Pontotoc County Demographics

A map of Pontotoc County's Population by Race

Race	2024 Pop	2020 Pop	2024 %	2020 %
White	23,355	23,859	74.0%	76.5%
Black	4,626	4,208	14.7%	13.5%
Hispanic	2,254	2,048	7.1%	6.6%
Multiracial	1,137	886	3.6%	2.8%
Native American/Other	177	128	0.6%	0.4%
Asian	1	55	0.0%	0.2%

Pontotoc County, Mississippi has an estimated population of 31,550, a slight increase from the 31,184 recorded in the 2020 Census. The population is 74.0% White, 14.7% Black, 7.1% Hispanic, 3.6% Multiracial, 0.6% Native American/Other, and 0.0% Asian. This demographic dot map shows the population of Pontotoc County, with one dot drawn for each person counted by the Census, color-coded by race.

Pontotoc has become more 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 Pontotoc County, that probability was 39.1% in 2020 and 42.4% in the most recent ACS estimates.

Pontotoc County is ranked the 25th most populous county in Mississippi, out of 82 counties. Pontotoc County was ranked the 25th most populous county in the 2020 Census.

Pontotoc County's White Population

23,355 residents of Pontotoc County, or 74.0% of the population, identify as White. The share of White residents in Pontotoc County is significantly higher than in Mississippi overall, where 55.2% of the population is White. Pontotoc County ranks 11th statewide in terms of White residents as a share of the population, out of 82 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Pontotoc County's White population has declined by an estimated 2.1%. White residents' share of Pontotoc County's population has decreased from 76.5% to 74.0%.

Pontotoc County is more White than neighboring Chickasaw County (49.4% White), Lee County (62.5% White), Calhoun County (63.7% White), and Lafayette County (68.5% White). Pontotoc County is less White than neighboring Union County (76.5% White).

Pontotoc County's Black Population

4,626 residents of Pontotoc County, or 14.7% of the population, identify as Black. The share of Black residents in Pontotoc County is significantly lower than in Mississippi overall, where 36.3% of the population is Black. Pontotoc County ranks 76th statewide in terms of Black residents as a share of the population, out of 82 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Pontotoc County's Black population has grown by an estimated 9.9%. Black residents' share of Pontotoc County's population has increased from 13.5% to 14.7%.

Pontotoc County is more Black than neighboring Union County (13.6% Black). Pontotoc County is less Black than neighboring Chickasaw County (47.7% Black), Lee County (29.9% Black), Calhoun County (26.4% Black), and Lafayette County (22.6% Black).

Pontotoc County's Asian Population

1 residents of Pontotoc County, or 0.0% of the population, identify as Asian. The share of Asian residents in Pontotoc County is comparable to the share in Mississippi overall, where 1% of the population is Asian. Pontotoc County ranks 64th statewide in terms of Asian residents as a share of the population, out of 82 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Pontotoc County's Asian population has declined by an estimated 98.2%. Asian residents' share of Pontotoc County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.0%.

Pontotoc County is less Asian than neighboring Union County (0.3% Asian), Chickasaw County (0.4% Asian), Lee County (1% Asian), Calhoun County (0.1% Asian), and Lafayette County (2.2% Asian).

Pontotoc County's Hispanic Population

2,254 residents of Pontotoc County, or 7.1% of the population, identify as Hispanic. The share of Hispanic residents in Pontotoc County is slightly higher than in Mississippi overall, where 3.7% of the population is Hispanic. Pontotoc County ranks 5th statewide in terms of Hispanic residents as a share of the population, out of 82 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Pontotoc County's Hispanic population has grown by an estimated 10.1%. Hispanic residents' share of Pontotoc County's population has increased from 6.6% to 7.1%.

Pontotoc County is more Hispanic than neighboring Union County (4.9% Hispanic), Chickasaw County (1.1% Hispanic), Lee County (3.5% Hispanic), Calhoun County (6.3% Hispanic), and Lafayette County (3.7% Hispanic).

Pontotoc County's Native American/Other Population

177 residents of Pontotoc County, or 0.6% of the population, identify as American Indian/Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander/Other. The share of Native American/Other residents in Pontotoc County is comparable to the share in Mississippi overall, where 0.8% of the population is Native American/Other. Pontotoc County ranks 32nd statewide in terms of Native American/Other residents as a share of the population, out of 82 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Pontotoc County's Native American/Other population has grown by an estimated 38.3%. Native American/Other residents' share of Pontotoc County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.6%.

Pontotoc County is more Native American/Other than neighboring Chickasaw County (0% Native American/Other), and Lafayette County (0.3% Native American/Other). Pontotoc County is less Native American/Other than neighboring Union County (0.9% Native American/Other), Lee County (0.7% Native American/Other), and Calhoun County (0.7% Native American/Other).

Pontotoc County's Multiracial Population

1,137 residents of Pontotoc County, or 3.6% of the population, identify as Multiracial. The share of Multiracial residents in Pontotoc County is comparable to the share in Mississippi overall, where 3% of the population is Multiracial. Pontotoc County ranks 16th statewide in terms of Multiracial residents as a share of the population, out of 82 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Pontotoc County's Multiracial population has grown by an estimated 28.3%. Multiracial residents' share of Pontotoc County's population has increased from 2.8% to 3.6%.

Pontotoc County is more Multiracial than neighboring Chickasaw County (1.3% Multiracial), Lee County (2.4% Multiracial), Calhoun County (2.9% Multiracial), and Lafayette County (2.7% Multiracial). Pontotoc County is less Multiracial than neighboring Union County (3.8% 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.