Tishomingo County, Mississippi

Adjacent counties

• Hardin County, Tennessee (north)
• Lauderdale County, Alabama (northeast)
• Colbert County, Alabama (east)
• Franklin County, Alabama (southeast)
• Itawamba County (south)
• Prentiss County (southwest)
• Alcorn County (northwest)

Major highways

National protected area

Natchez Trace Parkway

Racial and ethnic composition

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 18,850. The median age was 44.9 years. 20.9% of residents were under the age of 18 and 22.4% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 95.3 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 93.7 males age 18 and over.^[20][21]

The racial makeup of the county was 92.0% White, 2.3% Black or African American, 0.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% Asian, <0.1% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 1.3% from some other race, and 3.8% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 2.8% of the population.^[21]

<0.1% of residents lived in urban areas, while 100.0% lived in rural areas.^[22]

There were 7,917 households in the county, of which 27.2% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 49.5% were married-couple households, 19.3% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 26.9% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 30.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.^[20]

There were 10,512 housing units, of which 24.7% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 74.8% were owner-occupied and 25.2% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.4% and the rental vacancy rate was 17.3%.^[20]

2010 census

As of the 2010 United States census, there were 19,593 people living in the county. 94.5% were White, 2.6% Black or African American, 0.2% Native American, 0.1% Asian, 1.7% of some other race and 0.8% of two or more races. 2.8% were Hispanic or Latino (of any race).

2000 census

As of the census^[23] of 2000 there were 19,163 people, 7,917 households, and 5,573 families living in the county. The population density was 45 people per square mile (17 people/km²). There were 9,553 housing units at an average density of 22 units per square mile (8.5 units/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 94.93% White, 3.11% Black or African American, 0.21% Native American, 0.08% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 1.06% from other races, and 0.59% from two or more races. 1.79% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

By 2005 the population was 93.4% non-Hispanic white. 3.6% of the population was African-American. 2.6% of the population was Latino.

At 93.4% of the county's population, Tishomingo County has the highest percentage of Non-Hispanic whites in the state of Mississippi.

In 2000 there were 7,917 households, out of which 30.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.1% were married couples living together, 10.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.6% were non-families. 27.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.39 and the average family size was 2.89.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 23.2% under the age of 18, 7.8% from 18 to 24, 27.5% from 25 to 44, 24.7% from 45 to 64, and 16.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 92.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.8 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $28,315, and the median income for a family was $34,378. Males had a median income of $28,109 versus $19,943 for females. The per capita income for the county was $15,395. About 11% of families and 14.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.6% of those under age 18 and 15.6% of those age 65 or over.

City

• Iuka (county seat)

Towns

• Belmont
• Burnsville
• Golden
• Tishomingo

Villages

• Paden

Census-designated place

• Dennis

Unincorporated communities

• Bloody Springs
• Doskie
• Eastport
• Midway
• Mingo
• Oldham
• Pittsburg
• Short

Ghost town

• Holcut

Board of supervisors

• Eric Booker, District 1
• Nicky McRae, District 2
• Michael Busby, District 3
• Jeff Holt, District 4
• Greg Collier, District 5

Sheriff

• Jamie Stuart

Constable

• Wesley Wellington
• Donald Ray Thomas

Chancery Clerk

• Peyton Cummings

Circuit Clerk

• Rebecca Oaks

State representatives

• Representative Lester Carpenter, Mississippi House of Representatives - District 1
• Representative Mark DuVall, Mississippi House of Representatives - District 19
• Senator Eric Powell, Mississippi State Senate - District 4
• Senator Daniel Sparks, Mississippi State Senate - District 5

Presidential election results

Tishomingo County is solidly Republican at the Presidential level, having last voted for a Democrat in 1992 when it voted for Bill Clinton. Since then the closest a Democrat has come to winning the county was in 1996 when Clinton narrowly lost to Bob Dole. In 2024 Donald Trump received 89.1 percent of the vote, the best result for a Republican since 1972 when Richard Nixon received 89.2 percent of the vote.