The Town FilesSunflower, Mississippi
Town in Sunflower County · population 964 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $77,600
- Household income
- $19,951
- Jan low / Jul high
- 35° / 91°
- Snow a year
- 1 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 16
- Median age
- 33.0
Sunflower is a town of 964 people in Sunflower County, Mississippi. The median home is worth $77,600, below the typical Mississippi town ($124,700). It ranks better for young professionals than 95% of Mississippi towns, better for retirees than 89% of Mississippi towns, better for first-time buyers than 82% of Mississippi towns.
How Sunflower 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 Sunflower is worth $77,600, below the typical Mississippi town ($124,700). Homes cost about 3.9 times the median household income of $19,951, which is more affordable than 11% of Mississippi towns. Median rent is $434 a month. 43.2% of households own their home.
| Housing | Sunflower | Typical Mississippi town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $77,600 | $124,700 |
| Median rent | $434 | $820 |
| Median household income | $19,951 | $45,965 |
| Home value ÷ income | 3.9× | 2.8× |
| Homeownership | 43.2% | 65.3% |
| Median year built | 1983 | 1979 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 0.9% | — |
Who lives in Sunflower
| People | Sunflower | Typical Mississippi town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 33.0 | 37.3 |
| Age 65 and over | 13.0% | 16.6% |
| Under 18 | 29.8% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 14.5% | 19.4% |
| Below the poverty line | 42.1% | 22.9% |
| Veterans | 0.6% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 0.4% | — |
| Work from home | 14.9% | 4.0% |
| Average commute | 22.1 min | 23.9 min |
| Homes with broadband | 55.8% | 83.3% |
Weather in Sunflower
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 0.5 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
16 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Sunflower since 1950, compared with 31 for the typical Mississippi town. 7 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F5, struck on February 21, 1971 about 5.0 miles from the town center. The most recent was on April 26, 2011.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 38 times; the largest was 3.00 inches on May 16, 1968.
Severe weather in Sunflower County since 1996
Sunflower County has been included in 22 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 |
| April 16, 2020 | Severe Storm | DR-4536: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding |
Jobs and pay in Sunflower County
Sunflower County had 8,222 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $41,018 a year. Unemployment was 4.6% in 2023; in Sunflower itself the ACS puts it at 4.5%.
Towns near Sunflower
- Moorhead, MS6.8 mi · 1,937 people · home $82,000
- Indianola, MS9.0 mi · 9,646 people · home $108,800
- Mississippi Valley State University, MS11.3 mi · 805 people · home —
- Ruleville, MS12.5 mi · 2,642 people · home $85,000
- Itta Bena, MS12.6 mi · 1,679 people · home $87,400
- Inverness, MS13.5 mi · 868 people · home $142,700
- Shaw, MS14.1 mi · 1,457 people · home $102,100
- Boyle, MS15.6 mi · 532 people · home —
Sunflower questions
Is Sunflower, Mississippi a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Sunflower scores better for retirees than 89% of Mississippi towns and quieter than 76%. 13.0% of residents are 65 or older (median age 33.0).
How much does a house cost in Sunflower?
The median owner-occupied home in Sunflower is valued at $77,600 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $19,951, so homes cost about 3.9 times income. Median rent is $434 a month.
What is the weather like in Sunflower?
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 0.5 inches of snow.
Does Sunflower get tornadoes?
16 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Sunflower 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)