippi overall, where 3.7% of the population is Hispanic. Bolivar County ranks 31st statewide in terms of Hispanic residents as a share of the population, out of 82 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Bolivar County's Hispanic population has remained roughly the same. Hispanic residents' share of Bolivar County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 2.7%.

Bolivar County is more Hispanic than neighboring Washington County (1.6% Hispanic). Bolivar County is less Hispanic than neighboring Sunflower County (2.8% Hispanic), Desha County (7.2% Hispanic), Coahoma County (3.1% Hispanic), and Leflore County (3.2% Hispanic).

Bolivar County's Native American/Other Population

93 residents of Bolivar County, or 0.3% of the population, identify as American Indian/Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander/Other. The share of Native American/Other residents in Bolivar County is comparable to the share in Mississippi overall, where 0.8% of the population is Native American/Other. Bolivar County ranks 69th statewide in terms of Native American/Other residents as a share of the population, out of 82 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Bolivar County's Native American/Other population has grown by an estimated 25.7%. Native American/Other residents' share of Bolivar County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.3%.

Bolivar County is more Native American/Other than neighboring Washington County (0.2% Native American/Other). Bolivar County is less Native American/Other than neighboring Desha County (0.4% Native American/Other), Coahoma County (0.7% Native American/Other), and Leflore County (0.4% Native American/Other).

Bolivar County's Multiracial Population

541 residents of Bolivar County, or 1.8% of the population, identify as Multiracial. The share of Multiracial residents in Bolivar County is comparable to the share in Mississippi overall, where 3% of the population is Multiracial. Bolivar County ranks 52nd statewide in terms of Multiracial residents as a share of the population, out of 82 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Bolivar County's Multiracial population has declined by an estimated 17.0%. Multiracial residents' share of Bolivar County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 1.8%.

Bolivar County is more Multiracial than neighboring Sunflower County (1.1% Multiracial), Desha County (0.9% Multiracial), and Leflore County (0.9% Multiracial). Bolivar County is less Multiracial than neighboring Coahoma County (2.6% Multiracial), and Washington County (2.2% Multiracial).

Sources: Most recent population estimates are from the 2020-2024 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. 2020 population counts and map data are from 2020 Census State Redistricting Data. Geographic data are from Census TIGER/Line Shapefiles.