City · Mississippi
Ruleville, Mississippi
Ruleville, city, in Sunflower County, Mississippi. Ruleville had 2,278 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, down 14.0% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 2,642 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 2,632 (±441). GEOID 2864200.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
2,278
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 2,642 · ACS 2020-2024: 2,632 ±441
Median household income
$33,480
±$8,558 (90% margin)
Mississippi: $56,447
Median home value
$85,000
±$27,296 (90% margin)
Mississippi: $169,800
Median gross rent
$694
±$68 (90% margin)
Mississippi: $954
Where is Ruleville and what county is it in?
Ruleville is a city in Sunflower County, Mississippi. It covers 2.5 square miles of land, 1,049 residents per square mile in 2020.
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Ruleville, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 2,278 people lived in Ruleville on July 1, 2025, down 14.0% since 2020, a steeper fall than Mississippi's (−0.2%). The 2020 Census counted 2,642 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 2,632 (±441).
| Measure | Ruleville | Sunflower County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 2,632 ±441 | 24,333 | no clear change |
| Households | 750 ±120 | 8,034 | −236 |
| Average household size | 3.18 ±0.46 | 2.64 | +0.66 |
| Housing units | 893 ±123 | 9,423 | −216 |
Ruleville's population since 2000
From 3,234 in 2000 to 2,278 in 2025: down 29.6%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Ruleville as it was drawn that year: a place that annexed land, or a community that has since incorporated, covered a different area then. The 2005 figure is the Census Bureau's intercensal estimate, revised to fit the 2000 and 2010 counts and drawn on 2010 boundaries; 2015 and 2025 are July 1 estimates made from the census before them.
Source: The 2000, 2010 and 2020 Census counts and the Census Bureau's population estimates (intercensal 2000-2010, Vintage 2020, Vintage 2025) · Census population estimates
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); Census PEP Vintage 2025 (SUB-EST2025, CO-EST2025); 2020 Census P.L. 94-171 · Check it at data.census.gov
Who lives in Ruleville?
The median resident of Ruleville is 29.7 years old; 24.6% are under 18 and 14.4% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic Black residents at 89.4%, then non-Hispanic white residents at 8.9%.
| Measure | Ruleville | Sunflower County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 29.7 ±3.4 | 37.1 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 24.6% ±6.2 pts | 21.4% | – |
| 65 years and over | 14.4% ±3.7 pts | 15.4% | – |
| Male | 42.9% ±6.8 pts | 52.4% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 1.2% ±1.2 pts | 2.8% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 8.9% ±3.1 pts | 22.9% | −13.9 pts |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 89.4% ±3.3 pts | 72.7% | +12.9 pts |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±1.7 pts | 0.2% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±1.7 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±1.7 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 0.5% ±1.1 pts | 1.1% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±1.7 pts | 0.2% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 0.0% ±1.7 pts | 1.8% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 1.0% ±1.1 pts | 2.5% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 1.9% ±1.7 pts | 3.7% | – |
| With a disability | 8.1% ±3.5 pts | 14.7% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 14.0% ±6.5 pts | 11.4% | no clear change |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 78.2% ±6.8 pts | 75.5% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 13.1% ±5.1 pts | 16.0% | no clear change |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 2.5% ±1.4 pts | 6.4% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 87.6% ±5.4 pts | 90.2% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 1.5% ±1.9 pts | 1.1% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profiles DP02, DP05) · Check it at data.census.gov
What do households in Ruleville earn?
Half of Ruleville's 750 households earn less than $33,480 a year (±$8,558), against $39,956 in Sunflower County and $56,447 in Mississippi. In 2015-2019 it was $39,614 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 33.9% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Ruleville | Sunflower County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $33,480 ±$8,558 | $39,956 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $69,049 ±$36,576 | $59,047 | – |
| Per capita income | $21,109 ±$9,006 | $21,138 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 33.9% ±11.6 pts | 28.9% | no clear change |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 42.7% ±18.9 pts | 42.9% | no clear change |
| Households receiving SNAP | 49.2% ±12.5 pts | 33.1% | – |
| Households with a computer | 94.4% ±4.7 pts | 91.5% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 79.7% ±8.9 pts | 74.5% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What does housing cost in Ruleville?
