MS14 West - Goodman Sign, 2018
Goodman’s story
168 years in pictures
Census counts: 378 in 1880, 1,258 in 2020. The archive holds 2 old photos and papers going back to 2018 and 2 maps from 1964 on.
- 1858Goodman is settled
GoodmanMS
A town of 1,219, settled in 1858.
Eureka Masonic College · Photo: NatalieMaynor · CC BY 2.0
Population
1,219
2025 Census estimate · −3.3% since 2020
Typical home
$85K
−5.5% in a year
Household income
$15K
median
Median age
19.9
years
Jobs based here
51
A commuter town
Is Goodman a good place to live?
Goodman’s best subject grade is an A+ for cost of living; its weakest is a D− for incomes. 59% of residents live below the poverty line in Goodman, above both the Mississippi town median (21%) and the median of U.S. towns (9.6%). No town in Mississippi scores higher than Goodman on cost of living. Residents are less healthy than 95% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates. Goodman is home to Holmes Community College. Goodman's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) trails 88% of U.S. towns. Goodman has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Goodman stand out
Where Goodman beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Typical home value
Goodman$85K
Mississippi$195K
Cost of livingA+
1.4 years of income buys a home
More affordable than 99% of U.S. towns
Zillow Home Value Index; area median household income, Census ACS.
The college
| College | Students |
|---|---|
| Holmes Community College | 3,351 |
College town
3,351 college students
at Holmes Community College
Students are part of everyday life here.
College town
46% of Goodman is in college
College Scorecard · IPEDS
How Goodman grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Mississippi), ordered by how far Goodman is from typical.
Cost of livingA+Open →Jobs & incomeD−Open →HealthHolmes County Hospital and Clinics 12 miles awayD−Open →SchoolsBehind 67% of Mississippi districts on tests and graduationCOpen →Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 49% of U.S. communities; tornadoes tops the listB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
OutdoorsConserved land, trails and parksD−Open →History4 notable people born hereC−Open →Civic life3.4 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsDOpen →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
ClimateMild winters, 92° summer afternoons, 1″ of snow–Open →Housing market–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 19.9; 6% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Goodman: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Goodman, and how to reach them.
PowerEntergy Mississippi13.9¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterHolmes Jr College water system1 health-based violation in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet4 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Goodman’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 hereHolmes County RegistrarHolmes County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Sep 2023
ZIP code3907939079 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 Goodman.
HealthD−
Goodman stands out in Mississippi and nationally, with more of its adults who report frequent mental distress
24% of adults report frequent mental distress in Goodman, above both Mississippi’s towns (18%) and U.S. towns (17%). 49% of adults feel lonely in Goodman. Goodman beats the Mississippi average on 4 of 31 CDC measures and trails it on 13.
5%healthier than U.S. townsD−Health Grade
| Goodman | Mississippi towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 24% | 18% | 17% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 49% | 37% | 33% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 45% | 24% | 14% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 33% | 27% | 19% |
31 measures vs. Mississippi
4 better14 too close to call13 worse
| What stands out | Goodman | MS |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 3% | 7.6% |
| Fewer adults with arthritis | 21.9% | 29.9% |
| More adults without reliable transportation | 26.3% | 11.9% |
Holmes County Hospital and Clinics
12 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
HousingCost of living grade A+
Compared with most of Mississippi and the rest of the country, fewer of Goodman’s households own their home
16% of Goodman households own their home. No town among the 97 in Mississippi we compare has a lower median rent than Goodman. Typical home values fell 5.5% in the year to September 2026.
$85KZillow home value
| Goodman | Mississippi towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 16% | 62% | 73% |
| Median rent | $363 a month | $905 a month | $1,185 a month |
Typical home value
Goodman$85K
Mississippi$195K
−5.5%
value change, 1 year
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Work & commuteJobs & income grade D−
With 0.2 jobs for every working resident, most of Goodman’s workers commute out
Most working residents leave Goodman for work: only 1% work in town. Goodman’s median household income is $15,000. Since 2013, Goodman has lost 232 jobs, to 51 in 2023.
1%work in town
| Goodman | Mississippi towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $15,000 | $50,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 1.4% | 19% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 23 minutes | 23 minutes | 25 minutes |
Where working residents work
In Goodman1%
Jackson11%
Ridgeland7%
Canton6%
Lexington3%
40 mi
median commute distance
51
jobs based in Goodman
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
Mild winters and hot summers in Goodman
Goodman has mild winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. The July high in Goodman is 91°F.
1″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter37–58°
Spring52–76°
Summer69–91°
Fall53–77°
Nov 8
typical first frost
Mar 14
typical last frost
+0.5°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade B−
Tornadoes leads a moderate hazard risk in Goodman
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 51% of U.S. communities.
49risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
TornadoesInland floodingCold waves
5
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Goodman
18pages on Goodman
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Goodman
College town 46 of every 100 Goodman residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Mississippi.
Small town
1,219 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Famous people from Goodman
4 notable people were born in Goodman.
About Goodman
Town in Mississippi, United States
Goodman is a town in southeastern Holmes County, Mississippi, United States. Per the 2020 census, the population was 1,258.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 0.8 sq mi
- Elevation
- 266 ft
- ZIP code
- 39079
- Area code
- 662
Questions about Goodman
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Goodman, MS expensive?
Not for the area. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades A+.
What is Goodman, MS known for?
4 notable people were born here, including John Lomax and David Herbert Donald.