HomeMississippiSunflower County
Sunflower County, Mississippi: commercial real estate data.
Sunflower County, Mississippi had an estimated 23,029 residents on July 1, 2024, down 10.8 percent since the 2020 census base of 25,816, across 698 square miles. County output reached $862.7 m in 2024, 406 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 6 7(a) approvals worth $1.5 m since FY2020.
Underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency.
Sunflower County
How many people live in Sunflower County
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-202424,333
- Households8,034
- Average household size3.03
- Median household income$39,956
- Median age37.1
- Median gross rent$694 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$100,300
- Home value to household income2.5 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income20.8 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher16.0 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree6.4 percent
- Adults 25 and over16,645
- Population under 185,196
- Share under 1821.4 percent
- Population 65 and over3,746
- Share 65 and over15.4 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6415,391
- Civilian labor force9,926
- Unemployment rate11.2 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over51.9 percent
- Rank by population among Mississippi counties38th of 82
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents, Puerto Rico included1688th of 3,222
Sunflower County is the 38th largest of 82 Mississippi counties by population. A median home costs 2.5 times median household income, which is affordable by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 21.4 percent against 15.4 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Sunflower County
Is Sunflower County's population growing?
- Population, July 1, 202423,029
- Census 2020 base population25,816
- Population change since the 2020 census base-10.80 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 2024-911
- Births, 2024258
- Deaths, 2024386
- Natural change, 2024-128
- Net domestic migration, 2024-836
- Net international migration, 202451
- Total net migration, 2024-785
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024-2,348
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents3126th of 3,144
The county has lost 10.80 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.
Sunflower County
Where are people moving to Sunflower County from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving383
- People arriving, from those returns767
- Tax returns filed by households leaving506
- Net household movement-123
- Adjusted gross income arriving$10.8 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$-6.5 m
- Average income of an arriving household$28,201
- Average income of a leaving household$34,174
- Largest single originBolivar County (69 households)
- Largest single destinationBolivar County (72 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bolivar County | 69 | 152 | $2.5 m |
| Washington County | 36 | 79 | $1.0 m |
| Shelby County | 28 | 55 | $1.0 m |
| DeSoto County | 27 | 58 | $619,000 |
Households arriving report $5,973 less average income than households leaving, which drains spending power even where headcount holds up. The largest single source of arrivals is Bolivar 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.
Sunflower County
What is the Sunflower County economy?
- County GDP, 2024$862.7 m
- County GDP, 2023$944.1 m
- GDP change, 2023 to 2024-8.6 percent
- GDP change over five years19.2 percent
- Rank by GDP among the Mississippi areas BEA publishes41st of 82
- Rank by GDP among the US county areas BEA publishes1967th of 3,127
- GDP per resident$35,453
Output grew -8.6 percent in the latest year and 19.2 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.
Sunflower County
Employment by industry in Sunflower County
- Covered employment, annual average8,222
- Establishments reporting535
- Average annual pay$41,018
- Average weekly wage$789
- Transportation and warehousing, employment1,106
- Transportation and warehousing, average annual pay$42,025
- Retail trade, employment775
- Retail trade, average annual pay$27,894
- Accommodation and food services, employment480
- Accommodation and food services, average annual pay$15,644
- Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting, employment313
- Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting, average annual pay$40,804
- Manufacturing, employment291
- Construction, employment229
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Transportation and warehousing | 1,106 | 32 | $42,025 |
| Retail trade | 775 | 87 | $27,894 |
| Accommodation and food services | 480 | 38 | $15,644 |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting | 313 | 83 | $40,804 |
| Manufacturing | 291 | 16 | $55,082 |
| Construction | 229 | 26 | $58,266 |
| Finance and insurance | 155 | 34 | $54,937 |
| Other services, except public administration | 139 | 22 | $39,910 |
Transportation and warehousing is the largest private sector at 1,106 jobs, 13.5 percent of covered employment.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Sunflower County
How many businesses are in Sunflower County?
- Establishments, all industries406
- Employment at those establishments6,028
- Annual payroll$243.2 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents16.7
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.
