The 10 Worst Small Towns In Mississippi For 2024

Most Americans have never been to small town Mississippi. However, as the Mississippian who live there know, small town Mississippi is an awesome place to call home.

But is it all roses? Definitely not. Just like any other state, Mississippi has its trouble spots. This article aims to determine, using Saturday Night Science, the absolute worst small towns to live in the Magnolia State. Don’t freak out, we will use data to show which places have high crime, poverty, and unemployment.

After analyzing more than 126 of Mississippi’s smallest cities, we came up with this list as the 10 worst small towns in Mississippi where you’d never want to live:

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Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table

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These are the worst small towns in Mississippi for 2024:

1. Rosedale
2. Pearl River
3. Goodman
4. Shelby
5. Winona
6. Port Gibson
7. Lambert
8. Waynesboro
9. Raleigh
10. Collins

So what is the worst small town to call home in Mississippi for 2024? According to the most recent census data, Rosedale is the worst small town to live in Mississippi.

While many of these small towns have seen better days, they have wonderful communities and people. This report in no way means to knock the folks that call towns like Rosedale home. Everyone

Read on below to see how we crunched the numbers, or scroll to the bottom to see how your town ranked.

And if you already know about the small towns, check out the best places to live in Mississippi or the worst places to live in Mississippi.

If you’re looking for something more national, check out the worst cities in America or the worst states in America.

The 10 Worst Small Towns In Mississippi For 2024

1. Rosedale

Overall SnackAbility

3
/10

Population: 1,871
Median Home Value: $93,031
Median Income: $17,940
Unemployment Rate: 12.5%

2. Pearl River

Overall SnackAbility

4
/10

Population: 4,298
Median Home Value: $65,107
Median Income: $40,614
Unemployment Rate: 6.6%

3. Goodman

Overall SnackAbility

4
/10

Population: 1,287
Median Home Value: $71,395
Median Income: $12,207
Unemployment Rate: 17.7%

4. Shelby

Source: Wikipedia User Privatejoy13 | CC BY-SA 3.0

Overall SnackAbility

3
/10

Population: 1,751
Median Home Value: $98,239
Median Income: $28,827
Unemployment Rate: 16.8%

5. Winona

Source: Wikipedia User Matthew Nichols from New Albany, MS, United States | CC BY 2.0

Overall SnackAbility

4
/10

Population: 4,422
Median Home Value: $98,487
Median Income: $26,250
Unemployment Rate: 8.6%

6. Port Gibson

Overall SnackAbility

4
/10

Population: 1,165
Median Home Value: $83,896
Median Income: $24,773
Unemployment Rate: 20.8%

7. Lambert

Overall SnackAbility

3
/10

Population: 1,074
Median Home Value: $63,601
Median Income: $28,154
Unemployment Rate: 16.3%

8. Waynesboro

Source: Wikipedia User Jerrye & Roy Klotz, MD | CC BY-SA 4.0

Overall SnackAbility

4
/10

Population: 4,576
Median Home Value: $132,103
Median Income: $24,779
Unemployment Rate: 5.2%

9. Raleigh

Overall SnackAbility

4
/10

Population: 1,020
Median Home Value: $134,328
Median Income: $23,795
Unemployment Rate: 15.6%

10. Collins

Source: Wikipedia User JonathanTheLibrarian | CC BY-SA 4.0

Overall SnackAbility

4
/10

Population: 2,270
Median Home Value: $123,383
Median Income: $31,435
Unemployment Rate: 13.0%

Next 10 Towns

Methodology: How do you decide if a small place in Mississippi is lousy or not?

To rank the worst small towns to live in Mississippi, we had to determine what criteria people like or dislike about a place. Assuming that people like low crime, solid education, things to do, and a stable economy isn’t a stretch.

We then analyzed the criteria using Saturday Night Science, the thinking you’d use at a bar. It seems like even your crazy Uncle would agree that a town with high crime is worse than a town with low crime; all else the same.

