PlainZIP

Water Valley, MS · standard

ZIP Code 38965

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

9,135
14/sq mi
$58,258
Median income
$153,100
Median home value
19.6%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

Water Valley pairs a below-median household income with below-median home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.

26th pct
household income, US ZIPs
26th pct
home value, US ZIPs
14
people per sq mi
73%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 38965 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 38965 is a mid-sized community (a standard USPS delivery area) in Water Valley, Yalobusha County, Mississippi, home to 9,135 residents across 634.4 square miles, a density of 14 people per square mile, in the Chicago time zone.

ZIP 38965 reports a modest median household income of $58,258 (11% above the Mississippi average), while per-capita income is $29,162. Poverty here runs at 18.9%, with unemployment measured at 2.5%. Housing costs here run $153,100 for a typical home value (14% above the state average), with rent averaging $645 a month; 72.9% of homes are owner-occupied.

Educational attainment sits below the national norm: 19.6% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 39.5, and the average commute is 28 minutes. Use the benchmarks above to see where 38965 sits relative to Mississippi and the national baseline rather than viewing the numbers in isolation.

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 38965

Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Water Valley, MS

Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 38965.

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 38965, Water Valley, 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

9,135

Population

634.4

Area (sq mi)

14

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 38965?

39.5

Median Age

49.1%

Male

50.9%

Female

0.4%

Foreign-Born

White 65.2%
African American 29.3%
Asian 0.0%
American Indian or Alaska Native 0.5%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.0%
Two or More Ethnicities 4.4%
Hispanic or Latino 1.6%

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?

$58,258

Median Household Income

+11% vs state

$29,162

Per Capita Income

18.9%

Poverty Rate

2.5%

Unemployment Rate

28.2 min

Mean Commute Time

How ZIP 38965 ranks nationally

Water Valley, MS household income vs. every US ZIP code

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

$58,258 26th percentile higher than 26% 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 53.0%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 19.6%

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

What does housing look like?

4,118

Total Housing Units

3,403

Occupied Units

715

Vacant Units

2.57

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 72.9%
Renter 27.1%

$153,100

Median Home Value

+14% vs state

$645

Median Rent

1981

Median Year Built

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

How have home values changed over time?

FHFA House Price Index, annual appreciation data based on repeat sales and appraisals

+9.3%

YoY Change (2024)

269

HPI Index (2000 = 100)

+169%

Total Change Since 2000

Home values in ZIP 38965 have increased 9.3% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +169% cumulative appreciation.

Year Annual Change HPI Index
2020 -2.8% 160
2021 +9.9% 175
2022 +25.3% 220
2023 +11.9% 246
2024 +9.3% 269

Source: Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) House Price Index, All-Transactions, Five-Digit ZIP Codes (Developmental Index). Index base = 100 in year 2000. Data through 2024. ZIP codes with few transactions may show missing values.

What businesses operate in this ZIP?

Census Bureau data shows 131 business establishments in ZIP 38965, employing approximately 1,384 people with a combined annual payroll of $48,130,000.

131

Businesses

1,384

Employees

$48.1M

Annual Payroll

13

Industry Sectors

Industry Establishments % of Total
Retail trade 31 23.7%
Other services (except public administration) 16 12.2%
Accommodation and food services 13 9.9%
Health care and social assistance 12 9.2%
Construction 11 8.4%
Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services 8 6.1%
Finance and insurance 7 5.3%
Professional, scientific, and technical services 7 5.3%
Manufacturing 5 3.8%
Wholesale trade 5 3.8%
Transportation and warehousing 5 3.8%
Utilities 3 2.3%
Real estate and rental and leasing 3 2.3%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP), 2023. Employment figures may include noise for disclosure avoidance.

More ZIP Codes in Yalobusha County

38922 standard
Coffeeville, MS
Pop: 3,451
38948 standard
Oakland, MS
Pop: 2,288
38961 standard
Tillatoba, MS
Pop: 803

Related Areas

Yalobusha County Water Valley, MS Mississippi

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 38965 in? ▼
ZIP code 38965 (Water Valley) is located in Yalobusha County, Mississippi. Yalobusha County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/yalobusha-ms.
What is the population of ZIP code 38965? ▼
ZIP code 38965 in Water Valley, MS has a population of 9,135 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 38965? ▼
The median household income in ZIP 38965 is $58,258, which is 24% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 38965? ▼
The median home value in ZIP 38965 is $153,100, which is 45% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 38965? ▼
The largest racial group in ZIP 38965 is White at 65.2%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 1.6% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 38965? ▼
ZIP code 38965 has 131 business establishments employing approximately 1,384 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 38965? ▼
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 38965 are: Retail trade (31), Other services (except public administration) (16), Accommodation and food services (13). There are 13 industry sectors represented in total.
How have home values changed in ZIP code 38965? ▼
According to the FHFA House Price Index, home values in ZIP 38965 increased by 9.3% in 2024. Since 2000, home values in this ZIP have appreciated by approximately 169%. This is a developmental index based on repeat sales and appraisal data from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
What is the education level in ZIP code 38965? ▼
In ZIP code 38965, 53.0% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 19.6% 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 38965? ▼
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 38965 is 28.2 minutes according to Census ACS data. The national average is roughly 26 minutes, so commuters here spend more time traveling to work than typical.
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 38965? ▼
In ZIP code 38965, approximately 72.9% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 27.1% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 38965? ▼
The poverty rate in ZIP code 38965 is 18.9% 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.