City profile · Mississippi · Census ACS 2023

Ethel, MS

Population, income, housing, safety, climate and schools for Ethel - drawn straight from Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA, NCES, HUD and FEMA, refreshed on the 2024–2025 release cycle.

217
Residents
$36,389
Median income
$76,200
Median home
$842
Median rent (state)

Ethel - the verdict

Measured against every US city with at least 1,000 residents, Ethel lands in the 5th percentile for household income. Source: Census ACS.

5th
percentile, household income
3rd
percentile, home value
1st
percentile, median rent
📝 How we sourced this

Population, income, and housing-cost figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates (B-series tables). Crime data uses FBI UCR; climate uses NOAA Climate Normals; school counts come from NCES Common Core of Data; permits use the Census Building Permits Survey (BPS). See our methodology page for the full ETL pipeline and OMB / FIPS join keys.

Data Snapshot: Ethel, MS

Census ACS 2023 estimates count 217 residents in Ethel, a small town within Mississippi. The typical household in Ethel brings in $36,389 a year, in the lower quartile of U.S. cities for household income, with a poverty rate of 40.0%. Typical homes in Ethel are valued around $76,200, and the median resident age is 31.8 years. Educational attainment runs 6.9% of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher. Separately, 39.4% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

The city is served by 1 public schools according to NCES Common Core of Data.

Living costs in Mississippi run below the national norm: on BEA's 100-equals-national-average cost index, Mississippi scores 87.0 (Well Below Average), per the 2024 Regional Price Parities release. HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in this state is $842 per month. Statewide, average monthly utility bills in Mississippi run around $223, per EIA 2023 residential energy data. Workers in Ethel report an average commute of 15.5 minutes, with 78.9% driving alone and 0.0% working from home. Natural-hazard exposure scores 34.2 out of 100 on FEMA's National Risk Index (Very Low).

Population

217 residents

Census ACS 2023 - Mississippi

Median Household Income

$36,389 /yr

Poverty 40.0%

Cost of Living Index (state)

87.0 (US=100)

Well Below Average - BEA RPP 2024, Mississippi average

How does Ethel compare to other US cities?

Here's how Ethel stacks up against the full field of US cities (population 1,000+), computed live from Census and FBI data.

Household income 5% higher than other cities
Home value 3% pricier than other cities
Median rent 1% pricier than other cities

"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.

How we calculate these percentiles & ranks

For each metric we count every US city with population 1,000+ and a non-null value, then compute what share of them fall below Ethel's value: round(cities-below ÷ total × 100). Safety is inverted (percentile = share of cities with a higher crime rate) so a higher number always means safer. The in-state rank narrows that same crime-rate comparison to only the cities PlainCities tracks in Mississippi, breaking ties alphabetically. See the methodology page for the full source-to-figure lineage.

5thIncome percentile

5th percentile nationally for median household income. Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

How Ethel's home value compares nationally

Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)

$76,200 Among the most affordable more affordable than 97% of 15,600 US cities

$0–$25,000: 5 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $25,000–$50,000: 54 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $50,000–$75,000: 352 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $75,000–$100,000: 1,086 US cities (7%). This entry sits in this band. $100,000–$125,000: 1,516 US cities (10%). Above this entry. $125,000–$150,000: 1,170 US cities (8%). Above this entry. $150,000–$175,000: 1,278 US cities (8%). Above this entry. $175,000–$200,000: 1,229 US cities (8%). Above this entry. $200,000–$225,000: 1,035 US cities (7%). Above this entry. $225,000–$250,000: 976 US cities (6%). Above this entry. $250,000–$275,000: 754 US cities (5%). Above this entry. $275,000–$300,000: 712 US cities (5%). Above this entry. $300,000–$325,000: 521 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $325,000–$350,000: 526 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $350,000–$375,000: 465 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $375,000–$400,000: 393 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $400,000–$425,000: 317 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $425,000–$450,000: 300 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $450,000–$475,000: 307 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $475,000–$500,000: 250 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $500,000–$525,000: 160 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $525,000–$550,000: 156 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $550,000–$575,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $575,000–$600,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $600,000–$625,000: 163 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $625,000–$650,000: 167 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $650,000–$675,000: 135 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $675,000–$700,000: 101 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $700,000–$725,000: 95 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $725,000–$750,000: 71 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $750,000–$775,000: 65 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $775,000–$800,000: 70 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $800,000–$825,000: 57 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $825,000–$850,000: 67 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $850,000–$875,000: 60 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $875,000–$900,000: 58 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $900,000–$925,000: 47 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $925,000–$950,000: 37 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $950,000–$975,000: 31 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $975,000–$1,000,000: 470 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $1,000,000–$1,025,000: 0 US cities (0%). Above this entry. Ethel $0 $1,025,000 every US city, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $25K-wide band; taller bars hold more US cities. 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 · 2023

