The 10 Worst Small Towns In Mississippi For 2025

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 125 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 2025:

1. Shelby
2. Goodman
3. Sardis
4. Rosedale
5. Vaiden
6. Pearl River
7. Byhalia
8. Waynesboro
9. Winona
10. Drew

So what is the worst small town to call home in Mississippi for 2025? According to the most recent census data, Shelby 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 Shelby 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 2025

1. Shelby

Source: Wikipedia User Privatejoy13 | CC BY-SA 3.0

Overall SnackAbility

3
/10

Population: 1,709
Median Home Value: $82,400
Median Income: $27,728
Unemployment Rate: 27.4%

2. Goodman

Overall SnackAbility

4
/10

Population: 1,237
Median Home Value: $37,200
Median Income: $14,722
Unemployment Rate: 24.4%

3. Sardis

Overall SnackAbility

4
/10

Population: 2,525
Median Home Value: $72,100
Median Income: $32,134
Unemployment Rate: 14.2%

4. Rosedale

Overall SnackAbility

3
/10

Population: 1,871
Median Home Value: $100,800
Median Income: $16,691
Unemployment Rate: 8.5%

5. Vaiden

Overall SnackAbility

/10

Population: 1,311
Median Home Value: $47,000
Median Income: $22,273
Unemployment Rate: 4.5%

6. Pearl River

Overall SnackAbility

4
/10

Population: 4,403
Median Home Value: $55,000
Median Income: $46,295
Unemployment Rate: 6.1%

7. Byhalia

Overall SnackAbility

4
/10

Population: 1,935
Median Home Value: $111,300
Median Income: $37,813
Unemployment Rate: 7.8%

8. Waynesboro

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

Overall SnackAbility

4
/10

Population: 4,552
Median Home Value: $84,400
Median Income: $30,910
Unemployment Rate: 5.0%

9. Winona

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

Overall SnackAbility

4
/10

Population: 4,319
Median Home Value: $93,500
Median Income: $27,486
Unemployment Rate: 6.6%

10. Drew

Overall SnackAbility

4
/10

Population: 2,186
Median Home Value: $60,000
Median Income: $22,407
Unemployment Rate: 7.4%

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 2019-2023 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 – 125 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 2025, 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 Shelby, Goodman, Sardis, Rosedale, Vaiden, Pearl River, Byhalia, Waynesboro, Winona, and Drew.

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

1. Bridgetown (Pop. 2,955)
2. Columbus AFB (Pop. 1,368)
3. University (Pop. 4,899)

For more Mississippi reading, check out:

