You’ve seen these lists before. Best places to live in Mississippi. Best suburbs in Mississippi. Best counties in Mississippi.
Etc., etc., etc.
But they all focus on major cities and towns in the Magnolia State, and no one pays attention to the little guy.
Well, that’s all about to change as we put together a list of the superb small towns in Mississippi based on numbers–not opinions or hearsay.
We’ll dive right into our methodology in the next section, but first, we thought you might want to know which places in Mississippi ranked the best based on Saturday Night Science.
$91,600 median income · 0.4% unemployment
$80,640 median income · 1.3% unemployment
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$79,577 median income · 1.2% unemployment
$69,539 median income · 1.9% unemployment
$82,806 median income · 1.0% unemployment
$139,224 median income · 5.8% unemployment
$71,917 median income · 3.9% unemployment
$118,333 median income · 24.3% unemployment
$88,750 median income · 10.2% unemployment
$69,621 median income · 6.7% unemployment
The receipts
Compare the top ten
Pick a metric. The bars rescale. The red line is Mississippi’s statewide median.
Mississippi statewide median: $56,447
Mississippi statewide median: $192,906
Mississippi statewide median: 5.8%
On the map
Where Mississippi’s best small towns are
Saturday Night Science
Methodology: How We Determined The Coolest Towns In Mississippi
We threw a lot of criteria at this report to get the best, most complete results of the best small towns in Mississippi possible.
Using the most recent data from the Census’s 2020-2024 American Community Survey, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and Saturday Night Science, this is the criteria we used:
- Population Density (Higher is better)
- Lowest Unemployment Rates
- Housing costs (Higher is better. More demand.)
- Adjusted Median Income (Higher is better)
- Highly Educated Adults (Higher is better)
- Insurance Rates (Higher is better)
- Commute Times (Lower is better)
We looked at places with populations lower than 5,000 people and greater than 1,000, of which there were many – 115 to be exact.
We then ranked each place in each category with scores from 1 to 115, averaged them out, and the lowest scores went to our Best Small Towns in Mississippi. Top of that list — Beechwood.
This is our eleventh time ranking the best small places to live in Mississippi.
The full plate
Best Small Towns In Mississippi
Click any column to sort. Search by town name.
| Rank | Town | Population | Median Income | Median Home Value | Unemployment Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Beechwood | 4,168 | $91,600 | $268,115 | 0.4% |
| 2 | Saltillo | 4,952 | $80,640 | $235,070 | 1.3% |
| 3 | New Hope | 3,952 | $79,577 | $270,614 | 1.2% |
| 4 | Columbus AFB | 1,293 | $69,539 | $0 | 1.9% |
