More historic than 2% of U.S. towns · #93 of 100 in Mississippi. What drives it
Most of Escatawpa was built recently: 0.0% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1974. Below: maps from 1953 on and the census since 2000.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Escatawpa is more historic than 2% of U.S. towns, #93 of 100 in Mississippi. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its share of homes from before 1940 pulls it down.
D−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Escatawpa’s overall grade.
Mississippi towns list more on the Register than most of the country (a typical Mississippi town has 71.9 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Escatawpa’s 0.0 sits below most of its state (19% of Mississippi towns have fewer) while its 0 listings outnumber those of 23% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on two of the three inputs, so a change in either one moves the letter more than it would with three. The pre-1940 share (±0.8 points) is firm at this size.
Founding year: our sources. Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →
What stands out about Escatawpa’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
The community takes its name from the Escatawpa River. A post office called Escatawpa was established in 1885.
In 1990, the original center of Escatawpa was annexed into the city of Moss Point, located just to the south. The adjoining unincorporated area north of Moss Point is the current Escatawpa census-designated place. The city was devastated by Hurricane Katrina on August 29, 2005. Escatawpa is the home of the rock band 3 Doors Down.
Escatawpa is more historic than 2% of U.S. towns, #93 of 100 in Mississippi. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
How old are the homes in Escatawpa?
0.0% of Escatawpa’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate), against a typical 4.5% for a Mississippi town; the median home was built in 1974.
Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
From the Library of Congress (1), Wikipedia, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia) and the USGS Geographic Names Information System. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
2017