Worst Small Towns In Mississippi

Rank	Town	Population	Unemployment Rate	Home Value	Median Income
1	Shelby	1,709	27.4%	$82,400	$27,728
2	Goodman	1,237	24.4%	$37,200	$14,722
3	Sardis	2,525	14.2%	$72,100	$32,134
4	Rosedale	1,871	8.5%	$100,800	$16,691
5	Vaiden	1,311	4.5%	$47,000	$22,273
6	Pearl River	4,403	6.1%	$55,000	$46,295
7	Byhalia	1,935	7.8%	$111,300	$37,813
8	Waynesboro	4,552	5.0%	$84,400	$30,910
9	Winona	4,319	6.6%	$93,500	$27,486
10	Drew	2,186	7.4%	$60,000	$22,407
11	Magnolia	3,264	5.2%	$60,000	$37,447
12	Maben	1,435	10.7%	$72,200	$28,816
13	Ellisville	4,593	9.5%	$97,000	$32,853
14	Gloster	1,189	10.1%	$73,400	$22,500
15	Vardaman	1,004	3.2%	$55,000	$36,000
16	Raleigh	1,104	11.9%	$110,700	$35,833
17	Escatawpa	3,626	20.1%	$89,800	$35,313
18	Macon	3,454	8.9%	$98,200	$29,167
19	Shaw	1,586	9.5%	$84,200	$23,913
20	Collins	2,180	9.2%	$90,400	$35,946
21	Sunflower	1,049	4.3%	$77,800	$24,479
22	Tchula	2,154	20.4%	$57,500	$35,441
23	Charleston	2,301	16.8%	$87,700	$37,351
24	Lumberton	1,515	12.1%	$78,000	$40,050
25	Wade	1,380	48.2%	$207,900	$1,000
26	Tyle	2,023	12.3%	$117,200	$1,000
27	Nicholson	2,523	10.4%	$98,500	$46,468
28	Stonewall	1,058	10.7%	$60,000	$27,981
29	Hollandale	2,258	14.5%	$88,700	$36,058
30	Union	2,289	13.0%	$105,600	$42,791
31	Port Gibson	1,114	21.3%	$127,100	$29,500
32	Metcalfe	1,141	7.3%	$79,500	$33,194
33	Conehatta	1,110	0.0%	$119,000	$45,565
34	Itta Bena	1,735	28.6%	$100,200	$32,898
35	Ruleville	2,859	18.4%	$94,700	$35,536
36	Okolona	2,623	4.7%	$81,100	$34,400
37	Moorhead	1,370	22.4%	$85,600	$35,885
38	Morton	3,661	0.3%	$90,000	$38,889
39	Summit	2,684	9.2%	$101,700	$33,983
40	Nellieburg	1,297	5.2%	$120,200	$24,227
41	Pickens	1,235	12.5%	$104,200	$31,107
42	Eupora	2,036	21.8%	$96,800	$52,546
43	Decatur	2,025	6.9%	$125,800	$47,258
44	Newton	3,151	3.4%	$82,700	$34,286
45	Wiggins	4,270	11.5%	$105,700	$41,705
46	Magee	3,977	5.7%	$122,700	$43,250
47	Mount Olive	1,268	4.4%	$57,100	$1,000
48	Como	1,464	36.1%	$162,500	$21,865
49	Fayette	1,602	0.2%	$73,800	$25,383
50	Coldwater	1,293	4.7%	$85,400	$41,484
51	Monticello	1,277	10.4%	$114,200	$28,920
52	Mound Bayou	1,526	4.4%	$63,100	$23,194
53	Robinhood	1,304	5.4%	$85,300	$59,706
54	Taylorsville	1,997	0.0%	$134,500	$33,750
55	Carthage	4,859	7.8%	$146,800	$47,304
56	Purvis	1,691	3.3%	$122,500	$34,688
57	Aberdeen	4,909	7.7%	$84,100	$40,732
58	Wesson	2,346	7.7%	$111,700	$50,987
59	Nettleton	2,023	8.0%	$90,900	$44,178
60	Tunica Resorts	1,977	10.9%	$172,400	$40,455
61	Tutwiler	2,049	14.9%	$59,900	$33,836
62	Verona	2,782	2.6%	$113,900	$44,018
63	Prentiss	1,048	2.3%	$84,800	$30,395
64	Ecru	1,566	12.2%	$200,900	$68,500
65	Shannon	1,719	7.2%	$120,200	$42,208
66	Durant	1,904	1.2%	$58,100	$28,050
67	Hazlehurst	3,547	3.2%	$109,400	$40,491
68	Courtland	1,184	4.3%	$97,800	$47,167
69	Crystal Springs	4,766	9.0%	$88,300	$42,990
70	Mendenhall	2,397	5.4%	$102,800	$39,911
71	Lucedale	2,944	6.1%	$151,200	$38,468
72	Water Valley	3,380	4.1%	$111,000	$47,167
73	Blue Mountain	1,452	1.0%	$78,600	$57,527
74	Baldwyn	3,005	4.3%	$94,000	$43,333
75	Sharon	2,223	6.2%	$100,100	$90,278
76	Rolling Fork	2,001	6.6%	$121,100	$34,375
77	Calhoun City	1,804	5.9%	$85,600	$45,439
78	Lexington	1,202	7.6%	$90,300	$39,375
79	Cleary	2,060	12.5%	$1,000	$1,000
80	Flora	2,399	6.6%	$213,700	$36,453
81	Pelahatchie	1,648	4.5%	$183,300	$52,957
82	Bay Springs	2,021	7.6%	$147,600	$49,183
83	Centreville	2,348	0.1%	$57,200	$47,844
84	Leland	3,864	6.8%	$111,100	$39,767
85	Kiln	2,454	2.6%	$150,500	$70,708
86	Marks	1,483	9.5%	$99,300	$35,074
87	Houston	3,757	5.0%	$121,300	$36,667
88	Walls	1,392	1.0%	$160,800	$54,375
89	Belmont	2,538	0.9%	$160,900	$43,152
90	Bruce	1,445	0.9%	$76,100	$32,772
91	Belzoni	1,664	10.7%	$103,400	$45,000
92	Iuka	3,118	1.4%	$122,200	$45,805
93	Algoma	1,065	3.0%	$201,500	$60,000
94	Ackerman	1,906	18.0%	$131,000	$47,917
95	Fulton	4,511	6.6%	$140,300	$56,620
96	Alcorn State University	1,007	3.6%	$1,000	$1,000
97	Richton	1,180	0.0%	$137,600	$35,568
98	Mantachie	1,745	2.8%	$131,900	$81,818
99	Farmington	2,044	2.5%	$132,300	$50,294
100	Quitman	1,949	2.8%	$123,000	$44,744