Owners occupy 43.2% of Ruleville's occupied homes and renters 56.8%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $85,000 by its owner (±$27,296). The median renter pays $694 a month including utilities, and 41.5% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | Ruleville | Sunflower County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $85,000 ±$27,296 | $100,300 | no clear change |
| Median gross rent | $694 ±$68 | $694 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 41.5% ±18.6 pts | 44.9% | no clear change |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $984 ±$128 | $1,100 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 43.2% ±11.5 pts | 54.9% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 56.8% ±11.5 pts | 45.1% | – |
| Housing units | 893 ±123 | 9,423 | −216 |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.0% ±12.9 pts | 1.0% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 8.8% ±8.8 pts | 10.4% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 61.0% ±9.0 pts | 74.5% | – |
| Mobile homes | 7.7% ±4.2 pts | 5.2% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.0% ±4.9 pts | 1.3% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 0.7% ±1.1 pts | 3.6% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 5.6% ±4.8 pts | 7.1% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 9.2% ±6.6 pts | 8.9% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP04) · Check it at data.census.gov
How many new homes is Ruleville building?
Builders took permits for 0 new housing units in Ruleville in 2025 (0 in single-family houses), 0.0 per 1,000 residents against 2.8 across Mississippi.
Counts of units in permits a local office issued; not every permitted unit is built. A year marked with months was reported for part of the year.
Source: Building Permits Survey, annual place files 2019-2025, U.S. Census Bureau · Census Building Permits Survey
How do people in Ruleville work and get to work?
82.9% of Ruleville's workers drive alone. The average trip to work takes 20.2 minutes. The unemployment rate in 2020-2024 averaged 19.9%.
| Measure | Ruleville | Sunflower County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 59.5% ±7.5 pts | 50.6% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 19.9% ±10.9 pts | 11.2% | no clear change |
| Drove alone to work | 82.9% ±8.8 pts | 80.7% | – |
| Carpooled | 13.4% ±8.4 pts | 11.2% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±4.8 pts | 0.2% | – |
| Walked | 1.0% ±2.1 pts | 1.2% | – |
| Worked from home | 2.7% ±2.6 pts | 5.6% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 20.2 min ±7.8 | 20.2 min | no clear change |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What census tracts are in Ruleville?
No census tract lies mostly in Ruleville; 1 tract reaches into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 9502Sunflower County | 4,205 | $38,799 |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 block assignment files (tract share = share of the tract's census blocks in Ruleville) · Census block assignment files
How does Ruleville compare with other places in Mississippi?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Ruleville is the 7,216th-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 90th-most populous of 299 in Mississippi.
Ruleville ranks 151st of 172 places in Mississippi with 1,000 or more residents and a reliable estimate, by median household income.
| Measure | Rank | Of |
|---|---|---|
| Population, July 2025 estimate | 90th | 299 |
| Growth 2020-2025 (PEP) | 141st | 148 |
| Residents per square mile | 44th | 187 |
| Median household income | 151st | 172 |
| Per capita income | 139th | 183 |
| Median home value | 159th | 178 |
| Median gross rent | 126th | 161 |
| Poverty rate | 29th | 160 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 147th | 171 |
| Median age | 170th | 186 |
| Owner-occupied share | 168th | 182 |
| Travel time to work | 137th | 185 |
Ruleville's figures with every place in Mississippi (CSV)
Every place in Mississippi, sortable · Compare Ruleville with other places
Source: PlainCities ranks computed from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) and PEP Vintage 2025 · How ranks are computed
How reliable are the figures for Ruleville?
19 of the 57 figures for Ruleville on this page carry a coefficient of variation over 40% and are marked with a ring: they come from a small sample, so read them as rough.
The American Community Survey samples about one household in eight over five years, so every figure is an estimate with a 90% margin of error (shown under each value). A ring marks an estimate whose coefficient of variation is over 40%. A change is called only when the gap between the two periods is larger than their combined 90% margin (the square root of the sum of the two squared margins), the Census Bureau's test. How to read a margin of error.
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026): margins of error as published · ACS technical documentation
How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections
Not on this page: crime, weather and schools for Ruleville are other agencies' records. Crime: the FBI's Crime Data Explorer · climate: NOAA's U.S. Climate Normals · schools: the National Center for Education Statistics' public schools in Ruleville.