New Houlka Mississippi, 2016
New Houlka’s story
122 years in pictures
Census counts: 646 in 1970, 698 in 2020. The archive holds 2 old photos and papers going back to 2016 and 2 maps from 1972 on.
- 1904New Houlka is founded
New HoulkaMS
A town of 677, founded in 1904.
Photo: Fredlyfish4 · CC BY-SA 4.0
Population
677
2025 Census estimate · −2.9% since 2020
Typical home
$144K
+4.1% in a year
Household income
$47K
median
Median age
30.1
years
Jobs based here
181
A commuter town
Is New Houlka a good place to live?
New Houlka has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
677 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Nearby attractions
All 10 attractions →Natchez Trace Parkway and 5 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around New Houlka. Close and well known come first.
7 mi ParkwayNatchez Trace Parkway8.0M visitors a year
37 mi Stadium & arenaVaught–Hemingway Stadium
25 mi MuseumElvis Presley Birthplace
22 mi National BattlefieldTupelo National Battlefield686 visitors a year
37 mi National park siteBrices Cross Roads National Battlefield Site2K visitors a year
24 mi MuseumTupelo Automobile MuseumSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Natchez Trace Parkway: Carol M. Highsmith (1946–), Public domain · Vaught–Hemingway Stadium: Matthew Nichols, CC BY 2.0 · Elvis Presley Birthplace: Markuskun at English Wikipedia, Public domain · Tupelo National Battlefield: Chris Light (talk), CC BY-SA 3.0 · Brices Cross Roads National Battlefield Site: Wilson44691, Public domain · Tupelo Automobile Museum: James Case from Philadelphia, Mississippi, U.S.A., CC BY 2.0
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to New Houlka: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in New Houlka, and how to reach them.
PowerNatchez Trace Elec Power Assn13.5¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterHoulka-Houston W/A water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet5 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have New Houlka’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 hereChickasaw County RegistrarChickasaw County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Sep 2023
ZIP code3885038850 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 New Houlka.
Schools
The schools New Houlka’s kids attend
The largest public high school is Houlka Attendance Center, with 457 students. Its one school is below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Houlka Attendance CenterLargest public high schoolGrades PK–12 | Grades PK–12 | 457 | – |
NCES · EDFacts
Work & commute
New Houlka has 0.7 jobs for every working resident, so most commute out
Most people who work leave New Houlka to do it: just 6% work in town. Among residents here, 29% live below the poverty line, above both Mississippi’s towns (21%) and U.S. towns (9.6%). The top destinations are Houston (16%), Tupelo (16%) and Pontotoc (7%). Employers in New Houlka shed 24 jobs between 2013 and 2023, to 181.
6%work in town
| New Houlka | Mississippi towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 29% | 21% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 6.2% | 19% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 24 minutes | 23 minutes | 25 minutes |
Where working residents work
In New Houlka6%
Houston16%
Tupelo16%
Pontotoc7%
Ecru6%
21 mi
median commute distance
181
jobs based in New Houlka
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Housing
The typical home in New Houlka: about $144K
Among households in New Houlka, 60% are owner-occupiers, where Mississippi’s towns sit at 62% and U.S. towns at 73%. The midpoint rent here is $756 a month. Home values are up 4.1% over the year to September 2026.
$144KZillow home value
| New Houlka | Mississippi towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $756 a month | $905 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 60% | 62% | 73% |
Typical home value
New Houlka$144K
Mississippi$195K
+4.1%
value change, 1 year
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Climate
New Houlka has mild winters and hot summers
For New Houlka, the typical July afternoon high is 91°F.
91°summer high
Typical low → high °F
Winter34–55°
Spring50–74°
Summer69–90°
Fall51–75°
Nov 8
typical first frost
Mar 28
typical last frost
+0.2°
vs. the 20th-century average
91°
typical summer high
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health
More of New Houlka’s adults report frequent physical distress than in the typical Mississippi or U.S. town
Among adults 18 to 64 in New Houlka, 16% have no health insurance. Just over two in five adults in New Houlka get no exercise outside work; 24% smoke cigarettes.
| New Houlka | Mississippi towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 33% | 27% | 19% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 42% | 36% | 25% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 24% | 18% | 14% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 33% | 24% | 14% |
31 measures vs. Mississippi
0 better15 too close to call16 worse
| What stands out | New Houlka | MS |
|---|---|---|
| More adults facing food insecurity | 32.6% | 22.4% |
| More adults with COPD | 12.4% | 8.6% |
| More adults facing a utility shut-off | 16% | 11.2% |
Progressive Health Group of Houston
10 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Natural hazards
New Houlka has a moderate natural-hazard risk, chiefly from inland flooding
Expected losses in New Houlka break down as 23% from inland flooding and 19% from tornadoes. For New Houlka, the FEMA risk score is 46 of 100.
46risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingTornadoesCold waves
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Keep exploring
Everything we know about New Houlka
18pages on New Houlka
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of New Houlka; the nearest are
University of MississippiUniversity or college · Public · University37.3 mi$9,772 in-state tuitionItawamba Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Fulton38.6 mi$3,420 in-state tuition
About 5 of every 100 New Houlka residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Mississippi.
A commuter town
94% of working residents leave New Houlka for work
Where New Houlka’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
181jobs based in New Houlka
6%of working residents work in town
21 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About New Houlka
Town in Mississippi, United States
New Houlka (), also referred to simply as Houlka, is a town in Chickasaw County, Mississippi, United States. It was founded in 1904 to take advantage of a railway line of the Gulf and Ship Island Railroad. Residents moved their buildings over from the original settlement, now referred to as "Old Houlka", located to the west. As of the 2020 census, New Houlka had a population of 698. Started around a fur trading post prior to 1794, Old Houlka is the oldest surviving settlement in north Mississippi. In the 19th century, much of the land was developed for cotton plantations and the market town did good business.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 1.2 sq mi
- Elevation
- 371 ft
- ZIP code
- 38850
- Area code
- 662
Questions about New Houlka
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is New Houlka, MS a good place to live?
New Houlka has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
What is New Houlka, MS known for?
2 notable people were born here, including Earl J. Hamilton and Jim Hood.