Attala County (/ˈætələ/ AT-əl-ə) is a county located in the U.S. state of Mississippi. As of the 2020 census, the population was 17,889. Its county seat is Kosciusko. Attala County is named for Atala, a fictional Native American heroine from an early-19th-century novel of the same name by François-René de Chateaubriand.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 737 square miles (1,910 km), of which 735 square miles (1,900 km) is land and 1.7 square miles (4.4 km) (0.2%) is water. It is bound by the Big Black River, a tributary of the Mississippi River, in the west.

• Mississippi Highway 12
• Mississippi Highway 14
• Mississippi Highway 19
• Mississippi Highway 35
• Mississippi Highway 43
• Natchez Trace Parkway

• Montgomery County (north)
• Choctaw County (northeast)
• Winston County (east)
• Leake County (south)
• Madison County (southwest)
• Holmes County (west)
• Carroll County (northwest)

• Natchez Trace Parkway (part)

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1840	4,303		—
1850	10,991		155.4%
1860	14,169		28.9%
1870	14,776		4.3%
1880	19,988		35.3%
1890	22,213		11.1%
1900	26,248		18.2%
1910	28,851		9.9%
1920	24,831		−13.9%
1930	26,035		4.8%
1940	30,227		16.1%
1950	26,652		−11.8%
1960	21,335		−19.9%
1970	19,570		−8.3%
1980	19,865		1.5%
1990	18,481		−7.0%
2000	19,661		6.4%
2010	19,564		−0.5%
2020	17,889		−8.6%
2023 (est.)	17,359		−3.0%
U.S. Decennial Census 1790-1960 1900-1990 1990-2000 2010-2013

Attala County Racial Composition

Race	Num.	Perc.
White	9,410	52.6%
Black or African American	7,642	42.72%
Native American	29	0.16%
Asian	97	0.54%
Pacific Islander	4	0.02%
Other/Mixed	376	2.1%
Hispanic or Latino	331	1.85%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 17,889 people, 6,941 households, and 4,735 families residing in the county.

As of the 2010 United States census, there were 19,564 people living in the county, down from its peak in 1940. 56.2% were White, 42.0% Black or African American, 0.3% Asian, 0.2% Native American, 0.7% of some other race and 0.6% of two or more races. 1.7% were Hispanic or Latino (of any race).

As of the census of 2000, there were 19,661 people, 7,567 households, and 5,380 families living in the county. The population density was 27 people per square mile (10 people/km). There were 8,639 housing units at an average density of 12 units per square mile (4.6 units/km). The racial makeup of the county was 58.34% White, 40.00% Black or African American, 0.17% Native American, 0.27% Asian, 0.65% from other races, and 0.57% from two or more races. 1.42% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 7,567 households, out of which 32.10% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.30% were married couples living together, 16.70% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.90% were non-families. 26.40% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.50% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.55 and the average family size was 3.07.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 25.90% under the age of 18, 9.20% from 18 to 24, 25.20% from 25 to 44, 22.40% from 45 to 64, and 17.30% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 91.50 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.70 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $24,794, and the median income for a family was $30,796. Males had a median income of $26,180 versus $17,394 for females. The per capita income for the county was $13,782. About 18.30% of families and 21.80% of the population were below the poverty line, including 28.60% of those under age 18 and 21.40% of those age 65 or over.

• Kosciusko (county seat)

• Ethel
• McCool
• Sallis

• Hesterville
• McAdams
• Possumneck
• Williamsville
• Zama

• Sand Hill
• Valena

• Myrtis Methvin was elected in 1932 as the second woman mayor in Louisiana and took office in Castor in Bienville Parish, serving from 1933 to 1945. She was born in Attala County in 1895.
• John D. Winters, a historian of the American Civil War, was born in Attala County in 1917.
• The Choctaw Chief Kiliahote was born here in 1826.

United States presidential election results for Attala County, Mississippi

Year	Republican		Democratic		Third party(ies)
	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
2024	4,723	61.31%	2,930	38.04%	50	0.65%
2020	5,178	58.69%	3,542	40.15%	103	1.17%
2016	4,897	59.31%	3,242	39.27%	117	1.42%
2012	5,126	56.38%	3,927	43.19%	39	0.43%
2008	5,273	57.42%	3,849	41.91%	61	0.66%
2004	5,014	61.09%	3,145	38.32%	48	0.58%
2000	4,206	58.64%	2,922	40.74%	45	0.63%
1996	3,130	47.34%	3,092	46.76%	390	5.90%
1992	3,520	49.67%	3,015	42.54%	552	7.79%
1988	4,524	59.87%	2,997	39.66%	35	0.46%
1984	4,870	59.28%	3,327	40.50%	18	0.22%
1980	3,975	48.39%	4,117	50.12%	122	1.49%
1976	3,146	42.38%	4,068	54.80%	209	2.82%
1972	4,738	79.50%	1,103	18.51%	119	2.00%
1968	599	8.60%	1,588	22.81%	4,776	68.59%
1964	4,409	94.37%	263	5.63%	0	0.00%
1960	650	19.89%	1,337	40.91%	1,281	39.20%
1956	445	16.74%	1,793	67.46%	420	15.80%
1952	1,178	34.28%	2,258	65.72%	0	0.00%
1948	32	1.30%	130	5.27%	2,305	93.43%
1944	87	3.83%	2,187	96.17%	0	0.00%
1940	63	2.97%	2,049	96.65%	8	0.38%
1936	36	1.90%	1,855	97.79%	6	0.32%
1932	38	1.57%	2,370	97.97%	11	0.45%
1928	113	4.77%	2,258	95.23%	0	0.00%
1924	119	6.74%	1,600	90.60%	47	2.66%
1920	270	18.27%	1,187	80.31%	21	1.42%
1916	110	7.83%	1,267	90.24%	27	1.92%
1912	49	4.03%	1,060	87.17%	107	8.80%

• National Register of Historic Places listings in Attala County, Mississippi

• Attala County Courthouse Pictures
• Attala County GenWeb

33°05′N 89°35′W / 33.09°N 89.58°W / 33.09; -89.58