The Town FilesMount Olive, Mississippi
Town in Covington County · population 895 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $66,300
- Jan low / Jul high
- 34° / 94°
- Snow a year
- 1 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 57
- Median age
- 33.1
Mount Olive is a town of 895 people in Covington County, Mississippi. The median home is worth $66,300, below the typical Mississippi town ($124,700). It ranks easier by car than 95% of Mississippi towns, quieter than 85% of Mississippi towns, better transit than 82% of Mississippi towns.
How Mount Olive 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 Mount Olive is worth $66,300, below the typical Mississippi town ($124,700). Median rent is $814 a month. 70.9% of households own their home.
| Housing | Mount Olive | Typical Mississippi town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $66,300 | $124,700 |
| Median rent | $814 | $820 |
| Median household income | — | $45,965 |
| Home value ÷ income | —× | 2.8× |
| Homeownership | 70.9% | 65.3% |
| Median year built | 1988 | 1979 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 0.0% | — |
Who lives in Mount Olive
| People | Mount Olive | Typical Mississippi town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 33.1 | 37.3 |
| Age 65 and over | 12.7% | 16.6% |
| Under 18 | 24.5% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 5.4% | 19.4% |
| Below the poverty line | 19.5% | 22.9% |
| Veterans | 4.4% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 0.0% | — |
| Work from home | 1.5% | 4.0% |
| Average commute | 25.3 min | 23.9 min |
| Homes with broadband | 69.5% | 83.3% |
Weather in Mount Olive
July highs average 94.1°F and January lows 34.0°F. About 58.1 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 0.7 inches of snow (typical Mississippi town: 0.5 in). Expect about 70 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 41 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
57 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Mount Olive since 1950, compared with 31 for the typical Mississippi town. 20 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an EF3, struck on April 12, 2020 about 6.6 miles from the town center. Tornadoes within 10 miles have caused 1 deaths and 181 injuries since 1950. The most recent was on April 25, 2026.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 47 times; the largest was 2.75 inches on March 25, 2021.
Severe weather in Covington County since 1996
Covington County has been included in 33 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, tornado, hurricane.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| August 3, 2026 | Tropical Storm | DR-4930: Tropical Storm Arthur |
| 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 |
| August 12, 2023 | Severe Storm | DR-4727: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, And Tornadoes. |
Jobs and pay in Covington County
Covington County had 5,783 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $44,659 a year. Unemployment was 2.7% in 2023; in Mount Olive itself the ACS puts it at 3.9%.
Public schools in Mount Olive
1 public school with 327 students, about 9.9 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| MOUNT OLIVE ATTENDANCE CENTER | K-12 | 327 | 9.9 |
Towns near Mount Olive
- Collins, MS9.0 mi · 2,342 people · home $84,200
- Magee, MS9.4 mi · 3,988 people · home $143,100
- Taylorsville, MS14.1 mi · 1,148 people · home $143,500
- Prentiss, MS16.7 mi · 976 people · home $76,100
- Mendenhall, MS19.0 mi · 2,199 people · home $125,900
- Raleigh, MS20.9 mi · 1,094 people · home $110,900
- Sumrall, MS24.2 mi · 1,765 people · home $206,800
- Bay Springs, MS27.0 mi · 1,670 people · home $152,700
Mount Olive questions
Is Mount Olive, Mississippi a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Mount Olive scores better for retirees than 51% of Mississippi towns and quieter than 85%. 12.7% of residents are 65 or older (median age 33.1).
How much does a house cost in Mount Olive?
The median owner-occupied home in Mount Olive is valued at $66,300 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of —. Median rent is $814 a month.
What is the weather like in Mount Olive?
July highs average 94.1°F and January lows 34.0°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 58.1 inches of precipitation a year and 0.7 inches of snow.
Does Mount Olive get tornadoes?
57 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Mount Olive since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was an EF3 on April 12, 2020. 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)