| 5 | Caledonia | 1,414 | $82,806 | $258,352 | 1.0% |
| 6 | Bridgetown | 3,195 | $139,224 | $391,379 | 5.8% |
| 7 | DeLisle | 1,906 | $71,917 | $248,120 | 3.9% |
| 8 | Mooreville | 2,154 | $118,333 | $217,555 | 24.3% |
| 9 | Lynchburg | 2,161 | $88,750 | $253,664 | 10.2% |
| 10 | Hide-A-Way Lake | 2,569 | $69,621 | $221,876 | 6.7% |
| 11 | Sumrall | 1,674 | $70,382 | $266,987 | 6.9% |
| 12 | Florence | 4,696 | $86,308 | $248,606 | 6.3% |
| 13 | Gu | 2,594 | $95,625 | $239,258 | 3.4% |
| 14 | Arnold Line | 1,859 | $53,750 | $179,387 | 0.0% |
| 15 | Hurley | 1,305 | $133,216 | $321,170 | 4.7% |
| 16 | Lyman | 2,298 | $75,455 | $245,280 | 2.0% |
| 17 | Purvis | 1,914 | $45,667 | $240,800 | 1.8% |
| 18 | Farmington | 2,312 | $57,151 | $175,380 | 0.0% |
| 19 | Terry | 1,620 | $47,734 | $258,953 | 3.9% |
| 20 | Pelahatchie | 1,423 | $56,322 | $216,131 | 4.0% |
| 21 | Collinsville | 1,725 | $78,750 | $207,107 | 4.7% |
| 22 | Iuka | 3,110 | $49,290 | $203,066 | 1.5% |
| 23 | Morgantown | 1,038 | $52,308 | $108,041 | 5.6% |
| 24 | Raymond | 1,663 | $40,060 | $175,869 | 4.0% |
| 25 | Poplarville | 2,847 | $53,603 | $192,130 | 10.4% |
| 26 | Glendale | 1,257 | $56,818 | $179,955 | 2.9% |
| 27 | Walls | 1,426 | $58,920 | $260,174 | 1.0% |
| 28 | Marion | 2,030 | $46,500 | $165,238 | 7.2% |
| 29 | Fulton | 4,576 | $52,727 | $161,328 | 7.9% |
| 30 | Mantachie | 1,950 | $65,568 | $166,095 | 4.1% |
| 31 | Houston | 3,741 | $44,023 | $142,691 | 4.5% |
| 32 | Baldwyn | 3,138 | $43,841 | $152,065 | 5.0% |
| 33 | Crystal Springs | 4,752 | $49,291 | $132,236 | 5.5% |
| 34 | Belzoni | 1,306 | $34,318 | $78,757 | 9.4% |
| 35 | Nellieburg | 1,197 | $60,577 | $156,211 | 3.7% |
| 36 | Eupora | 2,250 | $53,793 | $138,082 | 18.8% |
| 37 | Belmont | 2,028 | $46,512 | $166,554 | 1.7% |
| 38 | Blue Mountain | 1,232 | $49,667 | $149,365 | 4.0% |
| 39 | Water Valley | 3,376 | $42,684 | $174,189 | 3.1% |
| 40 | Verona | 2,748 | $46,148 | $122,771 | 3.6% |
| 41 | Decatur | 1,929 | $50,128 | $168,225 | 6.6% |
| 42 | Marks | 1,377 | $32,132 | $109,859 | 8.7% |
| 43 | Woodville | 1,037 | $52,894 | $125,561 | 17.6% |
| 44 | Rawls Springs | 1,499 | $47,022 | $100,997 | 2.9% |
| 45 | Ecru | 1,550 | $65,000 | $211,930 | 14.8% |
| 46 | Taylorsville | 1,650 | $37,885 | $147,637 | 1.6% |
| 47 | Hazlehurst | 3,520 | $43,552 | $118,554 | 4.4% |
| 48 | Wiggins | 4,293 | $49,870 | $172,338 | 12.0% |
| 49 | Lexington | 1,350 | $48,417 | $93,067 | 7.5% |
| 50 | Leland | 3,777 | $37,406 | $71,036 | 8.6% |
| 51 | Bruce | 1,483 | $26,923 | $136,366 | 3.2% |
| 52 | Moorhead | 1,439 | $34,625 | $87,583 | 20.1% |
| 53 | Mound Bayou | 1,449 | $23,732 | $74,640 | 4.4% |
| 54 | Ackerman | 1,792 | $48,083 | $134,956 | 23.6% |
| 55 | Mendenhall | 2,103 | $40,141 | $134,763 | 7.2% |
| 56 | Ellisville | 4,521 | $32,100 | $190,618 | 10.9% |
| 57 | Coldwater | 1,156 | $44,054 | $248,696 | 5.3% |
