The Town Files

Hancock County, Mississippi

46,167 people. The median home is worth $224,200 (typical Mississippi town: $124,700) and the median household earns $67,708.

Towns in Hancock County

Towns in Hancock County

TownPeopleMedian homeIncomeMedian age
Diamondhead9,529$259,600$87,40749.1
Bay St. Louis9,284$260,200$67,44253.3
Waveland7,210$218,900$68,69340.7

People and housing

Hancock CountyTypical Mississippi town
Median home value$224,200$124,700
Median rent$977$820
Median household income$67,708$45,965
Median age46.637.3
Bachelor's degree or higher26.8%19.4%
Below the poverty line13.8%22.9%

Jobs and pay

14,399 jobs in 2024, average pay $62,168 a year.

Largest industries in Hancock CountyHotels & restaurants2,517 jobs · $26,575Retail1,605 jobs · $28,736Professional & technical serv…1,230 jobs · $79,255Manufacturing1,003 jobs · $90,063Administrative & support806 jobs · $63,915Construction735 jobs · $64,456
BLS QCEW 2024.
Unemployment rate in Hancock County0%2%4%6%8%10%12%2000200420082012201620202023 3.3%
BLS LAUS via USDA ERS, annual averages.

Storms since 1996

NOAA recorded 319 storm events in Hancock County from 1996 to 2026, with 2 deaths.

Storm events in Hancock County by type since 1996Hail47Flood4Drought12Tornado44Lightning9Waterspout5Flash Flood32Funnel Cloud7Excessive Heat44Storm Surge/Tide4
NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database.

Federal disaster declarations

Hancock County has been included in 33 FEMA declarations since 1953.

DeclaredIncidentDeclaration
August 3, 2026Tropical StormDR-4930: Tropical Storm Arthur
February 6, 2026Winter StormDR-4899: Severe Winter Storm
January 24, 2026Winter StormEM-3640: Severe Winter Storm
June 10, 2024Severe StormDR-4790: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding
October 22, 2021HurricaneDR-4626: Hurricane Ida
August 28, 2021HurricaneEM-3569: Hurricane Ida
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024; BLS QCEW and LAUS; NOAA Storm Events; FEMA OpenFEMA (not endorsed by FEMA).