The 10 Worst Small Towns In Mississippi For 2022


Using science and data, we can tell you which teeny specks in MS are the pits.

Editor’s Note: This article is an opinion based on facts and is meant as infotainment. Don’t freak out we updated this article for 2022. This is our ninth time ranking the worst small places to live in Mississippi.

Most Americans have never been to Mississippi. However, as the people who live there know, Mississippi is an awesome state.

But is it all roses? Definitely not. Just like any other state, Mississippi has its trouble spots. This article aims to determine, using science, the absolute worst small towns to live in the Magnolia State. Don't shoot the messenger, this is all using data.

After analyzing more than 134 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:

These are the worst small towns in Mississippi for 2022:

  1. Rosedale
  2. Conehatta
  3. Lambert
  4. Hillsboro
  5. Waynesboro
  6. Magnolia
  7. Goodman
  8. Pearl River
  9. Collins
  10. Shelby

So what is the worst small town to call home in Mississippi for 2022? According to the most recent census data, Rosedale is the worst small town to live in Mississippi.

Of course, many of these cities would rank highly if they were in other states, since Mississippi has its stuff figured out.

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 2022

1. Rosedale

Overall SnackAbility

3
/10

Population: 1,855
Rank Last Year: 2 (Up 1)
Median Home Value: $86,900 (67th worst)
Unemployment Rate: 18.5% (18th worst)
More on Rosedale:  Data

2. Conehatta

Overall SnackAbility

4
/10

Population: 1,239
Rank Last Year: 1 (Down 1)
Median Home Value: $49,900 (2nd worst)
Unemployment Rate: 0.0% (13worst)
More on Conehatta:  Data

3. Lambert

Overall SnackAbility

3
/10

Population: 1,159
Rank Last Year: 6 (Up 4)
Median Home Value: $48,000 (worst)
Unemployment Rate: 24.0% (13th worst)
More on Lambert:  Data

4. Hillsboro

Overall SnackAbility

3
/10

Population: 1,090
Rank Last Year: 4 (No Change)
Median Home Value: $54,200 (4th worst)
Unemployment Rate: 24.0% (12th worst)
More on Hillsboro:  Data

5. Waynesboro

Waynesboro, MS

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

4
/10

Population: 4,882
Rank Last Year: 14 (Up 9)
Median Home Value: $68,300 (3worst)
Unemployment Rate: 14.9% (25th worst)
More on Waynesboro:  Data | Photos

6. Magnolia

Overall SnackAbility

4
/10

Population: 2,998
Rank Last Year: 27 (Up 21)
Median Home Value: $62,000 (15th worst)
Unemployment Rate: 18.1% (19th worst)
More on Magnolia:  Data

7. Goodman

Overall SnackAbility

4
/10

Population: 1,368
Rank Last Year: 17 (Up 11)
Median Home Value: $61,400 (14th worst)
Unemployment Rate: 13.3% (3worst)
More on Goodman:  Data

8. Pearl River

Overall SnackAbility

4
/10

Population: 4,005
Rank Last Year: 12 (Up 4)
Median Home Value: $71,200 (38th worst)
Unemployment Rate: 9.1% (55th worst)
More on Pearl River:  Data

9. Collins

Collins, MS

Source: Wikipedia User JonathanTheLibrarian | CC BY-SA 4.0
Overall SnackAbility

4
/10

Population: 2,921
Rank Last Year: 9 (No Change)
Median Home Value: $66,300 (24th worst)
Unemployment Rate: 13.8% (30th worst)
More on Collins:  Data | Photos

10. Shelby

Shelby, MS

Source: Wikipedia User Privatejoy13 | CC BY-SA 3.0
Overall SnackAbility

3
/10

Population: 1,666
Rank Last Year: 12 (Up 3)
Median Home Value: $73,600 (40th worst)
Unemployment Rate: 19.1% (16th worst)
More on Shelby:  Data | Photos

How do you decide if a place is lousy or not?

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

So we scraped the internet for those criteria, and it spit out the answer. Like magic.

How we determined the worst small towns to live in Mississippi for 2022

We threw a lot of criteria at this one in order to get the best, most complete results possible. Using FBI crime data and the Census's 2016-2020 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 a lot - 134 to be exact.

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

This list is a scientific analysis based on real data and is completely unbiased.

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.

