Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US cities and towns.

Safety0#15,601/15,637
Economy1#15,537/15,631
Housing37#9,427/14,977
Health8#14,355/15,609
Healthcare1#15,486/15,650
Environment14#13,277/15,453
Education30#10,922/15,649
Infrastructure8#14,379/15,650
Community5#14,943/15,651
Leisure & amenities7#14,520/15,651

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Moorhead, Mississippi ranks highest and lowest among US cities and towns (score = percentile, 100 = best). Values marked “Sunflower County value” are the county’s: the source publishes no figure for this city or town, and the county holding most of its residents stands in.

Strengths

Public libraries · high2.2 /10k
92/100Mississippi 0.8 /10kUnited States 0.5 /10k2024Institute of Museum and Library ServicesSunflower County value
Depression · low19.1%
86/100Mississippi 20.1%United States 20.7%2023Centers for Disease Control and PreventionModel-based estimate
Home price to income ratio · low2.4×
80/100Mississippi 3.0×United States 4.1×2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25077
Public transit commuters · high1.5%
80/100Mississippi 0.3%United States 3.2%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B08301High uncertainty
New business applications · high16.9 /1k
78/100Mississippi 17.8 /1kUnited States 16.6 /1k2025U.S. Census BureauSunflower County value
High ozone days · low0 days
76/100Mississippi 1 daysUnited States 7 days2022Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · U.S. Environmental Protection AgencySunflower County value

Weaknesses

Firearm deaths · high57.2 /100k
0/100Mississippi 25.8 /100kUnited States 12.1 /100k2024Centers for Disease Control and PreventionSunflower County value
Adult obesity · high53.6%
0/100Mississippi 42.6%United States 38.2%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteModel-based estimate
Food environment index · low4.2
0/100Mississippi 4.1United States 7.62019 & 2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteSunflower County value
Voter turnout · low42.0%
1/100Mississippi 55.1%United States 65.2%2024U.S. Election Assistance CommissionSunflower County value
Homicide rate · high24.1 /100k
1/100Mississippi 14.6 /100kUnited States 4.8 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionModel-based estimateProvisional dataSunflower County value
Physical inactivity · high46.5%
1/100Mississippi 35.7%United States 26.5%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteModel-based estimate

Trends

The largest changes over about five years, next to the country's over the same periods.

PopulationFalling
1,520 (2015-2019) → 1,439 (2020-2024)
−5.3%5 yearsCensus table B01003US 328,329,953 → 340,003,797
Broadband subscriptionsImproving
41.6% (2015-2019) → 79.6% (2020-2024)
+38 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%
Poverty rateImproving
50.5% (2015-2019) → 25.6% (2020-2024)
−25 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 12.3% → 12.1%
Child poverty rateImproving
74.8% (2015-2019) → 55.2% (2020-2024)
−20 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 16.8% → 15.5%
Rent-burdened householdsImproving
69.4% (2015-2019) → 54.7% (2020-2024)
−15 pts5 yearsCensus table B25070US 49.6% → 51.1%
Median household incomeImproving
$21,000 (2015-2019) → $34,625 (2020-2024)
+65%5 yearsCensus table B19013US $65,712 → $81,604

What changed in five years

How each measure moved between two periods about five years apart, read against whether more or less is better, the published margin of error and the same change in other places.

Over about five years, Moorhead, Mississippi improved on 5 of 13 measures with a comparison and declined on 0. 8 moved within the margin of error and 0 barely changed.

Earlier (2015-2019)
Latest (2020-2024)
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among cities and towns: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts.

Improved5

Poverty−25 points50.5% → 25.6%
Broadband+38 points41.6% → 79.6%
Uninsured−8 points18.6% → 10.7%
Household income+65%$21,000 → $34,625
Bachelor's++12 points7.5% → 19.7%

Declined0

No measure declined by more than its margin of error.

All 13 measures

Change of every measure of Moorhead, Mississippi between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Average commute time	19.9 min2015-2019	20.7 min2020-2024	+0.8 min	Within the margin of error	38%
Bachelor's degree or higher	7.5%2015-2019	19.7%2020-2024	+12 points	Improved	94%
Broadband subscriptions	41.6%2015-2019	79.6%2020-2024	+38 points	Improved	99%
Child poverty rate	74.8%2015-2019	55.2%2020-2024	−20 points	Within the margin of error	93%
Effective property tax rate	0.68%2015-2019	0.71%2020-2024	+0 points	Within the margin of error	12%
High school diploma or higher	77.8%2015-2019	79.7%2020-2024	+1.9 points	Within the margin of error	58%
Home price to income ratio	3.1×2015-2019	2.4×2020-2024	−0.7×	Within the margin of error	96%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4602015-2019	0.4902020-2024	+0.030	Within the margin of error	27%
Median household income	$21,0002015-2019	$34,6252020-2024	+65%	Improved	93%
Poverty rate	50.5%2015-2019	25.6%2020-2024	−25 points	Improved	100%
Rent-burdened households	69.4%2015-2019	54.7%2020-2024	−15 points	Within the margin of error	89%
Unemployment rate	28.1%2015-2019	20.1%2020-2024	−8 points	Within the margin of error	98%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	18.6%2015-2019	10.7%2020-2024	−8 points	Improved	94%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 14640 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Values are the latest and the one five years earlier of the same publisher dataset; datasets that changed publisher in between are never compared.

