38850 ZIP Code — Houlka, MS

Chickasaw County, Mississippi

ZIP code 38850 is located in Houlka, Mississippi, within Chickasaw County. It covers approximately 139.04 square miles and serves a population of 2,800 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Central (CT) timezone, served by area code 662.

About ZIP code 38850

The housing stock consists of predominantly single-family detached homes. Most homes were built in the 1990s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $76,300. Owner-occupancy is high at 81%, well above the national average.

Median household income is $38,152. Poverty affects 32% of residents, above the national average. SNAP benefit usage at 20% of households reflects economic stress in the area. 48% of households receive Social Security income, suggesting a notable retiree or disability population.

The dominant occupation class is production, transportation, and material moving, with manufacturing as the leading industry. The average commute of 27 minutes is near the national average.

College attainment at 13% is below the national average, consistent with a trades and production-oriented local economy.

Health indicators show elevated rates of smoking (22%) compared to national benchmarks.

Notable community characteristics include disability rates above the national average at 24%.

Overall, ZIP code 38850 reflects a community defined by a trades-oriented workforce, economic challenges above the national average, high homeownership, a significant Social Security-dependent population, and elevated reliance on food assistance.

2,800

population

139.04

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Central (CT)

timezone

38850 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 38850

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 38850. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Houlka	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

38863 Pontotoc (10.3 mi) 38851 Houston (12.9 mi) 38864 Randolph (13.6 mi) 38868 Shannon (13.8 mi) 38878 Vardaman (15.3 mi) 38860 Okolona (15.6 mi) 38801 Tupelo (16.6 mi) 38826 Belden (17.6 mi) 38841 Ecru (18.3 mi) 38951 Pittsboro (18.3 mi) 39776 Woodland (19.9 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	2,800
Population density	20 / sq mi
State FIPS	28
County FIPS	017

Geography
Land area	139.04 sq mi
Water area	1.20 sq mi
Latitude	34.0811
Longitude	-89.0038
Timezone	Central (CT)
Area code	662

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 05/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	54.7%	62.7%	52.9%
$50k – $100k	32.7%	27.7%	28.4%
$100k – $200k	11.3%	8.7%	15.3%
Over $200k	1.2%	0.9%	3.4%

Demographics & statistics

2,800

Population

People per sq mi

41.6

Median age

$38,152

Median household income

$20,165

Per capita income

$76,300

Median home value

$619

Median monthly rent

81.2%

Home ownership

32.2%

Poverty rate

2.6%

Unemployment

1,228

Housing units

12.7%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

Under 5

5–9

119

10–14

129

15–19

20–24

191

25–34

207

35–44

213

45–54

230

100

55–59

108

60–64

176

65–74

190

75–84

85+

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	669	23.9%
18 and over	2,131	76.1%
65 and over	559	20.0%
Median age	41.6 years

Race & ethnicity

White 61.8%

Black or African American 32.2%

Hispanic or Latino 2.6%

Other race 1.7%

Two or more races 1.4%

Asian 0.4%

Group	Count	%
White	1,776	61.8%
Black or African American	924	32.2%
Hispanic or Latino	74	2.6%
Other race	48	1.7%
Two or more races	40	1.4%
Asian	12	0.4%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	54.7%	62.7%	52.9%
$50k – $100k	32.7%	27.7%	28.4%
$100k – $200k	11.3%	8.7%	15.3%
Over $200k	1.2%	0.9%	3.4%

Under $10k 10.4%

$10k–$15k 11.4%

$15k–$25k 13.8%

$25k–$35k 10.9%

$35k–$50k 12.2%

$50k–$75k 13.7%

$75k–$100k 17.7%

$100k–$150k 7.2%

$150k–$200k 1.2%

$200k+ 1.4%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	10.4%
$10k–$15k	11.4%
$15k–$25k	13.8%
$25k–$35k	10.9%
$35k–$50k	12.2%
$50k–$75k	13.7%
$75k–$100k	17.7%
$100k–$150k	7.2%
$150k–$200k	1.2%
$200k+	1.4%
Median income	$38,152

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 35.0%

$50k–$100k 34.0%

$100k–$150k 5.6%

$150k–$200k 10.3%

$200k–$300k 12.1%

$300k–$500k 2.1%

$500k–$1M 0.9%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$76,300
Median rent / month	$619
Owner occupied	81.2%
Renter occupied	18.8%
Vacant	26.0%
Single-family detached	71.1%
Large apartment buildings	0.0%
Mobile homes	26.1%
Median rooms	5.6
Avg household size (owned)	2.65

