HomeMississippiHancock County
Hancock County, Mississippi: commercial real estate data.
Hancock County, Mississippi has a population of 46,167 across 474 square miles, up 1.0 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $2.27 bn in 2024, 850 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 21 7(a) approvals worth $7.7 m.
120 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Hancock County
How many people live in Hancock County
- Population46,167
- Households20,237
- Average household size2.28
- Median household income$67,708
- Median age46.6
- Median gross rent$977 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$224,200
- Home value to household income3.3 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income17.3 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher26.8 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree11.2 percent
- Adults 25 and over34,132
- Population under 188,875
- Share under 1819.2 percent
- Population 65 and over10,413
- Share 65 and over22.6 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6426,879
- Civilian labor force21,809
- Unemployment rate5.0 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over58.5 percent
- Rank by population among Mississippi counties16th of 82
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents1077th
Hancock County is the 16th largest of 82 Mississippi counties by population. A median home costs 3.3 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents 65 and over outnumber those under 18, at 22.6 percent against 19.2 percent, which points demand at health care, services and single storey product rather than schools.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Hancock County
Is Hancock County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base0.96 percent
- Census 2020 base population46,052
- Births, 2024446
- Deaths, 2024520
- Natural change, 2024-74
- Net domestic migration, 2024389
- Net international migration, 202418
- Total net migration, 2024407
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 20241,001
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents1494th
The county has grown 0.96 percent since the 2020 census base. Deaths exceeded births in 2024, so all of the growth came from people moving in. A market held up by migration alone is more sensitive to a change in relative cost than one growing from household formation.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Hancock County
Where people moving to Hancock County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving1,413
- People arriving, from those returns2,629
- Adjusted gross income arriving$98.8 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$69,925
- Largest single originHancock County Non-migrants (14,743 households)
- Largest single destination (14,743 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hancock County Non-migrants | 14,743 | 29,996 | $998.9 m |
| Other flows - Different State | 550 | 970 | $39.6 m |
| Other flows - South | 361 | 619 | $25.4 m |
| Harrison County | 317 | 629 | $17.0 m |
| St. Tammany Parish | 150 | 281 | $17.6 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 127 | 246 | $7.6 m |
| Pearl River County | 124 | 255 | $4.9 m |
| Other flows - West | 94 | 180 | $6.1 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Hancock County Non-migrants, 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.
Hancock County
What the Hancock County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$2.27 bn
- County GDP, 2023$2.17 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20244.5 percent
- GDP change over five years32.1 percent
- Rank by GDP among Mississippi counties16th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents1177th
- GDP per resident$49,194
Output grew 4.5 percent in the latest year and 32.1 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.
Hancock County
Who employs people in Hancock County
- Covered employment, annual average14,399
- Establishments reporting1,042
- Average annual pay$62,168
- Average weekly wage$1,196
- Sector 72, employment2,517
- Sector 72, average annual pay$26,575
- Sector 44-45, employment1,605
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$28,736
- Sector 54, employment1,230
- Sector 54, average annual pay$79,255
- Sector 31-33, employment1,003
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$90,063
- Sector 56, employment806
- Sector 23, employment735
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 72 | 2,517 | 134 | $26,575 |
| Sector 44-45 | 1,605 | 151 | $28,736 |
| Sector 54 | 1,230 | 154 | $79,255 |
| Sector 31-33 | 1,003 | 31 | $90,063 |
| Sector 56 | 806 | 48 | $63,915 |
| Sector 23 | 735 | 99 | $64,456 |
| Sector 48-49 | 265 | 38 | $72,019 |
| Sector 52 | 262 | 66 | $69,144 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 2,517 jobs, 17.5 percent of covered employment. Average pay per job sits below median household income, so households here typically need more than one earner.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Hancock County
What businesses operate in Hancock County
- Establishments, all industries850
- Employment at those establishments8,827
- Annual payroll$433.8 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents18.4
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Hancock County
What is being built in Hancock County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 2024244
- Declared construction value permitted$60.3 m
- Single family units authorised242
- Multifamily units authorised2
- Multifamily share of units0.8 percent
- Average declared value per unit$247,098
- Units authorised per 1,000 households12.1
Multifamily is 0.8 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Hancock County
