Walthall County is a county located in the U.S. state of Mississippi. As of the 2020 census, the population was 13,884. Its county seat is Tylertown. The county is named after Civil War Confederate general and Mississippi Senator Edward C. Walthall.

Geography According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (0.1%) is water. It is the second-smallest county in Mississippi by area.

Magee's Creek flows through the Holmes Water Park in Tylertown and is designated as an eligible stream for The State Scenic Streams Stewardship Program from the confluence of Varnell Creek to the Bogue Chitto River.Parks, Lakes, and Rivers. Walthall County Chamber of Commerce website Retrieved 29 July 2025.Andrew E. Whitehurst. State of Mississippi. Mississippi Department of Wildlife Fisheries and Parks. (2003). Mississippi Streamside Landowner's Handbook. Mississippi Museum of Natural Science Technical Report No. 100.p. 54.

Walthall County is located in Southwest Mississippi.

Major highways U.S. Highway 98 Mississippi Highway 27 Mississippi Highway 44 Mississippi Highway 48

Adjacent counties Lawrence County (north) Marion County (east) Washington Parish, Louisiana (south) Pike County (west) Lincoln County (northwest)

Demographics

Racial and ethnic composition +Walthall County, Mississippi – Racial and ethnic compositionRace / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)Pop 1980Pop 1990Pop 2000Pop 2010 Pop 2020% 1980% 1990% 2000% 2010% 2020White alone (NH)8,0528,2168,2088,1457,54758.51%57.25%54.16%52.74%54.36%Black or African American alone (NH)5,5266,0446,5936,8375,70640.16%42.11%43.50%44.27%41.10%Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)3151849420.02%0.10%0.12%0.32%0.30%Asian alone (NH)16273324480.12%0.19%0.22%0.16%0.35%Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH)x included in the Asian category in the 1980 Censusx included in the Asian category in the 1990 Census238xx0.01%0.02%0.06%Other race alone (NH)10511500.01%0.00%0.03%0.07%0.36%Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)x not an option in the 1980 Censusx not an option in the 1990 Census96136280xx0.63%0.88%2.02%Hispanic or Latino (any race)163502012382031.18%0.35%1.33%1.54%1.46%Total13,76114,35215,15615,44313,884 100.00%100.00%100.00%100.00%100.00%

2020 census As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 13,884. The median age was 43.8 years. 22.2% of residents were under the age of 18 and 21.3% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 93.9 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 93.3 males age 18 and over.

The racial makeup of the county was 54.7% White, 41.3% Black or African American, 0.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% Asian, 0.1% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 0.9% from some other race, and 2.4% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 1.5% of the population.

<0.1% of residents lived in urban areas, while 100.0% lived in rural areas.

There were 5,653 households in the county, of which 29.4% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 43.8% were married-couple households, 20.9% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 31.1% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 31.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

There were 6,834 housing units, of which 17.3% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 83.5% were owner-occupied and 16.5% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.7% and the rental vacancy rate was 10.5%.

2010 census As of the 2010 United States census, there were 15,443 people living in the county. 53.4% were White, 44.5% Black or African American, 0.4% Native American, 0.2% Asian, 0.4% of some other race and 1.1% of two or more races. 1.5% were Hispanic or Latino (of any race).

2000 census As of the census of 2000, there were 15,156 people, 5,571 households, and 4,111 families living in the county. The population density was . There were 6,418 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 54.61% White, 44.09% Black or African American, 0.12% Native American, 0.24% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.26% from other races, and 0.66% from two or more races. 1.33% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 5,571 households, out of which 34.00% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.00% were married couples living together, 16.90% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.20% were non-families. 24.00% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.50% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.69 and the average family size was 3.19.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 28.40% under the age of 18, 9.90% from 18 to 24, 25.40% from 25 to 44, 22.30% from 45 to 64, and 14.10% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 91.50 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.20 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $22,945, and the median income for a family was $29,169. Males had a median income of $26,745 versus $16,909 for females. The per capita income for the county was $12,563. About 22.40% of families and 27.80% of the population were below the poverty line, including 42.70% of those under age 18 and 17.50% of those age 65 or over. Communities

Town Tylertown (county seat)

Unincorporated communities Darbun Dexter Little Improve Mesa Salem Sartinville Union Hope Dillon Kirklin Brandon Bay China Grove Jayess Oak Grove Sunny Hill Smith Hill Beartown Knoxo Mount Mariah Rushingtown Enon

Politics Walthall County has leaned Republican in the 21st Century; prior to this, it was a traditional Democratic stronghold turned swing county. In 2024, like in many other conservative-leaning Mississippi counties, Walthall saw the strongest Republican performance since the 1972 landslide election.

Education There is one school district, Walthall County School District. - Text list

The county is in the district of Southwest Mississippi Community College.

See also National Register of Historic Places listings in Walthall County, Mississippi

References

External links