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	1.0%
2010–2019	10.1%
2000–2009	3.9%
1990–1999	24.0%
1980–1989	13.9%
1970–1979	11.2%
1960–1969	11.8%
1950–1959	12.3%
1940–1949	3.2%
1939 or earlier	8.5%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	0.1%
1 bedroom	2.8%
2 bedrooms	23.2%
3 bedrooms	62.4%
4 bedrooms	10.9%
5+ bedrooms	0.6%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	10.0%
1 vehicle	29.7%
2 vehicles	34.4%
3 or more	25.9%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	5.9%
Electricity	52.8%
Propane / LP gas	39.9%
Wood	1.3%
No fuel used	0.1%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	504	47.7%
Cohabiting couple	70	6.6%
Male householder, no spouse	170	16.1%
Female householder, no spouse	312	29.5%
Households with children under 18	305	28.9%
Households with seniors (65+)	403	38.2%
Average household size	2.65

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	24.1%	31.2%
Married	51.9%	45.4%
Separated	3.6%	1.3%
Widowed	0.9%	12.4%
Divorced	19.5%	9.6%

Education

Less than 9th grade 8.2%

Some HS, no diploma 16.2%

HS graduate 39.3%

Some college, no degree 18.1%

Associate's degree 5.6%

Bachelor's degree 7.8%

Graduate / professional 4.9%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	75.6%
Bachelor's or higher	12.7%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	14	2.2%
Kindergarten	47	7.3%
Elementary school	331	51.4%
High school	103	16.0%
College / grad school	149	23.1%

Employment

Industry of employment

Manufacturing 36.4%

Education & healthcare 18.0%

Arts, food & hospitality 9.3%

Retail trade 6.7%

Transportation & utilities 5.6%

Construction 4.5%

Agriculture & mining 4.3%

Other services 4.3%

Professional & management 3.6%

Public administration 3.0%

Wholesale trade 2.8%

Finance & real estate 1.3%

Information 0.3%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	18.2%
Service	13.7%
Sales & office	23.4%
Natural resources & construction	15.2%
Production & transportation	29.5%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	82.7%
Government	13.2%
Self-employed	4.1%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	86.8%
Carpool	10.4%
Public transit	0.0%
Walk	0.2%
Work from home	2.6%
Other means	0.1%
Avg commute (minutes)	27.2

Poverty

All people 32.2%

Under 18 years 45.6%

18 and over 28.0%

Married-couple families 22.4%

Female-led households 43.3%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	47.6%
Retirement income	20.6%
Supplemental Security	12.1%
Cash public assistance	2.5%
Food stamps / SNAP	19.5%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	39.4%
High blood pressure	43.5%
High cholesterol	37.5%
Diabetes	13.7%
Heart disease	8.0%
Stroke	4.4%
Asthma	10.0%
Arthritis	30.6%
Kidney disease	3.5%
Pulmonary disease	8.6%
Cancer	6.5%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	21.6%
Binge drinking	13.8%
No physical activity	31.0%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	34.8%
Depression	22.3%
Fair or poor health	21.9%
Poor mental health	15.3%
Poor physical health	12.3%
No health insurance	20.4%
Visited doctor (checkup)	77.1%
Visited dentist	52.2%
Cholesterol screening	88.5%
Teeth loss	20.0%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	62	2.9%

Disability	%
Any disability	23.5%
Under 18	6.1%
18–64 years	21.4%
65 and over	50.3%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	54.0%
Public insurance	49.6%
No insurance	10.2%
Uninsured under 19	3.7%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	2,615	93.4%
Spanish	12	0.5%
Other Indo-European	6	0.2%
Asian & Pacific Islander	0	0.0%
Other languages	6	0.2%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	2,777	99.2%
Born in same state	2,777	99.2%
Born in different state	2,514	89.8%
Foreign born	0	0.0%
Naturalized citizen	23	0.8%
Not a US citizen	12	52.2%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Arab	635	22.7%
French	258	9.2%
Italian	129	4.6%

Ancestry	Count	%
English	12	0.4%
German	1	0%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	37.7%
Internet access	82.8%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2025 estimates.

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 38850

What city is ZIP code 38850 in?

ZIP code 38850 is primarily assigned to Houlka, Mississippi.

What county is ZIP code 38850 in?

ZIP code 38850 falls within Chickasaw County, Mississippi.

What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 38850?

32% of residents in ZIP code 38850 live below the poverty line, above the national average.

Does ZIP code 38850 have a large retiree population?

48% of households in ZIP code 38850 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

How educated is the population of ZIP code 38850?

13% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher — below the national average of ~33%, consistent with a trades-oriented local economy.

Is ZIP code 38850 mostly owner-occupied?

81% of occupied units in ZIP code 38850 are owner-occupied, well above the national average.

What timezone is ZIP code 38850 in?

ZIP code 38850 observes the CST timezone.