How much SBA lending happens in Hancock County
- 7(a) approvals recorded21
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$7.7 m
- Average 7(a) approval$369,038
- Median 7(a) approval$300,000
- 10th percentile approval$37,800
- 90th percentile approval$650,000
- Largest single approval$1,295,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)156
- Jobs per approval7.4
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active11
- Distinct industries receiving approvals17
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer23.8 percent
- Loans on real estate terms5
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter13
- Franchise loans3
- Franchise share of approvals14.3 percent
- Leading industry by approval countBowling Centers (3)
- Most active lenderHancock Whitney Bank (4)
- 504 approvals recorded4
- 504 gross approval dollars$5.2 m
- Average 504 approval$1,312,250
- Median 504 approval$359,000
- Distinct CDCs active3
- 504 jobs per approval11.5
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved8.8
- Most active CDCThree Rivers Local Development Company, Inc. (2)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals84.0 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$13.0 m
The average approval of $369,038 sits close to the median of $300,000, so lending here is fairly evenly sized rather than driven by a few large deals. Only 23.8 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. US Small Business Administration, 504 FOIA release, FY2010 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Hancock County
Do SBA loans in Hancock County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded3
- Paid in full3
- Charged off0
- Status: Paid in full3
- Status: Cancelled3
- Status: Exempt from disclosure13
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed2
Too few loans have reached a final outcome to publish a charge off rate. only 3 resolved loans, too few to publish a rate. A rate computed on a handful of loans is noise, so none is shown.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Hancock County
Which parts of Hancock County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending5
- Bay Saint Louis, approvals8
- Diamondhead, approvals7
- KILN, approvals3
- PASS CHRISTIAN, approvals2
- WAVELAND, approvals1
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Bay Saint Louis | 8 | $3,298,300 |
| Diamondhead | 7 | $2,881,000 |
| KILN | 3 | $725,500 |
| PASS CHRISTIAN | 2 | $425,000 |
| WAVELAND | 1 | $420,000 |
Bay Saint Louis accounts for 8 approvals against 7 in Diamondhead. 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.
Hancock County
How big is Hancock County
- Land area474 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Mississippi counties54th of 82
- Width, east to west22 mi
- Height, north to south32.8 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary2
- Residents per square mile of land97
- Establishments per square mile1.79
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.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Every item below could be filled with a plausible figure. None of them is. On a page a lender may read, a number that cannot be traced is worse than an absence, so the absences are named.
- No NFIP communities are listed for this county in the FEMA Community Status Book.
- Flood zone record counts are not held. The flood coverage export has not landed, so no count is shown rather than an estimated one.
- Traffic counts resolve in the platform, not in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here.
- Zoning is in build. Parcel level zoning is not published on this page.
Feasibility studies
When a Hancock 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 Hancock County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population46,167
- Households20,237
- Average household size2.28
- Median household income$67,708
- Median age46.6
Common questions
Hancock County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Hancock County, Mississippi?
46,167, in 20,237 households, ranking 16th of 82 Mississippi counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Hancock County growing?
The population has grown 0.96 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 446 births against 520 deaths, with net migration of 407. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Hancock County?
$67,708. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $224,200, which is 3.3 times income, and median gross rent is $977 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Hancock County?
850 establishments, employing 8,827 people with an annual payroll of $433.8 m. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is the average wage in Hancock County?
Average annual pay is $62,168, or $1,196 a week, across 14,399 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Hancock County?
21 7(a) approvals totalling $7.7 m since FY2020, across 11 lenders, with a median approval of $300,000, plus 4 504 approvals worth $5.2 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
What is being built in Hancock County?
244 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $60.3 m. Multifamily was 0.8 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Hancock 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 Hancock County come from?
The largest single origin is Hancock County Non-migrants, with 14,743 households. Arriving households report an average income of $69,925 against null for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Hancock 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 Hancock County?
Not yet. The zoning layer is in build. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame with confirm locally attached.