Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Itta Bena’s weakest subject grade is a D− for health. On health, just 8 of Mississippi’s 187 towns do worse. The median household income is $36K, and 20% of residents live below the poverty line. Among 100 Mississippi towns, just 1 have a lower share of households owning their home than Itta Bena. Itta Bena’s trail density is 1.2 miles per square mile, above both the Mississippi town median (0.2) and the median of U.S. towns (0.4). Itta Bena's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) trails 89% of U.S. towns. Itta Bena Historic District is on the National Register of Historic Places. Itta Bena has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Itta Bena beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
| Widest gap | Itta Bena | MS |
|---|---|---|
| More adults facing a utility shut-off | 26.9% | 11.2% |
2,049 counted in 2010 and 1,679 in 2020; an estimated 1,482 in 2025.
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 Itta Bena is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 416 in 1900, a peak of 2,904 in 1980, 1,679 in 2020. The archive holds 13 old photos and papers going back to 2006 and 2 maps from 1961 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Itta Bena, 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 Itta Bena.
The typical Itta Bena home is worth about $55,000, down 7.7% in a year, 72% below the Mississippi typical home. At $695 a month, Itta Bena’s median rent is where Mississippi’s towns sit at $905 a month and U.S. towns at $1,185 a month.
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Its public schools are run by the Greenwood-Leflore Consolidated School District. Two of its 3 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leflore Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–6 | Grades PK–6 | 306 | D |
| Leflore County High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 7–12 | Grades 7–12 | 293 | C− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MS on state tests and graduation
39% of Itta Bena adults say their health is fair or poor. Only 10 of the 102 Mississippi towns we compare have a higher share of adults who feel lonely than Itta Bena. 26% of Itta Bena adults have diabetes.
| Itta Bena | Mississippi towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 39% | 27% | 19% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 26% | 16% | 12% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 47% | 36% | 25% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 9.5% | 13% | 16% |
| What stands out | Itta Bena | MS |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 5.3% | 7.6% |
| Fewer binge drinkers | 9.5% | 13.6% |
| More adults facing a utility shut-off | 26.9% | 11.2% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Most working residents leave Itta Bena for work: only 4% work in town. Since 2013, Itta Bena has lost 333 jobs, to 156 in 2023. Itta Bena’s average trip to work is 20 minutes.
| Itta Bena | Mississippi towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $36,000 | $50,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 4% | 19% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 20 minutes | 23 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 69% of U.S. communities. Since 1980, 13 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Itta Bena.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Itta Bena has mild winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. The July high in Itta Bena is 92°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
2 within 15 miles of the center of Itta Bena
About 4 of every 100 Itta Bena residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Mississippi.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
4 notable people were born in Itta Bena.
City in Mississippi, United States
Itta Bena is a city in Leflore County, Mississippi, United States. As of the 2020 census, Itta Bena had a population of 1,679. The town's name is derived from the Choctaw phrase iti bina, meaning "forest camp". Itta Bena is part of the Greenwood, Mississippi micropolitan area. It developed as a trading center of an area of cotton plantations.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
That is 1.4 years of the area's median household income ($39,534 across the Greenwood, MS area). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B−.
4 notable people were born here, including Luther Johnson and Pervis Spann.
