Forrest County, MS
Get paid to care for your family member in Forrest County, Mississippi
About 11,200 people in Forrest County are 65 or older — 14% of everyone who lives here. Forrest County skews younger than Mississippi overall, but the families caring for an older parent here face the same bills. Roughly 1,340 are 85 or older, the age when daily help usually starts. There are only so many home-care agencies in a county this size, and the ones that are here do not always cover evenings, weekends, or the far end of the county.
Who needs care in Forrest
- People 65 and older
- 11,200
- People 85 and older
- 1,340
- Median age
- 32.6
- Rank in Mississippi
- 11th
14% of Forrest residents
the age daily help usually starts
younger than the country as a whole
of 82 counties, by residents 65+
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Population Estimates (Vintage 2024). Forrest County is a smaller-city county (USDA Rural-Urban Continuum Code 3). Mississippi as a whole is 18% aged 65 or older.
What Mississippi pays family caregivers
Rates vary — check with the program.
Your exact pay is set by the program and your care plan. We'll tell you your real number before you enroll.
Source: Mississippi Medicaid program data · Updated September 2026
Mississippi's programs at a glance
- Elderly & Disabled Waiver (agency only)
- Independent Living Waiver
- Spouse paid?
- Not right now
- Parent paid for a child?
- Not right now
- Waitlist
- There may be a waitlist — apply early.
These rules are set by the state, so they are the same in every county. Read the full Mississippi guide →
Towns and cities in Forrest County
Mississippi sets eligibility, not your town — so a family in Hattiesburg and a family at the far edge of the county apply the same way. The largest communities in Forrest County:
- Hattiesburg41,762
- Petal11,538
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Subcounty Population Estimates.
How families in Forrest apply
You do not need a county office to start. Families in Forrest County start with Mississippi's program:
Contact your regional Mississippi Division of Medicaid office or the MAC Center (844-822-4622) to request a waiver assessment; for the IL Waiver contact MS Dept. of Rehabilitation Services.
Or skip the phone tag — our free 2-minute check tells you which Mississippi program fits your family, then we help with the forms.
See if you qualify →Forrest questions, answered honestly
Can I get paid to care for a family member in Forrest County?
Yes. Mississippi runs real Medicaid programs — like Elderly & Disabled Waiver (agency only) — that pay family caregivers, and they cover families in Forrest County. We help you enroll, and applying costs you nothing.
How much do family caregivers earn in Forrest County?
Mississippi doesn't publish one flat rate. The program sets your exact pay. We'll tell you your real number before you enroll.
Where do families in Forrest County apply?
Families in Forrest County start with the state, not the county. Contact your regional Mississippi Division of Medicaid office or the MAC Center (844-822-4622) to request a waiver assessment; for the IL Waiver contact MS Dept. of Rehabilitation Services.
Can I get paid to care for my spouse in Forrest County?
Not right now — but other family members often can be. The fine print for Mississippi: no — spouses excluded; E&D Waiver has no consumer direction at all
How many people in Forrest County might need this?
11,200 residents of Forrest County are 65 or older and about 1,340 are 85 or older, according to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2024 population estimates. Most of them are cared for at home by a relative rather than in a facility. Mississippi's programs exist to pay for exactly that care.
Which towns in Forrest do you cover?
All of Forrest County — including Hattiesburg and Petal. Eligibility is set by Mississippi, not by your town, so where you live inside the county does not change whether you qualify.
Program facts come from Mississippi's published Medicaid program rules · Population figures from the U.S. Census Bureau · Updated September 2026. Rules change — always confirm with the program.
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