PlainZIP

Houlka, MS · standard

ZIP Code 38850

Chickasaw County, Mississippi - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.

3,141
10/sq mi
$52,807
Median income
$84,700
Median home value
11.4%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

Houlka pairs one of the lowest household incomes in the country with among the most affordable home values nationally, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.

18th pct
household income, US ZIPs
5th pct
home value, US ZIPs
10
people per sq mi
85%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 38850 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 38850 covers 317.3 square miles in Houlka, Chickasaw County, Mississippi (a standard USPS delivery area), with a modest 3,141 residents on file, a density of 10 people per square mile, in the Chicago time zone.

ZIP 38850 reports a modest median household income of $52,807 (0% above the Mississippi average), while per-capita income is $26,409. The poverty rate stands at 23.0% and the unemployment rate at 2.5%. The typical home here is valued at $84,700 (37% below the state average); renters pay a median of $655 monthly, and 84.8% of units are owner-occupied.

Formal educational attainment runs low here: just 11.4% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 41.5, and the average commute is 26 minutes. We also surface 2 nearby ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 4 additional ZIPs sharing Chickasaw County, so you can benchmark 38850 against its immediate geography rather than a national average alone.

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 →

Top industries in ZIP 38850

Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Houlka, MS

Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 38850.

establishments

What this shows Establishment counts come from the Census ZIP Code Business Patterns program, which counts physical business locations rather than employees or revenue.

Source U.S. Census Bureau · ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) As of 2023

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 38850, Houlka, 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

3,141

Population

317.3

Area (sq mi)

10

People / sq mi

Chicago

Time Zone

standard

ZIP Type

Neighborhood Scorecard
Get an A-F grade across income, safety, housing, rent, education, commute, and childcare for this ZIP code.
View Scorecard →

Who lives in ZIP 38850?

41.5

Median Age

50.3%

Male

49.7%

Female

0.1%

Foreign-Born

White 66.6%
African American 31.1%
Asian 0.0%
American Indian or Alaska Native 0.0%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.0%
Two or More Ethnicities 2.4%
Hispanic or Latino 1.1%

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?

$52,807

Median Household Income

+0% vs state

$26,409

Per Capita Income

23.0%

Poverty Rate

2.5%

Unemployment Rate

26.0 min

Mean Commute Time

How ZIP 38850 ranks nationally

Houlka, MS household income vs. every US ZIP code

Median household income, the full national distribution, with this ZIP marked

$52,807 18th percentile higher than 18% of 30,318 US ZIPs

$0–$20,000: 118 US ZIPs (0%). Below this entry. $20,000–$40,000: 1,573 US ZIPs (5%). Below this entry. $40,000–$60,000: 7,092 US ZIPs (23%). This entry sits in this band. $60,000–$80,000: 9,980 US ZIPs (33%). Above this entry. $80,000–$100,000: 5,778 US ZIPs (19%). Above this entry. $100,000–$120,000: 2,855 US ZIPs (9%). Above this entry. $120,000–$140,000: 1,362 US ZIPs (4%). Above this entry. $140,000–$160,000: 686 US ZIPs (2%). Above this entry. $160,000–$180,000: 364 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. $180,000–$200,000: 186 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. $200,000–$220,000: 324 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. This ZIP $0 $200K+ every reporting US ZIP, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more US 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?

High School Graduate or Higher 57.4%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 11.4%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

What does housing look like?

1,472

Total Housing Units

1,283

Occupied Units

189

Vacant Units

2.32

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 84.8%
Renter 15.2%

$84,700

Median Home Value

-37% vs state

$655

Median Rent

1983

Median Year Built

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

What businesses operate in this ZIP?

Census Bureau data shows 54 business establishments in ZIP 38850, employing approximately 540 people with a combined annual payroll of $20,259,000.

54

Businesses

540

Employees

$20.3M

Annual Payroll

5

Industry Sectors

Industry Establishments % of Total
Manufacturing 15 27.8%
Retail trade 10 18.5%
Transportation and warehousing 7 13.0%
Wholesale trade 6 11.1%
Health care and social assistance 3 5.6%

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 38850 vs 38851 →

ZIP 38850 vs its nearest neighbors, by population

Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.

residents

What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 38850 ranks #2 by population - useful context the national average alone can't give.

Source U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 5-Year Estimates As of 2019–2023

ZIP 38850 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income

Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.

median income

What this shows By household income, ZIP 38850 ranks #2 of 3 neighboring ZIPs, local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.

Source U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 5-Year Estimates As of 2019–2023
ZIP Code City Population Distance
38851 Houston, MS 8,408 10.8 mi
38864 Randolph, MS 1,701 10.2 mi

More ZIP Codes in Chickasaw County

38851 standard
Houston, MS
Pop: 8,408
38860 standard
Okolona, MS
Pop: 5,663
39756 standard
Prairie, MS
Pop: 1,943
39776 standard
Woodland, MS
Pop: 1,674

Related Areas

Chickasaw County Houlka, MS Mississippi

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 38850 in? ▼
ZIP code 38850 (Houlka) is located in Chickasaw County, Mississippi. Chickasaw County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/chickasaw-ms.
What is the population of ZIP code 38850? ▼
ZIP code 38850 in Houlka, MS has a population of 3,141 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 38850? ▼
The median household income in ZIP 38850 is $52,807, which is 31% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 38850? ▼
The median home value in ZIP 38850 is $84,700, which is 70% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 38850? ▼
The largest racial group in ZIP 38850 is White at 66.6%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 1.1% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 38850? ▼
ZIP code 38850 has 54 business establishments employing approximately 540 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 38850? ▼
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 38850 are: Manufacturing (15), Retail trade (10), Transportation and warehousing (7). There are 5 industry sectors represented in total.
What is the education level in ZIP code 38850? ▼
In ZIP code 38850, 57.4% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 11.4% hold a bachelor's degree or higher. These figures come from the Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023).
What is the average commute time in ZIP 38850? ▼
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 38850 is 26.0 minutes according to Census ACS data. The national average is roughly 26 minutes, so commuters here spend less time traveling to work than typical.
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 38850? ▼
In ZIP code 38850, approximately 84.8% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 15.2% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 38850? ▼
The poverty rate in ZIP code 38850 is 23.0% according to Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. This measures the percentage of the population living below the federal poverty threshold.

Read our methodology to see how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.