| 58 | Kiln | 2,016 | $71,875 | $232,338 | 5.8% |
| 59 | Courtland | 1,205 | $46,544 | $197,824 | 4.4% |
| 60 | Magnolia | 3,059 | $55,057 | $105,029 | 6.4% |
| 61 | Richton | 1,220 | $35,057 | $156,544 | 2.3% |
| 62 | Morton | 3,656 | $41,863 | $85,899 | 0.3% |
| 63 | Flora | 2,331 | $36,513 | $296,401 | 5.7% |
| 64 | Charleston | 1,979 | $36,892 | $101,681 | 12.7% |
| 65 | Rolling Fork | 2,038 | $45,587 | $108,490 | 6.9% |
| 66 | Newton | 3,116 | $32,157 | $122,128 | 6.6% |
| 67 | Quitman | 2,161 | $47,538 | $106,309 | 1.5% |
| 68 | Centreville | 2,263 | $42,000 | $117,018 | 0.3% |
| 69 | Wesson | 2,250 | $65,179 | $178,721 | 5.2% |
| 70 | Leakesville | 4,959 | $68,428 | $147,536 | 14.2% |
| 71 | Winona | 4,183 | $31,932 | $123,357 | 6.6% |
| 72 | Aberdeen | 4,890 | $33,285 | $142,494 | 5.7% |
| 73 | Como | 1,258 | $21,404 | $182,468 | 35.3% |
| 74 | Tutwiler | 2,073 | $34,073 | $89,654 | 19.3% |
| 75 | Union | 2,090 | $44,643 | $116,229 | 8.3% |
| 76 | Bay Springs | 1,855 | $50,306 | $132,975 | 9.8% |
| 77 | Fayette | 1,691 | $28,567 | $85,704 | 1.0% |
| 78 | Magee | 3,943 | $44,488 | $160,120 | 3.3% |
| 79 | Nettleton | 1,853 | $41,842 | $151,710 | 6.0% |
| 80 | Calhoun City | 1,745 | $40,078 | $103,505 | 6.2% |
| 81 | Byhalia | 1,588 | $38,500 | $270,743 | 6.9% |
| 82 | Robinhood | 1,298 | $69,875 | $105,769 | 5.1% |
| 83 | Raleigh | 1,118 | $61,667 | $145,858 | 16.6% |
| 84 | Lucedale | 2,995 | $40,668 | $209,692 | 7.4% |
| 85 | Shannon | 1,383 | $42,297 | $160,783 | 8.9% |
| 86 | Escatawpa | 3,494 | $40,109 | $122,583 | 12.0% |
| 87 | Shaw | 1,508 | $30,469 | $101,481 | 8.7% |
| 88 | Summit | 2,451 | $29,375 | $141,405 | 9.8% |
| 89 | Durant | 2,103 | $30,130 | $63,697 | 0.0% |
| 90 | Tyle | 2,024 | $33,333 | $132,467 | 11.6% |
| 91 | Maben | 1,231 | $29,158 | $174,063 | 7.8% |
| 92 | Carthage | 4,866 | $42,254 | $163,180 | 7.8% |
| 93 | Monticello | 1,351 | $34,250 | $113,364 | 9.8% |
| 94 | Itta Bena | 1,967 | $36,033 | $52,610 | 22.7% |
| 95 | Port Gibson | 1,261 | $42,656 | $82,958 | 15.6% |
| 96 | Ruleville | 2,632 | $33,480 | $100,848 | 19.9% |
| 97 | Drew | 2,132 | $23,973 | $80,523 | 13.7% |
| 98 | Waynesboro | 4,518 | $31,684 | $141,630 | 3.8% |
| 99 | Pearl River | 4,047 | $50,922 | $69,528 | 7.4% |
| 100 | Tunica Resorts | 2,281 | $45,661 | $254,027 | 12.0% |
Source: U.S. Census ACS 2020-2024 via Saturday Night Science. 115 Mississippi towns between 1,000 and 5,000 residents.
Summary
Summary: Science Can Tackle Any Issue, Even Small Ones
We said it once, and we’ll say it again — this list: it’s just science. We did the research, crunched the numbers, and it turns out these small towns in Mississippi are the best in which to live.
And who can argue with that?
The best small towns in Mississippi are Beechwood, Saltillo, New Hope, Columbus AFB, Caledonia, Bridgetown, DeLisle, Mooreville, Lynchburg, and Hide-A-Way Lake.
