The unfortunate fact of the matter is that some places in the Magnolia State have a larger percent of their population that never graduated from high school.
While the emphasis on going to college might be overblown, the fact is that not graduating from high school puts you at a significant disadvantage on average. Educational attainment might not be the best way to measure one person’s intelligence, but it does shine a light on the state.
We will use Saturday Night Science to determine what places in Mississippi have the highest percentage of adults without a high school degree.
A recent study we published found that Mississippi is the 48th smartest state in the United States, with an average IQ of 95.
But that doesn’t mean that a few cities in Mississippi are a bit slower than others due to a lack of basic education.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
The 10 Dumbest Places In Mississippi
Don’t freak out.
Some places are just smarter than others, but that says nothing about the character of the people living there. It’s another data point a real estate agent would never tell you.
For this ranking, we only looked at cities with populations greater than 5,000, leaving us 61 cities in Mississippi to rank. You can take a look at the data below.
For more Mississippi reading, check out:
The 10 Dumbest Places In Mississippi For 2024
/10
% Adult High School Dropout: 33.0%
% Highly Educated: 6.0%
More on Leakesville: Data | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
% Adult High School Dropout: 31.0%
% Highly Educated: 13.0%
More on Forest: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
% Adult High School Dropout: 23.0%
% Highly Educated: 14.0%
More on Columbia: Data | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
% Adult High School Dropout: 19.0%
% Highly Educated: 13.0%
More on Holly Springs: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
% Adult High School Dropout: 26.0%
% Highly Educated: 18.0%
More on Ripley: Data | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
% Adult High School Dropout: 18.0%
% Highly Educated: 14.0%
More on Louisville: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
% Adult High School Dropout: 18.0%
% Highly Educated: 16.0%
More on West Point: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
% Adult High School Dropout: 21.0%
% Highly Educated: 20.0%
More on Clarksdale: Data | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
% Adult High School Dropout: 20.0%
% Highly Educated: 20.0%
More on Meridian: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
% Adult High School Dropout: 22.0%
% Highly Educated: 21.0%
More on Canton: Data | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Methodology: How we determined the dumbest cities in the Magnolia State
We realize that formal education is only part of it when it comes to being intelligent, but on the other hand, knowing the difference between they’re, their, and there is always going to make you look pretty stupid.
So, we used Saturday Night Science to narrow down our criteria to focus on a city’s educational opportunities and what percentage of the population takes advantage of those opportunities.
In short, we came up with these criteria to determine the dumbest cities in Mississippi:
- % of the city’s population with less than a high school education (Age 25+)
- % of city’s population with a college degree (Age 25+)
We got the data from the U.S. Census 2018-2022 American Community Survey.
Then, our algorithm generates a rank for each place in these categories. After crunching all the numbers, a ranking of the cities in Mississippi from dumbest to brightest.
For this ranking, we used every Mississippi city with at least 5,000 residents. We updated this article for 2024, and it’s our tenth time ranking the dumbest cities in Mississippi.
There You Have It – Now That You’re Asleep
If you’re measuring the locations in Mississippi where there are a high number of dropouts and adults who never received a formal education, this is an accurate ranking.
The dumbest cities in Mississippi are Leakesville, Forest, Columbia, Holly Springs, Ripley, Louisville, West Point, Clarksdale, Meridian, and Canton.