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

  1. Columbus AFB (Pop. 1,689)
  2. Hide-A-Way Lake (Pop. 2,217)
  3. Florence (Pop. 4,446)

For more Mississippi reading, check out:

Detailed List Of The Worst Small Towns In Mississippi

Rank Town Population Unemployment Rate Home Value
1 Rosedale 1,855 18.5% $86,900
2 Conehatta 1,239 0.0% $49,900
3 Lambert 1,159 24.0% $48,000
4 Hillsboro 1,090 24.0% $54,200
5 Waynesboro 4,882 14.9% $68,300
6 Magnolia 2,998 18.1% $62,000
7 Goodman 1,368 13.3% $61,400
8 Pearl River 4,005 9.1% $71,200
9 Collins 2,921 13.8% $66,300
10 Shelby 1,666 19.1% $73,600
11 Lumberton 1,664 18.6% $81,000
12 Friars Point 1,269 24.2% $55,000
13 Itta Bena 1,687 31.4% $64,100
14 Tchula 1,997 29.7% $57,600
15 Durant 2,709 12.2% $50,200
16 Brooksville 1,123 23.1% $58,300
17 Drew 2,343 7.6% $63,500
18 Shaw 1,955 11.1% $58,400
19 Morgantown 1,822 8.8% $76,900
20 Raleigh 1,111 15.0% $107,000
21 Byhalia 1,643 8.3% $116,300
22 Bude 1,031 2.2% $61,300
23 Port Gibson 1,616 14.4% $82,200
24 Morton 3,593 4.0% $81,500
25 Sunflower 1,068 9.3% $75,600
26 Tyle 1,985 19.8% $104,700
27 Como 1,919 34.5% $126,600
28 Escatawpa 2,958 24.3% $83,300
29 Belzoni 2,115 14.9% $70,000
30 Fayette 1,530 4.4% $68,700
31 Hazlehurst 3,801 9.9% $83,800
32 Moorhead 1,513 28.3% $67,500
33 Macon 3,069 10.5% $81,300
34 Sardis 2,294 10.7% $63,800
35 Vardaman 1,215 3.9% $59,500
36 Shannon 1,841 8.7% $103,800
37 Magee 4,174 11.3% $87,100
38 Wade 1,829 35.2% $189,900
39 Crenshaw 1,151 12.0% $57,800
40 Verona 3,185 7.3% $83,300
41 Lexington 1,573 12.0% $58,500
42 Walnut 1,253 7.7% $65,500
43 Pickens 1,187 6.0% $66,900
44 Walls 1,415 6.5% $107,100
45 Eupora 2,436 24.7% $77,800
46 Baldwyn 3,093 13.2% $83,000
47 Nettleton 2,455 12.4% $81,300
48 Ellisville 4,671 6.4% $85,000
49 Newton 3,190 11.7% $68,200
50 Hollandale 1,980 13.1% $79,400
51 Mendenhall 3,003 6.7% $86,600
52 Charleston 2,651 2.4% $68,700
53 Mound Bayou 1,695 5.2% $63,800
54 Houston 3,426 6.7% $71,400
55 Edwards 1,117 5.6% $77,800
56 Iuka 2,961 2.7% $90,900
57 Marks 1,802 16.7% $80,000
58 Winona 4,099 5.5% $91,800
59 Okolona 2,601 5.1% $69,200
60 Walnut Grove 1,027 16.7% $73,800
61 Summit 2,633 6.0% $92,300
62 Wiggins 4,512 8.2% $103,600
63 Calhoun City 2,140 5.8% $67,800
64 Coldwater 1,609 6.0% $75,900
65 Centreville 1,633 2.6% $68,000
66 Prentiss 1,204 10.2% $80,600
67 Pelahatchie 1,902 12.5% $130,700
68 Blue Mountain 1,222 6.6% $67,700
69 Rolling Fork 2,334 12.5% $74,000
70 Lucedale 3,094 16.7% $95,800
71 Derma 1,052 0.3% $55,800
72 Nicholson 2,477 3.5% $74,100
73 Robinhood 1,295 8.8% $70,200
74 Bruce 1,657 6.7% $64,600
75 Quitman 1,790 8.6% $94,000
76 Ecru 1,321 4.9% $106,500
77 Gloster 1,356 6.3% $69,200
78 Carthage 4,773 10.5% $144,400
79 Monticello 1,380 3.2% $106,200
80 Decatur 1,755 7.7% $100,400
81 Flora 2,353 8.4% $165,300
82 Belmont 2,427 1.8% $132,000
83 Tutwiler 3,433 10.0% $63,300
84 Wesson 2,224 8.6% $135,900
85 Water Valley 3,300 8.0% $98,800
86 Glendale 1,483 0.0% $1,000
87 Richton 1,441 4.3% $143,700
88 Union 2,581 6.7% $88,800
89 Ruleville 2,617 11.0% $87,100
90 Purvis 2,198 7.4% $106,300
91 Bay Springs 1,723 6.4% $114,500
92 Leland 3,866 9.1% $98,700
93 Arnold Line 1,654 15.9% $107,600
94 Crystal Springs 4,753 11.6% $85,200
95 Sharon 1,810 7.9% $80,300
96 Mississippi State 3,494 31.4% $1,000
97 Ackerman 1,700 29.1% $152,100
98 Kiln 2,462 1.5% $139,600
99 Coffeeville 1,013 3.5% $75,900
100 Mantachie 1,726 4.3% $96,500
Download The Entire Mississippi Ranking Data

How Is The Area In ?

 Worst