Rankin County
Also known as Rankin County, Mississippi, Rankin County, MS
county in Mississippi, United States
Key facts
- Country
- United States
- State
- Mississippi
- Founded
- February 4, 1828
- Named after
- Christopher Rankin
- Seat
- Brandon
- Largest city
- Pearl
- Total
- 806 sq mi (2,090 km )
- Land
- 775 sq mi (2,010 km )
- Water
- 31 sq mi (80 km ) 3.8%
- Estimate 2025
- 162,181
- Density
- 203/sq mi (78.2/km )
- Time zone
- UTC−6 ( Central )
- Summer dst
- UTC−5 ( CDT )
~16 min read
Article
Rankin County is a county located in the U.S. state of Mississippi. The western border of the county is formed by the Pearl River. As of the 2020 census, the population was 157,031, making it the fourth-most populous county in Mississippi. The county seat is Brandon, and the largest city is Pearl. The county is named in honor of Christopher Rankin, a Mississippi Congressman who served from 1819 to 1826.
Rankin County is part of the Jackson Metropolitan Statistical Area. The county includes several of the Jackson metropolitan area's eastern suburbs, including Pearl, Brandon, Flowood, Richland, and Florence.