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If you've ever been on Eureka St. in Batesville or North St. in Brookhaven, you know that Mississippi can be pretty dangerous.
But just how dangerous? Well, you're in luck, RoadSnacks knows the answer to that question. Yes, we've taken the guessing out of the equation and created a list of the most dangerous places in Mississipi for 2021. You know, the kind of places where your southern charm will get you nowhere.
How'd we do it? We consulted the numbers. In total, we analyzed 23 cities. We looked at the FBI's latest crime report for violent crime and property crime statistics for every place with over 6,000 residents. We discovered that Mississippi is slightly above the national average in terms of property crime and comparable to the national average for violent crime. And, shockingly, the city with the most assaults and murders in the state has less than 16,000 residents.
What's even crazier is that Mississippi had 285 violent crimes and 2,733 property crimes and managed to stay out of the top ten most dangerous states in the country for 2021. Not to mention, not one of The Magnolia State's cities made the top ten most dangerous cities in the country for 2021. But, folks, this doesn't mean that Mississippi's most dangerous places couldn't use better employment opportunities, higher wages, and strong rehabilitation programs to combat their growing crime rates.
So, want to know the places in Mississippi that could use a hug? Keep reading.
The Most Dangerous Cities In Mississippi For 2021
Yes, there are about 262 police officers per 100,000 residents in Minnesota, but they just can't be everywhere. So, smaller Mississippi cities like McComb and Greenwood are starting to suffer the consequences. And these are not even Mississippi's most dangerous places.
The place that is the most dangerous in Mississippi? The most dangerous place in Mississippi would be Biloxi based on FBI data.
To see how your city faired, take a look at the list below; and if you don't find what you're looking for there, head to the bottom.
Learn more about the safest places in Mississippi.
If you're looking for something more national, check out the most dangerous cities in America or the most dangerous states in America.
For more Mississippi reading, check out:
- Best Places To Live In Mississippi
- Cheapest Places To Live In Mississippi
- Most Dangerous Cities In Mississippi
The 10 Most Dangerous Places To Live In Mississippi For 2021
/10
Population: 46,185
Rank Last Year: 6 (Up 5)
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 407 (Third most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 5,765 (Second most dangerous)
More on Biloxi: Real Estate | Cost Of Living | Crime Report
The name "Biloxi" is derived from the Sioux word meaning "First People", and Biloxi ranks number 1 on this list. That's up 5 spots different from last year.
Home to 11 casinos located on the Gulf of Mexico and the Biloxi Bay, this city's residents have a 1 in 17 chance of getting their property stolen. You'll want to be sure to keep your winnings safe when at the casinos and on the beach.
Biloxi not only made this list, but it also made the Best Places for Singles in Mississippi list
and the Most Expensive Places to Live in Mississippi list. Biloxi may have a lot of crime, but it looks like it has a bunch of single, high rollers too.
/10
Population: 18,471
Rank Last Year: 5 (Up 3)
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 676 (Most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 4,331 (Seventh most dangerous)
More on Laurel: Real Estate | Cost Of Living | Crime Report
With six rankings on our HomeSnacks lists, Laurel, Mississippi is sure to have something for everyone. It's on the cheapest places to live list, the best places to retire in Mississippi list.
Unfortunately, if you live in Laurel, it's also on the most dangerous cities in Mississippi list. You have a 1 in 147 chance of being a victim of a violent crime and 1 in 23 chance of being a victim of a property crime. Laurel is located halfway between Hattiesburg and Meridian off I-59.
/10
Population: 36,878
Rank Last Year: 8 (Up 5)
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 490 (Second most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 3,999 (Eighth most dangerous)
More on Meridian: Real Estate | Cost Of Living | Crime Report
Meridian ranks second highest for violent crime and eighth highest for property crime. Residents in this town have a 1 in 25 chance of being a burglary or larceny victim and a 1 in 203 chance of being a victim of a violent crime. If you lived in Meridian, these stats mean you could be singing a sad country song too.
