Walnut GroveMS
A town of 511, settled in 1854.
Is Walnut Grove a good place to live?
Walnut Grove has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Walnut Grove has shrunk 73% since 2010
1,911 counted in 2010 and 510 in 2020; an estimated 511 in 2025.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
Moving to Walnut Grove: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Walnut Grove, 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.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Walnut Grove.
A smaller share of working residents in Walnut Grove work locally than in the typical Mississippi or U.S. town
Walnut Grove had 136 jobs in 2023, down 310 from 2013. Among residents here, 27% live below the poverty line, where Mississippi’s towns sit at 21% and U.S. towns at 9.6%. Half commute less than 34 miles. The top destinations are Carthage (12%), Forest (8%) and Sebastopol (7%).
| Walnut Grove | Mississippi towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 27% | 21% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 1% | 19% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 20 minutes | 23 minutes | 25 minutes |
Where working residents work
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
The schools Walnut Grove’s kids attend
Its one school is below. Public schools: the Leake County School District. Also worth knowing: 266 students attend Walnut Grove’s public school.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leake County High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 7–12 | Grades 7–12 | 266 | C |
NCES · EDFacts
Mild winters and hot summers in Walnut Grove
Walnut Grove’s midsummer high stands at 91°F, close to Mississippi’s towns (91°F) and above U.S. towns (85°F).
Typical low → high °F
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
How healthy Walnut Grove is
45% of Walnut Grove adults have obesity. The town beats the Mississippi average on 1 of 31 CDC measures and trails it on 4. Two figures for adults here: 40% feel lonely, 43% sleep under 7 hours.
| Walnut Grove | Mississippi towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 24% | 14% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 40% | 37% | 33% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 43% | 39% | 36% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 39% | 36% | 25% |
| What stands out | Walnut Grove | MS |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 6.3% | 7.6% |
| More adults facing a utility shut-off | 16.5% | 11.2% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Natural hazards: moderate risk in Walnut Grove, mostly inland flooding
Of the losses FEMA expects in Walnut Grove, 32% come from inland flooding and 21% from tornadoes. Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 51% of U.S. communities. Federal disaster aid has reached households in Walnut Grove after 3 declared disasters, most recently in 2026.
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Everything we know about Walnut Grove
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Walnut Grove; the nearest are
About 2 of every 100 Walnut Grove residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Mississippi.
511 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Famous people from Walnut Grove
6 notable people were born in Walnut Grove.
About Walnut Grove
Town in Mississippi, United States
Walnut Grove is a town in Leake County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 510 at the 2020 census, a sharp decrease from 1,911 at the 2010 census, due to the Walnut Grove Youth Correctional Facility being closed by the state in September 2016 because of repeated problems at the troubled facility. It had been privately owned and operated since 2001 under a contract with the state Department of Corrections. By 2011 it was the largest juvenile facility in the nation. Golden Memorial State Park is located east of the town.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 1.6 sq mi
- Elevation
- 361 ft
- ZIP code
- 39189
- Area code
- 601
Questions about Walnut Grove
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Walnut Grove, MS a good place to live?
Walnut Grove has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
What is Walnut Grove, MS known for?
6 notable people were born here, including Na'Taki Osborne Jelks and Sue Gunter.