City profile · Mississippi · Census ACS 2023

Picayune, MS

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

11,839
Residents
$37,270
Median income
$146,500
Median home
$1,140
Median rent (state)

Picayune - the verdict

Out of every US city with 1,000+ residents, Picayune places in the 6th percentile for household income and the 17th percentile for safety. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.

6th
percentile, household income
26th
percentile, home value
31st
percentile, median rent
17th
percentile, safety
📝 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: Picayune, MS

Mississippi's Picayune is a small town, with 11,839 residents per the latest Census Bureau ACS figures. Median household income here is $37,270 per year, in the lower quartile of U.S. cities for household income, with a poverty rate of 23.0%. Picayune's housing stock carries a median value of $146,500, and the median resident age is 39.3 years. About 14.2% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, while 52.8% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

Housing supply pressure shows in Census Building Permit Survey data: 51 residential units were authorized in 2024 (Building Boom), up 155% from five years earlier. Picayune's reported crime rate runs above the national norm: the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program logs 2883.6 total incidents per 100,000 residents here, above the national average (agency reporting is voluntary, so this measures reporting activity, not a definitive danger score). The annual average temperature per NOAA climate normals runs 66.4°F with 66.7 inches of precipitation per year.

Living costs in Mississippi run below the national norm: BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 puts Mississippi at 87.0 on a 100-equals-national-average scale (Well Below Average). A typical two-bedroom carries a HUD Fair Market Rent of $1,140 per month statewide. EIA 2023 residential energy data puts Mississippi's average monthly utility costs around $223 (state average). Commute times here average 31.7 minutes, with 79.8% driving alone and 5.6% working from home, per Census ACS commuting data. On FEMA's National Risk Index, this area rates 82.7 out of 100 for natural-hazard exposure (High).

Population

11,839 residents

Census ACS 2023 - Mississippi

Median Household Income

$37,270 /yr

Poverty 23.0%

Cost of Living Index (state)

87.0 (US=100)

Well Below Average - BEA RPP 2024, Mississippi average

How does Picayune compare to other US cities?

Picayune measured against every US city with 1,000+ residents, computed live from the same Census and FBI data shown throughout this page.

Household income 6% higher than other cities
Home value 26% pricier than other cities
Median rent 31% pricier than other cities
Safety 17% safer than other cities

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

National percentiles can mask local variation. Looking only at Mississippi, Picayune ranks #42 of 56 Mississippi cities by lowest crime rate - a narrower, more locally useful cut than the national comparison above.

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 Picayune'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.

6thIncome percentile
17thSafety percentile

6th percentile nationally for median household income · 17th percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

Picayune's profile vs. every US city

Income, affordability, and safety percentile

Picayune's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown. 3-axis radar comparing 1 series across Income, Affordability, Safety. IncomeAffordabilitySafety 32 Avg. percentile National median
Picayune's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown.

How Picayune's home value compares nationally

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

$146,500 Among the most affordable more affordable than 74% 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%). Below this entry. $100,000–$125,000: 1,516 US cities (10%). Below this entry. $125,000–$150,000: 1,170 US cities (8%). This entry sits in this band. $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. Picayune $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 - Picayune, MS Picayune, MS's reported median household income shown against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern (not Picayune, 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 Picayune, MS median $37,270/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%
Picayune, 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 Picayune, MS. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 14.2%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 23.0%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 52.8%

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

Population
11,839
Median Income
$37,270
Median Home Value
$146,500
Median Age
39.3
Poverty Rate
23.0%
Labor force participation
52.8%
Bachelor's Degree+
14.2%

Safety & Crime

Total Crime Rate
2883.6
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
185.5
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
2698.1
per 100,000 residents

Reflects incidents reported to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program — agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies by jurisdiction and year, so this reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score. Not adjusted for tourism, commuter, or daytime population.

Climate

Avg Temperature
66.4°F
Annual Precipitation
66.7"
Annual Snowfall
0.0"

Schools

Total Schools
10
Public schools in this city

Population Change

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

See the fastest-growing cities →
11,700 residents11,800 residents11,900 residents12,000 residents12,100 residents 202020212022202320242025 11,870 residents 12,019 residents ▲ +1.3%
Picayune's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.

Housing Supply

Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized

📈 Building Boom
Total Permits (2024)
51
housing units authorized
Single-Family
43
detached homes
Multifamily
8
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
4.3
permits per 1,000 residents

5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)

Year Total
2019 20
2020 20
2021 28
2022 50
2023 46
2024 51

Permit volume increased 155% from 2019 to 2024.

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Average Commute Time
31.7 minutes
Drive Alone
79.8%
Carpool
9.0%
Public Transit
0.0%
Walk
2.8%
Work from Home
5.6%
Other
2.8%

Based on 4,505 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 Picayune sits in

Cost of Living Index
87.0
Well Below Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$1,140/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
82.7 / 100
High
FEMA NRI composite score (county)

Similar Cities in Mississippi

Brookhaven
11,656 people
Moss Point
12,066 people
McComb
12,202 people
Petal
11,195 people
Grenada
12,484 people
Canton
10,863 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Picayune's 11,839 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

Lawrenceburg, KY
11,838 people
Niles, MI
11,838 people
Lantana, FL
11,845 people
South Lyon, MI
11,825 people
Wallington, NJ
11,825 people
Westview, FL
11,823 people

Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide

Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to Picayune's $37,270 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).

Twin City, GA
$37,271 median income
Seminole, OK
$37,267 median income
East Liverpool, OH
$37,262 median income
West Point, KY
$37,260 median income
Taylor Creek, FL
$37,281 median income
Loomis, WA
$37,281 median income

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - Picayune, 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 Picayune, MS - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 53.4% 39.1% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 3.8% White 53.4% Black or African American 39.1% Asian 0.3% American Indian 0.0% Native Hawaiian 0.0% Some other race 1.4% Two or more races 5.7% 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 Picayune 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
Picayune (this city) 11,839 $37,270
Brookhaven 11,656 $36,269
Moss Point 12,066 $46,684
McComb 12,202 $40,515
Census ACS 5-year FIPS MS FBI UCR NOAA Normals NCES CCD Census BPS 2024 OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Picayune, MS?

What is the population of Picayune, MS? +

Picayune, MS has a population of 11,839 according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

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

The median household income in Picayune is $37,270 per year, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Picayune? +

BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for Picayune; 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.

Is Picayune, MS safe? +

Picayune has a total crime rate of 2883.6 per 100,000 residents, which is above the national average. This reflects incidents reported to the FBI UCR program, not a definitive safety score -- agency reporting is voluntary and completeness varies by jurisdiction.

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

The median home value in Picayune is $146,500, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the climate like in Picayune? +

Picayune has an average annual temperature of 66.4°F, 66.7 inches of precipitation. Source: NOAA Climate Normals.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES CCD, Census BPS 2024, 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.