Census Data for Water Valley

Population ...

The most recent Census Estimate<1> was for 2019 and it gave Water Valley a population of 3,248 people.

The last Decennial Census<2> was in 2010, which gave Water Valley a population of 3,392 people.

The city of Water Valley is located in Yalobusha County. The 2010 Census gave Yalobusha County; a population of 12,678 people. This means that Water Valley had 26.76% of the county's total population, making it Yalobusha's most populous community.

At the same time, Mississippi had a population of 2,967,297 people, meaning that Water Valley had 0.11% of the total population of Mississippi - making it the state's 77th most populous community.

Area ...

The 2010 Census shows that the sampling area for Water Valley has a total area of 7.01 square miles [18.2 km²]. Of this total, only a minor amount of the area is covered by water.

Yalobusha County has a land area of 467.1 square miles [1,209.9 km²]. At 7.01 square miles [18.2 km²], Water Valley has 1.5% of the county's total land area.

• Continue Reading ...
  • When the Census Bureau conducts a census for a city like Water Valley, they draw a boundary around the area in which they are going to conduct their count - this defines the sampling area (usually a polygon). The shape of the sampling area can be quite complex and it's important to keep in mind that the boundaries of the sampling area may or may not match the recognized boundaries of the city.
  • Things like population, area and housing for Water Valley reflect the sampling area. Since the shape of the sampling area and the actual boundaries of Water Valley might be different, it's best to check with the U.S. Census Bureau to resolve any difference between the two.
  • Not only does the sampling area define boundaries, it also has a GPS location (latitude & longitude) that indicates a point within the sampling area (usually the center of the polygon, known as the centroid). At the time of the 2010 Census, the sampling area was located at:
  • Lat:   34° 9' 43"   (or 34.16°)
  • Lon:   -89° 37' 48"   (or -89.63°)
  • More information on this topic and the changes between the 2000 Census and the 2010 Census can be found in the section for our Census-to-Census Observations ... (see below).

Housing Units ...

At the time of the 2010 Census, Water Valley had 1,577 Housing Units<3> and with its population of 3,392 people, this averages 2.15 people per Housing Unit.

• Continue Reading ...
  • The 2010 Census shows Water Valley had a land area of 7.01 square miles [18.2 km²]. This translates to 225 Housing Units per square mile [86.9 housing units/km²].
  • From the Census of 2000: Water Valley had 1,675 Housing Units, a population of 3,677 people and a land area of 7.03 square miles [18.2 km²]. This gives a density of 2.2 people per Housing Unit and 238.3 Housing Units per square mile [92 housing units/km²].
  • Note: Repeating the caution above (under Population Density), be aware that when comparing Housing Units between the 2010 and the 2000 Census, there were changes in the sampling area for Water Valley and you need to be careful when comparing values between the censuses. More information about the nature of these the changes can be found in the section called Census-to-Census Observations ... (see below).

Yalobusha County ...

The community of Water Valley is located in Yalobusha County<4> and is the County Seat for Yalobusha County.

The county had a population of 12,678 people at the 2010 Census. With it's population of 3,392 people, Water Valley represented 26.76% of the county's total.

In addition, where the city of Water Valley has a population density of 483.9 people per square mile [186.8 people/km²], Yalobusha County averages 27.14 people per square mile [10.48 people/km²].

For more information, please visit our Census Page for Yalobusha County.

Census-to-Census Observations ...

Introduction ...

When the Census Bureau takes a census count (or enumeration) for Water Valley, they start by specifying the boundaries of the area to be counted. This area (or sampling area) is a polygon and its shape can be quite complex - it may or may not match the geographical boundaries of Water Valley. It's important to note that from one Census to the next, the shape and location of the polygon can change.

• Continue Reading ...
  • Although we don't have specific information about the shape of the polygon for Water Valley or how it changed has over time, there is some information that can give us some hints. For example, since the shape of the sampling area is directly related to the shape of the polygon, any change to area probably indicates a new shape for the polygon.
  • If you need precision or details about the methodology of the Census, you should visit the U.S. Census Bureau for a definitive answer.

Location ...

While generally coinciding with the GPS location (latitude/longitude) of Water Valley, the latitude and longitude given by the Census Bureau actually indicates the GPS location of the polygon for Water Valley.

• Continue Reading ...
  • For the 2010 Census, the location was given as:
  • Lat:   34.161990°   (or 34°9'43" N)
  • Lon:   -89.630120°   (or -89°37'48" W)
  • For the 2000 Census, the location given was:
  • Lat:   34.153489°   (or 34°9'12" N)
  • Lon:   -89.631077°   (or -89°37'51" W)
  • The difference indicates that the U.S. Census Bureau moved the location of the polygon for the 2010 Census 3,112 feet to the north<5> of the location that was used in the 2000 Census.
  • The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the U.S. Board on Geographic Names (BGN) have assigned a unique GNIS identifier (#2405685) to Water Valley. This identifier also marks a GPS point on the map, and that point lies within the boundaries of Water Valley. The GNIS point has been mapped to the latitude/longitude:
  • Lat:   34.162112°   (or 34°9'43" N)
  • Lon:   -89.630098°   (or -89°37'48" W)
  • The GPS location given for the 2010 Census lies 44.97 feet to the south<6> of the point given by the GNIS for Water Valley. For more information about this and the relationship of the various Federal Codes, please visit our Misc Page for Water Valley.

Miscellaneous Information for Water Valley ...

The Federal government has assigned various identifying codes to each community, county and state. At one time or another, the US Census Bureau has used one (or more) of the following identifiers when referring to either Yalobusha County or the city of Water Valley:

• The GNIS Codes ...
  • The current system of identification is called the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS). The following GNIS codes relate to Water Valley:
  • GNIS ID for Water Valley: 2405685
  • GNIS ID for Yalobusha County: 695801
  • GNIS ID for State of Mississippi: 1779790

• The FIPS Codes ...
  • An earlier (and largely obsolete) identification method was called the Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS):
  • State Code: 28 (Mississippi)
  • County Code: 161 (Yalobusha County)
  • Place Code: 78000 (Water Valley)
  • State & County Code: 28/161 (Mississippi / Yalobusha County)
  • State & Place Code: 28/78000 (Mississippi / Water Valley)

• Misc. Census Codes ...
  • Water Valley is located in Census Region #3 (the South Region) and Division #6 (the East South-Central Division).

For more information about the various Federal identification codes, please visit our Misc Page for Water Valley.

Off-the-Road Links ...

Unfortunately, we don't know of a website for Water Valley. If you can help, please contact us through our Feedback Page.

The official website for State of Mississippi: https://www.ms.gov/

The official website of the U.S. Census Bureau

The official website of the U.S. Board on Geographic Names (BGN)

The official website of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS)