Vardaman, Mississippi, 2014
Vardaman’s story
114 years in pictures
The archive holds 4 old photos and papers going back to 2014.
- 1912Vardaman is settled
VardamanMS
A town of 1,060, settled in 1912.
Photo: Chillin662 · CC BY-SA 4.0
Population
1,060
2025 Census estimate · −5.3% since 2020
Typical home
$120K
−2.9% in a year
Household income
$38K
median
Median age
33.4
years
Jobs based here
206
A commuter town
Is Vardaman a good place to live?
The best of Vardaman’s subject grades are an A for cost of living and an A− for safety; the weakest is a D− for incomes. 44% of residents live below the poverty line in Vardaman, against 21% in Mississippi’s towns and 9.6% across U.S. towns. On incomes, just 8 of Mississippi’s 182 towns do worse. Most errands need a car: it is less walkable than 85% of U.S. towns. Vardaman's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) trails 98% of U.S. towns. Vardaman has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Vardaman stand out
Where Vardaman beats most towns.
Typical home value
Vardaman$120K
Mississippi$195K
Cost of livingA
2.8 years of income buys a home
More affordable than 88% of U.S. towns
Zillow Home Value Index; area median household income, Census ACS.
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Vardaman0.9
Mississippi2.2
U.S.3.3
SafetyA−
59% less violent crime than MS
FBI data, 2025. Crimes reported to police.
A shrinking town
Vardaman has shrunk 20% since 2010
1,316 counted in 2010 and 1,110 in 2020; an estimated 1,060 in 2025.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
How Vardaman grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Mississippi), ordered by how far Vardaman is from typical.
Jobs & income$38K median household incomeD−Open →Cost of livingAOpen →HealthLess healthy than 88% of U.S. towns; BMH-Calhoun 8 miles awayDOpen →WalkabilityEPA walkability 5.6 of 20; 3.1% of households have no car; 0.2% of workers walk, bike or ride transitC−Open →SafetyA−Open →SchoolsB−Open →Hazard riskinland flooding tops the listB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
OutdoorsConserved land, trails and parksD−Open →History1 notable person born hereC−Open →Civic life1.6 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsD−Open →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
Climate–Open →Housing market–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 33.4; 11% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Vardaman: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Vardaman, and how to reach them.
PowerNatchez Trace Elec Power Assn13.5¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterTown of Vardaman 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 Vardaman’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 hereCalhoun County RegistrarCalhoun County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Sep 2023
ZIP code3887838878 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 Vardaman.
HealthD
A larger share of adults 18 to 64 have no health insurance in Vardaman than in most of Mississippi or the rest of the country
19% of adults 18 to 64 have no health insurance in Vardaman, above both the Mississippi town median (13%) and the median of U.S. towns (8.1%). 79% of Vardaman adults had a checkup this year. Vardaman beats the Mississippi average on 1 of 31 CDC measures and trails it on 5.
12%healthier than U.S. townsDHealth Grade
| Vardaman | Mississippi towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| No health insurance, 18–64 (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 13% | 8.1% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 24% | 14% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 37% | 36% | 25% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 16% | 12% |
31 measures vs. Mississippi
1 better25 too close to call5 worse
| What stands out | Vardaman | MS |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 6.4% | 7.6% |
| More uninsured adults | 19.3% | 11.5% |
BMH-Calhoun
8 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
SchoolsB−
On state tests, Vardaman’s schools trail 55% of Mississippi districts
Its public schools are run by the Calhoun County School District. Its one school is below. The largest public high school is Vardaman Attendance Center, with 624 students.
45%of MS districts it outscoresB−School Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vardaman Attendance CenterLargest public high schoolGrades PK–12 | Grades PK–12 | 624 | – |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MS on state tests and graduation
SafetyA−
In Vardaman, property crime runs lower than in the typical Mississippi or U.S. town
Vardaman’s property crime rate is 1.9 per 1,000 residents. Vardaman reports less crime per resident than 82% of the U.S. towns and cities we grade. Vardaman’s violent crime rate is 0.9 per 1,000 residents.
82%of U.S. towns report more crimeA−Safety Grade
| Vardaman | Mississippi towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 1.9 per 1,000 residents | 16.6 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 0.9 per 1,000 residents | 2.3 | 1.6 |
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Vardaman0.9
Mississippi2.2
U.S.3.3
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Vardaman1.9
Mississippi13.1
U.S.15.5
82nd
percentile among U.S. towns we grade
1
violent crimes reported in 2025
2
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
HousingCost of living grade A
A typical Vardaman home is worth about $120K
The typical Vardaman home is worth about $120,000, down 2.9% in a year, 38% below the Mississippi typical home. 74% of households own their home in Vardaman.
$120KZillow home value
Typical home value
Vardaman$120K
Mississippi$195K
−2.9%
value change, 1 year
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Work & commuteJobs & income grade D−
Most of Vardaman’s workers commute out: the town has 0.4 jobs for each of them
Most working residents leave Vardaman for work: only 5% work in town. The average trip to work in Vardaman is 35 minutes. Jobs based in Vardaman fell to 206 in 2023, 134 fewer than in 2013.
5%work in town
| Vardaman | Mississippi towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 35 minutes | 23 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $38,000 | $50,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 5.3% | 19% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Vardaman5%
Houston11%
Bruce6%
Tupelo4%
Oxford4%
31 mi
median commute distance
206
jobs based in Vardaman
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
C−
Walkability grade: more walkable than 15% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
In Vardaman, expect mild winters and hot summers
Vardaman has mild winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. July afternoons reach 91°, January nights drop to 33° and snow is almost unheard of.
91°summer high
Typical low → high °F
Winter34–56°
Spring50–74°
Summer69–90°
Fall51–75°
Nov 5
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
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade B−
Moderate risk in Vardaman, with inland flooding at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 51% of U.S. communities.
51risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingTornadoesEarthquakes
3
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Vardaman
19pages on Vardaman
The big questions
SchoolsB−Behind 55% of MS districts · 1 schoolSafetyA−0.9 violent crimes per 1,000 residents (2025)HealthDBetter than MS on 1 of 31 CDC measuresCost of livingA$120K typical home · down 2.9% in a yearWork & commuteD−$38K median household income · 206 jobs hereNatural hazardsB−FEMA risk higher than 51% of U.S. communities · inland flooding
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Vardaman; the nearest are
Mississippi State UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Mississippi State37 mi$10,202 in-state tuitionItawamba Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Fulton51.6 mi$3,420 in-state tuition
About 2 of every 100 Vardaman residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Mississippi.
Small town
1,060 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
About Vardaman
Town in Mississippi, United States
Vardaman is a town in Calhoun County, Mississippi. As of the 2020 census, Vardaman had a population of 1,110.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 1.4 sq mi
- Elevation
- 289 ft
- ZIP code
- 38878
- Area code
- 662
Questions about Vardaman
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Vardaman, 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.