If you’re also curious enough, here are the smartest places in Mississippi, according to science:
- Flowood
- Madison
- Clinton
For more Mississippi reading, check out:
- Best Places To Live In Mississippi
- Cheapest Places To Live In Mississippi
- Most Dangerous Cities In Mississippi
- Richest Cities In Mississippi
- Safest Places In Mississippi
- Worst Places To Live In Mississippi
- Most Expensive Places To Live In Mississippi
Dumbest Cities In Mississippi For 2024
| Rank | City | Population | % Adult High School Dropout | % Highly Educated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Leakesville, MS | 5,463 | 33.0% | 6.0% |
| 2 | Forest, MS | 5,416 | 31.0% | 13.0% |
| 3 | Columbia, MS | 5,831 | 23.0% | 14.0% |
| 4 | Holly Springs, MS | 6,942 | 19.0% | 13.0% |
| 5 | Ripley, MS | 5,440 | 26.0% | 18.0% |
| 6 | Louisville, MS | 6,061 | 18.0% | 14.0% |
| 7 | West Point, MS | 10,063 | 18.0% | 16.0% |
| 8 | Clarksdale, MS | 14,769 | 21.0% | 20.0% |
| 9 | Meridian, MS | 34,990 | 20.0% | 20.0% |
| 10 | Canton, MS | 10,951 | 22.0% | 21.0% |
| 11 | New Albany, MS | 7,657 | 21.0% | 21.0% |
| 12 | Horn Lake, MS | 26,652 | 15.0% | 17.0% |
| 13 | Amory, MS | 6,642 | 15.0% | 18.0% |
| 14 | Laurel, MS | 17,241 | 19.0% | 21.0% |
| 15 | Moss Point, MS | 12,173 | 13.0% | 15.0% |
| 16 | Greenville, MS | 29,495 | 18.0% | 22.0% |
| 17 | Pascagoula, MS | 21,904 | 13.0% | 18.0% |
| 18 | Philadelphia, MS | 7,065 | 16.0% | 22.0% |
| 19 | Corinth, MS | 14,520 | 20.0% | 25.0% |
| 20 | Pontotoc, MS | 5,676 | 14.0% | 21.0% |
| 21 | Greenwood, MS | 14,242 | 16.0% | 23.0% |
| 22 | Picayune, MS | 11,804 | 11.0% | 16.0% |
| 23 | Mccomb, MS | 12,295 | 12.0% | 19.0% |
| 24 | Indianola, MS | 9,572 | 17.0% | 25.0% |
| 25 | Brookhaven, MS | 11,714 | 12.0% | 20.0% |
| 26 | Grenada, MS | 12,594 | 15.0% | 24.0% |
| 27 | Gautier, MS | 19,007 | 12.0% | 21.0% |
| 28 | Kosciusko, MS | 7,056 | 11.0% | 20.0% |
| 29 | Vicksburg, MS | 21,337 | 15.0% | 25.0% |
| 30 | D’iberville, MS | 12,922 | 10.0% | 20.0% |
| 31 | Columbus, MS | 23,896 | 14.0% | 25.0% |
| 32 | Booneville, MS | 9,027 | 15.0% | 26.0% |
| 33 | Waveland, MS | 7,075 | 12.0% | 23.0% |
| 34 | Natchez, MS | 14,380 | 14.0% | 27.0% |
| 35 | Gulfport, MS | 72,524 | 12.0% | 24.0% |
| 36 | Cleveland, MS | 11,082 | 15.0% | 33.0% |
| 37 | Pearl, MS | 27,255 | 12.0% | 25.0% |
| 38 | Jackson, MS | 153,271 | 13.0% | 28.0% |
| 39 | Richland, MS | 7,208 | 10.0% | 23.0% |
| 40 | Senatobia, MS | 8,288 | 7.0% | 22.0% |
| 41 | Biloxi, MS | 49,141 | 12.0% | 29.0% |
| 42 | Hattiesburg, MS | 48,466 | 12.0% | 34.0% |
| 43 | Southaven, MS | 54,908 | 8.0% | 25.0% |
| 44 | Petal, MS | 11,047 | 9.0% | 31.0% |
| 45 | Long Beach, MS | 16,809 | 7.0% | 28.0% |
| 46 | Tupelo, MS | 37,939 | 10.0% | 36.0% |
| 47 | Batesville, MS | 7,464 | 8.0% | 32.0% |
| 48 | Hernando, MS | 17,262 | 10.0% | 37.0% |
| 49 | Bay St. Louis, MS | 9,788 | 6.0% | 36.0% |
| 50 | Olive Branch, MS | 45,938 | 5.0% | 33.0% |
| 51 | Starkville, MS | 24,274 | 9.0% | 47.0% |
| 52 | Diamondhead, MS | 9,360 | 7.0% | 37.0% |
| 53 | Byram, MS | 12,922 | 5.0% | 37.0% |
| 54 | Pass Christian, MS | 5,802 | 5.0% | 44.0% |
| 55 | Oxford, MS | 25,713 | 6.0% | 59.0% |
| 56 | Brandon, MS | 25,142 | 3.0% | 44.0% |
| 57 | Ocean Springs, MS | 18,417 | 4.0% | 44.0% |
