38851 ZIP Code — Houston, MS

Chickasaw County, Mississippi

ZIP code 38851 is located in Houston, Mississippi, within Chickasaw County. It covers approximately 218.77 square miles and serves a population of 9,475 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Central (CT) timezone, served by area code 662.

About ZIP code 38851

The housing stock consists of a higher-than-average concentration of mobile homes. Most homes were built in the 1970s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $98,300. Owner-occupancy sits near the national average at 68%.

Median household income is $39,544. Poverty affects 25% of residents, above the national average. 44% 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 19 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 (23%) compared to national benchmarks.

Overall, ZIP code 38851 reflects a community defined by a trades-oriented workforce, economic challenges above the national average, and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

9,475

population

218.77

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Central (CT)

timezone

38851 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 38851

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 38851. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Houston	Acceptable
Houston	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

39776 Woodland (9.9 mi) 38860 Okolona (10.1 mi) 38850 Houlka (12.9 mi) 38878 Vardaman (14.9 mi) 38868 Shannon (17 mi) 39756 Prairie (18.2 mi) 39751 Mantee (19.5 mi) 39773 West Point (19.9 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	9,475
Population density	43 / sq mi
State FIPS	28
County FIPS	017

Geography
Land area	218.77 sq mi
Water area	0.66 sq mi
Latitude	33.9010
Longitude	-88.9422
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	65.4%	62.7%	52.9%
$50k – $100k	29.4%	27.7%	28.4%
$100k – $200k	4.6%	8.7%	15.3%
Over $200k	0.6%	0.9%	3.4%

Demographics & statistics

9,475

Population

People per sq mi

40.3

Median age

$39,544

Median household income

$21,116

Per capita income

$98,300

Median home value

$754

Median monthly rent

68.2%

Home ownership

25.4%

Poverty rate

2.0%

Unemployment

3,047

Housing units

12.6%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

354

Under 5

338

333

5–9

318

308

10–14

294

266

15–19

255

314

20–24

299

616

25–34

588

585

35–44

559

565

45–54

539

255

55–59

243

291

60–64

277

598

65–74

572

216

75–84

206

146

85+

140

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	2,312	24.4%
18 and over	7,163	75.6%
65 and over	1,878	19.8%
Median age	40.3 years

Race & ethnicity

White 51.2%

Black or African American 35.5%

Hispanic or Latino 5.1%

Other race 5.1%

Two or more races 2.9%

Asian 0.2%

American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%

Group	Count	%
White	5,109	51.2%
Black or African American	3,545	35.5%
Hispanic or Latino	513	5.1%
Other race	513	5.1%
Two or more races	285	2.9%
Asian	18	0.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native	5	0.1%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	65.4%	62.7%	52.9%
$50k – $100k	29.4%	27.7%	28.4%
$100k – $200k	4.6%	8.7%	15.3%
Over $200k	0.6%	0.9%	3.4%

Under $10k 10.3%

$10k–$15k 11.4%

$15k–$25k 15.2%

$25k–$35k 9.9%

$35k–$50k 17.8%

$50k–$75k 10.8%

$75k–$100k 9.4%

$100k–$150k 12.6%

$150k–$200k 2.0%

$200k+ 0.6%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	10.3%
$10k–$15k	11.4%
$15k–$25k	15.2%
$25k–$35k	9.9%
$35k–$50k	17.8%
$50k–$75k	10.8%
$75k–$100k	9.4%
$100k–$150k	12.6%
$150k–$200k	2.0%
$200k+	0.6%
Median income	$39,544

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 23.7%

$50k–$100k 27.2%

$100k–$150k 15.3%

$150k–$200k 7.6%

$200k–$300k 16.2%

$300k–$500k 7.7%

$500k–$1M 0.5%

$1M+ 1.8%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$98,300
Median rent / month	$754
Owner occupied	68.2%
Renter occupied	31.8%
Vacant	11.2%
Single-family detached	67.8%
Large apartment buildings	0.0%
Mobile homes	23.0%
Median rooms	5.6
Avg household size (owned)	2.45

