Blog · September 24, 2026 · Mississippi
Hancock County, Mississippi GIS Parcel Map Guide
Bay St. Louis, Waveland, Diamondhead, Kiln, Pearlington, Lakeshore and Clermont Harbor are all covered by the Hancock County Assessor’s free geoportal map.
Main page: Hancock County, MS GIS & Parcel Viewer (official map link, Hancock County facts and neighboring maps).
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Hancock County took the direct hit from Hurricane Katrina’s eye in 2005 and has rebuilt since, while a NASA rocket test center sits in its western woods. The Assessor’s geoportal map shows both stories in the parcel fabric.
The Assessor’s geoportal
Hancock County’s map runs on a geoportal platform common along the Gulf Coast. The toolbar offers layers, identify, search with a search history, clear, a beta drawing tool, buffer, measure, print and help. A disclaimer asks users to weigh the provisional nature of the data before relying on it for safety or business decisions. Technical support has its own phone line, and there is still a link to a legacy version of the viewer.
Our Mississippi directory line for Hancock links it, as does the national viewer map.
Katrina and the rebuilt coast
On August 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina’s storm surge, around 28 feet in places, swept through Waveland, Bay St. Louis and Pearlington, destroying most homes near the water. Afterward, many lots sat empty for years, and rebuilt homes rose on tall pilings to meet new flood elevation rules. The parcel map shows gaps where lots were never rebuilt, some now owned by the cities or the state. When buying, compare the home’s elevation with the base flood elevation, since insurance depends on it.
How to find property lines in Hancock County
Coastal lots follow recorded plats, many predating the storm. Surveys done after Katrina often reset corners because monuments washed away. The Chancery Clerk records deeds and plats; Hancock has offices in Bay St. Louis and Kiln. Hire a Mississippi professional surveyor before building or fencing, and ask for a new elevation certificate at the same time.
Our guide to flood layers explains the zones.
Stennis Space Center and its buffer
NASA’s John C. Stennis Space Center, where rocket engines are test-fired, sits in western Hancock County. Around it lies a large acoustic buffer zone, well over a hundred thousand acres, where the government holds easements restricting homes to protect people from engine noise. If a tract in the west looks cheap, check whether it lies inside the buffer before planning a house.
Tidelands and piers
Mississippi holds certain submerged and tidal lands in public trust. Building a pier or bulkhead into those waters usually requires a tidelands lease or permit from the state, on top of local permits. Waterfront parcels on the bay or bayous should be checked for these requirements.
Diamondhead and Kiln
Diamondhead, incorporated as a city in 2012, is a golf and residential community with association rules. Kiln, inland along the Jourdan River, is known as the hometown of quarterback Brett Favre and has larger rural lots.
The Pearl River border
The Pearl River and its swampy bottomlands form the line with Louisiana on the county’s west side. Much of that land is in state wildlife management areas and conservation ownership, and it floods most years. Pearlington, near the mouth, was almost entirely destroyed by Katrina and rebuilt slowly. Parcels near the river may be reachable only by boat in high water.
Insurance on the coast
After Katrina, wind and flood coverage along the Mississippi coast became expensive, and it remains the largest surprise for many newcomers. Flood insurance follows the FEMA zone and the home’s elevation, while wind coverage for many coastal homes comes through a state-backed pool. Ask the seller for past premiums and any elevation certificate. A home a few blocks inland at a higher elevation can cost far less to insure than one closer to the water, even if the prices look similar.
Old Town Bay St. Louis, with its shops along Beach Boulevard and the rebuilt seawall and harbor, has become a draw for visitors and second-home owners. Short-term rental rules there are set by the city, so check them before buying with rental income in mind.
Wetlands inland
Much of central and western Hancock County is pine flatwoods and wet savanna. Low, flat land here may qualify as jurisdictional wetland even if it looks dry in late summer, and filling it can require a federal permit. Before buying acreage to build on, walk it after heavy rain and consider a wetland delineation. The geoportal’s buffer tool can help you find everything within a set distance of a stream or bayou.
Casinos and the waterfront
A casino on the bay in Bay St. Louis and the marina around it anchor tourism on the county’s eastern shore. Commercial zoning along the beach road allows larger buildings than the residential blocks behind them, so check the zoning before assuming a quiet street will stay that way.
Is the Hancock County GIS map accurate?
The county labels its data provisional, and on this coast that is an honest word. Many plats were drawn before Katrina, monuments were scoured away, and some lots were resurveyed afterward with small shifts. Where the map, the old plat and a newer survey disagree, the survey done on the ground wins. Our primer on what a recorded plat actually shows helps when you pull the old documents.
Nearby guides
Across the Pearl, see our St. Tammany Parish guide. The Mississippi county page has the others.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Stennis buffer zone?
A large area around NASA’s Stennis Space Center where easements restrict homes because of rocket engine noise.
Do I need a permit for a pier in Hancock County?
Usually yes, including a state tidelands lease or permit for public trust waters.
Who records Hancock County deeds?
The Chancery Clerk, with offices in Bay St. Louis and Kiln.
How high was Katrina’s surge in Hancock County?
Around 28 feet in places.
Open the official Hancock County GIS viewer Hancock County in the Platbookmapper directory
Not a survey. County GIS and tax parcel maps are assessment and planning layers. They are not a substitute for a recorded plat, deed, or licensed survey — especially for fences, setbacks, or boundary disputes.