Forrest County Demographics

A map of Forrest County's Population by Race

Forrest County, Mississippi has an estimated population of 78,272, a less than 1% change from the 78,158 recorded in the 2020 Census. The population is 55.8% White, 35.5% Black, 4.4% Hispanic, 3.0% Multiracial, 0.9% Asian, and 0.5% Native American/Other. This demographic dot map shows the population of Forrest County, with one dot drawn for each person counted by the Census, color-coded by race.

Forrest is about as racially diverse as it was in the 2020 Census. It is about as diverse as Mississippi overall. Demographers use a diversity index to measure the probability that two randomly selected individuals belong to different racial or ethnic groups. In Forrest County, that probability was 56.3% in 2020 and 56.0% in the most recent ACS estimates.

Forrest County is ranked the 8th most populous county in Mississippi, out of 82 counties. Forrest County was ranked the 8th most populous county in the 2020 Census.

Forrest County's White Population

43,656 residents of Forrest County, or 55.8% of the population, identify as White. The share of White residents in Forrest County is comparable to the share in Mississippi overall, where 55.2% of the population is White. Forrest County ranks 44th statewide in terms of White residents as a share of the population, out of 82 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Forrest County's White population has grown by an estimated 1.2%. White residents' share of Forrest County's population has increased from 55.2% to 55.8%.

Forrest County is less White than neighboring Lamar County (70.6% White), Perry County (77.3% White), Stone County (75.2% White), Jones County (62.9% White), and Covington County (59.4% White).

Forrest County's Black Population

27,783 residents of Forrest County, or 35.5% of the population, identify as Black. The share of Black residents in Forrest County is comparable to the share in Mississippi overall, where 36.3% of the population is Black. Forrest County ranks 41st statewide in terms of Black residents as a share of the population, out of 82 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Forrest County's Black population has declined by an estimated 1.3%. Black residents' share of Forrest County's population has decreased from 36.0% to 35.5%.

Forrest County is more Black than neighboring Lamar County (21.7% Black), Perry County (15.4% Black), Stone County (17.1% Black), Jones County (28.2% Black), and Covington County (34.8% Black).

Forrest County's Asian Population

691 residents of Forrest County, or 0.9% of the population, identify as Asian. The share of Asian residents in Forrest County is comparable to the share in Mississippi overall, where 1% of the population is Asian. Forrest County ranks 10th statewide in terms of Asian residents as a share of the population, out of 82 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Forrest County's Asian population has declined by an estimated 12.4%. Asian residents' share of Forrest County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.9%.

Forrest County is more Asian than neighboring Stone County (0.5% Asian), Jones County (0.4% Asian), and Covington County (0.2% Asian). Forrest County is less Asian than neighboring Perry County (2.1% Asian).

Forrest County's Hispanic Population

3,428 residents of Forrest County, or 4.4% of the population, identify as Hispanic. The share of Hispanic residents in Forrest County is comparable to the share in Mississippi overall, where 3.7% of the population is Hispanic. Forrest County ranks 13th statewide in terms of Hispanic residents as a share of the population, out of 82 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Forrest County's Hispanic population has grown by an estimated 5.2%. Hispanic residents' share of Forrest County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 4.4%.

Forrest County is more Hispanic than neighboring Lamar County (3.7% Hispanic), Perry County (1.9% Hispanic), Stone County (2.6% Hispanic), and Covington County (2.6% Hispanic). Forrest County is less Hispanic than neighboring Jones County (6.3% Hispanic).

Forrest County's Native American/Other Population

357 residents of Forrest County, or 0.5% of the population, identify as American Indian/Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander/Other. The share of Native American/Other residents in Forrest County is comparable to the share in Mississippi overall, where 0.8% of the population is Native American/Other. Forrest County ranks 14th statewide in terms of Native American/Other residents as a share of the population, out of 82 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Forrest County's Native American/Other population has declined by an estimated 30.9%. Native American/Other residents' share of Forrest County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.5%.

Forrest County is more Native American/Other than neighboring Perry County (0.2% Native American/Other), Stone County (0.3% Native American/Other), and Jones County (0.3% Native American/Other).

Forrest County's Multiracial Population

2,357 residents of Forrest County, or 3.0% of the population, identify as Multiracial. The share of Multiracial residents in Forrest County is comparable to the share in Mississippi overall, where 3% of the population is Multiracial. Forrest County ranks 13th statewide in terms of Multiracial residents as a share of the population, out of 82 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Forrest County's Multiracial population has grown by an estimated 1.5%. Multiracial residents' share of Forrest County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 3.0%.

Forrest County is more Multiracial than neighboring Lamar County (2.6% Multiracial), Jones County (2% Multiracial), and Covington County (2.5% Multiracial). Forrest County is less Multiracial than neighboring Perry County (3.2% Multiracial), and Stone County (4.3% 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.