Population 7,233 · Census ACS 2020–24
Choose a measure to map it.Tap a measure to map it. Swipe the row for more. Arrows show the change since 2006–10.
Median age by neighborhoodHistory and comparison ↓︎
Younger residents
Older residents
Colorblind friendly
off
More maps of Water Valley: Best Neighborhoods · Walk Grade · Household income · Home prices · Race · Politics · Traffic noise · Internet
Population and households in Water Valley
Household size in Water Valley
| Period | Water Valley | Mississippi | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.58 | 2.66 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.47 | 2.67 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.39 | 2.64 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.59 | 2.57 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.01 | −0.09 | −0.03 |
At 2.59 people per household, Water Valley sits close to the national average of 2.65. The biggest households, usually families with children, are concentrated in the southwest.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Water Valley
| Period | Water Valley | Mississippi | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 40.2 | 36.7 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 40.0 | 37.5 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 44.8 | 38.8 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 39.2 | 39.4 | 40.1 |
| Change | −1.0 | +2.6 | +2.3 |
At 39.2, the median age in Water Valley is close to the national median of 40.1, so its age mix looks much like the country's. The median age has dropped from 40.2 in 2006–10, even as the national median rose. Residents skew youngest in the east and oldest in the southwest.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Water Valley
| Period | Water Valley | Mississippi | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 20.3% | 15.8% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 11.0% | 15.8% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 10.0% | 14.7% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 16.0% | 14.6% | 11.6% |
| Change | −4.3 pts | −1.1 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head nearly one in six households in Water Valley (16.0%), well above the national share of 11.6%. Since 2006–10, the single-parent share has fallen 4.3 points, a much bigger shift than nationally.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Water Valley
Renters in Water Valley
| Period | Water Valley | Mississippi | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 29.4% | 29.2% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 26.9% | 31.1% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 28.2% | 31.8% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 31.3% | 30.0% | 34.8% |
| Change | +1.9 pts | +0.8 pts | +1.5 pts |
Most households in Water Valley own their homes; 31.3% rent, a little below the national share of 34.8%. Among homeowners, 48.7% have no mortgage at all, above the national share of 39.8%. Renting is most common in the east and least common in the southwest. The renter share has risen 1.9 points since 2006–10, as it has nationally.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Water Valley
| Period | Water Valley | Mississippi | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 21.5% | 13.6% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 23.1% | 14.6% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 17.1% | 16.1% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 15.5% | 14.1% | 9.6% |
| Change | −6.0 pts | +0.5 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is high in Water Valley: 15.5% of homes are empty, far above the national rate of 9.6%. In resort and lake areas that usually means seasonal and vacation homes; elsewhere it can point to weak demand. Vacancy is down 6.0 points from 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Water Valley
| Period | Water Valley | Mississippi | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1980 | 1981 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1980 | 1983 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1979 | 1984 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1980 | 1987 | 1980 |
| Change | −0 | +5 | +6 |
The typical home in Water Valley was built around 1980, the same vintage as the country's housing overall. Homes here are older than in Mississippi as a whole, where the median home dates to 1987. Newer construction is concentrated in the southwest, while the center has the oldest housing.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Water Valley
| Period | Water Valley | Mississippi | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $435 | $703 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $538 | $758 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $645 | $819 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $729 | $1,018 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$294 | +$315 | +$606 |
The median renter in Water Valley pays $729 a month for rent and utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rents are up $294 a month from 2006–10, a 68% jump, faster than rents rose nationally. Rent takes 27.2% of the typical renter's income, just under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent. Only five of the 108 Mississippi cities with 5,000+ people have lower rents.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Water Valley
Bachelor's degrees in Water Valley
| Period | Water Valley | Mississippi | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 13.8% | 20.8% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 11.0% | 21.4% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 15.3% | 22.8% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 20.4% | 25.8% | 35.6% |
| Change | +6.6 pts | +5.0 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Water Valley have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 20.4%, against 35.6% nationally. The share with a degree is up 6.6 points from 2006–10, mirroring the country. College graduates are most concentrated in the center and least in the southeast.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Water Valley
| Period | Water Valley | Mississippi | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 75.8% | 80.5% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 79.7% | 82.5% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 86.0% | 84.8% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 85.5% | 87.3% | 89.3% |
| Change | +9.8 pts | +6.9 pts | +4.3 pts |
About one in seven adults in Water Valley never finished high school, more than nationally: 85.5% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% across the U.S. The share with a diploma has risen 9.8 points since 2006–10, mirroring the country.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Water Valley
| Period | Water Valley | Mississippi | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.3% | 9.5% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 5.6% | 11.0% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 6.2% | 7.6% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 3.9% | 5.8% | 5.4% |
| Change | −7.4 pts | −3.6 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Water Valley runs below the national rate: 3.9% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4% nationally. Unemployment has fallen 7.4 points since 2006–10, mirroring the country. Each figure pools five years of surveys (2020–24), so it describes that whole stretch rather than today's job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Water Valley compared with nearby cities
| City | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water Valley | 2.59 | 39.2 | 16.0% | 31.3% | 15.5% | 1980 | $729 | 20.4% | 85.5% | 3.9% |
| Velma | 2.52 | 36.3 | 19.8% | 33.9% | 13.7% | 1980 | $641 | 11.8% | 81.8% | 4.6% |
| Springdale | 3.03 | 34.3 | 11.1% | 21.6% | 15.4% | 2000 | $1,397 | 28.4% | 92.8% | 0.5% |
| Paris | 2.70 | 45.3 | 18.4% | 9.3% | 18.1% | 1992 | $1,063 | 21.0% | 94.7% | 1.4% |
| Shuford | 1.90 | 57.2 | 5.0% | 23.4% | 21.3% | 1993 | $978 | 15.7% | 88.9% | 2.3% |
| Taylor | 3.07 | 37.8 | 3.4% | 23.8% | 37.2% | 2001 | $1,508 | 46.0% | 89.2% | 0.3% |
| Gatewood | 2.41 | 43.7 | 12.5% | 8.1% | 25.0% | 1991 | $671 | 11.0% | 78.4% | 4.4% |
| Banner | 1.95 | 53.2 | 9.5% | 7.3% | 18.6% | 1979 | $755 | 10.1% | 84.8% | 2.9% |
| DeLay | 3.27 | 40.4 | 19.4% | 18.1% | 20.7% | 1990 | $1,081 | 22.8% | 93.6% | 4.9% |
| Ellard | 2.38 | 34.7 | 17.0% | 23.6% | 13.2% | 1984 | $645 | 23.6% | 93.4% | 8.9% |
| Eureka Springs | 3.31 | 36.9 | 6.6% | 16.3% | 7.5% | 1995 | $968 | 23.6% | 74.0% | 9.8% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Driftwood, TX · Stewartsville, NJ · Stevens, PA · Steelton, PA · Steele Creek, AK · Stedman, NC · Standish, ME · St. Stephen, SC · St. Matthews, SC · St. Johnsbury, VT
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Water Valley. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
No other site shows detail at this level for free. We are able to keep this site free by receiving a small commission from the referring links on this page. Please share or cite this page if you aren’t able to otherwise support our work.