The Town FilesScooba, Mississippi
Town in Kemper County · population 744 (2020 Census)
- Jan low / Jul high
- 35° / 91°
- Snow a year
- 0 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 14
- Median age
- 20.4
Scooba is a town of 744 people in Kemper County, Mississippi. It ranks better for first-time buyers than 95% of Mississippi towns, better for retirees than 91% of Mississippi towns, better for young professionals than 91% of Mississippi towns.
How Scooba 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
61.5% of households own their home.
| Housing | Scooba | Typical Mississippi town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | — | $124,700 |
| Median rent | — | $820 |
| Median household income | — | $45,965 |
| Home value ÷ income | —× | 2.8× |
| Homeownership | 61.5% | 65.3% |
| Median year built | 1979 | 1979 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 0.0% | — |
Who lives in Scooba
| People | Scooba | Typical Mississippi town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 20.4 | 37.3 |
| Age 65 and over | 5.6% | 16.6% |
| Under 18 | 8.4% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 23.1% | 19.4% |
| Below the poverty line | 48.9% | 22.9% |
| Veterans | 0.9% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 0.0% | — |
| Work from home | 2.2% | 4.0% |
| Average commute | 22.0 min | 23.9 min |
| Homes with broadband | 91.1% | 83.3% |
Weather in Scooba
July highs average 91.1°F and January lows 34.8°F. About 60.0 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 0.2 inches of snow (typical Mississippi town: 0.5 in). Expect about 68 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 45 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
14 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Scooba since 1950, compared with 31 for the typical Mississippi town. 10 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F5, struck on March 3, 1966 about 2.4 miles from the town center. The most recent was on March 17, 2021.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 13 times; the largest was 4.50 inches on April 15, 2011.
Severe weather in Kemper County since 1996
Kemper County has been included in 21 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 |
| October 22, 2021 | Hurricane | DR-4626: Hurricane Ida |
| August 28, 2021 | Hurricane | EM-3569: Hurricane Ida |
| May 4, 2021 | Severe Ice Storm | DR-4598: Severe Winter Storms |
Jobs and pay in Kemper County
Kemper County had 1,775 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $43,014 a year. Unemployment was 4.6% in 2023; in Scooba itself the ACS puts it at 10.3%.
Public schools in Scooba
1 public school with 265 students, about 9.5 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| KEMPER COUNTY LOWER ELEMENTARY | PK-3 | 265 | 9.5 |
Towns near Scooba
- De Kalb, MS11.1 mi · 877 people · home $75,800
- Macon, MS20.7 mi · 2,582 people · home $97,400
- Meridian Station, MS20.9 mi · 581 people · home —
- Livingston, AL23.4 mi · 3,436 people · home $156,100
- York, AL25.2 mi · 2,414 people · home $80,100
- Bogue Chitto, MS25.6 mi · 864 people · home —
- Aliceville, AL27.4 mi · 2,177 people · home $124,300
- Toomsuba, MS27.7 mi · 778 people · home $224,600
Scooba questions
Is Scooba, Mississippi a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Scooba scores better for retirees than 91% of Mississippi towns and quieter than 40%. 5.6% of residents are 65 or older (median age 20.4).
What is the weather like in Scooba?
July highs average 91.1°F and January lows 34.8°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 60.0 inches of precipitation a year and 0.2 inches of snow.
Does Scooba get tornadoes?
14 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Scooba since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F5 on March 3, 1966. 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)