| 58 | Ridgeland, MS | 24,618 | 5.0% | 52.0% |
| 59 | Clinton, MS | 27,668 | 4.0% | 48.0% |
| 60 | Madison, MS | 27,595 | 4.0% | 67.0% |
| 61 | Flowood, MS | 10,204 | 2.0% | 54.0% |
CONSIDERING THE SOURCE , THE WASHINGTON POST, I DON’T PUT MUCH FAITH IN ANYTHING THEY PRINT OR SAY, SINCE THEY ARE THE SAME PEOPLE WHO HAVE SUPPORTED OUR CURRENT DICTATOR, THE NONE CITIZEN , RADICAL ISLAMIC MUSLIM, WHO ONCE ATTENDED A U S COLLEGE WITH FOREIGN STUDENT GOV ASSISTANCE PROGRAM, AND HAS NEVER PROVEN HE IS A CITIZEN, OR EVEN WENT TO SCHOOL, THE POST EVIDENTLY THINK HE IS THE GREATEST PRESIDENT, AND GREATEST PERSON TO EVER LIVE, EVEN AFTER ALL HE HAS DONE TO DESTROY AMERICA THEY STILL PRAISE HIM, AND NOW THEY SUPPORT A WOMAN WITH A CRIMINAL BACKGROUND, WHO IS A COMMUNIST, AND HAS NO QUALIFICATION TO BE PRESIDENT, AND HAS COMMITTED TREASON, AND MURDER. SHE COMMITTED FRAUD, TREASON, AND LET 4 AMERICANS DIE IN BENGHAZI , TO COVER HER AND MR O BUM DUMB’S BUT , SINCE THEY WERE RUNNING GUNS TO THE SYRIANS, FUNNY , WHEN O BUM AND ERIC HOLDER WERE RUNNING GUNS TO THE MEXICAN DRUG CARTEL, I NEVER HEARD ANYTHING FROM THE POST , AND AGAIN WHEN HE AND HILLARY WERE SMUGGLING GUNS TO SYRIAN REBELS , WE HEARD NOTHING FROM THE WASHINGTON POST, MAYBE YOU TIME SHOULD BE SPENT ON THINGS PEOPLE CARE ABOUT, NOT HOW DUMB PEOPLE ARE IN POOR STATES, WHY DON’T YOU RUNG THE SAME STUDY IN NYC, OR CALIFORNIA, WITH 20 MILLION ILLEGALS , MOST NOT SPEAKING ENGLISH , SEE HOW THAT TURNS OUT, OR MAYBE DO THE SAME STUDY WITHING 20 MILES OF THE CAPITAL, SINCE 98 PERCENT ARE POOR BLACKS , LETS SEE HOW DUMB THEY SEEM , YOU WON’T DO THAT , YOU WOULD SAY THATS RACIST, WELL, THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI HAS MORE BLACKS THAN WHITES , I THINK YOU WERE PICKING ON BLACKS AND MAYBE YOUR ALREADY RACIST, HUH!
To the author of this article: I just wonder why you took the time and energy to figure out which city is dumb. It seems you may be emotionally unattached to so carelessly degrade an entire state. You must have an almost unattainable degree. Do you know anyone from Mississippi? Do you care to get to know anyone from Mississippi? You might find the hospitable way of life to be endearing. I agree that even my nurse practitioner friend incorrectly uses “to” and “too”. However, that does not mean she is incompetent and thus a contributing factor as to why this unnecessary article was even compiled and written. There are high schoolers who drop out of school because they are dyslexic and are unable to read fluently. Some of those people end up opening mechanic shops/construction companies and become very well-off. This requires a different kind of intelligence. School is not for everyone. I will say I am offended, (not that you care) and I had rather live in a “dumb” state with hospitable folks than a genius filled state of pompous, unfiltered, heathen folks any day. (Again, not that you care because statistics show that I am too dumb to be offended). Oh and… By the way, you’re welcome for Elvis, Faith Hill, Morgan Freeman, William Faulkner, Oprah, Claude Passeau, Eric Moulds, Peyton Manning, Brett Favre, James Earl Jones, Floyd Mayweather, Jimmy Buffet, Jerry Rice, Jim Henson, ANNNNNND Britney.
