HuffHallPearlRiverCC, 2009
Poplarville’s story
147 years in pictures
Census counts: 232 in 1890, 2,833 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 2007 and 2 maps from 1959 on.
- 1879Poplarville is settled
PoplarvilleMS
A town of 2,918, settled in 1879.
Photo: Woodlot · CC BY-SA 3.0
Population
2,918
2025 Census estimate · +3.5% since 2020
Typical home
$199K
−0.7% in a year
Household income
$54K
median
Median age
22.7
years
Jobs based here
1,863
A job hub
TownGrade
B
#14 of 99 in MS
Is Poplarville a good place to live?
Poplarville gives you more for your money than most places: homes are within reach, about $198K for a typical one, or 3.4 years of the Picayune area’s $58K median household income. It grades B overall, 14th of 99 graded towns in Mississippi. The low prices come with trade-offs. FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 87% of U.S. communities, with hurricanes at the top, and the median household income is $54K, and 13% of residents live below the poverty line. On the plus side, its schools rank ahead of 86% of Mississippi towns. Poplarville’s median age is 22.7 years, below both Mississippi’s towns (37 years) and U.S. towns (40.5 years). Poplarville is home to Pearl River Community College. Only 6 of the 101 Mississippi towns we compare have a higher average trip to work than Poplarville.
What makes Poplarville stand out
Where Poplarville beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Jobs vs. working residents
Jobs here1,863
Residents who work818
Work
2.3 jobs for every working resident
A regional job hub: more jobs per worker than 95% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023.
Poplarville School District
| School | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|
| Poplarville Lower Elementary | PK–2 | 521 |
| Poplarville Upper Elementary | 3–5 | 432 |
| Middle School Of Poplarville | 6–8 | 476 |
SchoolsA
#23 of the 101 Mississippi towns we grade for schools
NCES · EDFacts.
Worth knowing · Natural hazardsD
Hurricanes and inland flooding at the top
FEMA National Risk Index.
College town
28% of Poplarville is in college
College Scorecard · IPEDS
How Poplarville grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Mississippi), ordered by how far Poplarville is from typical.
Hazard riskhurricanes tops the listDOpen →Jobs & incomeDOpen →SchoolsAOpen →Cost of livingAOpen →WalkabilityEPA walkability 6.9 of 20; 4.3% of households have no car; 5% of workers walk, bike or ride transitB+Open →SafetyC+Open →HealthHealthier than 58% of U.S. towns; Pearl River County Hospital 1.3 miles awayBOpen →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
OutdoorsConserved land, trails and parksDOpen →History4 notable people born hereCOpen →Civic life2.6 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsC−Open →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Poplarville: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Poplarville, and how to reach them.
PowerMississippi Power15.7¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterSunny Oaks Water AssociationNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet6 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Poplarville’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 herePearl River County RegistrarPearl River County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Sep 2023
ZIP code3947039470 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 Poplarville.
Poplarville pairs an A for schools with modest home prices, trades lower home prices for longer drives to work and is shaped by its college students.
Work & commuteJobs & income grade D
About one in five working residents works right in Poplarville
1,863 jobs are based in Poplarville, 2.3 for every working resident, so most of the people who work here commute in. The average commute takes 33.5 minutes, against 25.6 across Mississippi.
About one in 5 of Poplarville’s working residents works in town. Since 2013, Poplarville has lost 215 jobs, to 1,863 in 2023. The top destinations are Hattiesburg (10%), Picayune (4%) and Gulfport (4%).
22%work in town
| Poplarville | Mississippi towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 22% | 19% | 8% |
| Median household income | $54,000 | $50,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
In Poplarville22%
Hattiesburg10%
Picayune4%
Gulfport4%
New Orleans4%
36 mi
median commute distance
1,863
jobs based in Poplarville
A job hub
jobs vs. working residents
B+
Walkability grade: more walkable than 68% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
SchoolsA
For schools, Poplarville earns an A
Its A for schools comes with an A for cost of living: the typical home is worth about $199K.
Its public schools are run by the Poplarville School District. Two of its 5 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Poplarville High School, with 540 students.
86%of MS districts it outscoresASchool Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poplarville Lower ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–2 | Grades PK–2 | 521 | – |
| Poplarville High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 540 | A− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MS on state tests and graduation
Who lives here
A college town: 32% of residents are 18 to 24
28.1% of residents are enrolled in college, against 6.1% statewide, which pulls the median age down.
Adults 18 to 34 are 43% of residents (22% statewide); adults 35 to 64 are 26% of residents (37% statewide). 12% of residents are 65 or older in Poplarville. Poplarville has grown 3.5% since 2020, to 2,918 residents in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate.
