Some of you might be asking yourself, at this very moment, is Mississippi a good place?
The answer is unequivocally yes… if you know where to locate the best counties to live in Mississippi.
Lucky for you, we’re here to help you identify the best counties to live in the Magnolia State based on the most recently available data from the Census. And this isn’t our first rodeo — we’ve been using Saturday Night Science to rank places for years.
The question becomes if you wanted to relocate to the best part of Mississippi, where would you go? To answer that, we looked at crime, cost of living, and demographic data for all 82 counties in the state.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Table | FAQs | Summary
The 10 Best Counties To Live In Mississippi For 2026
Desoto County is the county to be when it comes to living the good life in Mississippi. And you should avoid Quitman County if you can — at least according to the data.
Now you know exactly where to move in Mississippi. Keep on reading for more about the top ten and a detailed methodology.
Or, check out the best places to live in Mississippi and the cheapest places to live in Mississippi.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
The Best Counties To Live In Mississippi For 2026
1. Desoto County
Biggest Place: Southaven
Population: 191,301
Median Income: $85,297 (best)
Median Home Price: $298,836 (3rd best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.2% (9th best)
More on Desoto County: Data
2. Madison County
Biggest Place: Jackson
Population: 111,647
Median Income: $83,441 (2nd best)
Median Home Price: $334,032 (2nd best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.7% (12th best)
More on Madison County: Data
3. Rankin County
Biggest Place: Jackson
Population: 158,854
Median Income: $79,357 (3rd best)
Median Home Price: $265,117 (5th best)
Unemployment Rate: 4.4% (15th best)
More on Rankin County: Data
4. Lafayette County
Biggest Place: Oxford
Population: 58,327
Median Income: $67,185 (8th best)
Median Home Price: $401,964 (best)
Unemployment Rate: 2.1% (4th best)
More on Lafayette County: Data
5. Hancock County
Biggest Place: Bay St. Louis
Population: 46,167
Median Income: $67,708 (7th best)
Median Home Price: $232,471 (8th best)
Unemployment Rate: 5.0% (29th best)
More on Hancock County: Data
6. Lamar County
Biggest Place: Hattiesburg
Population: 65,713
Median Income: $70,909 (4th best)
Median Home Price: $264,021 (6th best)
Unemployment Rate: 4.8% (26th best)
More on Lamar County: Data
7. Itawamba County
Biggest Place: Fulton
Population: 24,036
Median Income: $55,546 (20th best)
Median Home Price: $161,731 (28th best)
Unemployment Rate: 5.1% (3best)
More on Itawamba County: Data
8. Lee County
Biggest Place: Tupelo
Population: 83,034
Median Income: $67,863 (6th best)
Median Home Price: $201,405 (15th best)
Unemployment Rate: 5.1% (30th best)
More on Lee County: Data
9. Tate County
Biggest Place: Senatobia
Population: 28,321
Median Income: $69,704 (5th best)
Median Home Price: $238,526 (7th best)
Unemployment Rate: 4.7% (2best)
More on Tate County: Data
10. Carroll County
Biggest Place: Vaiden
Population: 9,686
Median Income: $59,327 (15th best)
Median Home Price: $174,370 (23rd best)
Unemployment Rate: 1.6% (best)
More on Carroll County: Data
Methodology: How do you determine which Mississippi county is the best?
To give you the best county in Mississippi, we have to look at a handful of metrics that signal the quality of a place. To do that, we made assumptions about what’s in a “best county” and what isn’t. For reference, we are trying to make the kind of argument you’d make at a bar using facts, Saturday Night Science.
With that in mind, we went to two of the best data sources on the internet. Namely, the American Community Survey data and FBI Crime data for the most recent period.
We paid particular attention to:
- Violent Crime Rates
- Property Crime Rates
- Median Home Values
- Median Income
- Unemployment Rates
- Adult Education Levels
- Health Insurance Coverage
- Poverty Rates
We then ranked each county in Mississippi across each of the criteria from one to 82, with one being the best.
Taking the average rank across all criteria, we created a quality of life score with the county posting the lowest overall score being the “Best County To Live In Mississippi.”
The result is some of the safest, quietest, and best counties to raise a family in the Magnolia State.
We updated this article for 2026. This report is our eleventh time ranking the best counties to live in Mississippi.
Read on to see why Desoto County is the best county, while Quitman County is probably in contention for being the worst county in Mississippi.
Summary: The Best Counties In Mississippi To Call Home For 2026
Living in Mississippi can vary from one part of the state to the next — who woulda thought?
The best counties in Mississippi are DeSoto County, Madison County, Rankin County, Lafayette County, Hancock County, Lamar County, Itawamba County, Lee County, Tate County, and Carroll County.
But now you know the outstanding parts and the parts to avoid, and that’s why you came here to learn at the end of the day.
You are welcome.
Here’s a look at the worst counties in Mississippi according to the data:
- Quitman County
- Leflore County
- Noxubee County
For more Mississippi reading, check out:
- Cheapest Places To Live In Mississippi
- Best Places To Raise A Family In Mississippi
- Best Places To Buy A House In Mississippi
- Best Counties To Live In Mississippi
Detailed List Of The Best Counties In Mississippi
| Rank | County | Population | Median Income | Median Home Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Desoto County | 191,301 | $85,297 | $298,836 |
| 2 | Madison County | 111,647 | $83,441 | $334,032 |
| 3 | Rankin County | 158,854 | $79,357 | $265,117 |
| 4 | Lafayette County | 58,327 | $67,185 | $401,964 |
| 5 | Hancock County | 46,167 | $67,708 | $232,471 |
| 6 | Lamar County | 65,713 | $70,909 | $264,021 |
| 7 | Itawamba County | 24,036 | $55,546 | $161,731 |
| 8 | Lee County | 83,034 | $67,863 | $201,405 |
| 9 | Tate County | 28,321 | $69,704 | $238,526 |
| 10 | Carroll County | 9,686 | $59,327 | $174,370 |
| 11 | Tishomingo County | 18,660 | $53,040 | $189,935 |
| 12 | Jackson County | 145,249 | $66,201 | $212,490 |
| 13 | Lowndes County | 57,838 | $53,812 | $182,790 |
| 14 | Warren County | 43,020 | $59,401 | $145,827 |
| 15 | Smith County | 14,132 | $60,916 | $160,019 |
| 16 | Oktibbeha County | 51,771 | $46,695 | $275,090 |
| 17 | Prentiss County | 25,184 | $49,724 | $139,713 |
| 18 | Webster County | 9,972 | $58,789 | $162,162 |
| 19 | Franklin County | 7,622 | $52,939 | $148,958 |
| 20 | Alcorn County | 34,289 | $51,260 | $181,275 |
| 21 | Jones County | 66,472 | $52,216 | $159,236 |
| 22 | Attala County | 17,526 | $51,639 | $117,169 |
| 23 | Simpson County | 25,691 | $56,381 | $151,651 |
| 24 | Union County | 28,122 | $55,505 | $197,435 |
| 25 | Forrest County | 78,272 | $53,640 | $186,726 |
| 26 | Pearl River County | 57,458 | $58,135 | $193,922 |
| 27 | Harrison County | 210,891 | $59,479 | $223,161 |
| 28 | George County | 25,170 | $59,758 | $206,920 |
| 29 | Lincoln County | 34,877 | $51,119 | $168,181 |
| 30 | Perry County | 11,449 | $49,634 | $156,861 |
| 31 | Jasper County | 16,059 | $48,660 | $134,993 |
| 32 | Monroe County | 33,747 | $51,866 | $157,592 |
| 33 | Pontotoc County | 31,550 | $51,484 | $204,299 |
| 34 | Stone County | 18,894 | $61,413 | $201,655 |
| 35 | Covington County | 18,148 | $45,051 | $173,287 |
| 36 | Benton County | 7,589 | $46,016 | $157,537 |
| 37 | Marshall County | 33,979 | $53,458 | $216,684 |
| 38 | Grenada County | 21,217 | $48,804 | $132,497 |
| 39 | Lauderdale County | 71,504 | $50,817 | $124,823 |
| 40 | Choctaw County | 8,118 | $50,919 | $135,165 |
| 41 | Walthall County | 13,839 | $48,905 | $155,251 |
| 42 | Newton County | 21,093 | $50,540 | $142,059 |
| 43 | Tippah County | 21,523 | $52,542 | $141,598 |
| 44 | Winston County | 17,536 | $53,031 | $141,865 |
| 45 | Copiah County | 27,855 | $49,089 | $133,247 |
| 46 | Clay County | 18,383 | $43,125 | $149,429 |
| 47 | Montgomery County | 9,602 | $41,748 | $124,290 |
| 48 | Neshoba County | 28,932 | $57,013 | $140,641 |
| 49 | Yalobusha County | 12,419 | $49,151 | $148,409 |
| 50 | Greene County | 13,615 | $54,276 | $160,128 |
| 51 | Leake County | 21,319 | $50,728 | $163,553 |
| 52 | Chickasaw County | 16,915 | $43,586 | $135,254 |
| 53 | Clarke County | 15,314 | $46,108 | $106,867 |
| 54 | Amite County | 12,565 | $37,222 | $143,287 |
| 55 | Hinds County | 218,533 | $49,402 | $132,560 |
| 56 | Panola County | 32,808 | $45,945 | $188,483 |
| 57 | Jefferson County | 7,068 | $38,305 | $101,819 |
| 58 | Calhoun County | 12,922 | $43,125 | $124,022 |
| 59 | Adams County | 28,803 | $43,644 | $116,583 |
| 60 | Marion County | 24,193 | $45,110 | $137,754 |
| 61 | Issaquena County | 928 | $31,429 | $125,877 |
| 62 | Wayne County | 19,718 | $37,619 | $143,318 |
| 63 | Scott County | 27,718 | $48,786 | $123,938 |
| 64 | Bolivar County | 29,534 | $39,585 | $124,659 |
| 65 | Pike County | 39,602 | $43,814 | $105,337 |
| 66 | Jefferson Davis County | 11,117 | $38,548 | $96,084 |
| 67 | Lawrence County | 11,786 | $43,531 | $118,728 |
| 68 | Kemper County | 8,729 | $46,431 | $134,992 |
| 69 | Washington County | 42,765 | $42,165 | $62,039 |
| 70 | Humphreys County | 7,395 | $33,731 | $86,252 |
| 71 | Holmes County | 16,191 | $32,538 | $76,673 |
| 72 | Tunica County | 9,475 | $39,364 | $155,893 |
| 73 | Wilkinson County | 8,162 | $35,311 | $121,394 |
| 74 | Yazoo County | 24,835 | $39,295 | $113,234 |
| 75 | Sunflower County | 24,333 | $39,956 | $100,504 |
| 76 | Coahoma County | 20,540 | $37,461 | $47,483 |
| 77 | Tallahatchie County | 11,764 | $37,466 | $109,214 |
| 78 | Sharkey County | 3,872 | $40,000 | $120,583 |
| 79 | Claiborne County | 8,582 | $31,897 | $94,521 |
| 80 | Noxubee County | 10,025 | $33,833 | $108,870 |
| 81 | Leflore County | 27,141 | $35,277 | $79,438 |
| 82 | Quitman County | 5,774 | $32,412 | $79,071 |