Waterford, MS · standard
ZIP Code 38685
Marshall County, Mississippi - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 1,347
- 6/sq mi Low-density area
- $41,210
- Median income Below-median income area
- $124,100
- Median home value Below-median home value
- 3.8%
- Bachelor's or higher Below-average bachelor's attainment
National ZIP placement
Waterford pairs one of the lowest household incomes in the country with among the most affordable home values nationally, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.
- 6th pct
- household income, US ZIPs
- 18th pct
- home value, US ZIPs
- 6
- people per sq mi
- 95%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 38685 against every reporting US ZIP.
ZIP code 38685 is a sparsely populated ZIP (a standard USPS delivery area) in Waterford, Marshall County, Mississippi, home to just 1,347 residents across 232.2 square miles, a density of 6 people per square mile, in the Chicago time zone.
ZIP 38685 reports a modest median household income of $41,210 (22% below the average Mississippi ZIP), while per-capita income is $37,978. The poverty rate is 19.4%, with unemployment at 6.2%; those measures add context to the income figure. Median home value is $124,100 (8% below the average Mississippi ZIP); 95.1% of occupied homes are owner-occupied.
Formal educational attainment runs low here: just 3.8% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 61.4, and the average commute is -. The page also surfaces 1 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 4 more in Marshall County, so 38685 can be compared with both its immediate and county-level context.
Every figure on this page is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates (including median rent) and the FHFA House Price Index, no estimates, no proprietary scoring. Verify with Census →
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates + ZIP Code Business Patterns + FHFA HPI ACS demographics and median rent, ZBP business establishments, FHFA HPI for ZIP 38685, Waterford, MS · 2023 Census ACS 5-Year Estimates use a rolling 60-month sample for stable small-geography estimates; ZBP updated annually; FHFA HPI updated quarterly/annually.
Quick Facts
1,347
Population
232.2
Area (sq mi)
6
People / sq mi
Chicago
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 38685?
61.4
Median Age
51.8%
Male
48.2%
Female
0.0%
Foreign-Born
Hispanic or Latino is an ethnicity category from the Census Bureau and may overlap with other categories above.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
How much do residents earn?
$41,210
Median Household Income
-22% vs state ZIP avg
$37,978
Per Capita Income
19.4%
Poverty Rate
6.2%
Unemployment Rate
How ZIP 38685 ranks among Mississippi ZIPs
Waterford, MS household income vs. every Mississippi ZIP code
Median household income among 377 reporting Mississippi ZIPs (this ZIP's population is too small for a reliable national-corpus placement)
$41,210 27th percentile higher than 27% of 377 Mississippi ZIPs
Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more Mississippi ZIPs. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2019–2023
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What is the education profile here?
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What does housing look like?
Housing stock: occupied vs vacant
677housing units
677
Total Housing Units
586
Occupied Units
91
Vacant Units
2.22
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$124,100
Median Home Value
-8% vs state ZIP avg
1986
Median Year Built
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What businesses operate in this ZIP?
Census Bureau data shows 9 business establishments in ZIP 38685, employing approximately 62 people with a combined annual payroll of $2,813,000.
9
Businesses
62
Employees
$2.8M
Annual Payroll
1
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Retail trade | 3 | 33.3% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP), 2023. Employment figures may include noise for disclosure avoidance.
Nearby ZIP Codes
Want a side-by-side? Compare 38685 vs 38601 →
| ZIP Code | City | Population | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 38601 | Abbeville, MS | 2,371 | 8.6 mi |
Nationwide ZIPs with similar ACS profiles
Two Census-derived peer sets for ZIP 38685, both outside MS so the neighborhoods are not geographic containment (Nearby and same-county blocks stay local).
Similar population
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by resident population (1,347 here; floor ≥1,000).
Similar median household income
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by ACS median household income.
More ZIP Codes in Marshall County
Related Areas
Frequently Asked Questions
What county is ZIP code 38685 in?
ZIP code 38685 (Waterford) is located in Marshall County, Mississippi. Marshall County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/marshall-ms.
What is the population of ZIP code 38685?
ZIP code 38685 in Waterford, MS has a population of 1,347 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 38685?
The median household income in ZIP 38685 is $41,210, which is 46% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 38685?
The median home value in ZIP 38685 is $124,100, which is 55% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 38685?
The largest racial group in ZIP 38685 is White at 74.0%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 0.6% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 38685?
ZIP code 38685 has 9 business establishments employing approximately 62 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What is the education level in ZIP code 38685?
In ZIP code 38685, 52.9% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 3.8% hold a bachelor's degree or higher. These figures come from the Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023).
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 38685?
In ZIP code 38685, approximately 95.1% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 4.9% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 38685?
The poverty rate in ZIP code 38685 is 19.4% according to Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. This measures the percentage of the population living below the federal poverty threshold.
Related
Take this with you
What to do with ZIP 38685's numbers, next.
- See how ZIP 38685 compares to a neighboring ZIP code on the same Census fields Compare this ZIP
- Check where Waterford, MS ranks among every U.S. ZIP code on income, education, or homeownership View national rankings
- Save this ZIP to your shortlist to track alongside others you're considering View your shortlist
ZIP Code Tabulation Areas (ZCTAs) are Census Bureau approximations of USPS ZIP codes; figures describe the ZCTA area, not any single address within it.