Sunflower County
Building permits in Sunflower County
- Housing units authorized by permit, 20246
- Declared construction value permitted$1.5 m
- Single family units authorized6
- Multifamily units authorized0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$246,938
- Units authorized per 1,000 households0.7
Single-family homes are 100.0 percent of units authorized, so the pipeline is predominantly single-family.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Sunflower County
SBA loans in Sunflower County (7(a) and 504)
- 7(a) approvals recorded6
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$1.5 m
- Average 7(a) approval$243,450
- Median 7(a) approval$175,000
- Largest single approval$685,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)36
- Jobs per approval6.0
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active4
- Distinct industries receiving approvals6
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer16.7 percent
- Loans on real estate terms1
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter5
- Franchise loans1
- Franchise share of approvals16.7 percent
- Most active lenderCommunity Bank of Mississippi (3)
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Sunflower County
SBA loan default and charge-off rates in Sunflower County
Do SBA loans in Sunflower County get paid back?
- Loans with a final outcome recorded0
- Paid in full0
- Charged off0
- Status: Exempt from disclosure4
- Status: Cancelled2
Only 0 loans have reached a final outcome, fewer than the 30 a charge-off rate needs, so no rate is published.
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.
Sunflower County
SBA lending by place in Sunflower County
- Borrower cities with recorded lending3
- Indianola, approvals4
- Sunflower, approvals1
- Ruleville, approvals1
| Borrower city | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Indianola | 4 | $633,100 |
| Sunflower | 1 | $685,000 |
| Ruleville | 1 | $142,600 |
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Sunflower County
How large is Sunflower County?
- Land area698 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Mississippi counties19th of 82
- Width, east to west18.1 mi
- Height, north to south49.6 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary6
- Residents per square mile of land35
- Establishments per square mile0.58
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.
Sunflower County
Flood risk in Sunflower County
- Participation of the county's own NFIP community Sunflower County, unincorporated areasParticipating, community 280195
- Communities in the county in the NFIP Community Status Book8
- Of those, participating in the NFIP8
- NFIP participation rate100.0 percent
- Communities carrying a CRS class0
- Radon levels in Sunflower 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 Sunflower County (community 280195), participates in the National Flood Insurance Program and carries no Community Rating System class, so no CRS premium discount applies there. The EPA places Sunflower 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. 100.0 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 Sunflower 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 Sunflower County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-202424,333
- Households8,034
- Average household size3.03
- Median household income$39,956
- Median age37.1
Common questions
Sunflower County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Sunflower County, Mississippi?
The Census Bureau estimates 23,029 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 24,333, in 8,034 households, ranking 38th of 82 Mississippi counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Sunflower County's population growing?
The population has fallen 10.80 percent since the 2020 census base of 25,816, to 23,029 on July 1, 2024. In 2024 there were 258 births against 386 deaths, with net migration of -785. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Sunflower County?
$39,956. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $100,300, which is 2.5 times income, and median gross rent is $694 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in Sunflower County?
406 establishments, employing 6,028 people with an annual payroll of $243.2 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 Sunflower County?
Transportation and warehousing is the largest private sector at 1,106 jobs, 13.5 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 8,222 jobs at an average annual pay of $41,018, or $789 a week. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Sunflower County?
6 7(a) approvals totaling $1.5 m since FY2020, across 4 lenders, with a median approval of $175,000. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
How many building permits were issued in Sunflower County?
6 housing units were authorized by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $1.5 m. Multifamily was 0.0 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Sunflower 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 Sunflower County come from?
The largest single origin is Bolivar County, with 69 households. Arriving households report an average income of $28,201 against $34,174 for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Sunflower 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 Sunflower 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.
Sunflower County
Cities and places in Sunflower.
7 Census places lie wholly or partly in Sunflower County. All 7 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Indianola | city | 9,062 | 4 | Wholly in this county |
| Ruleville | city | 2,632 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
| Drew | city | 2,132 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Moorhead | city | 1,439 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Sunflower | town | 976 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
| Inverness | town | 740 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Doddsville | town | 260 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |