The 10 Best Places To Raise A Family In Mississippi For 2022


We used science and data to determine which cities in Mississippi have the best set up for children: a lot to do, good schools, and no crime.

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If your family loves fried alligator bites and steamed mudbugs, then you should definitely live in Mississippi. And today's your lucky day, because HomeSnacks is giving your family the ultimate life hack, we've created a list of the best places for families in Mississippi for 2022.

How did we determine Mississippi's most family friendly places? We consulted the US Census on places in The Magnolia State with more than 10,000 residents. We looked at several factors: crime, education, family friendly activities, and the percent of households that currently have children. We ended up with 15 family friendly Mississippi places that any family would be lucky to call home. Matter of fact, if you ask any Mississippian, they will tell you that Mississippi is the best and that their corner of the Hospitality State is above the rest. They will also tell you that what the state doesn't make up in https://www.homesnacks.com/richest-states-in-america/">wealth, they make up in friendly people and fun things to do and see.

Speaking of family entertainment, when Mississippi families are ready for some fun in the sun, there is plenty of family friendly fun to be had. We think the best family day in the land of the Delta blues would go something like this: first, a trip to the Mississippi Museum of Natural Science in Jackson; then, a visit to the lighthouse in Biloxi, followed up by a family style all you can eat blue crab special in Laurel.

Want to know more? We suggest that you grab yourself a sunny spot at The Gulf Coast and read on.

The 10 Best Cities To Raise A Family In Mississippi For 2022

  1. Brandon
  2. Petal
  3. Horn Lake
  4. Olive Branch
  5. Gulfport
  6. Gautier
  7. Hattiesburg
  8. Brookhaven
  9. D'Iberville
  10. Ocean Springs

Yes, Mississippi is one of the largest states in terms of land mass, but it's pretty swampy and pretty humid. So, the burning question: what is it about Mississippi that make over 2.9 million people--one million families happy to call it home?

We'll tell you, point blank, it has a lot to offer. And this is especially evident in Mississippi's number one best place to raise a family for 2022, Brandon.

If you want to see how Mississippi's other amazing best places to raise a family faired, take a look at the list below. And if you don't see your favorite there, head to the bottom.

Check out some more reading about Mississippi and the best places for families in the country:

The 10 Best Places To Raise A Family In Mississippi For 2022

Overall SnackAbility

7
/10

Population: 24,088
Family Friendly Amenities Score: 74
Closest Major City: Baton Rouge
Households with kids: 36.8%
More on Brandon: PhotosHomes For Sale | Data

Brandon, MS

Overall SnackAbility

8
/10

Population: 10,624
Family Friendly Amenities Score: 58
Closest Major City: New Orleans
Households with kids: 40.6%
More on Petal: PhotosHomes For Sale | Data

Petal, MS

Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 27,234
Family Friendly Amenities Score: 41
Closest Major City: Memphis
Households with kids: 37.6%
More on Horn Lake: PhotosHomes For Sale | Data

Horn Lake, MS

Overall SnackAbility

8
/10

Population: 38,270
Family Friendly Amenities Score: 31
Closest Major City: Memphis
Households with kids: 34.9%
More on Olive Branch: PhotosHomes For Sale | Data

Olive Branch, MS

Overall SnackAbility

3
/10

Population: 71,660
Family Friendly Amenities Score: 52
Closest Major City: New Orleans
Households with kids: 33.9%
More on Gulfport: PhotosHomes For Sale | Data

Gulfport, MS

Overall SnackAbility

4
/10

Population: 18,436
Family Friendly Amenities Score: 33
Closest Major City: New Orleans
Households with kids: 32.5%
More on Gautier: PhotosHomes For Sale | Data

Gautier, MS

Overall SnackAbility

3
/10

Population: 46,010
Family Friendly Amenities Score: 71
Closest Major City: New Orleans
Households with kids: 28.2%
More on Hattiesburg: PhotosHomes For Sale | Data

Hattiesburg, MS

Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 12,045
Family Friendly Amenities Score: 44
Closest Major City: Baton Rouge
Households with kids: 28.1%
More on Brookhaven: PhotosHomes For Sale | Data

Brookhaven, MS

Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 13,766
Family Friendly Amenities Score: 45
Closest Major City: -1
Households with kids: 32.5%
More on D'iberville: PhotosHomes For Sale | Data

Overall SnackAbility

8
/10

Population: 17,756
Family Friendly Amenities Score: 49
Closest Major City: New Orleans
Households with kids: 28.8%
More on Ocean Springs: PhotosHomes For Sale | Data

Ocean Springs, MS

Methodology: How do you determine which place is best for families in Mississippi anyways?

To give you the places in Mississippi which are best for families, we have to look at a handful of metrics. Of course, we want to measure the type of people who live in each city, and make some assumptions about what's family-friendly and what isn't.

So we researched the internet for a database that contains all that information.

How we crunched the family friendly numbers for the Magnolia State

We threw a lot of criteria at this one in order to get the best, most complete results possible. Using U.S. Census data produced for the state of Mississippi, we looked at every single city in the state. We paid particular attention to:

  • Crime (Both violent and property)
  • Quality of local schools
  • Distance to a major city without necessarily being in it
  • % of households with children
  • Family-friendly amenities nearby (museums, libraries and colleges)

We then gave each city a Family Score.

The higher the score, the better the city is for families. We also limited our results to cities with populations over 10,000 people. For Mississippi, that meant a total of 15 cities. You can download the data here.

Summary: The Best Places To Raise A Family In Mississippi

If you're looking for a breakdown of cities in Mississippi ranked by criteria that most would agree make a place a great spot for families, this is an accurate list.

Here's a look at the best cities for singles Mississippi according to the data:

  1. Ridgeland
  2. West Point
  3. Vicksburg

For more Mississippi reading, check out:

Where Are The Best Places For Families In Mississippi?

Rank City Population Amenities Score
1 Brandon, MS 24,088 53
2 Petal, MS 10,624 39
3 Horn Lake, MS 27,234 46
4 Olive Branch, MS 38,270 35
5 Gulfport, MS 71,660 68
6 Gautier, MS 18,436 50
7 Hattiesburg, MS 46,010 44
8 Brookhaven, MS 12,045 58
9 D'iberville, MS 13,766 60
10 Ocean Springs, MS 17,756 38

How Is The Area In ?

Editor's Note: We updated this article for 2022. This is our ninth time ranking the best cities for families in Mississippi.

About Chris Kolmar

Chris Kolmar has been in the real estate business for almost ten years now. He originally worked for Movoto Real Estate as the director of marketing before founding HomeSnacks.

He believes the key to finding the right place to live comes down to looking at the data, reading about things to do, and, most importantly, checking it out yourself before you move.

If you've been looking for a place to live in the past several years, you've probably stumbled upon his writing already.

You can find out more about him on LinkedIn or his website.