Photo: Ktkvtsh · CC BY-SA 4.0Living in Decatur, MS: what to set up and who to call
The Town of Hickory water system has a clean five-year EPA record, but its latest lead result, 6.0 ppb, was higher than 94% of similar systems’ (the action level is 15). Ochsner Laird Hospital, 9.8 miles away, is the nearest emergency room.
I’m new in town
What to set up in Decatur, and who provides it. Tap an answer for the details and where they come from.
Power, water and internet
Who to call to start service at a new address in Decatur.
Power comes from Mississippi Power
Mississippi Power (Mississippi Power Co), an investor-owned utility, serves all of Decatur. Its homes paid an average of 15.7¢ per kWh in 2025, about $179 a month (its average across Mississippi).
Service territory: HIFLD Electric Retail Service Territories (map dated Aug 2023). Prices and customers: EIA-861, 2025.
Water comes from Town of Hickory water system
The Town of Hickory water system supplies Decatur: about 1% of residents live in its service area. About 99% of homes are outside any mapped community water system, most likely on private wells, which EPA doesn’t regulate. It draws ground water and serves 2,669 people in all.
No health-based violations reported to EPA in the five years to October 2026, like 78% of the 7,966 systems serving 1,001–3,300 people.
The latest lead result on file, the 90th percentile of homes sampled in Jan 2021–Dec 2023, was 6.0 ppb, below the 15 ppb action level that applied. That’s higher than 94% of similar systems’ latest results.
The system’s full record: EPA ECHO report
EPA SDWIS via Envirofacts (violations pulled Oct 9, 2026) and ECHO (lead samples, 2026Q3); service area: EPA Community Water System Service Area Boundaries v3.0. Violations are counted by the start of their compliance period. MS0510006.
5 home internet providers serve Decatur
100% of 624 addresses can get 100/20 Mbps; 95% can get fiber.
| Provider | Technology | Addresses | Fastest (Mbps) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bdc-Fixed Bb Avail | Fiber | 95% | 1,000/1,000 |
| BCI Mississippi Broadband | Cable | 68% | 1,000/20 |
| C Spire | Fixed wireless | 100% | 100/20 |
| T-Mobile | Fixed wireless | 48% | 100/20 |
| Verizon | Fixed wireless | 41% | 300/20 |
FCC National Broadband Map, as of December 2025. Availability as providers report it, not speeds people get.
We don’t have Decatur’s trash rules yet
Pickup rules, the dump and recycling in Decatur.
Where your child goes to school
Public school districts and the school path by grade.
Decatur is in Newton County School District.
A−School gradeSee Schools →U.S. Department of Education, NCES Common Core of Data, 2024–25. Enrollment rules and registration are the district’s.
Town hall and registering to vote
Who to call, and how to register.
Election office: FVAP local election office directory, updated Sep 2023; jurisdictions: EAC EAVS 2024. Registration rules and links: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Decatur is in ZIP code 39327
ZIP codes where Decatur residents live, with the share of the town in each.
| ZIP | Post office name | Share of Decatur | ZIP’s residents in Decatur |
|---|---|---|---|
| 39327 | Decatur, MS | 100% | 46% |
Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas, by census block; post office names: GeoNames (CC BY 4.0). ZIPs created since 2020 are missing.
Getting around, the ER and the library
One line each; the subject pages have the rest.
ER: CMS hospital data. Library: IMLS Public Libraries Survey, FY2024.
Questions about living in Decatur
Who supplies Decatur’s drinking water, and has it had violations?
The Town of Hickory water system (EPA ID MS0510006). It reported no health-based violations to EPA in the five years to October 2026; 78% of systems its size had none. Its latest lead 90th percentile was 6.0 ppb (Jan 2021–Dec 2023), against a 15 ppb action level.
Who provides electricity in Decatur?
Mississippi Power (Mississippi Power Co), an investor-owned utility. Its homes paid about 15.7¢ per kWh in 2025 (EIA).
What internet providers serve Decatur?
Bdc-Fixed Bb Avail, BCI Mississippi Broadband, C Spire, T-Mobile, Verizon (FCC, as of December 2025).
What ZIP codes are in Decatur?
39327. Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas.
What school district is Decatur in?
Newton County School District.
How do I register to vote in Decatur?
Mississippi has no online registration; you can register in person until 30 days before Election Day or by mail (postmarked 30 days before). Elections here are run by the Newton County Registrar. Check your registration at msegov.com.
Sources & dates
Every answer above names its source. Here they are with their dates.
- Water: EPA SDWIS (Envirofacts, pulled Oct 9, 2026), ECHO SDWA 2026Q3, EPA CWS Service Area Boundaries v3.0.
- Power: HIFLD Electric Retail Service Territories (map Aug 2023); EIA-861 final 2025.
- Trash: OpenStreetMap, Geofabrik extract of Oct 9, 2026. © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).
- ZIP codes: Census 2020 ZCTA relationship files; GeoNames postal codes (CC BY 4.0).
- Schools: NCES Common Core of Data, 2024–25.
- Registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024 (read Oct 10, 2026). Official sites and area codes: Wikidata.
- Election office: FVAP local election office directory (fetched Oct 10, 2026; each record dated), EAC EAVS 2024 jurisdictions; registration and lookup links from vote.gov’s state data, checked Oct 10, 2026.
- Internet: FCC National Broadband Map, as of December 2025.