Almeda Gardner Industrial School, 1895
Moorhead’s story
136 years in pictures
Census counts: 437 in 1900, 1,937 in 2020. The archive holds 9 old photos and papers going back to 1895 and 2 maps from 1984 on.
- 1890Moorhead is settled
MoorheadMS
A town of 1,754, settled in 1890.
Photo: Chillin662 · CC BY-SA 4.0
Population
1,754
2025 Census estimate · −9.7% since 2020
Typical home
$84K
−17% in a year
Household income
$35K
median
Median age
33.1
years
Jobs based here
112
A commuter town
Is Moorhead a good place to live?
Moorhead’s best subject grade is an A− for cost of living; its weakest is a D− for health. The median household income is $35K, and 26% of residents live below the poverty line. Only 5 of the 102 Mississippi towns we compare have a lower share of children under 18 than Moorhead. Moorhead is home to Mississippi Delta Community College. Moorhead's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) trails 88% of U.S. towns. Moorhead has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Moorhead stand out
Where Moorhead beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Typical home value
Moorhead$84K
Mississippi$195K
Cost of livingA−
2.1 years of income buys a home
More affordable than 77% of U.S. towns
Zillow Home Value Index; area median household income, Census ACS.
The college
| College | Students |
|---|---|
| Mississippi Delta Community College | 1,631 |
College town
1,631 college students
at Mississippi Delta Community College
Students are part of everyday life here.
31 measures vs. Mississippi
2 better11 too close to call18 worse
| Widest gap | Moorhead | MS |
|---|---|---|
| More adults facing a utility shut-off | 23% | 11.2% |
Worth knowing · HealthD−
Less healthy than 99% of U.S. towns
Trails MS on 18 of 31 CDC measures, beats it on 2
Less healthyHealthier
CDC PLACES 2025 estimates.
A shrinking town
Moorhead has shrunk 27% since 2010
2,405 counted in 2010 and 1,937 in 2020; an estimated 1,754 in 2025.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
How Moorhead grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Mississippi), ordered by how far Moorhead is from typical.
HealthLess healthy than 98% of U.S. towns; South Sunflower County Hospital 8.3 miles awayD−Open →Jobs & incomeD−Open →Hazard riskinland flooding tops the listC−Open →Cost of livingA−Open →SchoolsC+Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 6.6 of 20; 10.7% of households have no car; 1.5% of workers walk, bike or ride transitC+Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
OutdoorsConserved land, trails and parksB−Open →History4 notable people born hereCOpen →Civic life3.5 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–Open →Housing market–Open →Who lives here20% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Moorhead: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Moorhead, and how to reach them.
PowerEntergy Mississippi13.9¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterFmh Water Association1 health-based violation in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet4 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Moorhead’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 hereSunflower County RegistrarSunflower County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Sep 2023
ZIP code3876138761 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 Moorhead.
HealthD−
Moorhead stands out in Mississippi and nationally: a larger share of its adults report frequent mental distress
23% of adults report frequent mental distress in Moorhead, against 18% in Mississippi’s towns and 17% across U.S. towns. 43% of Moorhead adults feel lonely. Among 102 Mississippi towns, just 6 have a higher share of adults who say their health is fair or poor than Moorhead.
2%healthier than U.S. townsD−Health Grade
| Moorhead | Mississippi towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 23% | 18% | 17% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 43% | 36% | 25% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 43% | 37% | 33% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 44% | 24% | 14% |
31 measures vs. Mississippi
2 better11 too close to call18 worse
| What stands out | Moorhead | MS |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 4.2% | 7.6% |
| Fewer adults with high cholesterol | 34.2% | 38.8% |
| More adults facing a utility shut-off | 23% | 11.2% |
South Sunflower County Hospital
8.3 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
SchoolsC+
Moorhead’s public schools trail 64% of Mississippi districts
Its public schools are run by the Sunflower County Consolidated School District. One of its 2 schools is below, with why it’s listed.
