Neighboring house trailers in DeSoto County, Mississippi, near Arkabutla, 2016
Arkabutla’s story
152 years in pictures
The archive holds 2 old photos and papers going back to 2016 and 3 maps from 1932 on.
- 1874Arkabutla is settled
ArkabutlaMS
A town of 202, settled in 1874.
Population
202
Census survey, 2020–24
Household income
$94K
median
Median age
23.8
years
Jobs based here
15
A commuter town
Is Arkabutla a good place to live?
Arkabutla has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
202 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Getting set up
Moving to Arkabutla: who provides what
Arkabutla is unincorporated, so Tate County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerEntergy Mississippi13.9¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterArkabutla Water AssociationNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet4 providers99% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesTate CountyTate County provides services here
Register to voteIn personMississippi has no online registration; you can register in person until 30 days before Election Day or by mail (postmarked 30 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereTate County RegistrarTate County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Sep 2023
ZIP code3861838618 100%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Arkabutla.
Who lives here
A college town: 45% of residents are 18 to 24
19% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 25% across Mississippi. Adults 18 to 34 are 48% of residents (22% statewide); adults 35 to 64 are 23% of residents (37% statewide).
23.8median age · MS 38.6
ArkabutlaMississippiUnited States
Ages · share of residents
45%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma15%
High school35%
Some college0%
Associate’s31%
Bachelor’s13%
Graduate7%
Women and men · all residents
Somewhere between 0% and 100% women
The Census survey reached too few of Arkabutla’s residents to say more: its margin here is ±57.6 points. Across Mississippi, 51.5% of residents are women.
| Arkabutla | MS | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 11.4% | 12.1% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 0% | 11.2% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 45% | 9.8% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 2.5% | 12.6% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 0% | 12.6% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 7.4% | 12% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 15.3% | 12.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 18.3% | 10.4% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 0% | 6.8% | 7% |
| No diploma | 14.8% | 12.9% | 10.4% |
| High school | 35.2% | 29.9% | 26% |
| Some college | 0% | 21.2% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 30.7% | 10.9% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 12.5% | 15.3% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 6.8% | 9.9% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 200, single groups can be off by several points
Work & commute
Most of Arkabutla’s workers head elsewhere: there are 0.1 jobs for each of them
Arkabutla’s average trip to work stands at 32 minutes, against 23 minutes in Mississippi’s towns and 25 minutes across U.S. towns. The top destinations are Memphis (19%), Southaven (14%) and Hernando (13%).
0%work in town
Where working residents work
In Arkabutla0%
Memphis19%
Southaven14%
Hernando13%
Senatobia9%
23 mi
median commute distance
15
jobs based in Arkabutla
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
Arkabutla has mild winters and hot summers
Its peak summer temperature stands at 91°F, where Mississippi’s towns sit at 91°F and U.S. towns at 85°F.
91°summer high
Typical low → high °F
Winter35–53°
Spring52–73°
Summer70–90°
Fall52–74°
Nov 15
typical first frost
Mar 14
typical last frost
+0.5°
vs. the 20th-century average
91°
typical summer high
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health
How healthy Arkabutla is
In Arkabutla, 16% of adults report frequent mental distress. On the CDC’s 31 measures, Arkabutla is ahead of Mississippi on 5 and behind on 6. 17% of adults in the town have diabetes; 17% report frequent physical distress.
| Arkabutla | Mississippi towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 47% | 45% | 35% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 16% | 12% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 16% | 14% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 35% | 36% | 25% |
31 measures vs. Mississippi
5 better20 too close to call6 worse
| What stands out | Arkabutla | MS |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing a utility shut-off | 7.5% | 11.2% |
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 11.5% | 16.8% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 10.6% | 7.6% |
Highland Hills Medical Center
10.8 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Natural hazards
Natural hazards: moderate risk in Arkabutla, mostly earthquakes
Federal disaster aid has reached households in Arkabutla once, in 2026. Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 50% of U.S. communities.
50risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
EarthquakesTornadoesInland flooding
1
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Arkabutla
15pages on Arkabutla
The big questions
Out and about
After high school
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Arkabutla
About 0 of every 100 Arkabutla residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Mississippi.
A commuter town
100% of working residents leave Arkabutla for work
Where Arkabutla’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
15jobs based in Arkabutla
0%of working residents work in town
23 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Arkabutla
Census-designated place in Mississippi, United States
Arkabutla is a census-designated place and unincorporated community in Tate County, Mississippi, United States. Arkabutla is located approximately 9 miles (14 km) west of Coldwater and approximately 9 miles (14 km) north of Strayhorn. It also lies approximately 4 miles (6.4 km) south of the dam at Arkabutla Lake. Although an unincorporated community, it has a post office and a zip code of 38602. The community derives its name from Arkabutla Creek. Per the 2020 Census, the population was 285.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 4.0 sq mi
- Elevation
- 315 ft
- ZIP code
- 38602
- Area code
- 662
Questions about Arkabutla
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Arkabutla, MS a good place to live?
Arkabutla has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
What is Arkabutla, MS known for?
2 notable people were born here, including James Earl Jones and Matthew Maher.