22.7median age · MS 38.6
| Poplarville | Mississippi towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aged 65 or older | 12% | 17% | 18% |
| Under 18 | 20% | 24% | 22% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 22% | 25% | 29% |
PoplarvilleMississippiUnited States
Ages · share of residents
32%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma9%
High school34%
Some college16%
Associate’s20%
Bachelor’s14%
Graduate8%
Women and men · all residents
57% women, 43% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±8.2 points. Across Mississippi, 51.5% of residents are women.
| Poplarville | MS | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 4.7% | 12.1% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 14.9% | 11.2% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 32.4% | 9.8% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 10.8% | 12.6% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 8.5% | 12.6% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 7.9% | 12% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 9.1% | 12.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 6.2% | 10.4% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 5.5% | 6.8% | 7% |
| No diploma | 9% | 12.9% | 10.4% |
| High school | 33.8% | 29.9% | 26% |
| Some college | 16% | 21.2% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 19.5% | 10.9% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 13.8% | 15.3% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 7.8% | 9.9% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 2,900, single groups can be off by several points
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade D
Hurricanes leads a very high hazard risk in Poplarville
One flood insurance claim has been paid in Poplarville since 1993.
87risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
HurricanesInland floodingTornadoes
1
paid flood claims since 1993
6
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
Mild winters and hot summers in Poplarville
Poplarville has mild winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. The July high in Poplarville is 91°F.
91°summer high
Typical low → high °F
Winter41–63°
Spring55–78°
Summer70–91°
Fall56–79°
Nov 21
typical first frost
Mar 10
typical last frost
+0.8°
vs. the 20th-century average
91°
typical summer high
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
SafetyC+
Poplarville sees more crime per resident than 58% of U.S. towns
Poplarville’s property crime rate is 21.9 per 1,000 residents. Within Mississippi, it does better than 64% of towns. Poplarville’s violent crime rate is 0.7 per 1,000 residents.
42%of U.S. towns report more crimeC+Safety Grade
| Poplarville | Mississippi towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 21.9 per 1,000 residents | 16.5 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 0.7 per 1,000 residents | 2.3 | 1.6 |
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Poplarville0.7
Mississippi2.2
U.S.3.3
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Poplarville21.9
Mississippi13.1
U.S.15.5
42nd
percentile among U.S. towns we grade
64th
percentile among MS towns
2
violent crimes reported in 2025
64
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
HealthB
34% of adults in Poplarville have high blood pressure, against 45% in Mississippi’s towns and 35% across U.S. towns
Against the 6,999 U.S. towns with household incomes like Poplarville’s, it is healthier than 89%, so its B isn’t only a matter of income. Within Mississippi it is healthier than 80% of the 101 graded towns: much of Mississippi scores lower on these measures.
10% of Poplarville adults have diabetes. Among 101 Mississippi towns, just 3 have a lower share of adults who have high blood pressure than Poplarville. 21% of Poplarville adults have been diagnosed with depression.
58%healthier than U.S. townsBHealth Grade
| Poplarville | Mississippi towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 41% | 37% | 33% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 10% | 16% | 12% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 34% | 45% | 35% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 34% | 42% | 35% |
31 measures vs. Mississippi
15 better14 too close to call2 worse
| What stands out | Poplarville | MS |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults with diabetes | 10.1% | 15.5% |
| Fewer adults who have had a stroke | 3.2% | 4.5% |
| Fewer adults treating high blood pressure | 73.9% | 79.7% |
Pearl River County Hospital
1.3 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
80th
percentile among MS towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
HousingCost of living grade A
For cost of living, Poplarville earns an A
Homes are within reach (about $199K for the typical one, A for cost of living), but half of working residents commute more than 36 miles.
The typical Poplarville home is worth about $199,000, down 0.7% in a year, close to the Mississippi typical home.
$199KZillow home value
| Poplarville | Mississippi towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $732 a month | $909 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 59% | 62% | 73% |
Typical home value
Poplarville$199K
Mississippi$195K
−0.7%
value change, 1 year
2
homes sold in May
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Poplarville
19pages on Poplarville
The big questions
SchoolsABeat 86% of MS districts · 5 schoolsSafetyC+0.7 violent crimes per 1,000 residents (2025)HealthBBetter than MS on 15 of 31 CDC measuresCost of livingA$199K typical home · down 0.7% in a yearWork & commuteD$54K median household income · 1,863 jobs hereNatural hazardsDFEMA risk higher than 87% of U.S. communities · hurricanes
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Poplarville
College town 28 of every 100 Poplarville residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Mississippi.
A job hub
Every workday, about 1,683 people come to Poplarville for work
Where Poplarville’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
1,863jobs based in Poplarville
22%of working residents work in town
36 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
Famous people from Poplarville
4 notable people were born in Poplarville.
About Poplarville
City in Mississippi, United States
Poplarville is a city and the county seat of Pearl River County, Mississippi, United States. As of the 2020 censusPoplarville had a population of 2,833. It hosts the annual Blueberry Jubilee, which includes rides, artists, craft vendors and rodeos.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 5.4 sq mi
- Elevation
- 318 ft
- ZIP code
- 39470
- Area code
- 601
Questions about Poplarville
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Poplarville, MS a good place to live?
By most measures, yes. Poplarville grades B overall, better than 64% of U.S. towns and #14 of 99 in Mississippi. It grades B for health, C+ for safety and A for schools. Hazard risk is its weak spot, with a D.
Is Poplarville, MS safe?
Within Mississippi, it does better than 64% of towns.
Is Poplarville, 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 Poplarville, MS known for?
4 notable people were born here, including Larkin I. Smith and Whitney Miller.