Survey estimates (American Community Survey) compare the two most recent 5-year windows that do not share years, so the margin of error of the difference holds. The 2015-2019 window predates the pandemic and 2020-2024 includes it.
A change counts only when it is larger than 1.645 times the square root of the two standard errors squared, summed (a 90% margin). Measures published without a margin must change by at least 5% to count.
“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 15651 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.
Standing is a percentile among the same places: 0 is the lowest value on the measure (or the worst when lower is better), 100 the best.

Cities and towns like Moorhead, Mississippi five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Moorhead, Mississippi in the earlier period, ranked by how many measures improved beyond the margin of error, minus how many declined. A comparison of published data, not a forecast and not advice.

For comparison, Moorhead, Mississippi itself moved +8.6 points in standing on average over the same 9 measures (standings of all places average about zero).

How the ranking works

Similarity is the root-mean-square difference of standings in the earlier period over the measures most places have. Places are ranked by measures that improved beyond the margin of error minus those that declined (a count that estimation noise in small places cannot inflate), then by the mean change of standing over the measures a place has in both periods. Only places with more improvements than declines and a rise in standing are listed. Standings are relative, so a place can improve in absolute terms and still lose standing.

Who lives here

Age, race and education of residents, from the American Community Survey. Shares are of all residents (age), residents of every origin (race) or adults 25 and over (education).

Age and sex

1,439 residents (±264)

Men
Women

80 and over†
70–79†
60–69†
50–59†
40–49†
30–39†
20–29†
10–19†
Under 10†

Share of all residents, each sex

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Under 10 men (−6.9 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B01001View table on data.census.gov

Race and Hispanic origin

1,439 residents (±264)

Moorhead, Mississippi
Mississippi share

White12%†179
Black87%1,252
Hispanic or Latino0.0%0

Education

838 residents (±193)

Moorhead, Mississippi
Mississippi share

No high school diploma20%†170
High school or GED36%†305
Some college13%

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Income

How household income is spread, not just the middle: each bar is the share of households in that income range.

Household income

496 households (±102)

Moorhead, Mississippi
Mississippi share

Under $25k43%†213
$25k–50k24%†120
$50k–75k9.9%†49
$75k–100k11%†56
$100k–150k4.8%†24
$150k–200k6.9%†34
$200k or more0.0%0

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Under $25k (−16.4 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B19001View table on data.census.gov

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Homes

Who owns and who rents, what homes cost, and what the housing stock looks like.

Owners and renters

496 households (±102)

Moorhead, Mississippi
Mississippi share

Own57%†281
Rent43%215

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Rent (−13.6 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B25003View table on data.census.gov

Rent paid

170 households (±51)

Moorhead, Mississippi
Mississippi share

Under $75054%†92
$750–1,00036%†62
$1,000–1,5009.4%†16

Home values

281 homes (±91)

Moorhead, Mississippi
Mississippi share

Under $150k89%†251
$150k–250k9.6%†27
$250k–400k1.1%†3

Age of homes

643 homes (±96)

Moorhead, Mississippi
Mississippi share

2010 or later7.6%†49
2000–200913%†84
1980–199928%†178

Size of homes

643 homes (±96)

Moorhead, Mississippi
Mississippi share

Studio4.7%†30
1 bedroom0.0%0
2 bedrooms31%†202

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Getting to work

How workers travel to their job and how long it takes them.

How people get to work

329 workers (±114)

Moorhead, Mississippi
Mississippi share

Drive alone79%†261
Carpool13%†44
Public transit1.5%†5
Walk0.0%0
Bike0.0%0
Work from home4.0%†13
Other1.8%†6

No change since 2015–2019 is larger than the margin of error.

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B08301View table on data.census.gov

Time to get to work

316 workers (±112)

Moorhead, Mississippi
Mississippi share

Under 15 min40%†127
15–29 min35%†111
30–44 min17%†

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Local businesses

Employer businesses and sole proprietors by industry, per resident and against the state and the nation. Counts of businesses next to counts of people, not a measure of demand.

