PlainZIP

Columbus, MS · standard

ZIP Code 39701

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

13,997
29/sq mi
$32,599
Median income
$117,900
Median home value
21.4%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

Columbus pairs one of the lowest household incomes in the country with among the most affordable home values nationally, in a rural, mixed-tenure area.

3th pct
household income, US ZIPs
16th pct
home value, US ZIPs
29
people per sq mi
43%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 39701 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 39701 is a mid-sized community (a standard USPS delivery area) in Columbus, Lowndes County, Mississippi, home to 13,997 residents across 484.3 square miles, a density of 29 people per square mile, in the Chicago time zone.

ZIP 39701 sits on the lower end of the income spectrum: median household income is $32,599 (38% below the Mississippi average), while per-capita income is $24,358. Local economic indicators show a 34.3% poverty rate alongside 10.3% unemployment. Housing costs here run $117,900 for a typical home value (12% below the state average), with rent averaging $834 a month; 42.9% of homes are owner-occupied.

Educational attainment sits below the national norm: 21.4% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 45.1, and the average commute is -. Beyond these figures, 2 nearby ZIP codes within about 10 miles are surfaced below, along with 6 more sharing Lowndes County, letting you compare 39701 to its immediate surroundings rather than a national baseline 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 39701

Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Columbus, MS

Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 39701.

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 39701, Columbus, 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

13,997

Population

484.3

Area (sq mi)

29

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 39701?

45.1

Median Age

48.4%

Male

51.6%

Female

2.2%

Foreign-Born

White 28.9%
African American 64.9%
Asian 0.7%
American Indian or Alaska Native 0.0%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.0%
Two or More Ethnicities 4.8%
Hispanic or Latino 2.0%

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?

$32,599

Median Household Income

-38% vs state

$24,358

Per Capita Income

34.3%

Poverty Rate

10.3%

Unemployment Rate

How ZIP 39701 ranks nationally

Columbus, MS household income vs. every US ZIP code

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

$32,599 3rd percentile higher than 3% of 30,318 US ZIPs

$0–$20,000: 118 US ZIPs (0%). Below this entry. $20,000–$40,000: 1,573 US ZIPs (5%). This entry sits in this band. $40,000–$60,000: 7,092 US ZIPs (23%). Above this entry. $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 59.5%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 21.4%

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

What does housing look like?

6,899

Total Housing Units

5,335

Occupied Units

1,564

Vacant Units

2.10

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 42.9%
Renter 57.1%

$117,900

Median Home Value

-12% vs state

$834

Median Rent

1970

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

+10.2%

YoY Change (2024)

175

HPI Index (2000 = 100)

+75%

Total Change Since 2000

Home values in ZIP 39701 have increased 10.2% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +75% cumulative appreciation.

Year Annual Change HPI Index
2020 +3.6% 138
2021 +5.5% 145
2022 +16.5% 169
2023 -6.1% 159
2024 +10.2% 175

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 428 business establishments in ZIP 39701, employing approximately 9,698 people with a combined annual payroll of $633,035,000.

428

Businesses

9,698

Employees

$633.0M

Annual Payroll

16

Industry Sectors

Industry Establishments % of Total
Retail trade 69 16.1%
Accommodation and food services 50 11.7%
Other services (except public administration) 40 9.3%
Health care and social assistance 37 8.6%
Finance and insurance 34 7.9%
Professional, scientific, and technical services 32 7.5%
Construction 30 7.0%
Wholesale trade 29 6.8%
Manufacturing 23 5.4%
Transportation and warehousing 20 4.7%
Real estate and rental and leasing 19 4.4%
Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services 19 4.4%
Information 10 2.3%
Arts, entertainment, and recreation 7 1.6%
Management of companies and enterprises 3 0.7%
Educational services 3 0.7%

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 39701 vs 39736 →

ZIP 39701 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 39701 ranks the most populous - useful context the national average alone can't give.

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

ZIP 39701 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 39701 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
39736 Artesia, MS 312 8.6 mi
39743 Crawford, MS 2,067 8.8 mi

More ZIP Codes in Lowndes County

39702 standard
Columbus, MS
Pop: 22,883
39705 standard
Columbus, MS
Pop: 13,667
39740 standard
Caledonia, MS
Pop: 5,038
39766 standard
Steens, MS
Pop: 2,630
39743 standard
Crawford, MS
Pop: 2,067
39736 standard
Artesia, MS
Pop: 312

Related Areas

Lowndes County Columbus, MS Mississippi

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 39701 in? ▼
ZIP code 39701 (Columbus) is located in Lowndes County, Mississippi. Lowndes County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/lowndes-ms.
What is the population of ZIP code 39701? ▼
ZIP code 39701 in Columbus, MS has a population of 13,997 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 39701? ▼
The median household income in ZIP 39701 is $32,599, which is 57% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 39701? ▼
The median home value in ZIP 39701 is $117,900, which is 58% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 39701? ▼
The largest racial group in ZIP 39701 is African American at 64.9%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 2.0% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 39701? ▼
ZIP code 39701 has 428 business establishments employing approximately 9,698 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 39701? ▼
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 39701 are: Retail trade (69), Accommodation and food services (50), Other services (except public administration) (40). There are 16 industry sectors represented in total.
How have home values changed in ZIP code 39701? ▼
According to the FHFA House Price Index, home values in ZIP 39701 increased by 10.2% in 2024. Since 2000, home values in this ZIP have appreciated by approximately 75%. 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 39701? ▼
In ZIP code 39701, 59.5% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 21.4% 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 39701? ▼
In ZIP code 39701, approximately 42.9% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 57.1% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 39701? ▼
The poverty rate in ZIP code 39701 is 34.3% 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.