Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 9,441, incorporated in 2012.
Diamondhead is a solid, middle-of-the-road choice. It grades B− overall, 25th of 99 graded towns in Mississippi, with no subject far below average. Its best mark is health: CDC estimates put its residents' health ahead of 72% of the country. It also does better than most on schools: its public schools beat 70% of Mississippi towns on state tests and graduation. Its lowest everyday mark is in cost of living: the typical home is worth about $249K, 4 years of the Gulfport metro’s $62K median household income. Diamondhead’s average trip to work is 37 minutes, above both Mississippi’s towns (22 minutes) and U.S. towns (25 minutes). No town in Mississippi scores lower than Diamondhead on history. FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 88% of U.S. communities, with hurricanes at the top.
Where Diamondhead beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
| Widest gap | Diamondhead | MS |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing a utility shut-off | 4.3% | 11.2% |
8,425 counted in 2010 and 9,529 in 2020; an estimated 9,441 in 2025.
Growth has leveled off: within 1% of 2020, after 13.1% in the decade before.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Mississippi), ordered by how far Diamondhead is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 1,011 in 1980, 9,529 in 2020. The archive holds 3 old photos and papers going back to 2008 and 3 maps from 1956 on.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Diamondhead, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Ordered by what stands out in Diamondhead.
Diamondhead has less utility shut-off threats than most of Mississippi and has milder winter nights than nearly all U.S. towns, but it has commutes longer than most of Mississippi.
Since 2005, 29 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Diamondhead.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
The average commute for its 3,643 working residents takes 36.8 minutes, against 25.6 across Mississippi. Jobs based here grew from 923 in 2013 to 1,203.
Most working residents leave Diamondhead for work: only 8% work in town. 7% of residents live below the poverty line in Diamondhead. Jobs based in Diamondhead grew to 1,203 in 2023, 280 more than in 2013.
| Diamondhead | Mississippi towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 7% | 21% | 9.6% |
| Work from home | 15% | 5.3% | 11% |
| Median household income | $87,000 | $50,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 7.8% | 20% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Twin Lakes Recreation Area & Walking Trail | — | 4 |
| 2. DH Country Club Recreation Park & Walking Trail | — | 3 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Its widest gap with Mississippi is utility shut-off threats: 4.3% of its 7,791 adults were threatened with a utility shut-off, against 11.2% statewide.
13% of Diamondhead adults report frequent mental distress. No town among the 101 in Mississippi we compare has a lower share of adults who feel lonely than Diamondhead. 17% of Diamondhead adults say their health is fair or poor.
| Diamondhead | Mississippi towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 18% | 17% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 37% | 33% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 39% | 36% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 8.7% | 24% | 14% |
| What stands out | Diamondhead | MS |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing a utility shut-off | 4.3% | 11.2% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 8.7% | 22.4% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 12.1% | 7.6% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Diamondhead’s median rent is $1,571 a month. Among 99 Mississippi towns, just 4 have a higher share of households owning their home than Diamondhead. The typical Diamondhead home is worth about $249,000, about the same as a year ago, 28% above the Mississippi typical home.
| Diamondhead | Mississippi towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 90% | 62% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,571 a month | $900 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
January nights average 42.2°, milder than in 95% of U.S. towns; July afternoons average 89.5°.
Diamondhead has warm winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. The January low in Diamondhead is 42°F. Only 10 of the 101 Mississippi towns we compare have a lower July high than Diamondhead.
| Diamondhead | Mississippi towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| January low | 42°F | 36°F | 22°F |
| July high | 90°F | 91°F | 85°F |
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
None within 15 miles of Diamondhead; the nearest are
About 5 of every 100 Diamondhead residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Mississippi.
Where Diamondhead’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
City in Mississippi, US
Diamondhead is a city in southeastern Hancock County, Mississippi, United States. The city is located just over 50 miles (80 km) northeast of New Orleans, Louisiana. It is part of the Gulfport−Biloxi Metropolitan Statistical Area. In February 2012, Diamondhead was officially incorporated as a city. In the 2020 USA decennial census, the city population was 9,529.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
One town shares a border with Diamondhead.
| Town | MS rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Diamondhead | #25 | B− | C+ | — | B+ | B+ |
| Bay St. Louis | #46 | C− | C | C | A− | C+ |
Diamondhead reports no FBI crime data of its own. Compare Diamondhead with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Diamondhead grades B− overall, better than 49% of U.S. towns and #25 of 99 in Mississippi. It grades B+ for health and B+ for schools. Hazard risk is its weak spot, with a D.
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C+.