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.0%
2010–2019	6.0%
2000–2009	11.2%
1990–1999	13.4%
1980–1989	16.8%
1970–1979	21.1%
1960–1969	17.6%
1950–1959	7.4%
1940–1949	2.9%
1939 or earlier	3.5%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	0.2%
1 bedroom	2.1%
2 bedrooms	19.1%
3 bedrooms	59.8%
4 bedrooms	14.9%
5+ bedrooms	3.8%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	9.3%
1 vehicle	31.1%
2 vehicles	41.3%
3 or more	18.3%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	27.0%
Electricity	54.8%
Propane / LP gas	14.5%
Wood	2.9%
No fuel used	0.8%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	1,611	42.7%
Cohabiting couple	76	2.0%
Male householder, no spouse	825	21.9%
Female householder, no spouse	1,261	33.4%
Households with children under 18	1,247	33.1%
Households with seniors (65+)	1,330	35.3%
Average household size	2.39

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	36.6%	23.5%
Married	44.8%	48.5%
Separated	5.1%	3.5%
Widowed	2.5%	11.5%
Divorced	10.9%	13.0%

Education

Less than 9th grade 9.5%

Some HS, no diploma 16.0%

HS graduate 25.2%

Some college, no degree 25.0%

Associate's degree 11.7%

Bachelor's degree 9.1%

Graduate / professional 3.5%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	74.5%
Bachelor's or higher	12.6%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	189	9.7%
Kindergarten	124	6.3%
Elementary school	947	48.4%
High school	462	23.6%
College / grad school	233	11.9%

Employment

Industry of employment

Manufacturing 23.1%

Education & healthcare 19.1%

Retail trade 17.1%

Transportation & utilities 11.8%

Other services 6.7%

Arts, food & hospitality 6.3%

Construction 4.3%

Agriculture & mining 4.1%

Finance & real estate 2.5%

Public administration 2.3%

Professional & management 1.5%

Information 1.1%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	22.6%
Service	8.4%
Sales & office	28.6%
Natural resources & construction	7.4%
Production & transportation	32.9%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	72.9%
Government	14.7%
Self-employed	12.4%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	81.1%
Carpool	8.5%
Public transit	0.0%
Walk	5.6%
Work from home	1.5%
Other means	3.3%
Avg commute (minutes)	19.0

Poverty

All people 25.4%

Under 18 years 35.8%

18 and over 21.8%

Married-couple families 15.7%

Female-led households 53.1%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	43.9%
Retirement income	17.8%
Supplemental Security	6.5%
Cash public assistance	0.0%
Food stamps / SNAP	12.9%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	39.7%
High blood pressure	44.6%
High cholesterol	37.5%
Diabetes	14.5%
Heart disease	8.2%
Stroke	4.7%
Asthma	10.4%
Arthritis	30.9%
Kidney disease	3.8%
Pulmonary disease	9.3%
Cancer	6.4%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	22.8%
Binge drinking	13.4%
No physical activity	33.6%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	35.9%
Depression	22.6%
Fair or poor health	24.3%
Poor mental health	15.9%
Poor physical health	13.1%
No health insurance	22.9%
Visited doctor (checkup)	77.2%
Visited dentist	48.5%
Cholesterol screening	87.8%
Teeth loss	22.5%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	234	3.3%

Disability	%
Any disability	17.2%
Under 18	5.8%
18–64 years	13.6%
65 and over	41.4%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	55.8%
Public insurance	47.0%
No insurance	10.9%
Uninsured under 19	7.0%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	8,783	92.7%
Spanish	324	3.7%
Other Indo-European	280	3.2%
Asian & Pacific Islander	14	0.2%
Other languages	30	0.3%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	9,089	95.9%
Born in same state	9,060	95.6%
Born in different state	7,640	80.6%
Foreign born	29	0.3%
Naturalized citizen	386	4.1%
Not a US citizen	35	9.1%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Arab	1,183	12.5%
French	579	6.1%
Italian	391	4.1%

Ancestry	Count	%
English	93	1%
Polish	25	0.3%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	39.8%
Internet access	81.6%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 38851

What city is ZIP code 38851 in?

ZIP code 38851 is primarily assigned to Houston, Mississippi.

What county is ZIP code 38851 in?

ZIP code 38851 falls within Chickasaw County, Mississippi.

What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 38851?

25% of residents in ZIP code 38851 live below the poverty line, above the national average.

How educated is the population of ZIP code 38851?

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

Does ZIP code 38851 have a large retiree population?

44% of households in ZIP code 38851 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 38851?

The median home value in ZIP code 38851 is $98,300.

What timezone is ZIP code 38851 in?

ZIP code 38851 observes the CST timezone.