Mississippi

[next_migration]

Mississippi is a very rural state. The largest city, in a state of about 3 million, is Jackson, the capital, which has 426,000 people in the entire metropolitan area. Kurtz et al. (2020) concluded that Mississippi is well placed for sustainability in terms of food supplies even given present diets, unlike some other Southern states whose large cities would not be easily provisioned locally. Mississippi has well-known problems—poverty, unemployment, inequality, infant mortality, poor education and health care—that are worse than in most Southern states. If those things don’t trouble you or you don’t think they’ll affect you, Mississippi might be pre-adapted for decline.

 

For those who need urban jobs or amenities, Jackson is certainly big enough. The city proper has about 160,000 people. It is home to several colleges and universities and many cultural institutions, and has a generally liberal city government that most Southeastward-looking migrants would dislike. The regional economy is quite diverse, but poverty and unemployment are persistent problems; that plus the large population means that crime is far above average. Therefore it is not recommended for anyone who isn’t really devoted to big city life.

Smaller cities and towns that might be considered include the following.

 

o  Hattiesburg (about 49,000 people) in the south is home to the University of Southern Mississippi. It is about 75 miles from the coast, close enough to be subject to hurricane damage. There is a variety of manufacturing and corporate headquarters, and a large National Guard training base. Hattiesburg has a large historic district that puts on a popular Victorian Christmas display. Has a city bus service and an Amtrak stop.

o  Meridian in the east (35,000 people), the “Queen City,” is a historic railroad town. Major economic sectors include distribution, manufacturing, health care, retail, and the military. Outdoor recreation, antiquing, a historic carousel, music history, community festivals, and Mississippi arts and children’s museums draw tourists. There are nine historic districts known for lovely architecture, a community college and a tiny state university branch, and a good variety of performing arts (but no mass transit). The town is majority-Black and aggressively gerrymandered to limit residents’ voice in the legislature. Population has been declining, leaving room for newcomers. Has an Amtrak stop.

o  Vicksburg (ca. 22,000 people) at the western edge of the state is at the confluence of the Mississippi and Yazoo Rivers. It has a large river port, four casinos, three large U.S. Army Corps of Engineers facilities, and a paper mill. Unemployment and poverty are above average, though the city is in a good location for the future.

o  Brookhaven (12,000 people) in the southwest hosts the state’s boarding high school for the arts. Economy seems to be mostly retail and service, though there is some manufacturing. Local schools are de facto segregated. Has an Amtrak stop.

o  Laurel in the southeast (17,000 people) has some manufacturing employers, notably door manufacturer Masonite International. Home of Ben and Erin Napier, hosts of the HGTV series “Home Town.” A very quiet town with not much to do; residents indicate that being a white evangelical will make residents’ experience significantly better. Has an Amtrak stop.

o  Oxford (25,000 people), the central-northern home of the University of Mississippi (Ole Miss), is quite a lovely town. It has an active music scene and a charming downtown with many independent small businesses. There’s a small community college branch campus. Real estate is pricey, so the town has a higher cost of living than any of the others mentioned. There is a local bus service that is free to Ole Miss students, but no easy way out of town without a private car.

 

The northeastern section of the state has particular promise. It has three relatively promising small cities and is otherwise sparsely populated, so that it could easily make room for many more people. However, for the population to grow, some migrants will need to consider communities that are smaller than would be a good risk in most regions.

 

o  Tupelo (38,000 people) in the northeast has a diverse economy including banking and finance, retail, transport and distribution, manufacturing, tourism, and healthcare. It is home to the fundamentalist American Family Association. There are satellite campuses of the University of Mississippi and a Fulton, MS community college. Tupelo was the birthplace of Elvis Presley and there are some related tourist attractions. Tupelo is reputed to be a good place to live.

o  Starkville (24,000 people) is a college town in the northeast, though well south of Tupelo. It is the home of Mississippi State University, the state’s largest university. Starkville has been labeled by a state program as a Certified Retirement City for its quality of life, affordable costs, and access to health care, and has several assisted living or nursing facilities.

o  Columbus (24,000 people) is close to Starkville. The economy includes manufacturing (especially defense), health care, and the military. Columbus is home to the Mississippi University for Women and a STEM-focused boarding high school for gifted students. The town was known for doing a better job of integrating its schools than most Mississippi cities.

o  West Point is near Starkville and Columbus. It currently has about 10,000 people and has been declining in population, with many retirees. There are a few manufacturing employers. It’s majority African-American and more liberal than most towns in Mississippi. Churches are an important part of social life.

o  New Albany, northwest of Tupelo, has less than 8000 people and is declining in size. It’s considered to be a friendly community. There are some jobs in manufacturing and retail, and some locally owned businesses; many of the population are retirees. There’s a historic downtown and a park along the Tallahatchie River, and the town is located on or near several hiking and biking trails.

o  Amory, southeast of Tupelo, has fewer than 7000 people. There are some jobs in sectors including manufacturing, wood pulp processing, and health care. It’s a historic railroad town with an annual railroad festival. It boasts affordable, attractive housing, a functioning downtown with some independent businesses, and a pleasant small-town atmosphere.

 

The South’s history of segregation continues to play a role in the modern era. Some of the listed towns are majority-Black, and these often have high poverty rates. Mississippi has limited regional bus service, but has two Amtrak lines that traverse the state. All but two of Mississippi’s 17 Greyhound stops are in the western part of the state, and some relatively obvious destinations (e.g., Oxford, the home of a major university) are not served. A car is probably to be considered essential at present.