Using FBI crime data and the Census’s 2018-2022 American Community Survey, this is the criteria we used:

• Population Density (The lower, the worse)
• Highest Unemployment Rates
• Low housing costs (meaning there’s no demand)
• Adjusted Median Income (Median income adjusted for the cost of living)
• Education (Number of high school dropouts)
• High Crime

We looked at cities with populations between 1,000 and 5,000 people, of which there were many – 126 to be exact.

We get the crime numbers from the FBI, which gets them from the cities. Dropout numbers are based on the adult population, not just the current graduation rates of teenagers.

We base all our research on facts, which is meant as infotainment. We updated this article for 2024, which is our tenth time ranking the worst small places to live in Mississippi.

There You Have It – The Worst Small Towns In Mississippi

If you’re analyzing teeny places in the Magnolia State with the worst economic situations, where there’s high crime and there’s not a lot to do, this is an accurate list.

The worst small towns in Mississippi are Rosedale, Pearl River, Goodman, Shelby, Winona, Port Gibson, Lambert, Waynesboro, Raleigh, and Collins.

If you’re curious enough, here are the best small towns to live in Mississippi, according to science:

1. Beechwood (Pop. 3,468)
2. Bridgetown (Pop. 2,893)
3. New Hope (Pop. 2,983)

For more Mississippi reading, check out:

