HomeMississippiSmith County
Smith County, Mississippi: commercial real estate data.
Smith County, Mississippi had an estimated 14,051 residents on July 1, 2024, down 1.2 percent since the 2020 census base of 14,219, across 636 square miles. County output reached $619.4 m in 2024, 159 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 76 7(a) approvals worth $27.2 m since FY2020.
Underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency.
Smith County
How many people live in Smith County
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-202414,132
- Households5,592
- Average household size2.53
- Median household income$60,916
- Median age43.5
- Median gross rent$664 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$112,600
- Home value to household income1.8 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income13.1 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher15.6 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree6.1 percent
- Adults 25 and over9,793
- Population under 183,232
- Share under 1822.9 percent
- Population 65 and over2,956
- Share 65 and over20.9 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 647,944
- Civilian labor force5,710
- Unemployment rate4.4 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over52.4 percent
- Rank by population among Mississippi counties57th of 82
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents, Puerto Rico included2213th of 3,222
Smith County is the 57th largest of 82 Mississippi counties by population. A median home costs 1.8 times median household income, which is affordable by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 22.9 percent against 20.9 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Smith County
Is Smith County's population growing?
- Population, July 1, 202414,051
- Census 2020 base population14,219
- Population change since the 2020 census base-1.18 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 2024-57
- Births, 2024167
- Deaths, 2024202
- Natural change, 2024-35
- Net domestic migration, 2024-22
- Net international migration, 20240
- Total net migration, 2024-22
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024-18
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents2261st of 3,144
The county has lost 1.18 percent of its population since the 2020 census base. The population fell in 2024 from both sources: deaths exceeded births and more people left than moved in.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Smith County
Where are people moving to Smith County from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving268
- People arriving, from those returns563
- Tax returns filed by households leaving295
- Net household movement-27
- Adjusted gross income arriving$11.6 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$-889,000
- Average income of an arriving household$43,101
- Average income of a leaving household$42,169
- Largest single originScott County (36 households)
- Largest single destinationJones County (39 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scott County | 36 | 84 | $1.2 m |
| Simpson County | 33 | 65 | $1.2 m |
| Jones County | 31 | 70 | $1.3 m |
| Rankin County | 27 | 57 | $1.7 m |
| Jasper County | 24 | 57 | $921,000 |
| Covington County | 21 | 43 | $741,000 |
Households arriving report $932 more average income than households leaving, so the migration is raising local spending power rather than just moving it around. The largest single source of arrivals is Scott County, which is the catchment a retail or multifamily study should look at first.
US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Smith County
What is the Smith County economy?
- County GDP, 2024$619.4 m
- County GDP, 2023$541.2 m
- GDP change, 2023 to 202414.4 percent
- GDP change over five years67.7 percent
- Rank by GDP among the Mississippi areas BEA publishes56th of 82
- Rank by GDP among the US county areas BEA publishes2246th of 3,127
- GDP per resident$43,828
Output grew 14.4 percent in the latest year and 67.7 percent over five, which is the trend line a lender will read behind any single year figure.
US Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional, table CAGDP2, CAGDP2, through 2024.
Smith County
Employment by industry in Smith County
- Covered employment, annual average2,675
- Establishments reporting196
- Average annual pay$48,765
- Average weekly wage$938
- Manufacturing, employment920
- Manufacturing, average annual pay$63,211
- Health care and social assistance, employment207
- Health care and social assistance, average annual pay$37,471
- Retail trade, employment205
- Retail trade, average annual pay$25,495
- Transportation and warehousing, employment141
- Transportation and warehousing, average annual pay$58,871
- Accommodation and food services, employment89
- Professional, scientific and technical services, employment70
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 920 | 14 | $63,211 |
| Health care and social assistance | 207 | 8 | $37,471 |
| Retail trade | 205 | 28 | $25,495 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 141 | 14 | $58,871 |
| Accommodation and food services | 89 | 17 | $16,673 |
| Professional, scientific and technical services | 70 | 12 | $32,165 |
| Construction | 42 | 20 | $44,074 |
| Administrative and support and waste management services | 26 | 6 | $18,454 |
Manufacturing is the largest private sector at 920 jobs, 34.4 percent of covered employment.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Smith County
How many businesses are in Smith County?
- Establishments, all industries159
- Employment at those establishments2,123
- Annual payroll$111.3 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents11.3
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against. County Business Patterns counts private establishments with paid employees in March 2023, while the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages above counts every unemployment-insured employer, public ones included, as a 2024 annual average, so the two establishment and employment counts differ.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Smith County
Building permits in Smith County
- Housing units authorized by permit, 20240
- Declared construction value permitted$0
- Single family units authorized0
- Multifamily units authorized0
No residential units were authorized by permit in 2024. In a small county this is common and is not by itself a sign of distress, but it does mean there is no recent residential pipeline to read demand from.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Smith County
SBA loans in Smith County (7(a) and 504)
- 7(a) approvals recorded76
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$27.2 m
- Average 7(a) approval$358,207
- Median 7(a) approval$93,900
- 10th percentile approval$25,600
- 90th percentile approval$1,067,700
- Largest single approval$3,547,700
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)228
- Jobs per approval3.0
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active12
- Distinct industries receiving approvals23
- Median 7(a) term84 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer5.3 percent
- Loans on real estate terms4
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter49
- Franchise loans0
- Franchise share of approvals0.0 percent
- Leading industry by approval countBroilers and Other Meat Type Chicken Production (15)
- Most active lenderPeoples Bank (45)
The average approval of $358,207 sits well above the median of $93,900, pulled up by a few larger deals, so the median is the better guide to what a typical borrower here gets. Only 5.3 percent of approvals run on real estate terms, so SBA credit here is mostly working capital and equipment rather than property acquisition.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Smith County
SBA loan default and charge-off rates in Smith County
Do SBA loans in Smith County get paid back?
