The Town FilesItta Bena, Mississippi
City in Leflore County · population 1,679 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $87,400
- Household income
- $36,033
- Jan low / Jul high
- 35° / 91°
- Snow a year
- 1 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 31
- Median age
- 37.4
Itta Bena is a city of 1,679 people in Leflore County, Mississippi. The median home is worth $87,400, below the typical Mississippi town ($124,700). It ranks more of a college town than 96% of Mississippi towns, better for young professionals than 86% of Mississippi towns, better for first-time buyers than 73% of Mississippi towns.
How Itta Bena 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.
Homes and cost of living
The median home in Itta Bena is worth $87,400, below the typical Mississippi town ($124,700). Homes cost about 2.4 times the median household income of $36,033, which is more affordable than 75% of Mississippi towns. Median rent is $695 a month. 31.2% of households own their home.
| Housing | Itta Bena | Typical Mississippi town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $87,400 | $124,700 |
| Median rent | $695 | $820 |
| Median household income | $36,033 | $45,965 |
| Home value ÷ income | 2.4× | 2.8× |
| Homeownership | 31.2% | 65.3% |
| Median year built | 1976 | 1979 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 0.0% | — |
Who lives in Itta Bena
| People | Itta Bena | Typical Mississippi town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 37.4 | 37.3 |
| Age 65 and over | 17.0% | 16.6% |
| Under 18 | 20.3% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 13.3% | 19.4% |
| Below the poverty line | 20.1% | 22.9% |
| Veterans | 2.5% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 0.0% | — |
| Work from home | 0.0% | 4.0% |
| Average commute | 19.8 min | 23.9 min |
| Homes with broadband | 43.1% | 83.3% |
Weather in Itta Bena
July highs average 90.6°F and January lows 35.1°F. About 55.8 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 0.6 inches of snow (typical Mississippi town: 0.5 in). Expect about 73 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 35 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
31 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Itta Bena since 1950, compared with 31 for the typical Mississippi town. 15 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F5, struck on February 21, 1971 about 7.4 miles from the town center. Tornadoes within 10 miles have caused 14 deaths and 205 injuries since 1950. The most recent was on March 14, 2025.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 45 times; the largest was 2.00 inches on April 27, 1958.
Severe weather in Leflore County since 1996
Leflore County has been included in 25 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 |
| May 21, 2025 | Severe Storm | DR-4874: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding |
| October 22, 2021 | Hurricane | DR-4626: Hurricane Ida |
| August 28, 2021 | Hurricane | EM-3569: Hurricane Ida |
Jobs and pay in Leflore County
Leflore County had 12,566 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $43,592 a year. Unemployment was 4.9% in 2023; in Itta Bena itself the ACS puts it at 22.7%.
Public schools in Itta Bena
3 public schools with 616 students, about 12.3 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| LEFLORE COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL | 7-12 | 313 | 11.6 |
| LEFLORE COUNTY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL | PK-6 | 303 | 13.8 |
| LEFLORE COUNTY ALTERNATIVE SCHOOL | PK-12 | — | — |
Towns near Itta Bena
- Mississippi Valley State University, MS1.6 mi · 805 people · home —
- Greenwood, MS7.3 mi · 14,490 people · home $108,900
- Moorhead, MS11.1 mi · 1,937 people · home $82,000
- Sunflower, MS12.6 mi · 964 people · home $77,600
- Inverness, MS18.4 mi · 868 people · home $142,700
- Indianola, MS18.8 mi · 9,646 people · home $108,800
- Ruleville, MS20.2 mi · 2,642 people · home $85,000
- Isola, MS22.5 mi · 638 people · home $88,600
Itta Bena questions
Is Itta Bena, Mississippi a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Itta Bena scores better for retirees than 40% of Mississippi towns and quieter than 23%. 17.0% of residents are 65 or older (median age 37.4).
How much does a house cost in Itta Bena?
The median owner-occupied home in Itta Bena is valued at $87,400 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $36,033, so homes cost about 2.4 times income. Median rent is $695 a month.
What is the weather like in Itta Bena?
July highs average 90.6°F and January lows 35.1°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 55.8 inches of precipitation a year and 0.6 inches of snow.
Does Itta Bena get tornadoes?
31 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Itta Bena since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F5 on February 21, 1971. The typical Mississippi town has had 31.
- 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)