Meridian is Mississippi's sixth largest city and is located where the Mobile, Ohio, and Southern Railways meet. Born in Meridian, Jimmie Rodgers, known as the "Father of Country Music", could sing a sad country song about the crime in this town.
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Population: 7,234
Rank Last Year: 10 (Up 6)
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 331 (Seventh most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 4,534 (Fifth most dangerous)
More on Batesville: Real Estate | Cost Of Living
This Homesnacks list is the only one that Batesville, Mississippi made. Unfortunately, you really don't want your town to be on the list for most dangerous cities in Mississippi. Ranked seventh highest in violent crime and fifth highest in property crime, you're more likely to be a victim of murder or rape than getting your car or cell phone stolen.
Batesville is Panola County's largest community and one of two county seats. If you take a stroll on Batesville Main Street, a popular tourist attraction, better be aware of your surroundings.
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Population: 72,383
Rank Last Year: 4 (Down 1)
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 326 (Eighth most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 4,824 (Fourth most dangerous)
More on Gulfport: Real Estate | Cost Of Living | Crime Report
Located on the Gulf of Mexico, Gulfport is home to 12 casinos. So while you're out looking for friends and playing Craps or Blackjack, be sure to keep an eye out for your belongings. This city ranks fourth highest in property crime.
Ranked as one of the most diverse cities in Mississippi, you're sure to find friends in Gulfport. But, you may not stay very long because this city is also on the worst places to live in Mississippi list as well.
/10
Population: 12,037
Rank Last Year: 7 (Up 1)
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 373 (Fifth most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 3,215 (Ninth most dangerous)
More on Brookhaven: Real Estate | Cost Of Living | Crime Report
If you take the walking tour in the Historic Victorian District of Brookhaven, be sure to keep an eye out for suspicious characters. Ranked fifth highest in violent crime, you have a 1 in 267 chance of being a victim of murder or rape. That's the bad news.
The good news about Brookhaven is that it made two of our lists: the Best Places to Retire in Mississippi list. So, while crime might not be great, it's not that bad either.
/10
Population: 21,610
Rank Last Year: 1 (Down 6)
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 259 (11th most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 5,742 (Third most dangerous)
More on Pascagoula: Real Estate | Cost Of Living | Crime Report
Even though Pascagoula is on the most dangerous cities list this year, the people of this town have something to celebrate. Pascagoula is down 6 from last year, but it still ranks third highest in property crime. That means you have a 1 in 17 chance of being a victim of larceny, car theft, or arson. You'll need to make sure you lock your doors and keep an eye on your personal belongings.
Known as the "Singing River" city located near the Gulf of Mexico, Pascagoula's name is derived from a Native American tribe known as the "bread eaters".
/10
Population: 10,430
Rank Last Year: 14 (Up 6)
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 373 (Fourth most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 2,799 (13th most dangerous)
More on West Point: Real Estate | Cost Of Living | Crime Report
Although West Point ranks as one of the best places to raise a family and one of the best places to retire in Mississippi, you still have to watch where you go in this town of 10,430 people. You have a 1 in 35 chance of experiencing a burglary or car theft and a 1 in 267 chance of being a victim of a violent crime. Those are big numbers for a town with such a small population.
Located in the northeast section of Mississippi, West Point is part of what is known as the Golden Triangle region of the state.
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Population: 45,971
Rank Last Year: 13 (Up 4)
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 230 (13th most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 4,491 (Sixth most dangerous)
More on Hattiesburg: Real Estate | Cost Of Living
Crime must be spiking in Hattiesburg since this town's rank is up 4 from last year.
A former center of the lumber and railroad industries, Hattiesburg is also the home of the University of Southern Mississippi. Hattiesburg gained its nickname "The Hub City" from a local newspaper contest. So, it's not a stretch to say that Hattiesburg is a hub for property crime. This city ranks sixth highest overall in burglaries, larcenies, and car thefts.