The Census Bureau publishes business counts by county, not by city, so these are the figures of Sunflower County, the county holding most of Moorhead's residents.

Sunflower County has 406 employer establishments, 170 for every 10,000 residents (0.69× the US rate of 248; 0.83× Mississippi's), with 6,028 paid employees at an average annual pay of $40,351. The Census Bureau also counts 2,093 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 406; 2,093 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 170; US 248 · Mississippi 205
Paid employees: 6,028
Average annual pay: $40,351; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of Sunflower County by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Restaurants and other eating places	28	11.7	0.64×Fewer than typical	431	$15,213	15
Ambulatory health care services	26	10.9	0.52×Fewer than typical	245	$66,535	164
Religious organizations	24	10.1	1.81×More than typical	121	$14,760	—
Truck transportation	21	8.8	1.74×More than typical	240	$63,254	110
Gasoline stations	19	8	2.46×More than typical	278	$24,442	—
Limited-service restaurants	18	7.5	0.94×About typical	338	$13,607	7
Specialty trade contractors	16	6.7	0.43×Fewer than typical	38	$37,553	99
Banks and credit unions	15	6.3	1.95×More than typical	141	$58,142	—
General merchandise stores	12	5	2.85×More than typical	284	$29,394	6
Individual and family services	11	4.6	1.65×More than typical	597	$27,789	23
Insurance agencies and brokerages	10	4.2	0.95×About typical	28	$40,679	37
Auto parts, accessories and tire stores	9	3.8	2.16×Too few to compare	50	$34,880	4

Rank places for an industry Open Sunflower County

County Business Patterns (2023); Nonemployer Statistics (2024)

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 23,858 residents here, 336,755,052 in the United States. County Business Patterns counts establishments in 2023; the Nonemployer Statistics count businesses in 2024.
“More than typical” is a density at least 1.25 times the nation's per resident, “fewer” at most 0.8 times, with at least 10 establishments. It compares counts of businesses with counts of people: it says nothing about demand, incomes, size, quality or profit, and visitors and commuters are not residents.
The Census Bureau adds noise to employment and payroll to protect confidentiality, and withholds some figures: an industry with few establishments can show employees or pay as unavailable.
Industries overlap: a narrower industry (full-service restaurants) is part of a broader one (restaurants), so the rows do not add up.
Industries follow the North American Industry Classification System; the two surveys use different editions (NAICS 2017 and 2022), which this page matches industry by industry.

Federal contracts performed here

In FY2026, an estimated $0 of federal contract obligations were for work performed in Moorhead, Mississippi: $0 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $0
Per resident: $0; US $1,994
Sole-source: —; US 30%
Single offer: —; US 8.8%

A signal is a reason to look closer, not evidence of wrongdoing: most sole-source awards are lawful and justified.

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

170.8FY2017
205FY2018
-1.7FY2020

What was bought

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026.

How this is estimated

Agencies report each contract action's place of performance as a county and a ZIP code. A ZIP code's money is split among the cities it covers by the share of its land inside each (Census 2020 ZIP code tabulation areas); the part outside city limits stays with the county.

The place of performance is what the contracting agency reports, often the contractor's office rather than where the work happens.
Shares are of land, not of people or businesses: a ZIP code that is mostly rural land but has its offices in town gives the town less than it should.
ZIP codes that are not mapped areas (post office boxes, the unique ZIP codes of large federal sites and companies) stay with their county, unless one city covers nearly all of it.
Counts of actions and awards include those only partly in Moorhead, Mississippi, so they do not add up across cities.

Moorhead, Mississippi's figures are part of those of Sunflower County, MS ($2M in FY2026), never added to them: 0.0% of that total.

Grants and other federal assistance are counted by county here, not split among cities: Moorhead is mostly in Sunflower County.

See federal money in Sunflower County

Representation in Congress

Members serving today, with their record in the current Congress (party-unity votes cast with their caucus, roll calls missed). Not a grade.

Moorhead, Mississippi is represented in the 119th Congress by these members.

House

Bennie G. ThompsonD-MS-2 · 100% of residentsWith party 99%Missed 3.9%

Senate

Explore Congress The 2026 races

County

A city can lie in several counties. Some indicators are published for counties only: the page marks them.

Sunflower County0100% of residents

Other cities and towns in Sunflower County

Largest first.

Similar cities and towns

Closest indicator profiles across the country (no model: score distances).

Data and sources

Latest published value of each indicator; periods differ by source. Values flagged by their publisher are marked.

PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Building Permits SurveyU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-08
Population Estimates ProgramU.S. Census Bureau · release 2025
Small Area Health Insurance EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Small Area Income and Poverty EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement

JSON · /api/v1/places/2848760