Worst Small Towns In Mississippi

Rank	Town	Population	Unemployment Rate	Home Value	Median Income
1	Rosedale	1,871	12.5%	$93,031	$17,940
2	Pearl River	4,298	6.6%	$65,107	$40,614
3	Goodman	1,287	17.7%	$71,395	$12,207
4	Shelby	1,751	16.8%	$98,239	$28,827
5	Winona	4,422	8.6%	$98,487	$26,250
6	Port Gibson	1,165	20.8%	$83,896	$24,773
7	Lambert	1,074	16.3%	$63,601	$28,154
8	Waynesboro	4,576	5.2%	$132,103	$24,779
9	Raleigh	1,020	15.6%	$134,328	$23,795
10	Collins	2,270	13.0%	$123,383	$31,435
11	Drew	2,225	11.2%	$73,813	$21,512
12	Itta Bena	1,532	28.4%	$57,410	$25,114
13	Sardis	2,168	13.3%	$127,357	$32,863
14	Friars Point	1,083	10.5%	$65,802	$25,156
15	Charleston	2,624	14.8%	$89,952	$34,137
16	Macon	3,293	9.7%	$95,067	$29,225
17	Belzoni	1,947	13.4%	$78,893	$37,528
18	Magnolia	3,243	7.6%	$89,751	$38,083
19	Wade	1,349	48.0%	$199,955	$1,000
20	Morton	3,690	0.9%	$77,613	$29,900
21	Tyle	2,341	16.6%	$139,597	$32,019
22	Vaiden	1,122	2.1%	$127,673	$24,583
23	Tchula	2,274	16.2%	$65,573	$35,987
24	Shaw	1,615	8.1%	$95,000	$23,875
25	Sunflower	1,144	4.6%	$86,201	$23,295
26	Union	2,780	14.2%	$114,075	$40,201
27	Gloster	1,319	10.9%	$108,553	$22,131
28	Eupora	2,279	27.0%	$129,136	$43,889
29	Escatawpa	3,239	15.5%	$96,154	$33,529
30	Moorhead	1,512	20.5%	$78,653	$31,810
31	Decatur	2,325	10.8%	$167,476	$44,321
32	Hollandale	2,371	15.6%	$81,316	$40,556
33	Okolona	2,597	6.7%	$104,201	$27,278
34	Byhalia	1,990	4.8%	$233,431	$38,614
35	Mendenhall	2,593	8.1%	$118,101	$35,956
36	Rolling Fork	2,172	18.4%	$86,196	$41,208
37	Durant	2,133	10.0%	$50,644	$25,552
38	Verona	2,800	5.7%	$112,039	$41,216
39	Lumberton	1,588	19.3%	$149,809	$40,641
40	Ruleville	2,633	18.1%	$95,370	$41,765
41	Hazlehurst	3,601	4.8%	$90,642	$38,365
42	Fayette	1,640	0.2%	$96,000	$23,155
43	Ellisville	4,615	9.3%	$174,987	$30,479
44	Lucedale	2,914	13.2%	$188,738	$35,662
45	Magee	3,974	4.9%	$140,201	$39,485
46	Walls	1,386	5.6%	$229,661	$40,417
47	Conehatta	1,240	0.0%	$156,901	$43,728
48	Metcalfe	1,079	11.2%	$86,886	$41,563
49	Wiggins	4,266	12.5%	$147,767	$44,250
50	Nicholson	2,229	3.2%	$102,873	$42,738
51	Nellieburg	1,321	3.6%	$123,726	$33,009
52	Maben	1,024	6.3%	$146,265	$28,472
53	Renova	1,008	8.0%	$127,897	$25,974
54	Como	1,570	32.0%	$141,124	$23,533
55	Quitman	1,808	6.1%	$112,955	$36,458
56	Summit	2,774	9.2%	$143,568	$33,340
57	Calhoun City	1,853	7.2%	$90,419	$41,375
58	Newton	3,191	6.4%	$116,218	$36,250
59	Carthage	4,861	8.7%	$142,542	$47,722
60	Ackerman	1,793	18.0%	$120,872	$36,230
61	Monticello	1,277	7.4%	$119,517	$27,150
62	Shannon	1,663	7.0%	$149,196	$38,125
63	Tutwiler	2,509	11.8%	$78,823	$31,404
64	Mound Bayou	1,623	4.0%	$70,899	$31,058
65	Houston	3,762	3.3%	$125,205	$32,410
66	Pelahatchie	1,871	7.4%	$191,299	$50,948
67	Nettleton	1,761	9.1%	$136,033	$41,317
68	Arnold Line	1,789	5.6%	$163,115	$41,232
69	Aberdeen	4,972	6.4%	$118,125	$46,788
70	Taylorsville	1,915	0.0%	$140,088	$40,060
71	Bruce	1,523	3.3%	$111,545	$30,094
72	Belmont	2,606	0.8%	$138,862	$40,902
73	Ecru	1,404	3.9%	$185,753	$52,350
74	Pickens	1,096	1.4%	$78,443	$32,153
75	Saucier	1,199	16.8%	$230,160	$67,742
76	Marks	1,633	10.6%	$110,983	$37,000
77	Crystal Springs	4,820	4.9%	$116,285	$44,653
78	Blue Mountain	1,100	1.1%	$137,192	$55,106
79	Wesson	2,286	7.5%	$154,674	$49,375
80	Iuka	3,117	5.9%	$174,044	$43,887
81	Coldwater	1,237	3.1%	$206,825	$38,883
82	Water Valley	3,383	4.7%	$149,214	$45,718
83	Alcorn State University	1,071	1.0%	$0	$1,000
84	Flora	2,380	5.6%	$258,776	$34,219
85	Bay Springs	1,789	2.5%	$127,444	$48,031
86	Poplarville	2,814	13.4%	$205,212	$51,250
87	Lexington	1,154	5.4%	$73,712	$39,076
88	Mount Olive	1,405	3.2%	$118,821	$1,000
89	Baldwyn	3,178	6.6%	$137,493	$44,464
90	Leland	3,939	6.4%	$86,973	$45,645
91	Robinhood	1,291	0.5%	$97,776	$49,833
92	Tunica Resorts	2,096	4.1%	$189,992	$46,454
93	Lyman	1,440	12.5%	$253,129	$61,563
94	Cleary	2,010	15.5%	$143,768	$1,000
95	Centreville	2,352	1.0%	$115,644	$44,779
96	Glendale	1,514	5.3%	$98,819	$53,091
97	Purvis	1,809	5.2%	$219,015	$38,287
98	Fulton	4,494	5.8%	$143,539	$46,875
99	Sharon	1,920	5.8%	$106,696	$94,861
100	Richton	1,150	0.0%	$132,472	$33,621