Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Rolling Fork’s best subject grade is an A− for walkability; its weakest is a D− for health. On walkability, just 3 of Mississippi’s 186 towns do better. The median household income is $46K, and 24% of residents live below the poverty line. Only 17 of Mississippi’s 187 towns score lower on health. Rolling Fork has 2 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Rolling Fork Mounds. Rolling Fork has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Rolling Fork beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
| Widest gap | Rolling Fork | MS |
|---|---|---|
| More adults facing a utility shut-off | 20.9% | 11.2% |
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Mississippi), ordered by how far Rolling Fork is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 91 in 1880, a peak of 2,590 in 1980, 1,883 in 2020. The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 1863 and 3 maps from 1939 on.
2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Rolling Fork, 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 Rolling Fork.
37% of adults say their health is fair or poor in Rolling Fork, above both Mississippi’s towns (27%) and U.S. towns (19%). 20% of adults report frequent physical distress in Rolling Fork. Of the 102 Mississippi towns we compare, none has a higher share of adults who have diabetes than Rolling Fork.
| Rolling Fork | Mississippi towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 37% | 27% | 19% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 51% | 42% | 35% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 25% | 16% | 12% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 47% | 36% | 25% |
| What stands out | Rolling Fork | MS |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer binge drinkers | 9.2% | 13.6% |
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 84% | 79.7% |
| More adults facing a utility shut-off | 20.9% | 11.2% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Its public schools are run by the South Delta School District. Two of its 3 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Delta Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 234 | D |
| South Delta High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 176 | D− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MS on state tests and graduation
At $548 a month, Rolling Fork’s median rent is where Mississippi’s towns sit at $905 a month and U.S. towns at $1,185 a month. Typical home values fell 11% in the year to September 2026.
| Rolling Fork | Mississippi towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $548 a month | $905 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 62% | 62% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
About one in 4 of Rolling Fork’s working residents works in town. 25% of Rolling Fork residents live below the poverty line. Jobs based in Rolling Fork fell to 447 in 2023, 386 fewer than in 2013.
| Rolling Fork | Mississippi towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 25% | 21% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 19 minutes | 23 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $46,000 | $50,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Rolling Fork has mild winters and hot summers, with plenty of rain. Rolling Fork’s July high is 92°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 63% of U.S. communities. Since 1993, 10 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Rolling Fork.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
None within 15 miles of Rolling Fork; the nearest are
About 5 of every 100 Rolling Fork residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Mississippi.
2,143 counted in 2010 and 1,883 in 2020; an estimated 1,387 in 2025.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
10 notable people were born in Rolling Fork.
City and county seat in Mississippi, United States
Rolling Fork is a city in and the county seat of Sharkey County, Mississippi, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the town was 1,883.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B.
10 notable people were born here, including Muddy Waters and Slick Watts.