/10
Population: 6,285
Rank Last Year: 22 (Up 12)
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 254 (12th most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 3,214 (Tenth most dangerous)
More on Pass Christian: Real Estate | Cost Of Living | Crime Report
Pass Christian is ranked as one of the most boring places in Mississippi, but that's due to a lack of crime. In fact, this city has the fourth most number of robberies in the state.
Graphing The Most Dangerous And Safest Places In Mississippi
How we determined the most dangerous cities in Mississippi for 2021?
Every year the FBI release two crime datasets, a preliminary dataset limited to the biggest cities in the country, followed by a more detailed release at the end of the year.
For our analysis, we focused on the JUST released 2019 data, specifically the 2019 Crime In The United States Report. We will update the results when data becomes available in September 2021.
So what criteria did we use? Have a look:
- Violent Crimes Per Capita
- Property Crimes Per Capita
In order to make the analysis as apples to apples as possible, we only considered Mississippi cities over 6,000 in population. That left us with 23 cities in Mississippi.
We then ranked each city from 1 to 23 for the two criteria with a #1 ranking being the most dangerous for the particular criteria.
Next, we averaged the two rankings into one "Dangerous Index".
Finally, we ranked every city on the "Dangerous Index" with the lowest index being the most dangerous in Mississippi -- Biloxi. Any ties went to the smaller city. You can download the data here.
Read on for a detailed look at the 10 most dangerous cities in Mississippi.
Locking It All Up In Mississippi
The latest FBI crime data shows that Biloxi ranks as the most dangerous city in Mississippi for 2021.
We want to point out again that there's still safes places in Biloxi and that this isn't a comment on the people that live there. So please don't beat us up.
Here are the safest cities in Mississippi:
- Flowood (Pop. 9,401)
- Southaven (Pop. 55,718)
- Ridgeland (Pop. 24,171)
- Ocean Springs (Pop. 17,864)
- Olive Branch (Pop. 38,761)
- Byram (Pop. 11,672)
- Horn Lake (Pop. 27,256)
- Brandon (Pop. 24,426)
- Madison (Pop. 25,862)
- Petal (Pop. 10,702)
For more Mississippi reading, check out:
- Best Places To Raise A Family In Mississippi
- Safest Places In Mississippi
- Worst Places To Live In Mississippi
Where Are The Most Dangerous Cities In Mississippi?
| Rank | City | Population |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Biloxi | 46,185 |
| 2 | Laurel | 18,471 |
| 3 | Meridian | 36,878 |
| 4 | Batesville | 7,234 |
| 5 | Gulfport | 72,383 |
| 6 | Brookhaven | 12,037 |
| 7 | Pascagoula | 21,610 |
| 8 | West Point | 10,430 |
| 9 | Hattiesburg | 45,971 |
| 10 | Pass Christian | 6,285 |
After studying these statistics, and knowing both McComb and Jackson, I will still take my chances in McComb rather than Jackson. I dread the thought of even driving through Jackson on either I-55 or I-20. I get through that city as quickly as possible. I loved for 8 years in Jackson from 1972-1980. It was dangerous enough back then, but nothing compared to today.
Apparently the people who wrote this article don’t know the difference between the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico. Given that, I doubt the reliability of anything they publish.
I used to live in Pascagoula, didn’t know that much bad stuff happened in there..
Why is Columbus MS not mentioned?
My family has lived in Batesville since the 1850s on Eureka Street that you mention. Never in my almost 70 years nor do I recall my ancestors ever stating that they felt in danger. Not then & not now. Batesville has it’s issues as does everywhere these days, but not to the point that crime is “rampant”.
Batesville isn’t the safest… but Eureka St in Batesville being dangerous?? We live right near it and drive down it every day.
Not even close to dangerous on that street. You obviously just picked a random street to up your word count of this article.
That discredited this whole story from the start.
Anyone who thinks Laurel is more dangerous than Biloxi has never been to either. I have lived in both, Biloxi for two decades and Laurel for one, so I have a pretty good idea of which I speak. Ridiculous.
Pascagoula is NOT the most dangerous city in Mississippi!!! Far from it.