- Loans with a final outcome recorded33
- Paid in full30
- Charged off3
- Charge-off rate on resolved loans9.1 percent
- Status: Paid in full30
- Status: Exempt from disclosure38
- Status: Charged off3
- Status: Cancelled3
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed2
Of the 33 loans that have reached a final outcome, 9.1 percent were charged off. This is computed only over resolved loans, because a loan still running has not yet succeeded or failed and counting it either way would be wrong.
Compare against the national and state SBA charge-off rates, computed the same way over resolved loans only.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Smith County
SBA lending by place in Smith County
- Borrower cities with recorded lending10
- Mize, approvals40
- Taylorsville, approvals20
- Raleigh, approvals4
- Pulaski, approvals4
- Forest, approvals2
- Bay Springs, approvals2
| Borrower city | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Mize | 40 | $11,074,500 |
| Taylorsville | 20 | $6,746,400 |
| Raleigh | 4 | $1,527,000 |
| Pulaski | 4 | $1,475,000 |
| Forest | 2 | $2,275,000 |
| Bay Springs | 2 | $303,300 |
| Louin | 1 | $1,400,000 |
| Mount Olive | 1 | $1,135,400 |
| 2 other borrower cities | 2 | $1,287,100 |
Mize accounts for 40 approvals against 20 in Taylorsville. County level figures average over that gap, which is why a site decision is made at the submarket rather than the county.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Smith County
How large is Smith County?
- Land area636 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Mississippi counties28th of 82
- Width, east to west24.3 mi
- Height, north to south30.6 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary6
- Residents per square mile of land22
- Establishments per square mile0.25
US Census Bureau county boundary geometry, TIGER, adjacency computed from shared boundary vertices, TIGER county boundaries. US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year. US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Smith County
Flood risk in Smith County
- Participation of the county's own NFIP community Smith County, unincorporated areasParticipating, community 280306
- Communities in the county in the NFIP Community Status Book6
- Of those, participating in the NFIP4
- NFIP participation rate66.7 percent
- Communities carrying a CRS class0
- Radon levels in Smith County, EPA zone predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/LZone 3
The county's own community in the status book, unincorporated Smith County (community 280306), participates in the National Flood Insurance Program and carries no Community Rating System class, so no CRS premium discount applies there. The EPA places Smith County in radon zone 3, a predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/L. The zone is a screening prediction for the county and does not substitute for a test at an address. 66.7 percent of the county's listed communities participate in the National Flood Insurance Program, per Federal Emergency Management Agency, NFIP Community Status Book (OpenFEMA), as of 2026-09-26.
Federal Emergency Management Agency, NFIP Community Status Book (OpenFEMA), as of 2026-09-26. US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Traffic counts, zoning and the flood zone at an address are not on this page; they resolve at the address in the platform. How this page was built →
Feasibility studies
When a Smith County site needs a document a lender will accept.
The same data layer behind this page is the one the studies are written from. A study for a Smith County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-202414,132
- Households5,592
- Average household size2.53
- Median household income$60,916
- Median age43.5
Common questions
Smith County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Smith County, Mississippi?
The Census Bureau estimates 14,051 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 14,132, in 5,592 households, ranking 57th of 82 Mississippi counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Smith County's population growing?
The population has fallen 1.18 percent since the 2020 census base of 14,219, to 14,051 on July 1, 2024. In 2024 there were 167 births against 202 deaths, with net migration of -22. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Smith County?
$60,916. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $112,600, which is 1.8 times income, and median gross rent is $664 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in Smith County?
159 establishments, employing 2,123 people with an annual payroll of $111.3 m. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is employment by industry in Smith County?
Manufacturing is the largest private sector at 920 jobs, 34.4 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 2,675 jobs at an average annual pay of $48,765, or $938 a week. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Smith County?
76 7(a) approvals totaling $27.2 m since FY2020, across 12 lenders, with a median approval of $93,900. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
Do SBA loans in Smith County get paid back?
Of the 33 loans that have reached a final outcome, 30 were paid in full and 3 charged off, a charge-off rate of 9.1 percent. Loans still running are excluded, because they have not yet succeeded or failed.
How many building permits were issued in Smith County?
No residential units were authorized by permit in 2024. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Smith County?
Zone 3, a predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/L. Source: US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Where do people moving to Smith County come from?
The largest single origin is Scott County, with 36 households. Arriving households report an average income of $43,101 against $42,169 for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Smith County on this page?
No. Annual average daily traffic resolves in the platform rather than in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here. It is a gap we know about rather than a figure we estimated.
Is zoning published for Smith County?
No. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame, to be confirmed locally.
Smith County
Cities and places in Smith.
5 Census places lie wholly or partly in Smith County. All 5 carry enough published place level data for a page of their own and are linked.
| Place | Type | Population | SBA 7(a) approvals, projects in this county | Lies in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Taylorsville | town | 1,650 | 20 | Wholly in this county |
| Raleigh | town | 1,118 | 4 | Wholly in this county |
| Polkville | town | 713 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Mize | town | 248 | 40 | Wholly in this county |
| Sylvarena | village | 123 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
A further 12 of the county's 76 SBA 7(a) approvals are to borrowers in cities that match no Census place in Smith County, the largest being Pulaski (4), Forest (2), Bay Springs (2). Those are postal cities, unincorporated areas and cities outside the county, so no place row claims them; they are counted in the county total above.