Is Itta Bena, MS a Good Place to Live?
Itta Bena is a small town of 1,532 in Mississippi, with a median household income of $25,114 and a 28.4% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 86 (US average = 100), which is 14% below the national average.
Strengths: Itta Bena stands out for an affordable cost of living, below-average home prices, short average commutes.
Trade-offs: Potential downsides include an elevated unemployment rate. Whether Itta Bena is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.
All Itta Bena city data on this page comes from official government sources — the US Census Bureau, FBI, NCES, BEA, and NOAA — updated annually.
Cost of Living
Index: 86.0Itta Bena's overall cost of living index is 86.0, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Itta Bena costs roughly 14% less than the average American city.
| Metric | Itta Bena, MS | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $86,500 | $244,900 |
| Median Monthly Rent | $603 | $1,163 |
| Homeownership Rate | 38.3% | 65.9% |
| Median Household Income | $25,114 | $74,755 |
Crime & Safety
Crime data for Itta Bena is not currently available from the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program. Not all local agencies report to the UCR each year.
Schools & Education
Itta Bena is served primarily by Greenwood-Leflore Consolidated School District. The student-to-teacher ratio is 13.6:1 (better than the national average of ~16:1).
| Metric | Itta Bena, MS | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| School District | Greenwood-Leflore Consolidated School District | — |
| Elementary Schools | 7 | — |
| Middle Schools | 2 | — |
| High Schools | 4 | — |
| Student/Teacher Ratio | 13.6:1 | 16:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 10.9% | 35.4% |
| High School Diploma or Higher | 84.1% | 91.1% |
Weather & Climate
Itta Bena sees average highs of 52.2°F in January and 90.6°F in July, with 55.8 inches of annual precipitation and 0.5 inches of snow per year.
| Metric | Itta Bena, MS |
|---|---|
| Average High — January | 52.2°F |
| Average High — July | 90.6°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 55.8" |
| Annual Snowfall | 0.5" |
Demographics
| Metric | Itta Bena, MS | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 1,532 | — |
| Median Age | 38.6 | 38.9 |
| Unemployment Rate | 28.4% | 3.7% |
| Avg Commute Time | 20.0 min | 26 min |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 5.2% | 59.3% |
| Black or African American | 93.5% | 13.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 0.0% | 18.9% |
| Asian | 0.0% | 6.3% |
| Under 18 | 18.5% | 22.2% |
| 65 and over | 18.3% | 16.8% |