Bruce MS from airplane, 2012
Bruce’s story
99 years in pictures
Census counts: 946 in 1930, 1,707 in 2020. The archive holds 4 old photos and papers going back to 2012 and 2 maps from 1976 on.
- 1927Bruce is settled
BruceMS
A town of 1,608, settled in 1927.
Photo: Fredlyfish4 · CC BY-SA 4.0
Population
1,608
2025 Census estimate · −5.9% since 2020
Typical home
$143K
+4.4% in a year
Household income
$27K
median
Median age
41.1
years
Jobs based here
815
A job hub
Is Bruce a good place to live?
Bruce’s best subject grade is a B+ for cost of living; its weakest is a D− for incomes. 31% of residents live below the poverty line in Bruce, against 21% in Mississippi’s towns and 9.6% across U.S. towns. Only 9 of Mississippi’s 182 towns score lower on incomes. Most errands need a car: it is less walkable than 86% of U.S. towns. The biggest park or preserve is Bruce Park, at 49 acres. Bruce has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
A shrinking town
Bruce has shrunk 17% since 2010
1,939 counted in 2010 and 1,707 in 2020; an estimated 1,608 in 2025.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
How Bruce grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Mississippi), ordered by how far Bruce is from typical.
Jobs & incomeD−Open →HealthBMH-Calhoun 8.6 miles awayD−Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 6 of 20; 18% of households have no car; 0% of workers walk, bike or ride transitDOpen →Cost of livingB+Open →SafetyC+Open →Hazard riskinland flooding tops the listC+Open →SchoolsB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors1 mile of trailB−Open →History3 notable people born hereDOpen →Civic life5.4 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsCOpen →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Bruce: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Bruce, and how to reach them.
PowerPontotoc Electric Power Assn13.8¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterCity of Bruce water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet4 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Bruce’s trash rules yet
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 hereCalhoun County RegistrarCalhoun County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Sep 2023
ZIP code3891538915 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 Bruce.
HealthD−
On CDC estimates, Bruce is less healthy than 96% of U.S. towns
Bruce beats the Mississippi average on 2 of 31 CDC measures and trails it on 15. 53% of adults have high blood pressure in Bruce, where Mississippi’s towns sit at 45% and U.S. towns at 35%. 11% of adults binge drink in Bruce.
4%healthier than U.S. townsD−Health Grade
| Bruce | Mississippi towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 53% | 45% | 35% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 11% | 13% | 16% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 32% | 27% | 19% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 40% | 36% | 25% |
31 measures vs. Mississippi
2 better14 too close to call15 worse
| What stands out | Bruce | MS |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer binge drinkers | 10.9% | 13.6% |
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 82.5% | 79.7% |
| More adults with COPD | 12.4% | 8.6% |
BMH-Calhoun
8.6 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
SchoolsB−
Bruce’s schools rank behind 55% of Mississippi districts
Its public schools are run by the Calhoun County School District. Its two schools are below. The largest public high school is Bruce High School, with 435 students.
45%of MS districts it outscoresB−School Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bruce ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–4 | Grades PK–4 | 316 | C |
| Bruce High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 5–12 | Grades 5–12 | 435 | B |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MS on state tests and graduation
Work & commuteJobs & income grade D−
The median household income in Bruce is lower than in most of Mississippi or the rest of the country
The median household income in Bruce is $27,000. Jobs based in Bruce grew to 815 in 2023, 126 more than in 2013. Most working residents leave Bruce for work: only 14% work in town.
14%work in town
| Bruce | Mississippi towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $27,000 | $50,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 14% | 19% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 25 minutes | 23 minutes | 25 minutes |
Where working residents work
In Bruce14%
Oxford12%
Jackson4%
Pontotoc3%
Ecru3%
29 mi
median commute distance
815
jobs based in Bruce
A job hub
jobs vs. working residents
D
Walkability grade: more walkable than 14% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
HousingCost of living grade B+
The typical home in Bruce is valued at about $143K
The typical Bruce home is worth about $143,000, up 4.4% in a year, 26% below the Mississippi typical home. 41% of Bruce households own their home. Only 6 of the 97 Mississippi towns we compare have a lower median rent than Bruce.
$143KZillow home value
| Bruce | Mississippi towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 41% | 62% | 73% |
| Median rent | $643 a month | $905 a month | $1,185 a month |
Typical home value
Bruce$143K
Mississippi$195K
+4.4%
value change, 1 year
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Climate
Bruce has mild winters and hot summers
Bruce has mild winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. Bruce’s July high is 91°F.
91°summer high
Typical low → high °F
Winter34–56°
Spring50–74°
Summer69–90°
Fall51–75°
Nov 5
typical first frost
Mar 28
typical last frost
+0.2°
vs. the 20th-century average
91°
typical summer high
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
38%of U.S. towns report more crimeC+Safety Grade
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Bruce2.5
Mississippi2.2
U.S.3.3
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Bruce9.4
Mississippi13.1
U.S.15.5
38th
percentile among U.S. towns we grade
4
violent crimes reported in 2025
15
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
0%conserved
0%
conserved · 0 of 1,549 acres
0.6 mi
of trails · 0.3 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Bruce Park | 0.6 mi | 49 |
| 2. Harry E. Waller Park | — | 16 |
| 3. Oakwood Park | — | 4 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade C+
Moderate risk in Bruce, with inland flooding at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 50% of U.S. communities. Since 1991, 12 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Bruce.
50risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingEarthquakesTornadoes
12
paid flood claims since 1991
3
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Bruce
20pages on Bruce
The big questions
SchoolsB−Behind 55% of MS districts · 2 schoolsSafetyC+2.5 violent crimes per 1,000 residents (2025)HealthD−Better than MS on 2 of 31 CDC measuresCost of livingB+$143K typical home · up 4.4% in a yearWork & commuteD−$27K median household income · 815 jobs hereNatural hazardsC+FEMA risk higher than 50% of U.S. communities · inland flooding
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Bruce; the nearest are
University of MississippiUniversity or college · Public · University28.1 mi$9,772 in-state tuitionNorthwest Mississippi Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Senatobia56.5 mi$3,740 in-state tuition
About 4 of every 100 Bruce residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Mississippi.
A job hub
Every workday, about 739 people come to Bruce for work
Where Bruce’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
815jobs based in Bruce
14%of working residents work in town
29 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
Famous people from Bruce
3 notable people were born in Bruce.
About Bruce
Town in Mississippi, United States
Bruce is a town situated along the Skuna River in Calhoun County, Mississippi, United States. As of the 2020 census, it had a population of 1,707. Currently, Jimmy Hubbard is the mayor.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 2.4 sq mi
- Elevation
- 276 ft
- ZIP code
- 38915
- Area code
- 662
Questions about Bruce
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Bruce, MS expensive?
Not for the area. That is 3.3 years of the area's median household income ($43,125 across the county). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B+.
What is Bruce, MS known for?
3 notable people were born here, including Larry Stewart and Fred Thomas.