Alcorn State University, Mississippi

Community in Claiborne County · population 1,120 (2020 Census)

Jan low / Jul high: 36° / 93°
Snow a year: 0 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950: 23
Median age: 20.1

Alcorn State University is a community of 1,120 people in Claiborne County, Mississippi. It ranks more of a college town than 100% of Mississippi towns, better for first-time buyers than 93% of Mississippi towns, hipper than 93% of Mississippi towns.

How Alcorn State University ranks

Percentile among Mississippi towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of Mississippi towns.

The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025).

Homes and cost of living

Housing	Alcorn State University	Typical Mississippi town
Median home value	—	$124,700
Median rent	—	$820
Median household income	—	$45,965
Home value ÷ income	—×	2.8×
Homeownership	—	65.3%
Median year built	—	1979
Seasonal / vacation homes	0.0%	—

Who lives in Alcorn State University

People	Alcorn State University	Typical Mississippi town
Median age	20.1	37.3
Age 65 and over	0.0%	16.6%
Under 18	0.0%	—
Bachelor's degree or higher	0.0%	19.4%
Below the poverty line	—	22.9%
Veterans	0.0%	—
Born outside the U.S.	3.5%	—
Work from home	0.0%	4.0%
Average commute	15.6 min	23.9 min
Homes with broadband	—	83.3%

Weather in Alcorn State University

July highs average 93.0°F and January lows 35.5°F. About 58.2 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 0.0 inches of snow (typical Mississippi town: 0.5 in). Expect about 108 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 33 nights at or below freezing.

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the St Joseph 3 N station (7.3 mi away).

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

23 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Alcorn State University since 1950, compared with 31 for the typical Mississippi town. 9 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F3, struck on November 23, 2004 about 7.9 miles from the town center. The most recent was on December 28, 2024.

NOAA Storm Events Database, tornado tracks (start to end point) passing within 10 miles of the town center, 1950–2026.

Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 24 times; the largest was 2.75 inches on April 19, 1991.

Severe weather in Claiborne County since 1996

NOAA Storm Events Database, Claiborne County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 1 deaths recorded.

Claiborne County has been included in 29 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, tornado, hurricane.

Declared	Incident	Declaration
February 6, 2026	Winter Storm	DR-4899: Severe Winter Storm
January 24, 2026	Winter Storm	EM-3640: Severe Winter Storm
August 12, 2023	Severe Storm	DR-4727: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, And Tornadoes.
October 22, 2021	Hurricane	DR-4626: Hurricane Ida
August 28, 2021	Hurricane	EM-3569: Hurricane Ida

Jobs and pay in Claiborne County

Claiborne County had 3,256 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $69,263 a year. Unemployment was 7.3% in 2023; in Alcorn State University itself the ACS puts it at 10.1%.

BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.

Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Towns near Alcorn State University

St. Joseph, LA
6.5 mi · 831 people · home $59,100
Port Gibson, MS
10.6 mi · 1,269 people · home $113,500
Fayette, MS
12.4 mi · 1,445 people · home $95,000
Newellton, LA
14.6 mi · 886 people · home $52,800
Waterproof, LA
15.2 mi · 541 people · home $47,300
Hermanville, MS
18.4 mi · 692 people · home $18,800
Morgantown, MS
24.4 mi · 1,334 people · home $95,100
Clayton, LA
25.5 mi · 584 people · home $73,800

Alcorn State University questions

Is Alcorn State University, Mississippi a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Alcorn State University scores better for retirees than 90% of Mississippi towns and quieter than 42%. 0.0% of residents are 65 or older (median age 20.1).

What is the weather like in Alcorn State University?

July highs average 93.0°F and January lows 35.5°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 58.2 inches of precipitation a year and 0.0 inches of snow.

Does Alcorn State University get tornadoes?

23 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Alcorn State University since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F3 on November 23, 2004. The typical Mississippi town has had 31.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Alcorn State University's Census boundary (GEOID 2800680). Comparisons use the median of Mississippi towns with at least 500 people. Weather comes from the nearest NOAA normals station; storm counts use NOAA tornado tracks within 10 miles of the town center.

U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020–2024)
U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census and 2025 Gazetteer (2020 / 2025)
NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020)
NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (1950–2026)
FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations (this product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API but is not endorsed by FEMA) (1953–2026)
NCES Common Core of Data (2023–24)
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; USDA ERS county unemployment (BLS LAUS) (2000–2024)
The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025)

Data snapshot 2026-11-13.