Special Report

These Are the Counties in the Hattiesburg, MS Metro Area with the Most Deaths from COVID-19

Samuel Stebbins

Published: September 19, 2021 2:45 am

The ongoing spread of the delta variant is claiming lives and threatening a return to normalcy in the United States. So far, 659,336 Americans have died from the virus — more than the total number of Americans killed in World War I and World War II combined.

In the Hattiesburg metropolitan area, located in Mississippi, a total of 405 deaths have been attributed to the virus, equal to 272 fatalities for every 100,000 people. Nationwide, 202 deaths have been attributed to the virus per 100,000 people.

The higher than average per capita COVID-19 death rate across the metro area is being driven by one area in particular.

The broader Hattiesburg metro area comprises three counties or county equivalents — and of them, Perry County has had the most COVID-19 fatalities per capita. So far, the per capita coronavirus death rate in Perry County stands at 441 for every 100,000 people.

With the highest per capita death rate in the Hattiesburg metro area, Perry County ranks among the top 10% of all U.S. counties or county equivalents by COVID-19 death rate per capita.

All COVID-19 data used in this story are current as of Sept. 16, 2021.

These are all the counties in Mississippi where COVID-19 is slowing (and where it’s still getting worse).