Walthall County is a county in Mississippi, United States, in the piney hill country of the state’s southwestern corner, bordering Louisiana. It had a population of 13,884 at the 2020 census. The county covers 404 square miles (1,050 km2), of which 403.5 square miles are land, centred near 31°08′N 90°06′W.
Tylertown is the county seat, and its postal code is 39667. Walthall County has one incorporated town and roughly a dozen unincorporated communities, no cities of any size beyond Tylertown, and lies entirely in the Central time zone.
Towns & Villages in Walthall County
Tylertown is the only incorporated place in the county. Everywhere else — crossroads, mill communities and church settlements scattered through the pine woods — is unincorporated.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tylertown | City · seat | 1,515 | 39667 |
| Jayess | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Sartinville | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Beartown | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Bridges | Unincorp. | — | — |
| China Grove | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Darbun | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Dexter | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Dillon | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Enon | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Flowers | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Kirklin | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Lexie | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Mesa | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Rushing | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Salem | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Simonds | Unincorp. | — | — |
ZIP Codes
- 39667 — Tylertown (also serves the surrounding rural communities named above)
None of the county’s unincorporated communities has its own ZIP code; mail for the whole county routes through the Tylertown post office.
Geography
Walthall County sits in the longleaf-pine hill country of the East Gulf Coastal Plain, drained by the Bogue Chitto River and its tributaries. The terrain is rolling and heavily forested, with commercial timberland covering most of the county outside the Bogue Chitto floodplain. At 404 square miles, it is the second-smallest county in Mississippi by land area.
Walthall County borders Lawrence County to the north, Marion County to the east, Washington Parish, Louisiana to the south, Pike County to the west, and Lincoln County to the northwest.
Demographics
The 2020 census counted 13,884 residents, down from earlier decades as the timber economy mechanized and younger residents moved to Hattiesburg and Jackson for work. Tylertown, with 1,515 people, is by far the largest community; Sartinville and Jayess are the next-largest unincorporated clusters. Median household income in Mississippi was $54,203 in the 2023 American Community Survey, and Walthall County — a rural, timber-dependent county with no large private employer — runs below that state figure. Population density is about 34 people per square mile, one of the lower densities in south Mississippi.
Economy & Local Life
Timber and pulpwood remain the backbone of the county economy, alongside cattle ranching and poultry growing under contract to regional processors. Walthall General Hospital and the Walthall County School District are among the largest employers based in Tylertown, and Southwest Mississippi Community College in nearby Summit draws students from the county. The Walthall County Fair, held each September in Tylertown, is the county’s largest annual gathering.
History
Walthall County was created in 1912 from parts of Marion and Pike counties, one of the last counties organized in Mississippi. It is named for Edward C. Walthall, a Confederate major general during the Civil War who later served Mississippi in the U.S. Senate. Tylertown, settled in 1816 as the Magee Settlement and renamed for merchant William G. Tyler in the 1870s, became the new county’s seat. On March 15, 2025, a tornado outbreak struck Tylertown and the surrounding county, killing six people and destroying homes and businesses in and around the town.
Getting There
U.S. Highway 98 crosses the county east-west through Tylertown, with Mississippi Highways 27, 44 and 48 connecting the rural communities to it.
- McComb, Mississippi — 25 miles west on US-98
- Hattiesburg, Mississippi — 55 miles northeast
- Bogalusa, Louisiana — 20 miles south
- Jackson, Mississippi — 85 miles north
The nearest commercial airport is Hattiesburg-Laurel Regional Airport; the nearest Amtrak service is the Crescent line’s stop in Hattiesburg.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Walthall County, Mississippi?
It is in the southwestern corner of the state, on the Louisiana border, between McComb and Hattiesburg.
What is the Tylertown postcode?
Tylertown, the county seat, uses ZIP code 39667, which also covers the surrounding rural county.
What is the population of Walthall County?
13,884 residents at the 2020 census.
What is the county seat of Walthall County?
Tylertown is the county seat.
Who is Walthall County named after?
Confederate general and U.S. Senator Edward C. Walthall of Mississippi.
What counties border Walthall County?
Lawrence, Marion, Pike and Lincoln counties in Mississippi, and Washington Parish, Louisiana.
How big is Walthall County?
404 square miles (1,050 km2), the second-smallest county in Mississippi by land area.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Mississippi.