Income distribution context

Household income distribution - Ethel, MS Ethel, MS's reported median household income shown against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern (not Ethel, MS-specific quintile data). The Lorenz curve traces the national cumulative income share against cumulative population share, perfect equality is the diagonal; observed inequality bows below. $ Household Income Distribution Ethel, MS median $36,389/yr, vs. U.S. national quintile pattern QUINTILE SHARE OF AGGREGATE INCOME Lowest 20% 3.4% Second 20% 9.2% Middle 20% 15.1% Fourth 20% 23.2% Top 20% 49.1% LORENZ CURVE cumulative income vs. population 100% 0% 100% pop. 0%
Ethel, MS's median household income (Census ACS 5-year estimate) plotted against the U.S. national income-quintile distribution pattern for context; the quintile shares and Lorenz curve are national figures, not computed specifically for Ethel, MS. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 6.9%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 40.0%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 39.4%

Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force

Population
217
Median Income
$36,389
Median Home Value
$76,200
Median Age
31.8
Poverty Rate
40.0%
Labor force participation
39.4%
Bachelor's Degree+
6.9%

Schools

Total Schools
1
Public schools in this city

Population Change

Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025

See the fastest-growing cities →
320 residents330 residents340 residents350 residents 202020212022202320242025 341 residents 324 residents ▼ -5.0%
Ethel's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Average Commute Time
15.5 minutes
Drive Alone
78.9%
Carpool
21.1%
Public Transit
0.0%
Walk
0.0%
Work from Home
0.0%

Based on 57 workers 16 and over.

Monthly Utility Costs

State-average estimates for Mississippi - EIA 2023 residential energy data

Electricity
$135
avg/month
Natural Gas
$50
avg/month
Water & Sewer
$38
avg/month
Total Utilities
$223
estimated/month

Estimates reflect Mississippi state averages. Actual costs vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.

Living Costs & Risk

Cost of living is a Mississippi state average from BEA; rent and hazard risk are county-level figures from HUD and FEMA for the county Ethel sits in

Cost of Living Index
87.0
Well Below Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$842/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
34.2 / 100
Very Low
FEMA NRI composite score (county)

Similar Cities in Mississippi

Bethlehem
218 people
Farrell
216 people
Lula
218 people
Chunky
215 people
Doddsville
219 people
Grace
219 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Ethel's 217 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

Forest Lakes, AZ
217 people
Burdette, AR
217 people
Mexican Colony, CA
217 people
Redding Center, CT
217 people
Allerton, IL
217 people
Shumway, IL
217 people

Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide

Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to Ethel's $36,389 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).

Portlandville, NY
$36,389 median income
Jennings, OK
$36,389 median income
Doolittle, TX
$36,397 median income
Leadington, MO
$36,402 median income
Dos Palos Y, CA
$36,406 median income
Simsboro, LA
$36,370 median income

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - Ethel, MS Race categories sum to one hundred percent per Census methodology. Hispanic or Latino is shown separately as an ethnicity overlay; it cuts across all race categories per OMB Directive 15. Race & Ethnicity Composition Ethel, MS - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 83.0% 13.8% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 0.0% White 83.0% Black or African American 13.8% Asian 0.0% American Indian 0.0% Native Hawaiian 0.0% Some other race 0.0% Two or more races 3.2% Per OMB Directive 15: Hispanic/Latino ethnicity is reported separately from the race categories.
Race categories sum to 100%. Hispanic or Latino ethnicity is reported separately and cuts across race per Census/OMB methodology.

City-level race and ethnicity, Census ACS 5-year 2023 (tables B02001, B03001), OMB Directive 15 categories.

How Ethel compares to nearby Mississippi cities

Population + median household income, sourced from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 (population) and B19013 (median household income).

City Population Median Household Income
Ethel (this city) 217 $36,389
Bethlehem 218 N/A
Farrell 216 $37,007
Lula 218 $38,333
Census ACS 5-year FIPS MS NCES CCD OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Ethel, MS?

What is the population of Ethel, MS? +

The population of Ethel, MS stands at 217 according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in Ethel, MS? +

The median household income in Ethel is $36,389 per year, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Ethel? +

BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for Ethel; the closest available measure is the Mississippi state average, a cost of living index of 87.0 (U.S. average = 100), rated "Well Below Average" based on BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 data. Costs within Mississippi vary by metro area.

What is the median home value in Ethel, MS? +

A typical home in Ethel is worth $76,200, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, NCES CCD, Census ACS B08301/B08136, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, HUD Fair Market Rents 2026, FEMA National Risk Index.

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

Primary sources: Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES.

Citation & verification links Data sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCities Editorial

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Every figure on PlainCities is rendered directly from Census ACS source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on Census ACS source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.