I once lived in Columbia Ms, it was a real real crap hole, full of drugs and non educated folks some good and some bad. So I can see how it ranked #4. Like I said some good people I knew there, I miss a few of them. I’m glad I moved back home to Louisiana.
As it is in every state. There are places rougher than others.
I was born in New Hampshire, but spent most of my life in Mississippi, except for the better part of a decade where I studied art in Europe. I returned to my roots in Mississippi by choice. I find articles like this absolutely disgusting and I’d be willing to bet that “author” Sam Sparks has never set foot in the state of Mississippi. The article is pure crap. Why would anyone waste time writing such negative BS? And this is your idea of humor? And you write about OUR stupidity? And this web site is based in North Carolina? There’s the answer. Write about something you know. Obviously North Carolina isn’t immune from idiots. There are plenty of “humorous” stories right there in front of you.
This is an incredibly offensive, pathetically stupid, and racist article.
The moron who wrote this misspelled #1. It’s Forrest, not Forest.
No, it’s Forest-with one “r”. There is a Forrest County, but that is where Hattiesburg is located. Different place. I’ve lived in Mississippi all my life, and I know Forest from Forrest County. The author has it right.
The town is spelled Forest..the county is Forrest….
No, you are the one spellinf it wrong. It is Forest, MS Scott county.
I am very offended by this article! I am from Mississippi and very proud of it. My family lives in Ms and I am very proud of them!!! There is alot to offer in Ms and those “dumd mississippians” as was referred to are the ones who offer it. There is alot of manufacturing that people all around the United States buys these products. There are trucking companies that ship these products, logging companies and paper mills that produce allot of products. There is so much history to be offered!! Tell me where in the United States that if a family knocked at your door and was hungry that that family would feed them!!! There is alot of good people in Mississippi and I am PROUD to be from there even though I am considered a dumb ass!!! I am an educated woman, I own my own business, I own my own house snubs I am deft free!! So tell me how many people around the United States in these smart cities can say that!!
If you’re going to talk about “dumb” cities and criticize the intellect of people, don’t use poor grammar in doing so.
Stupid Sparks. You’re about the Dumbest person on the planet. Yes, that puts you 1 spot in front of Dumber Trump & Dim Carson & 2 places past Shittery Clinton. The best and most productive use of your unreliable, misinformed, racist opinion is to use it as an ass plug. FYI (keeps crap in). It goes not in your rear but in your mouth. This was some of the dumbest crap I’ve ever read. Wipe, wipe flush!!!
This is so offensive. People always want to “dumb down” the south. We are no dumber, ignorant or “dimwitted” than anywhere else in America. We are very hospitable but that doesn’t make us dumb. We may say y’all, sugar, honey & sweetheart alot but at least we have manners. We respect our elders, teach our children to pray & we say thank you, have a nice day. I have visited a few places in the North & felt like I had the plague. Rude, obnoxious people…not all but quite a % were. So, unless you’ve been here, please keep your opinions to yourself. Science & data…PLEASE!!! Thank y’all sugar, have a nice day!!!
It’s funny to me how someone is attempting to call others dumb, but is using the word incorrectly. Dumb means having the inability to speak.
While I’m at it, let’s take a look at the graduation rate in Washington DC.
28 % according to the Washington Post.
Wow. Why not talk about that instead of focusing on an area of the country so far removed from your own.
Just another example of a piece of non-newsworthy tripe from yet another no-name reporter.
You all are taking issue with the author for laying out his opinion with the state’s data but you’re okay with the Gov never fully funding public education or with MDE paying the State Superintendant of Edu $300k…THATS ALMOST DOUBLE THE NATIONAL AVERAGE AND WE STILL RANK 50TH IN THE NATION!!!! You all really need to direct that anger in the right direction and not at a newspaper article that is meant for entertainment!!!
The very word , “dumb”, is a very subjective topic. I know plenty of highly “educated” idiots . And I also know plenty that are without a formal education to speak of, that are business owners and highly successful ones at that . Now, I’ll be the 1st one to admit, that a formal college education is a good thing to obtain. But you will find in so many of the majors to choose from, that students are taught how to be great EMPLOYEES. Not necessarily a lot of majors available with instructions on how to be great EMPLOYERS. Just food for thought in selecting any areas to make up any “dumbest” list. Thanks .