36%of MS districts it outscoresC+School Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Moorhead Central SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–8 | Grades K–8 | 245 | D |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MS on state tests and graduation
HousingCost of living grade A−
A typical Moorhead home is worth about $84K
The typical Moorhead home is worth about $84,000, down 17% in a year, 57% below the Mississippi typical home. Moorhead’s median rent is $636 a month, below both Mississippi’s towns ($905 a month) and U.S. towns ($1,185 a month).
$84KZillow home value
| Moorhead | Mississippi towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $636 a month | $905 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 57% | 62% | 73% |
Typical home value
Moorhead$84K
Mississippi$195K
−17%
value change, 1 year
1
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Who lives here
A college town: 28% of residents are 18 to 24
Adults 18 to 34 are 42% of residents (22% statewide); children under 18 are 14% of residents (23% statewide). Moorhead has lost 9.7% of its people since 2020, down to 1,754 in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate. The median age in Moorhead is 33.1 years.
33.1median age · MS 38.6
| Moorhead | Mississippi towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 33.1 years | 37 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 20% | 25% | 29% |
| Aged 65 or older | 15% | 17% | 18% |
MoorheadMississippiUnited States
Ages · share of residents
28%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma20%
High school36%
Some college13%
Associate’s11%
Bachelor’s13%
Graduate7%
Women and men · all residents
Somewhere between 44% and 70% women
The Census survey reached too few of Moorhead’s residents to say more: its margin here is ±12.8 points. Across Mississippi, 51.5% of residents are women.
| Moorhead | MS | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 5.1% | 12.1% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 8.5% | 11.2% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 28.1% | 9.8% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 13.8% | 12.6% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 4.4% | 12.6% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 15.6% | 12% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 9.2% | 12.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 11.1% | 10.4% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 4.2% | 6.8% | 7% |
| No diploma | 20.3% | 12.9% | 10.4% |
| High school | 36.4% | 29.9% | 26% |
| Some college | 13.1% | 21.2% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 10.5% | 10.9% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 12.9% | 15.3% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 6.8% | 9.9% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 1,800, single groups can be off by several points
Work & commuteJobs & income grade D−
Moorhead has 0.2 jobs for every working resident, so most commute out
Most working residents leave Moorhead for work: only 2% work in town. Since 2013, Moorhead has lost 349 jobs, to 112 in 2023. Moorhead’s average trip to work is 21 minutes.
2%work in town
| Moorhead | Mississippi towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 2.3% | 19% | 8% |
| Median household income | $35,000 | $50,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 21 minutes | 23 minutes | 25 minutes |
Where working residents work
In Moorhead2%
Indianola18%
Greenwood8%
Jackson5%
Greenville5%
24 mi
median commute distance
112
jobs based in Moorhead
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
C+
Walkability grade: more walkable than 39% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade C−
High risk in Moorhead, with inland flooding at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 75% of U.S. communities. Since 1979, 13 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Moorhead.
75risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingCold wavesTornadoes
13
paid flood claims since 1979
4
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
In Moorhead, expect mild winters and hot summers
Moorhead has mild winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. July afternoons reach 91°, January nights drop to 36° and snow is almost unheard of.
92°summer high
Typical low → high °F
Winter37–56°
Spring54–75°
Summer71–91°
Fall54–77°
Nov 20
typical first frost
Mar 8
typical last frost
+0.7°
vs. the 20th-century average
92°
typical summer high
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Moorhead
18pages on Moorhead
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
2 within 15 miles of the center of Moorhead
Mississippi Delta Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · MoorheadIn town$3,540 in-state tuitionMississippi Valley State UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Itta Bena10.5 mi$7,692 in-state tuition
College town 27 of every 100 Moorhead residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Mississippi.
College town
27% of Moorhead is in college
College Scorecard · IPEDS
Famous people from Moorhead
4 notable people were born in Moorhead.
About Moorhead
City in Mississippi, United States
Moorhead is a city in Sunflower County, Mississippi, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 2,405. This dropped in 2022 and the population recorded was 1,512.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 1.3 sq mi
- Elevation
- 115 ft
- ZIP code
- 38761
- Area code
- 662
Questions about Moorhead
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Moorhead, 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 Moorhead, MS known for?
4 notable people were born here, including Phil Bryant and Johnny Russell.